Tennis is back this 2019, and while some pro players already got their campaigns underway, the real test will only begin next week: the Australian Open.
Sure enough, there’s plenty to watch out for this year. The past campaign has been nothing short of spectacular—thanks to a mix of unpredictability, interesting developments and some late resurgence—and the new season promises to build from that exciting year.
Now, as a primer for the first Grand Slam of the year and for the new ATP and WTA tour, SBOBET provides five of the biggest talking points and things that fans should expect this season.
Big Four: Back and Healthy?
Of course, when talking about tennis, the first thing that comes to mind is the ‘Big Four’ of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. After all, they have been the symbols of tennis for the past decade or so.
Federer and Nadal dominated the early part of 2018, with the former winning the Australian major and the latter reigning supreme during the clay season en route to the Roland Garros title. Meanwhile, Djokovic ascended to No.1 in the other half of the year, winning back-to-back slams in Wimbledon and US Open.
The three are expected to make a case again as the top players in the world, while Murray—who underwent hip surgery last year—will look to bounce back from a season that saw him fail to win a title for the first time in his career.
The only concern left for the ‘Big Four’ is if they can stay healthy. They all had a fair share of injuries this past couple of years, so that is something to watch out for as they try to rule men’s tennis again.
As Djokovic noted, it’s still the ‘Big Four’ era…if they are healthy.
“I think if we are healthy and playing well, the four guys still have probably the best chance to always win Slams,” Djokovic furthered, via News.com.au.
Young Guns Rising
Besides the ‘Big Four,’ it’s also time to take notice of the #NextGen stars and rising players in the tennis scene.
Alexander Zverev appears ready to take the torch from the icons of the game, and he has more than proven that he can hold his own against anyone despite his age. The 21-year-old German won the ATP Finals 2018 against Djokovic, and while he is yet to win a slam, this year could very well be his.
Besides the young German swashbuckler, rising stars Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov shouldn’t also be forgotten. The three are well-poised to crack the top 10, and a pair of good results starting in the Australian Open could pave their way to the elites.
Serena Williams and the Wide-Open WTA Playing Field
Who has forgotten about Serena Williams? If anyone needs any reminder, she is just a 23-time Grand Slam winner who carried the WTA to new heights since turning professional.
Serena gave birth to her daughter Olympia last September 2017 and was simply not ready to return to competitive action in 2018. It seems fit, however, that she will aim to reclaim her throne in the Australian Open, the last major she won before resting due to pregnancy.
Williams has been a dominant force in the WTA scene, and if she’s able to recapture her form, she’ll be an instant favourite once again.
The WTA has enjoyed great parity without Serena. In fact, last year, four different players won the women’s slams. It’s also worth noting that none of those winners went on to take the WTA Finals silverware in Singapore!
It will be intriguing to see how the return of an in-form Serena will change the women’s playing field, and that is certainly a storyline that everyone should keep an eye on.
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries!
Every year, it’s quite normal for players to miss tournaments due to injuries, and this year is no different.
Among the most notable players who are set to miss some time early this season are Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet. The two ATP stars have already decided to withdraw from the Australian Open, with World No.5 Del Potro still nursing a fractured knee and Gasquet dealing with a groin issue.
Former women’s top star Maria Sharapova is also a major doubt due to a thigh injury, and so is men’s No.14 Kyle Edmund and no.7 Marin Cilic who are both suffering from knee injuries.
The possible absences and injuries will have huge effects on the Australian Open 2019 odds at SBOBET, and that might be both a good and bad thing for the competition.
New Year, New Rule in Australian Open
Perhaps, the biggest change in the Australian Open this 2019 is the introduction of final-set tie-breakers.
Previously, the contest used a long deciding set wherein opponents would play out the final set until one of them leads by two games. This year, however, it will be using a first-to-10-points tie-breaker if the final set ended up at 6-6.
The purpose of the rule is to make the game even more exciting and lessen the serving dominance prevalent in shorter tie-breakers.
The new tie-breaker system is expected to have huge implications on the Australian Open 2019 results, and Alexander Zverev is already a critic of the sudden change.
“I don’t like the change too much because I think it has something special when you go 12-10 in the fifth set, or something like that,” Zverev said, per The Australian. “I really enjoyed those kind of situations, really enjoy those kind of matches, even though they are physically tough.”
“These are the things we play for, and now, at every grand slam except for Roland Garros, there is a tiebreak, which I am not in favour of.”
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