Day One of the Australian Open came and went with 32 matches either suspended or postponed for today, but not for reasons players feared would affect the schedule. Even as decades-worst bushfires continued to ravage parts of the country, air quality turned out to be just fine for those who managed to take to the court; instruments continually measuring particulates churned out ideal numbers for competition, in stark contrast to conditions that affected qualifying matches last week. Instead, rain proved the tournament’s nemesis, limiting contests to Melbourne Park’s three arenas with retractable roofs once it made its presence felt.
To be sure, the onslaught of water brought about other problems for organizers. For instance, Rod Laver Arena suffered from leaks during defending champion Novak Djokovic’s set-to against Jan-Lennard Struff. Not that they mattered; he went on to win as expected, albeit in four sets. Ditto perennial favorite Roger Federer, who made short work of Steve Johnson. On the distaff side, Serena Williams’ bid to tie Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles ever got off to an easy start; Anastasia Potapova managed to claim a mere three games all told. Hometown heroine Ashleigh Barty had to put in considerably more effort, coming from a set down to win even as she insisted that she never lost control.
Time will tell if the Australian Open will keep siding with conventional wisdom. For the most part, it has traditionally done so because of the premium it places on experience. From sweltering heat to rain to air, it offers up extraneous variables that enhance its reputation as a grueling test of wills for would-be contenders. How and when the attrition will occur this year remains subject to speculation, but the hope is that little to nothing off the court will affect actual performances. Of course, veterans know staying locked in regardless of circumstance is part and parcel of success.
Tennis has invariably been touted as a sport that requires triumph over self. For all the qualifications of the given opponent on the other side of the net, the result is ultimately one’s to carve. It’s why the best of the best have been around for a while, and why so-called peers struggle to keep pace. The Australian Open may be a big question mark, but one thing is clear: those left standing in the end will have earned their place in the spotlight.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
