Number one ranked and seeded Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are undisputed contenders to lift the Australian Open at the end of January. Their sheer dominance in 2015 with three Slams is a strong reminder of the same being achieved by Roger Federer and Steffi Graf in the past. TANUJ lAKHINA looks back
One half of the illustrious 'Woodies' pair Todd Woodbridge claimed, "It is hard to see anybody dethroning the current champions Serena (Williams) and (Novak) Djokovic" and he's not far from the mark.
Going into the first Grand Slam of the year, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the number one ranked and the number one seeded players in respective single's categories have this in the bag even before they step on the Melbourne hard court starting Monday. One might even say that the tournament is theirs to lose and not of anyone else's to win.
Their dominance in 2015 was almost a mirror reflection of the other's achievements. Both won three Grand Slams and came very close to making it four. Italian Roberta Vinci stopped the Serena juggernaut in the semis of her home Slam. In some respect, Serena faltered with her nerves to lose. Djokovic's quest was broken much earlier at the final of the French Open by a dominant Stanislas Wawrinka. Stan was far superior to Djokovic on the red clay of Paris and outhit him — which is no small feat.
There are those, like Roger Federer and Andy Murray on the men's side and Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep on the women's side, who can give the two a run for their money but such has been Djokovic and Serena's brilliance and consistency that no one comes close to snatching a Slam from this formidable two.
As 2016 Australian Open comes around, there are eerie similarities to a time when another player was the undisputed contender to lift the crown at Melbourne.
Djokovic replaces Federer
Akin to Djokovic's dominance in 2015, his now contemporary Federer enjoyed much the same attention and adulation in the middle of 2000's. The Swiss player known and admired for his suave style, smoothness on the court and exemplary behavior off of it, was the one who would be given the top billing for Southern Pacific's 'big one'.
The 20-year-old who announced himself on the grandest stage of the all — Wimbledon — with an upset of Pete Sampras,had by 2004 become the 'new thing' on the ATP Tour.
Federer was, and still is, a player who almost glides on the court. His one-handed backhand is as smooth as they come and this array of exquisiteness is helped further by a perfect serving motion which is effective on all surfaces.
'Fed Express' as he's sometimes called enjoyed a near-perfect year, like Djokovic did, in 2004, 2006 and 2007 where he, too, won three Grand Slams. In the latter two years, he lost at the French Open final, like Djokovic, to the now sluggish Rafael Nadal.
Entering 2005 Australian Open, Federer was the top seed and billed to successfully defend his crown. But Russian Marat Safin stopped him in his tracks in the semisin a marathon five-setter to then go on to win the title.
Federer did go on to win the Wimbledon and US Open that year and was again primed to win the Australian Open. And this time, he didn't falter. He needed four sets to down surprise but deserving finalist Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. He again added Wimbledon and US Open to his till in that year.
As the 2007 Australian Open came about, the Fed Express had no intentions of halting and that is how it panned out. The tournament introduced Hawk-Eye for the first time but Federer’s sharpness stayed undisturbed to eclipse Fernando Gonzalez. The Swiss Maestro won the tournament without dropping a set and beat Novak in the fourth round.
By 2008, Nadal, Murray and later Djokovic had become the mainstays in winning Grand Slams or giving Federer a really good run for his money.
Rewind to Graff
To compare Serena's sheer dominance on the WTA Tour, one would have to go back quite a while. The last the ladies tour saw such unprecedented rise and authority was when German Steffi Graf's sweetly struck backhand slices donned the courts.
Despite the differences between the two, it is undebatable that both women — separated by eras — have had a massive impact on the tennis circuit. Serena presently has 21 slams in her kitty — one less than Graff — with the ultimate target being Margaret Court's 24. And if things go as planned, Serena could match the German soon.
2015 wasn't the first time Serena amassed three Slams in a calendar (and it may not even be the last) with the same feat achieved in 2002. Then too, she had won four Slams in a row before losing in the semis of the 2003 French Open.
Graf has achieved the three Slams in a year record a jawdropping five times. The most recognised and remembered of the five would have to be 1988 where she won all four Slams and the Olympic gold to achieve the Golden Slam — a feat not shared by another player.
1988 is when Australian Open moved from the grass of Kooyong Stadium to the hard courts of Flinders Park. Graf's first Australian Open crown came in the very same year after the top ranked player beat Chris Evert in the final. She then added the French, Wimbledon and US Open to her kitty along with Olympic gold.
In 1989, Graf demonstrated why she was at the pinnacle by successfully defending her crown at all tournaments bar French. The German made it a hatrick of titles in 1990 in triumphant manner without dropping a set.
She could have a repeat of the Golden Slam in 1993 too but she couldn't eclipse the new star — Monica Seles. Graf added a fourth Aussie Open title to her bank in 1994. She rounded off her career at the Melbourne Park with a quarterfinal loss to Seles in 1999 with newer kids like Martina Hingis and Serena on the horizon.