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Sit back and lock yourself in for the most captivating Australian Open of the modern era. The wide open Open they’re calling it.
Once again superstar world No.1s Roger Federer and Serena Williams are the men’s and women’s title favourites, but their challengers are queuing up in 2010.
“It’s like the Melbourne Cup – anyone can win,” leading Australian bookmaker Gerard Daffy says.
“It’s the most open Open in history.”
But while his grand slam rivals are growing in numbers, hunting in packs, Federer has arrived in Melbourne as hungry as ever for yet more major spoils.
Marriage, fatherhood, a career-defining French Open crown and a record-breaking 15th slam at Wimbledon have failed to satiate Federer, who is convinced he can top his remarkable 2009.
The Swiss marvel reached all four grand slam finals last year, going the distance before losing the Australian and US Open deciders in five sets to Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro.
If not for two measly lost sets, Federer would have completed the first calendar-year slam since Rod Laver 40 years prior.
“I think I can definitely, if my body allows me, win many more tournaments than I did last year,” the 28-year-old ominously said.
“I really just had to focus on the big tournaments, the major events last year. Obviously those are the hardest ones to win, and it reflects in the tournaments I was able to win.
“I hardly played any smaller events but, if I am healthy this year, I can win many more tournaments.
“And that could also get me more confident, more momentum, and even more things could also become possible – even though last year was fantastic.
“I would like to stay No.1 in the world, it’s an obvious goal, there are no secrets about that … and I would like to stay there as long as possible.”
Federer’s bullish attitude heading into the new season spells trouble for his challengers, who would have hoped his blissful existence had softened his approach.
Still, the mighty Swiss will need to be at his imperious best to keep his pursuers at bay.
Highlighting the incredible depth in men’s tennis nowadays, defending champion Nadal, the third-ranked Novak Djokovic, del Potro, world No.5 Andy Murray and red-hot Russian Nikolay Davydenko are all coming off – by their own standards – equally outstanding 2009 seasons.
Nadal swept all before him during the first half of the year, accruing five titles, including his maiden hard-court major in the longest Australian Open final ever staged at Melbourne Park, before having his progress stalled by knee and abdominal injuries.
Djokovic, the ’08 Open champion, was ultra-consistent, leading the tour in matches played (97), matches won (78) and – significantly – matches won on hard courts (53).
Del Potro has soared to a career-high No.4 in the world after avenging his five-set French Open semi-final loss to Federer at Flushing Meadows, where, at 20, he became the youngest champion since Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.
Murray is still yearning for his breakthrough slam but couldn’t be short of confidence after landing a tour-high six titles, at one point climbing to second in the rankings and conquering every one of his leading rivals.
Davydenko signed off his season with victories over the year’s three grand slam winners and opened 2010 in equally devastating fashion with back-to-back triumphs over Federer and Nadal in Doha.
Once again, Hewitt, in his 14th Open, carries the hopes of a nation as Australia’s only realistic chance of making a run to the second week of the men’s championship.
Williams, world tennis’s own six-million-dollar woman, faces the sternest test of her glittering career trying to claim a fifth women’s Open crown.
Williams already has all-time greats Martina Navratilova (3), Martina Hingis (3) and Chris Evert (3) covered and is now looking to edge past legends Steffi Graf (4), Monica Seles (4) and Evonne Goolagong Cawley (4) on the Open’s title leaderboard.
But the top seed and defending champion must contend with no less than seven former world No.1s, with the return of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin giving the 128-strong draw unprecedented depth.
“With the two young Belgian ladies back, women’s tennis is the most competitive it’s been in a long time,” Williams acknowledged this week.
Despite the high stakes, Williams – who last year became the first woman in history to earn $US6 million ($A6.52 million) in a single season – is feeling as relaxed as she ever has heading into a slam.
“I have no pressure on myself. I feel like whether I win or lose, I’m going to give my best.
“My goal is to do well, obviously. But I mean, I can’t put too much pressure on myself winning or losing.
“If I play the best I can play, I’ve always said I’m very difficult to beat.”
Contesting just her third tournament after two years out to start a family, Clijsters capped her spectacular comeback with a controversial victory over Williams en route to the US Open title in September.
Now Henin is aiming to add to her grand slam collection in only her second event following a 20-month hiatus after losing a three-set cliffhanger of a final to Clijsters in Brisbane last week.
“I don’t think anyone is surprised anymore with what Kim was able to do, and Justine,” Williams said.
It’s not just the Belgians that Williams must deal with, though.
Older sister Venus, Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Ivanovic are all proven major winners with designs on the Daphne Akhurst Trophy, while ex-No.1s Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic are equally desperate to break their grand slam ducks at Melbourne Park.
The second-ranked Safina is happy to fly under the radar, with the Russian rated a 25-1 long shot after only returning to the court in Sydney this week after almost two months out with a back injury.
But just don’t dare telling last year’s Open runner-up she’s in no condition to challenge for the title once again.
“If I was not fit I would not come here,” Safina snapped.
“It makes no sense if you’re not top fit to come.”
A month ago, Samantha Stosur considered herself a legitimate title contender after knocking over every player in the top five in 2009.
Now the world No.13 is struggling for confidence after losing three of her four lead-up matches this summer.
So expect the 32-year local title drought in the women’s to continue.
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