Give or take a few one-day cricket matches and a Davis Cup tie, the summer sports of tennis and cricket have come to an end. Compared to last summer, I am guessing most fans of these sports will have hope in their hearts.
To understand this summer of sport, we have to take a trip back to the summer of 2010/2011, when Australian cricket and tennis seemed to have sunk to new lows.
In tennis, Lleyton Hewitt’s first round lost meant that for the first time, Australia had not one male player inside the world top 100. Bernard Tomic showed some promise but was considered too young to make an impact for a few years. Only Sam Stosur was keeping Aussie tennis relevant and even she struggled. There seemed little talent that had a chance at the tennis spotlight.
Fast forward to 2012 and tennis in Australia can see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Stosur made good on the promise she had shown in reaching the French Open final in 2010, with her breakthrough victory at the 2011 US Open. Tomic is a superstar of tennis, and he showed that as expectation rises, so does his ability.
Hewitt reminded us he has a few years left on the circuit, with some great displays of what made him the youngest world No. 1 ever. Many thought Hewitt was done, but after working hard on his fitness, he gave himself an extra few years on the tour, hopefully to mentor young Australians.
Also, the performances of James Duckworth, Matthew Ebden and Luke Saville, while brief, gave us a positive impression of the rehabilitation of Australian tennis in the last few years.
250th-ranked Duckworth gave Janko Tipsarevic a huge fright, Ebden pushed another rising star Nishikori to five sets, while Luke Saville became the third local in six years to win the Junior Australian Open.
Credit must go to Todd Woodbridge and Pat Rafter who have put in tonnes of effort under great pressure.
Likewise in the cricket, Australia is starting to return to its glory days. Last summer represented the lowest time in Aussie cricket since the mid-1980s, when it seemed impossible for Australia to attain form.
Australian cricket was a rabble as they fell 3-1 to England in the Ashes, to surrender England’s first win Down Under since 1986-1987. Players were out of form and the selection policy resembled England at their worst in the 1990s.
While there have been bad patches more recently (47 against South Africa in Cape Town, the loss to New Zealand in Hobart), the home summer has seen an increasing sense of ruthlessness about the squad.
A combination of new players (David Warner, Ed Cowan, James Pattinson) and improved senior players (Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle), has given the baggy green a refreshment after a few stale years.
Peter Siddle has especially impressed the cricket community.
Considered too predictable 12 months ago, Siddle is now our lead bowler, with a combination of pace and length that he has worked tirelessly on. The 2013 Ashes had seemed like an easy victory for England, but now Australia looks like it can make a contest.
Much like tennis, a lot of credit must go to the Cricket Australia board who swallowed some nasty medicine and implemented change for the better.
With Pat Howard, Mickey Arthur and Michael Clarke in charge, the sky is the limit for this exciting team.
While there is plenty for tennis and cricket to improve on, 2011/2012 was a preview for what could be an exciting few summers ahead for Aussie sports fans.
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