Australian Open

This is my new blog for my latest university assignment. I will be posting regularly about the biggest sporting highlight of the week with reports, reactions and my own take on the events.

This week focuses on Tennis as the first major of the year, the Australian Open, came to a conclusion at the weekend.

Well well well, looks as if Andy Murray is Scottish yet again. This was the second seed’s fifth final Down Under and still the title eludes him.

Unfortunately Murray couldn’t get over the final hurdle

World number one Novak Djokovic in the end brushed past the Scot taking the game in three sets, 6-1 7-5 7-6 (7-3), claiming his sixth Australian Open and has now won four of the last five major tournaments.

A slow start ultimately condemned Murray to his 22^nd loss in 31 matches against the Serb. It took him 24 minutes to get on the scoreboard so from the early stages of the match it was obvious this was going to be an uphill task for our Wimbledon hero.

As Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent said, ‘Allowing Djokovic a 6-1 head start is like giving Usain Bolt a 10m start in a 100m sprint’.

Murray did manage to stage a recovery in the second and third sets, taking the last to a tiebreak. He served more aces, he hit more winners, but sadly he had 24 more unforced errors than the world number one which proved the difference in class.

Murray thanked his fans for their support during ‘a tough few weeks off court’, and promised his wife Kim he’d be on the next flight home as they await the birth of their first child.

Both stars had cruised the majority of their way to the final but in the end Djokovic was too hot to handle.

Novak lifts the trophy (Credit: http://www.livetennis.com/ Clive Brunskill)

In the women’s final, German Angelique Kerber stunned the greatest female player of all time, Serena Williams.

She clinched her first Grand Slam title in an action packed final in which she emerged victorious, winning 6-4 3-6 6-4. Kerber was fully deserving of her victory and described it as a ‘dream come true’ in an emotional interview.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the British though as Andy’s brother, Jamie, won the men’s doubles with partner Bruno Soares, and fellow Scot Gordon Reid won the men’s wheelchair singles.

Gordon Reid receives the First Minister’s praise

  Thanks for reading,

Ewan.