Djokovic favorite as 'Big Four' take final bow
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[January 11, 2019]
By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The sun may be
setting on a golden era of men's tennis but Novak Djokovic's star
still burns bright as he returns to Melbourne Park in search of a
record seventh Australian Open title.
The doubt-stricken player with a dodgy elbow, who exited early from
the last two Melbourne tournaments, has since been replaced by the
world-beating Djokovic of old.
Yet the Serb also brings a wiser, harder edge after coming through a
period of personal and physical anguish, and breaking a two-year
drought at the Grand Slams last year.
The same cannot be said for his 'Big Four' cohorts, who have become
progressively worn down by injuries and time after dominating the
majors for much of the past decade.
A teary-eyed Andy Murray signaled the Australian Open could be his
last professional tournament on Friday, with the pain of his right
hip proving unbearable.
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Grave fitness fears also shadow 32-year-old Rafa Nadal, the 17-times
Grand Slam champion, who pulled out of the Brisbane International
warm-up with a thigh strain and had his 2018 season cut short by a
string of various injuries.
The struggles of Murray and Nadal make the longevity of
double-defending champion Roger Federer all the more miraculous, and
even at 37, he may still be the best equipped player to derail the
Djokovic train.
Yet, with respect to the Swiss master, 20-times Grand Slam champion
Federer swiped the last two Melbourne titles while Djokovic was in
the doldrums.
Following his wins at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, the top seeded
Serb is heavily favored to seal a third successive Grand Slam title,
and reclaim a tournament he has virtually owned throughout his
career.
Djokovic was only 21 when he upset the defending champion Federer in
the 2008 semi-finals, then beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four
sets to muscle into a Grand Slam club that had become a duopoly
between the Swiss and Nadal.
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![](../images/011119pics/sports48.jpg)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic at a practice match against Britain's Andy
Murray. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
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He has hoisted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup five times since,
including a hat-trick of titles from 2011-13, all roared on by
Melbourne's big Serbian community.
The world number one suffered a small hiccup in his preparations,
upset by Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the semi-finals at the
Qatar Open.
But he has the luxury of easing into Melbourne against a qualifier
before a possible rematch of the 2008 final against French wildcard
Tsonga.
On the other side of the draw, sentimentalists will hope third seed
Federer and world number two Nadal can grind it out to the
semi-finals and reignite the sport's most cherished rivalry.
Others will hope for a long-awaited breakthrough from the next
generation, after Federer, Nadal and Djokovic hogged all the Grand
Slams last year.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev might seem the man most likely, having
again proved the better of the game's titans with his victory at the
season-ending ATP Tour Finals.
However, the 21-year-old talent's quarter-final appearance at the
French Open last year is his sole appearance in the last eight at a
Grand Slam and he has yet to convince he has the grit and
temperament to go the distance in seven matches.
(Editing by John O'Brien)
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