Novak Djokovic played some of the best tennis of his career so far to win the Australian Open title for a second time, showing a new maturity and towering confidence as he rolled past Roger Federer and Andy Murray in the successive matches with flawless straight sets victories.
The final itself was full of long punishing rallies from the very beginning – the second game lasted over 15 minutes – but all too often Djokovic had the answers, turning defence into attack and keeping unforced errors to a minimum. After winning an hour-long first set 6-4, the Serb swept to 5-0 in the second, and the result was never really in doubt after that. Murray began to hit more freely in the third set, but it was already too late as Djokovic had the finish line in his sights, and scored the decisive break in the eighth game before serving out for a disappointingly one-sided victory. After throwing his belongings, including shoes, towels and shirts, to the crowd, Djokovic dedicated the win to his country and described it as “…the best way I could have asked to start the season. To be able to win against those players in straight sets is incredible.”
The two finalists have had parallel careers since first meeting on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour aged just 13, but Djokovic is clearly in the ascendency right now. The Serb spoke about how anchoring his team to a first Davis Cup title at the end of last year had inspired him to play better than ever. Whether this first Slam final in years not to feature either of the world’s top two players represents a definitive power shift at the top of the game is debatable. An in-form Rafael Nadal had been seeking to win his fourth consecutive Grand Slam title but lost tamely to David Ferrer after suffering a leg injury. Federer has also appeared on course for his 17th Slam before being brushed aside by Djokovic. The rest of the 2011 season will be intriguing to watch.
Throughout the fortnight, the women’s tournament had also grabbed its fair share of headlines. With defending champion Serena Williams still sidelined as she recovers from a foot injury, the players knew that the draw was wide open. A third round defeat for last year’s runner-up Justine Henin at the hands of Svetlana Kuznetsova aggravated the elbow injury that had kept the Belgian out of the sport for the latter half of 2010, causing the former world #1 to announce her definitive retirement from the sport, as she revealed that doctors had advised that she will never be able to play to the necessary standard again. There will be no comeback this time, and Henin’s dream of completing her career Grand Slam with a Wimbledon title is over. Kuznetsova’s next match – a last 16 encounter with French Open champion Francesca Schiavone – would turn out to be the match of the tournament, a 4 hour 45 minute classic that ended with a win for the Italian at 16-14 in the deciding set of a match that w as high in quality and drama as it was long.
Meanwhile, Kim Clijsters snuck through the draw without problems, winning all six of her matches in straight sets without ever really hitting top form. On the other side of the draw, the witty Na Li had charmed the crowds on route to the final, saving a match point in ousting world #1 Caroline Wozniacki in a dramatic semi final to set up a repeat of the championship decider in Sydney, which she won two weeks earlier. After losing the first eight points, Li dominated the first set, winning it 6-3 to delight the sizeable Chinese contingent at the Rod Laver Arena. But Clijsters began to find her range, while Li gradually lost her focus, becoming irritated with shouts of the crowd and flash photography early in third set allowing Clijsters to make the decisive breakthrough and seal a 3-6 6-3 6-3 win.
Since returning to the game after the birth of her daughter, Clijsters has now won three of the last six Grand Slams, and stands within striking distance of recapturing the world #1 spot. Despite that, ‘Aussie Kim’, as the Australian crowds have long referred to her, revealed that this would be her last full year on the Tour, though she hopes to defend her title in 2012. Li, meanwhile, starts the year with an 11-1 win/loss record. Having become the first Asian player ever to reach a Grand Slam final, she also reaches a career high of #7 in the rankings and said she hopes to inspire a new generation of Chinese players. An interesting footnote is that five consecutive Grand Slam finals have now been contested between two players over the age of 25.
Two more well established players, Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta, were relieved to finally win their first Grand Slam title, having been the dominant team of 2010. The pair came back from the brink of defeat in the second set to firmly close the door on the hopes of Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko in the final.
The off-season merry-go-round of doubles partners seemed to have left many of the top male players struggling to adapt, and it was the two most experienced teams that emerged to face each other in the final. Bob & Mike Bryan once again asserted their position as the world’s top doubles team with a straight sets win over reunited ‘Indian Express’ of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, wrapping up a fifth Australian Open title in six years (and tenth Grand Slam overall) capitalising on some impeccable serving.
The mixed doubles saw disappointment for the home crowd, as Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) and Daniel Nestor (CAN) survived a champion’s tie break to beat home hope Paul Hanley and Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei, winning their second mixed doubles Slam in the process.
In the junior events, An-Sophie Mestach showed that Belgium has much to look forward to if Kim Clijsters does decide to join Justine Henin in re-retirement, by winning both the junior singles and doubles titles. 16-year old Mestach put in a flawless display to beat in-form fifth seed Monica Puig (PUR) in straight sets, a day after teaming with Demi Schuurs (NED) to win the doubles. The win represents a 17th consecutive junior girls’ Slam won by a new player.
Top seed Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic repeated Mestach’s feat by scooping both boys’ titles – the first time since 1999 that two players had done the double in Melbourne. Vesely beat home favourite Luke Saville for the loss of just three games, and did not lose a set on his way to becoming the first Czech ever to win the Australian boys’ title. Vesely had earlier teamed with former European Junior Champion Filip Horansky (SVK) to take the doubles crown.
Results – 2011 Australian Open
Men’s Singles:
(3) Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. (5) Andy Murray (GBR) 6-4 6-2 6-3
Men’s Doubles:
(1) Bryan/Bryan (USA) d. (3) Bhupathi/Paes (IND) 6-3 6-4
Women’s Singles:
(3) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (9) Na Li (CHN) 3-6 6-3 6-3
Women’s Doubles:
(1) Dulko (ARG)/Pennetta (ITA) d. Azarenka (BLR)/Kirilenko (RUS) 2-6 7-5 6-1
Mixed Doubles:
(2) Srebotnik (SLO)/Nestor (CAN) d. Chan (TPE)/Hanley (AUS) 6-3 3-6 (10-7)
Boys’ Singles:
(1) Jiri Vesely (CZE) d. Luke Saville (AUS) 6-0 6-3
Boys’ Doubles:
(2) Horansky (SVK)/Vesely (CZE) d. Wagland/Whittington (AUS) 6-4 6-4
Girls’ Singles:
(2) An-Sophie Mestach (BEL) d. (5) Monica Puig (PUR) 6-4 6-2
Girls’ Doubles:
(6) Mestach (BEL)/Schuurs (NED) d. Hozumi/Kato (JPN) 6-2 6-3
Men’s Wheelchair Singles:
(1) Shingo Kuneida (JPN) d. (2) Stephane Houdet (FRA) 6-0 6-3
Men’s Wheelchair Doubles:
(1) Scheffers (NED)/Kuneida (JPN) d. (2) Houdet/Peifer (FRA) 6-3 6-3
Women’s Wheelchair Singles:
(1) Esther Vergeer (NED) d. (2) Daniela Di Tori (AUS) 6-0 6-0
Women’s Wheelchair Doubles:
(1) Vergeer/Walraven (NED) d. (2) Van Koot/Griffioen (NED) 6-0 6-2
Quad Wheelchair Singles:
(1) David Wagner (USA) d. (2) Peter Norfolk (GBR) 6-2 6-3
Quad Wheelchair Doubles:
Norfolk/Lapthorne (GBR) d. Wagner/Taylor (USA) 6-3 6-3