Another January post spouting the usual words of a renewed focus with this blog. Well, hopefully I can merely nail some sort of achievable schedule. Somewhere in between the daily posts of the first half of 2018 to the all-too-brief and lacking in heart content of late last year.
What does this new year, indeed this new decade have in store for the sport of kings?
Well I expect more new talent to turn the tide on the established names who have dominated both tours for so long. I think it safe to assume we will be bidding farewell to the likes of Serena, Federer, Sharapova and the few others of that bygone era. Some final flourishes? Perhaps, but after SW19 last year I don’t want to raise any sort of hope – those two match points on serve still hurt a lot.
Rafa and Novak did indeed dominate last year still, in terms of majors at least. But we at last saw the real emergence of Tsitsipas, Medvedev and others as well as continued success and a relevance for Zverev and Thiem. Surely one of these will taste major success this year if not the next?
It was arguably Ash Barty’s year overall in 2019, but Simona Halep has a good a chance as any to wrestle back some sort of dominance in the women’s game, starting Down Under. Defending champ Osaka will, i’m afraid stay quite quiet this year.
But out and out predictions? No I will leave such things for the eve of the tournament in Melbourne which should still go ahead as planned amidst the horrific and truly terrible bushfires raging the country at the time of writing.
All Things Tennis 