Australian Open 2016: The Contenders

Novak Djokovic, World No 1 and had won 10 Grand Slam Titles. He was virtually unstoppable in 2015, when he put together one of the best seasons even seen: three grand slam titles among 11 tournament victories and a win loss record of 82-6. As the season closed, it was only the rapier backhand of Wawrinka in the French Open final that had stopped Novak Djokovic from completing the first men’s calendar year Grand Slam.

Andy Murray, World No 2 and had won 2 Grand Slam Titles. Murray has contested four Australian Open finals without winning any. Murray won four tournaments last season, including two Masters Titles, and finished the year as World No 2 for the first time. But his runner-up finish behind Djokovic in last year Australian Open final turned out to be his best performance in a major tournament.

Roger Federer, World No 3 and had won 17 Grand Slam titles. Federer lost to Djokovic in the Wimbledon and US Open Finals last year, and piercing the armour of the World No 1 is a key challenge as he looks to add to his collection of major titles. Federer, the oldest man in the top 10, and without a Grand Slam title since 2012, has not had a trouble free build up to the year first Grand Slam as he lost to Raonic in the Final.

Stan Wawrinka, World No 4 and had won 2 Grand Slam Titles. One of the few men to trouble Djokovic in recent times will be watched warily by rivals in the men’s draw. Wawrinka stunned Djokovic on his way to winning his first Grand Slam title in the Australian Open in 2014 breaking a four year stranglehold over the Grand Slam Titles by the men’s “Big Four”. In 2015 he won four titles including French Open title.

Rafael Nadal, World No 5 and had won 14 Grand Slam Titles. A wretched spell last year prompted Nadal to wonder whether his Grand Slam winning days were over as the oft injured Spaniard looked a busted flush. Nadal failed to win a major tournament last year for the first time in a decade, and saw his ranking drop to 10^th before he clawed his way back up late in the season. Runner-up finishes in Beijing and Basel and victories over Wawrinka, Murray and David Ferrer at the World Tour Finals.

Australian Open 2015 Winners

The first major tournament of Tennis had finished in Melbourne and world have two new champions in Australian Open 2015. The tournament was played between 19 January 2015 to 1^st February 2015. Novak Djokovic won the fifth Australian Open title and Serena Williams won her sixth Australian Open title after five years. Top remains on the top in rankings. Serena is now remains unbeaten in her last fourteen games of Grand Slam matches. Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray third time in Finals.

Here is the journey of Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic to the finals of Australian Open 2015. Serena Williams won first round from Van Uytvanck by 6-0, 6-4. Then she won second round beating V. Zvonareva by 7-5, 6-0. Serena won her third round match beating E. Svitolina 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. She beats G. Muguruza in fourth round by 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. In Quarterfinals, D. Cibulkova lost to Serena in straight sets by 6-2, 6-2. In Semi Finals, Serena beats M.Keys and won in two sets by 7-5, 6-2. Then in Finals, Maria Sharapova lost to Serena Williams by 6-3 and 7-6 and lost her chance of winning Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic won first round beating A. Bedene by 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. In second round, A. Kuznetsov lost to Novak by 6-0, 6-1, 6-4. In third round, Novak beats F. Verdasco by 7-6, 6-3, 6-4. In fourth round, Novak beats G. Muller by 6-4, 7-5, 7-5. In Quarterfinals, Novak beats M.Raonic by 7-6, 6-4, 6-2. S. Wawrinka lost to Novak in Semi-Finals by 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. At last, in Finals, Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray by 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0. Last two matches were long matches for Novak in this tournament.

In Men’s double Italy Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini defeated Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut by 6-4, 6-4. This was the first title for the team. In women’s double Bethanie Sands and Lucie Safarova defeated Chan Yung Jan and Zheng Jie by 6-4, 7-6. This was the first title for the women team in their respective careers. In Mixed Doubles Martina Hingis and Leander Paes defeated Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor by 6-4, 6-3. This was second win for Hingis with Indian pairs. Last time she paired with Mahesh Bhupati in 2006.

In Boys Singles Roman Safiullin defeated Hong Seong Chan by 7-5, 7-6. In Girls Singles Tereza Mihalikova defeated Katie Swan by 6-1, 6-4. In Boys doubles Jake Delaney and Marc Polmans defeated Hubert Hurkacz and Alex Molcan by 0-6, 6-2. In girls doubles Miriam Kolodziejova and Marketa Vondrousova defeated Katharina Hobgarski and Greet Minnen by 7-5, 6-4. These were some of the results of Australian Open 2015. Other than this, there was Wheelchair tournament. The next major tournament in Tennis will be French Open, which will run from 25 May to 8 June in France.