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Even with the absence – for now at least – of Bernard Tomic, Australia’s home contingent is one of the strongest at an Australian Open in ten years. Amongst a host of newcomers, Ashleigh Barty and Nick Kyrgios headline the names most likely to cause major damage at 2018’s opening grand slam.
21-year-old Barty enjoyed a stellar 2017 season, picking up her first singles title in Kuala Lumpur, rising 308 spots in the rankings from 325 to 17 and winning the Newcombe Medal, Tennis Australia’s top award.
Barty’s best slam results came on the hard courts of the Australian and US Opens, where she reached the third round. The rapid leap into the top 20 has changed expectations on the emerging star, with many touting her as a future major champion.
Nick Kyrgios has struggled with injuries but remains without a coach or physical trainer. Photograph: Mike Frey/BPI/REX/Shutterstock
Despite starting her year with a straight-sets loss to Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko in Brisbane, the top-ranked Australian has remained composed.
Barty’s improved aggression and movement were pivotal in her rise to the top 20 and this year she will look to consolidate that spot with a strong showing in Melbourne. With the key withdrawal of Serena Williams, the Queenslander has a chance to take advantage of the open draw.
On Barty’s heels is Daria Gavrilova, who ended the year exactly where she started it – ranked 25th – despite claiming a maiden career title at New Haven in August.
Her last two Australian Open campaigns have been impressive. Gavrilova progressed to the fourth round on both occasions, but they are the only times she has been that deep into a major.
The 23-year-old has admitted to a weakness at the top level outside Australia, saying she felt she couldn’t “cope with the grand slam pressure” after her first round exit at 2017 Wimbledon. She has also failed to pass the second round at any of the US or French opens.
The recent Hopman Cup provided matchplay but not the confidence-building wins Gavrilova sought, but with Melbourne being the source of many happy memories, the former junior No1 has the capabilities to make a strong charge.
World No25 Daria Gavrilova in action for Australia at the Hopman Cup in Perth. Photograph: David Woodley/Action Plus via Getty Images
Samantha Stosur, meanwhile, will enter the tournament for the 16th time, and her record at her home slam provides no cause for optimism for the US Open champion, who also missed a large chunk of 2017 with a hand injury.
It was hardly a celebratory comeback in Brisbane either, with the world No41, losing first-up to Anastasija Sevastova 6-1 6-3. But without the pressure of being the top-ranked Australian, it remains to be seen what Stosur can conjure at Melbourne Park.
Among the emerging generation, Jaimee Fourlis, Lizette Cabrera and Destanee Aiava will provide a glimpse of a positive future.
In the men’s draw, Nick Kyrgios will carry a top-30 seeding into his fifth Australian Open main draw.
His quarterfinal run in 2015 seems a distant memory with the controversy that has followed, but his talent is undeniable, and was on display in his breakthrough win in Brisbane despite being hindered by a knee injury.
It may be untimely injuries that hold Kyrgios back. There have been countless times when he has called for the trainer or taken a medical timeout over the past year, incidents which have renewed calls for him to have a coach or physical trainer to advise him on proper training methods.
Sebastien Grosjean took over the coaching reigns for a brief period last year, while Lleyton Hewitt and Matt Reid have provided supporting roles, but it does not seem to be enough to maximise a talent so prodigious that it carried him to 13th in the world and two slam quarterfinals before the age of 20.
Australia also boasts some dangerous men’s floaters with Alex de Minaur, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Matthew Ebden, Jordan Thompson, John Millman, Alex Bolt, Jason Kubler and Alexei Popyrin all ready to make their name on the biggest stage of all.
The standouts are de Minaur and Kokkinakis, both of whom produced stellar performances in the opening week of the season.
The 18-year-old de Minaur has played at a level well beyond his years against experienced opponents to make an extraordinary run in Brisbane, stunning former world No3 Milos Raonic and experienced American Steve Johnson to reach the semifinals. The big statement from the former Wimbledon junior finalist is likely to be the first of many.
Kokkinakis, in contrast, has been thwarted by a spate of injuries but finally seems to finding the form that helped him reach world No69 in 2015. He contested his first ATP final in Los Cabos in August before ending his singles campaign after the US Open and turning his focus to a full year on tour in 2018.
The South Australian’s performances at the Hopman Cup have been encouraging, with wins over Vasek Pospisil and an epic encounter with Alexander Zverev, his only blemish coming at the accomplished hands of David Goffin.
If Kokkinakis can overcome his injuries, the opening Grand Slam of the year could provide the launching pad he needs to have the impact that his talent has promised.
(GUARDIAN)
