Happy Slammer Federer comes in from the cold

13 April 2012

It was Roger Federer who coined the description of the Australian Open as the Happy Slam, showing a talent for words as well as tennis.

His phrase neatly sums up the season's opening major as Melbourne Park hosts the most festive of tennis's grand quartet, at a time of year when everyone is fresh and there is much to look forward to.

Hair we go: If you're looking for a big shock in the Australian Open look no further

Like every Grand Slam outside Paris, it has been fertile ground for Federer, but he has not had the best of preparations after a stomach virus caused him to pull out of his three scheduled exhibition matches at Kooyong.

Now everyone — doubtless including Andy Murray, who was playing his first round overnight against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — will be wondering if the disruption might just be enough to throw the great Swiss off his game.

When Federer takes on Argentina's Diego Hartfield in his opening round, it will be his first match since November 18, and even one so gifted would wish to have had his talent heated up a bit more before this fortnight.

If anyone can quickly find his rhythm it is Federer, but if there is the odd crack in his form and confidence that was evident at times last year, then being so undercooked might open up a fault line. Nevertheless, don't hold your breath: "I've been playing practice sets for the last couple of days and I would consider myself 100 per cent," he said yesterday.

"It's always tough in Australia because you don't have many matches coming in. I'm very much used to it and I'm happy with my form."

In truth, it would not be such a bad thing for tennis if the 26-yearold world No 1 were to come unstuck and miss out on a fourth Australian title out of five.

As we are in Melbourne, it is worth remembering that one has to go back to this event in 2005 to find a Grand Slam which was not collected by either Federer or Rafael Nadal.

If the champion's relentless pursuit of Pete Sampras's 14 major titles — he is on 12 — were to temporarily stall, it would obviate the need for the Monopolies Commission to be called in.

What is interesting, and also served to hype the chances of Murray before the event, is that there are also questions about the prospects of all the main contenders going into the first round.

Nadal, due to play his opening round this morning, has had difficulties with his knees and ankles, which are showing the strain of his immensely physical method of playing the game.

In the close season his uncle and coach Toni indiscreetly described him as having a 'very serious' problem, and subsequently there was a hastily arranged news conference to deny that it might be career-threatening. Time will be the judge but, in any event, he rarely excels on hard courts.

Novak Djokovic, the Serb extrovert who is becoming known as the Djoker, faces the sometimes awkward task of backing up a breakthrough season.

His five titles in 2007 and the fact that he created chances to beat Federer in the U.S. Open final bracketed him as part of a triumvirate at the top of the game, even though he finished the season with five straight ATP Tour defeats at Paris, Madrid and the Masters Cup as he totally ran out of puff.

Although only 10th seed, David Nalbandian is another to be considered a genuine contender here after a grandstand finish to last season in which he beat Federer twice in succession.

His problem is that he has suffered back spasms over the past week, although he still plans to take up his place in the first round. But the underlying issue is that there is a shortage of truly elite players in the men's game at the moment to challenge Federer and the clay king Nadal.

It is difficult to argue with Sampras's assertion that the competition at the very top of the game was tougher when he was carrying off his major titles. He acknowledges that these days the overall strength of the field is stronger and deeper and that there are more very good players around, but is right in believing there are fewer of outright champion material.

It is why Murray has a good chance to get right to the summit of the game in the coming years.

Murray was joined in the first round by fellow Scot Jamie Baker who, after coming through qualifying, was due to be up against giant Croat Ivo Karlovic earlier this morning.

The top-heavy women's draw was also getting under way, with Justine Henin, defending champion Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova among those beginning their campaigns.

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