The 2015 Australian Open saw world #1s Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams win at the same Grand Slam event for the first time, with both players producing their best tennis in spellbinding final matches.
Novak Djokovic underlined his hard court dominance by outlasting Andy Murray to claim a fifth Australian Open title. The pair were inseparable until mid-way through the third set, having split two brutal opening two sets lasting 71 and 80 minutes on tie breaks. Djokovic had been complaining of a variety of physical ailments but found a way to raise his game just as Murray became increasingly distracting, accelerating away to win twelve of the last thirteen games and secure a four-set win.
The world #1 has now won five Australian titles and joins the likes of Agassi, Connors, Lendl, Perry, Rosewall on eight career Grand Slam crowns. Murray meanwhile has lost four Australian finals, but was encouraged by his return to form.
In the women’s final, Serena Williams battled the elements, her health and an inspired opponent to win a sixth Australian Open title. Fighting a cough and having vomited prior to the match during a rain delay, the world #1 put in a typically tenacious display to fend off some quality attacking play from Maria Sharapova in the final.
Though the Russian managed to stretch the second set to a tie break, Williams always seemed one step ahead, comfortable in the knowledge that she had won 15 consecutive matches against her opponent, yet edgy enough for it to be apparent that the win could slip from her grasp in an instant. In the end the famous Serena first serve made the difference, bashing ace after ace past the world #2, including twice on match point – once as a netcord, and once as she repeated the previous serve inch-perfectly, clearing the net this time of course.
With the win, Williams reached a new tally of 19 Grand Slam titles, edging her ahead of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the all-time winner’s list and drawing her closer to the record of 22, still held by Steffi Graf.
Doubles
Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the USA and Czech partner Lucie Safarova began their doubles partnership in the best possible way, by winning a Grand Slam title. The friends teamed up on a whim before emerging unseeded through an upset-strewn women’s doubles draw and ousting 14th seeds Yung-Jan Chan (TPE) and Jie Zheng (CHN) in the final match. The win marks a second Australian title for Mattek-Sands and a first Slam for Safarova.
The men’s doubles also saw an unlikely final as two unseeded teams fought their way through to battle for the silverware. In the end, Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli become the first Italian men in 55 years to win a doubles Slam, scoring a 6-4 6-4 win over French pair Pierre-Hugues Herbert & Nicolas Mahut.
Martina Hingis won the first Grand Slam title of this third phase of her career, partnering India’s Leander Paes to a mixed doubles win. The pair ended the reign of defending champions Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) & Daniel Nestor (CAN) with a straight sets win that marked a 16th Slam title for the Swiss, and 15th for her partner.
Juniors
Moscow 17-year old Roman Safiullin claimed his first Junior Slam title with a straight sets win over Seong-chan Hong of Korea in the boys’ singles. Top seeded Safiullin, a runner-up at the European 16&U Championships in 2013, survived two close sets to edge to a 7-5 7-6(2) and become the first Russian boy ever to win in Melbourne. Home fans were treated to a dramatic comeback in the boys’ doubles final, where Jake Delaney & Marc Polmans recovered from an opening set rout to eventually beat Hubert Hurkacz (POL) & Alex Molcan (SVK) 0-6 6-2 [10-8].
The girls’ event saw a breakthrough for Tereza Mihailikova of Slovakia, who became the third consecutive unseeded winner of a girls’ Slam when she brushed past British 15-year old Katie Swan for the loss of just five games to become the first Slovakian winner of the title. There was joy for the Czech Republic in the doubles, as former European 14&U silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova teamed with Miriam Kolodziejova for a straight sets win over Katharina Hobgarski (GER) & Greet Minnen (BEL).
Results from Australia pose some interesting questions for the season ahead. Murray’s runner-up spot ensured him a return to the #4 spot in the rankings, re-establishing the ‘Big Four’. But Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both suffered early upsets in Melbourne raising the question of how long the dominance of these four players – threatened in 2014 with Slam wins by Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic – can be maintained.
Plenty of youngsters also made their mark in Australia, most spectacularly in the form of Madison Keys, who beat Petra Kvitova and a resurgent Venus Williams before losing to Serena in the semifinals, and the popular young Australian Nick Kyrgios, who reached his first Slam quarterfinal and generating a plethora of editorials about his on-court demeanour. The tours now splits their focus as some players move back to Europe for the short indoor season while others prepare for Latin American clay courts and the US hardcourt swing. Regardless of whether emerging players can build on their success, the run-up to the season’s second Slam is already looking more unpredictable than ever...
Roll of Honour
Men’s Singles
(1) Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. (6) Andy Murray (GBR) 76(6) 67(4) 63 60
Men’s Doubles
Bolelli/Fognini (ITA) d. Herbert/Mahut (FRA) 64 64
Women’s Singles
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) 63 76(5)
Women’s Doubles
Mattek Sands (USA)/Safarova (CZE) d. Chan (TPE)/Zheng (CHN) 64 76(5)
Mixed Doubles
(7) Hingis (SUI)/Paes (IND) d. (3) Mladenovic (FRA)/Nestor (CAN) 64 63
Boys’ Singles
(1) Roman Safiullin (RUS) d. (7) Seong-chan Hong (KOR) 75 76(2)
Boys' Doubles
Delaney/Polmans (AUS) d. (8) Hurcakz (POL)/Molcan (SVK) 06 62 [10-8]
Girls’ Singles
Tereza Mihailikova (SVK) d. (14) Katie Swan (GBR) 61 64
Girls’ Doubles
(2) Kolodziejova/Vondrousova (CZE) d. Hobgarski (GER)/Minnen (BEL) 75 64
Men’s Wheelchair Singles
(1) Shingo Kuneida (JPN) d. (2) Stephane Houdet (FRA) 62 62
Women’s Wheelchair Singles
Jiske Griffioen (NED) d. (1) Yui Kamiji (JPN) 63 75
Men’s Wheelchair Doubles
(1) Houdet (FRA)/Kuneida (JPN) d. (2) Scheffers/Vink (NED) 57 60 63
Women’s Wheelchair Doubles
(1) Kamiji (JPN)/Whiley (GBR) d. (2) Griffioen/Van Koot (NED) 46 64 75
Wheelchair Quad Singles
(2) Dylan Alcott (AUS) d. (1) David Wagner (USA) 62 63