The Australian Open starts on Monday and so it is time for me to share my list of 10 things to look for in the first grand slam of the 2017 tennis season. Enjoy!
1. How will Nick Kyrgios perform? Amid all of the controversy that he has created during these past few months, largely with Tennis Australia, Nick Kyrgios comes in as the #13 player in the world (#14 overall seed). There's no denying the talent that Nick Kyrgios has. He has phenomenal athleticism and is a multi-dimensional player on the court. What's getting in the way is his head and his inability to stay out of trouble. He's a lot like his fellow countryman Bernard Tomic in this way. Anyways, it will be interesting to see if Nick Kyrgios can put his suspension and other issues aside and deliver the goods in front of the home fans. Anything less than a 4th round appearance would be a major disappointment for the Aussie.
2. Will Johanna Konta make another deep run? Johanna Konta comes in as the 9th overall seed and is looking to make another deep run down under. The 25 year old Brit burst onto the tennis scene last year with a run all the way to the semifinals at the Australian Open and established herself as one of the top players in the world for the rest of the season. Now that she's no longer under the radar it will be interesting to see how she handles the pressure of being a top ranked player.
3. How will Roger Federer perform after all the time off? Roger Federer comes in as the #17 overall seed in the tournament, which is much lower than where we are used to seeing him. As a matter of fact I believe it's been well over a decade since he's been seeded at a grand slam outside of the top ten. The word out of Roger Federer's camp appears to be that of optimism. The thinking is that all of this time off and rest has helped Roger Federer rejuvenate himself and return to his elite self. Roger Federer doesn't need to win this event to show that he's elite, but he does need to get passed the 5th seeded Kei Nishikori so that he can face the top seed Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. If Federer plays Murray tough in the quarterfinals, there is reason to believe he'll have a strong season. If Federer flames out earlier than the quarterfinals, then that will indicate he has a lot more work to do.
4. How will Samantha Stosur play in front of the home fans? As the 18th seed, there really isn't too much pressure on Samantha Stosur to go deep, which knowing her might be a good thing. It will be interesting to see if Sam Stosur is able to make a bit of a run and benefit from the Aussie crowd for once.
5. Will Marin Cilic finally make a run down under? Marin Cilic might be the #7 overall seed in the Australian Open, but that doesn't automatically mean he's destined to go far. Cilic was knocked out in the 3rd round last year and has only reached the semifinals of the Australian Open once back in 2010. If you are looking for a dark horse to go all the way at a hard court grand slam, the 2014 US Open champion would be a pretty good guy to put money on. However, the fact that he's had such limited success at the Australian Open is good reason to doubt his chances of going far. Personally, I consider Cilic a dark horse and I am very curious of as to whether or not he goes far or crashes out early.
6. Are we destined for another Kerber-Williams final? Last season, #1 Angelique Kerber and #2 Serena Williams met in the Australian Open final with Kerber coming out on top. They combined for six grand slam finals appearances last season and once again appear to be the strong favorites to win their respective halves of the draw. If I can be honest, I see no reason to not think they'll be back, but in the world of professional tennis, anything can happen in a grand slam. Should they meet in the final, it should prove to be a very exciting and interesting match.
7. Can Andy Murray finally breakthrough at the Australian Open? Andy Murray is now #1 in the world and has proven himself worthy of it. However, he has never won the Australian Open, which makes some people question whether or not to pick him to win. Personally, I have my money on Murray to finally breakthrough and win, but it will be no easy task. Especially if Novak Djokovic is waiting for him in the final.
8. How will the absence of big names affect the women's draw? There are a lot of big names that are missing from the women's draw. Petra Kvitova is out due to being attacked by some crazy person with a knife. Odds are good she misses half of the season. Maria Sharapova is out until the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany in April due to her suspension and Victoria Azarenka is out due to being pregnant. With all of these big names out, it will be interesting to see how eventful this Australian Open will be. History suggests there will be some surprises but from whom is really difficult to figure out. As far as a larger picture is concerned, the absence of those three players seems to indicate that odds are very good we will see Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber in the final.
9. Will Novak Djokovic once again reign supreme? Novak Djokovic is the #2 seed in this tournament, but the Australian Open is still the grand slam where he has been most successful due to the conditions of the courts and the environment. He thrives on the faster hard courts and has no problem playing in the heat. Whether or not Novak Djokovic once again establishes himself as the top player at the Australian Open will be a major story to follow.
#10. Will Agnieszka Radwanska break through? Agnieszka Radwanska is the #3 seed and has put herself in a good position to return to the semifinals. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to go further than that last year but with another year under her belt, maybe this is the year Radwanska finally wins her first slam. I'll say this: If either Angelique Kerber or Serena Williams goes down before the semifinals, Radwanska has to take full advantage. If they both go down before the semifinals, then she'll be the odds on favorite to win. I'm not saying Radwanska can't win so long as Serena and Angelique are in it. What I am saying is that Radwanska has put herself in a great position to win her first grand slam and she has to take full advantage and play her very best tennis. She won't get very many more opportunities like this. Especially with players like Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, and Victoria Azarenka out.
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