As Max Purcell was serving-and-volleying his way into a deciding set against Casper Ruud on Thursday, the subject of the near misses by Australia’s men was a topic of discussion around the grounds of Melbourne Park.
This Australian Open proved a case of so close but ultimately not far enough for several of the nation’s leading men as they were edged in heartbreakers over the first five days.
Purcell became the third Australian man beaten in a deciding super tiebreaker this week after Rinky Hijikata fell to marathon man Jan-Lennard Struff and Jason Kubler to Daniel Elahi Galan in the first round.
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In-form Purcell gives Ruud mighty scare | 00:53
On Wednesday, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell all had near-misses in four sets against big-name rivals Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ben Shelton. Add Thanasi Kokkinakis to that list on Thursday night when beaten by Grigor Dimitrov.
All had reason to be content with their efforts given the quality of their rivals and the fight and flair with which they played. And, as Purcell noted, sometimes the dice rolls the wrong way.
But among some senior Tennis Australia personnel on Thursday, both past and present, considering how to assess the results of this Australian Open was subject to debate.
On a day Purcell adopted tactics more common in the 1980s and 1990s, one former head of tennis noted Australian legend John Newcombe would have been strong in his assessment.
And it is unlikely the response would have prompted to respond ‘Bewdy, Newk’ in return.
The former Davis Cup captain was always firm in expressing the mantra to his players that close enough was never good enough and that they could get more out of themselves. And under his captaincy from the mid-1990s, players made significant steps forward.
Pat Rafter rose to world No.1 and won two grand slam titles. Mark Philippoussis broke into the Top 10, won a Masters title and reached two major finals. The Woodies became stars.
Australia won a Davis Cup in France and, four years later under John Fitzgerald and Wally Masur, clinched another against Spain, while Lleyton Hewitt became a leading world force.
It is indisputable Alex de Minuar, who plays Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli for a spot in the last 16, is driving a resurgence among Australian players, with nine ranked in the top 100. Hewitt is pushing the barrow hard as well. And the players are having a crack.
Purcell said after his 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7) loss to Ruud that the Australians wanted to be playing in big matches all of the time and that the losses would drive them to improve.
“I think we’re all just kind of finally where we want to be in our careers, top 100, playing in the big tournaments,” he said.
“Now we have a little bit more freedom with schedules and with coaches, with physios and all that (in being able to finance our careers).
“Everyone is then pushing to be ranked higher than the other one. Everyone is playing good ball. That’s … part of the reason why I think I’ve done well, is because all these other guys have started to do well.
“Everyone’s had a few heartbreaks this week against some good players. But that’s tennis. Everyone gets unlucky. Everyone gets luck somewhere else through the season. That is how it goes.”
Thompson, to his credit, was also disappointed a top scalp and the chance to progress further eluded him in a high-level encounter against last year’s finalist Tsitsipas.
But he believes the generation who will benefit from the deeds of de Minaur are those still finetuning their games in junior ranks.
“We’ve got a lot of (good) guys. We’re all pressing forward. (But) maybe we shouldn’t be looking there,” he said.
“We should be looking at our juniors to see who is coming up there and see if we can get any more. It’s easy to look at the top, but we have to at the bottom as well, the juniors.”
A DECADE AFTER LI NA, AN EMERGING GIANT STIRS AGAIN
A decade after Li Na dazzled in Melbourne to become the first Chinese woman to win the Australian Open, the legacy she created was evident across the grounds on Thursday.
From 12th seed Zheng Qinwen to Juncheng Shang, along with Wang Yafan, the Chinese stars demonstrated their skill and power in impressive displays.
Tennis boomed in China after the exploits of Li Na, a French Open winner whose success in Melbourne in a major branded the grand slam of the Asia-Pacific sparked a surge in interest.
There are now thousands of courts across a country which hosts the Shanghai Masters and China Open in Beijing, as well as several other main tour and lower-tier tournaments.
Significant concerns surrounding the welfare of Peng Shuai, who claimed she was pressed to have sex during an affair with a member of the Politburo Standing Committee saw the WTA Tour walk away from a nation which also closed its doors to the world in the pandemic.
But both tours were back in China once the nation reopened, with the WTA Tour reeling from the financial implications of the initial decision to take a stance against the power.
At the Zhuhai Championships in late September, the talent on offer on the courts was clear. Elsewhere, Hong Kong has since regained its status as an ATP Tour stop as well and joined Tokyo and Beijing as the only Asian cities to host tournaments for both sexes.
The challenge now is for their players to follow the footsteps of Li Na. In Zheng, in particular, the nation has an emerging star, while Shang, 18, is also extremely impressive.
The 18-year-old Shang reached the third round of a grand slam for the first time on Thursday when defeating India’s Sumit Nagal 2-6 6-3 7-5 6-4 in 2hr 50min.
The first Chinese man to reach the third round of the Australian Open, the dynamic left-hander faces Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday for a spot in the Rd of 16.
Shang, who became the youngest man since Alcaraz to win a grand slam match a year ago, is looking forward to tackling the reigning Wimbledon champion on a stadium court.
“Like you said with sarcasm, (it’s) very easy, right? He’s one of the best players on tour. I’ve watched him the whole year,” Shang said.
“Basically in 2023 he’s had amazing runs, amazing matches in the Grand Slams. For me, again, (I have) low expectations. I expect nothing but a really nice crowd on Rod Laver or maybe Margaret Court.
“It will depend on which court I play on. (I) just need to enjoy every point, every moment out there (and) try to learn. He’s a little bit older than me, already one of the best players on tour. “It’s going to be great. I’m going to have fun.”
Zheng, who won the WTA Elite Tour Championships in Zhuhai in late October, reached the quarterfinals of the US Open last September and possesses the talent to become a star.
The 21-year-old ended the hopes of Alex de Minaur’s partner Katie Boulter 6-3 6-3 in another impressive display.
Brilliant act after wild ballkid blunder | 00:43
THE SADDEST OF FAREWELLS TO A WIDELY RESPECTED SCRIBE
The death of a friend is never good news and a significant number of people at Melbourne Park and the broader tennis world are devastated by the death of Mike Dickson.
The decorated journalist was covering his 24th Australian Open in Melbourne, a city he always enjoyed visiting, when he died suddenly on Wednesday morning at the age of 59.
A testament to the esteem with which Dickson was held is evidenced in the tributes to the Daily Mail scribe in the hours after his wife Lucy and three children announced his passing.
From legends including Rafael Nadal, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King to the players he covered at length and with respect, from every one of the alphabet of tour organisations to the Everton Football Club, a common theme rang through.
Dickson was a dedicated journalist who took the time to know his subject or the athletes he was writing about and did so with accuracy, penning praise and criticism when merited and without fear or favour.
It earned Dickson, a multi-award winning journalist, widespread respect. But he was never one to boast of a scoop, and there were plenty of them, instead preferring to move on to the next story or topic.
He was close friends with English star Tim Henman and provided support and guidance to several others including Sue Barker, who was a headline act on centre court at Wimbledon long after her playing days.
Current stars Iga Swiatek, Cameron Norrie, Jack Draper and Katie Boulter were among players to express their condolences after their matches on Thursday.
The opening round success of Emma Radacanu, whose US Open triumph he covered in the book Emma Raducanu: When Tennis Came Home, among other British winners on Tuesday in Melbourne was his last story in print.
But the warmth of his company, the advice and time he had for young journalists, the mateship he shared as the doyen of the British press pack and circles beyond that ensure that his stories and legacy will continue to be told.
From the media bar at Wimbledon to The Snafu in New York, from restaurants in Auteuil near Roland Garros to Lily Blacks and Spleen in Melbourne, Dickson would enjoy a quiet drink or two with colleagues debriefing the days play at grand slams and making sense of what had unfolded between the baselines and beyond it.
He marvelled at the mercurial nature of Nick Kyrgios, who spotted Dickson and a couple of his colleagues in a laneway bar in Melbourne during last year’s Australian Open and brought them a round of drinks, and admired the guts and brilliance of Andy Murray.
An outstanding cricket writer as well, Dickson lived in Wimbledon and loved walking through the wonderful common not far from the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Time in green spaces was a favourite pastime but he also had a keen interest in the world.
Aside from his outstanding news coverage, a joy was reading his weekly columns from the majors all the way to the bottom to find a tip as to where to find a nice meal or take in a lovely view while enjoying a drink.
A favourite memory for this scribe occurred only four months ago in New York at a dinner at Ukrainian restaurant Veselka with Dickson and a handful of his good mates and colleagues, where he chatted with the waiters about the crisis in their homeland.
Titled Postcard From A Life On Tour, Dickson wrote;
“A previously unexplored neighbourhood discovered at the weekend was vibrant Little Ukraine, down in the East Village of Manhattan,” Dickson wrote.
“You can hardly miss it now due to the number of blue and yellow flags flying. At the 24-hour Veselka, in business for nearly 70 years, you can dine under a large portrait of President Zelensky and eat bigos, a stew made mainly of sauerkraut and sausage.
“Not bad, but the highlight was the horseradish and beetroot sauce on the side. It was reasonably priced, too, in what has become a stratospherically expensive city in recent times.
“An added bonus was that, unlike some places here, staff seemed pleased to see you without giving off the sense that it was your privilege to be served by them, in return for a whopping obligatory tip.”
It was accurate and to the point. As was his coverage of tennis and sport in general.
On Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, a group of his colleagues gathered at Lily Blacks, where he had enjoyed a debrief just 24 hours earlier, to mourn his loss and raise a glass to his legacy.
Mike Dickson was a class act. He will be sorely missed. Condolences to his wife Lucy, his children Same, Ruby and Joe and those who enjoyed his company around the world.
16 YR Old stuns with MASSIVE UPSET WIN! | 01:33
MIDNIGHT MADNESS IN MELBOURNE
One thing Dickson was less fond of was the relentless march of grand slam tennis tournaments towards becoming all-night affairs.
A suggestion that a Sunday start this year would reduce the number of late night finishes that have plagued the Australian Open has been rendered farcical in Melbourne over the opening five days of the tournament.
The crowds are booming, with records being set from session to session as the Australian Open attempts to draw in a staggering attendance of 1,000,000 fans over the three week period including qualifying.
But it has not reduced the late finishes, with fans and staff members relying on public transport to get home effectively being forced to leave before the close of play.
Not once has the close of play occurred before midnight and the prospect of it occurring on Thursday was rendered nigh impossible after extended matches on Rod Laver Arena.
The tennis was tremendous.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek was forced to storm from behind to reel in former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins in a match lasting 3hr 14min.
Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Sonego played an incredibly entertaining match complete with absurd levels of shotmaking in a clash lasting 3hr 25min.
Those matches delayed the start of the night session between former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova, with that match extending beyond two hours.
This meant that dual-Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev did not step on to court until closer to 11pm for his clash with tough Finnish talent Emil Ruusuvuori.
The financial bonus of an extra day’s play is clear. But an extended opening round was never going to reduce the midnight madness engulfing Melbourne Park.
