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The game’s getting better
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Vijay Amritraj reflects on some of the best moments of the 2008 Australian Open
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Before the 2008 Australian Open showcased Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam temperament and Maria Sharapova’s undiluted competitive instincts in the finals, the tournament had witnessed something of a collapse. Djokovic proved that human capaci
ties could fell Roger Federer, while Sharapova’s brute force outweighed top-seed Justine Henin’s finesse. Having witnessed two weeks of high-quality tennis, and repeatedly (and gladly) put “on the spot” by Alan Wilkins, Vijay Amritraj is back in India, reflecting on the year’s first Grand Slam.
“There were a barrage of upsets, but order was restored in the final. Djokovic was the third best player in the world, and he won,” said Amritraj.
How did it feel to be put on the spot and predict results? “It’s about analysing and drawing a conclusion into what and how things could happen. Before the Djokovic-Federer semi-final for example, it was hard to bet against Federer, but Djokovic was someone who could play well enough to beat him,” he said. For the record, Amritraj got it spot-on in the final, predicting a Djokovic win in four sets.
“Sharapova’s entire fortnight was superb. If you noticed, in all her matches, she played much better in the second set than in the first. She could close it out. The memory of last year spurred her on. The quality of tennis is getting better, which is good for the sport,” he said.
Premature suggestions on large-scale upheavals at the top of men’s tennis are, he believes, uncalled for. Djokovic, for one, was asked if it was the end of Federer’s domination. “It’s silly. For example, people forgot that Andy Roddick even played in the tournament; that’s how caught up in the moment they are. This is just the first Grand Slam of the year. Come Monte Carlo and Barcelona, and you’ll see guys like Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian dominating, and there’ll be a different dominance at Halle and Wimbledon. The one thing that’s happening is that the gap is closing. I’m most interested in seeing what happens at the U.S. Open.”
Good performances
India’s good performances in the mixed doubles (Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza made it to the final) and the juniors (Yuki Bhambri made it to the boys’ semi-final) made it a good two weeks. “There’s obviously a lot more enthusiasm when your own players are doing well, playing in the weekend or going into the second week. Whether it’s in the juniors or the mixed doubles, it’s great to watch. I haven’t watched or done a mixed doubles match since Leander (Paes) and Martina (Navratilova) at Wimbledon, so this was great.”
Speaking of Indian tennis, what does he make of India’s Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan? “Unlike in the 2005 tie in Jaipur (India blanked Uzbekistan), this time, they (Uzbekistan players) will feel they can do better. They were not accustomed to the surface then, and there was the psychological barrier. This time they believe they can win.”
Coming back to the Australian Open, which match did he enjoy watching the most? “For the sheer unbridled joy with which he played and complete lack of inhibition, I would pick finalist Tsonga (Jo-Wilfried)’s match against Nadal. For drama and excitement, I’d pick the final set of the Federer-Tipsarevic match (Federer won it 10-8).”
NANDITA SRIDHAR
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