NOVAK Djokovic did not surprise. But Naomi Osaka was a bit of a surprise.
While Djokovic merely reaffirmed his domination of men’s tennis with his Australian Open victory last weekend, Osaka was a stunning revelation of how much she has improved in winning the event’s distaff side.
Djokovic easily won the Australian Open as expected, routing Daniil Medvedev in three sets of a match bereft of intense drama and trauma usually attendant in a title showdown.
Djokovic, the 33-year-old human chainsaw from Serbia, never wavered one teeny-weeny bit in dismantling Medvedev, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.
Only in the first set did Djokovic show a glimpse of human frailty, but which he had quickly overcome to keep the crown and post his record-extending ninth Aussie Open trophy.
And with 18 Grand Slams now across his name—50 percent of that coming in the Aussie Open—Djokovic is just two majors short of equaling the 20 Slams shared by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Nadal suffered a shocking defeat in the quarterfinals at the hands of Stefanos Tsitsipas, the rising star from Greece.
But Tsitsipas, visibly spent in his marathon five-set against Nadal, succumbed to Medvedev in a semifinal encounter that was more of a bore than a showcase of bold strokes worthy of earning warm applause.
Still, it was Medvedev’s 20th straight win, igniting a spark worthy of a possible upset win over Djokovic, if not at least a semblance of a fiercely-contested finals encounter.
But Medvedev, 25, who had shot up to world No. 4 from 600th in a blast, uncharacteristically folded up just as fast, quickly wilting under Djokovic’s tremendous pounding.
In no time, the 6-foot-6 Russian, infamously known for his uncontrolled temper, virtually broke down, smashing his racket beyond recognition right after his 6-2 loss in the second set.
With a history of fines for on-court bad behavior, I’m sure Medvedev will incur another penalty for abuse of equipment.
With his victory, Djokovic is now focusing on the French Open in June, a tournament he’d be hard-pressed to win though owing to the vise-grip hold of it by Nadal.
With his record 13 French Open titles, Nadal’s moniker of “King of Clay” at Roland Garros has never been that secure.
And as to Osaka’s stature, it became more solid than ever after she destroyed long-reigning tennis queen Serena Williams in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-4, before overpowering Jennifer Brady in the finals, 6-4, 6-3.
The win gave Osaka, 23, a perfect 4-0 in a Slam final, including her wins in the 2018 US Open, 2019 Australian Open and 2020 US Open.
Osaka’s triumph could be a signal for a new era dawning in, as Williams, at 39, might have seen ripples of a career coming to an end.
“I’m done,” said Williams, then stormed out of the post-match presser—in tears.
But with 23 Slams under her belt, Williams has no reason to fret—even as she is one short of Margaret Court’s all-time 24 majors.
In Osaka, with a Tahitian for a father married to a Japanese, Japan found a symbol of universal greatness—a driving force in its frenzied mission to host the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics this July. Kampai!
THAT’S IT The Big Three in tennis each has his own bailiwick in the four Slams. Nadal leads with 13 in the French Open, followed by Djokovic with nine in the Aussie Open and Federer eight in Wimbledon. None dominates the US Open.