Novak Djokovic was just too good for Murray in the Australian
Open final. This ES article
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/other-sports/andy-murrays-real-pain-is-playing-in-such-a-golden-era-8469326.html
had a rather negative statistic about Murray losing five out
of six Grand Slam finals. However, losing to Fed three times & twice to
Djokovic is hardly a poor showing. You could say that in fact winning even one
final is a great achievement, in this golden age of excellence where tennis is
being taken to new levels of athleticism.
The same article did point out , that in their first Slam
finals, Nadal & Federer faced easier opposition on paper, against lower
ranked opponents. Whereas it used to be rare, nowadays it's unusual for the Big
Four, or the top four seeds in the absence of Nadal, not to make it through to
the semis of every Slam.
At the moment, it's hard to look beyond Murray & Djokovic
contesting more Slam finals. Federer might be able to upset one of them at
Roland Garros or maybe both at Wimbledon. The other big intangible is the state
of Rafa Nadal's knees. He's due to make his tournament comeback next week in Vina
del Mar, Chile. Will he be able to get back to his former level, & can his
knee joints withstand the pounding of seven consecutive best -of five set
matches ?
Performance of the Month
Djokovic.
Honourable Mentions:
Phil Taylor, still got it at 52, & now owner of 16 world
titles.
Mark Selby, Masters snooker champ. ‘The Jester’ is as sharp
on the green baize as he is in the sartorial stakes.
