#ICYMI: Australian Open Week 2
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Nike, Wilson and Gatorade are just a few of Serena Williams' vast array of endorsements.
She's one of the richest women in the world, with a net worth of $100 million -- give or take. And after two weeks of successfully grinding out another Australian Open title, the world No. 1 might very well be in the market to add to her already boundless wealth.
May we suggest teaming up with the makers of Mucinex or Robitussin. Serena, who captured her 19th career Grand Slam title, had coughing fits throughout the tournament, so much so that she had to cut some of her practices short. Nonetheless, Serena was able to catch her breath long enough to beat Maria Sharapova for the title, the American's 100th career win over a top-five player.
Sticking with this centennial theme, how about the top 100 things we remember from this year's first major in ... 100 sentences.
1. No. 5 Ana Ivanovic wasted no time becoming the first major casualty of the Aussie Open, losing in three sets to Lucie Hradecka.
2. Ivanovic soon found a travel-home buddy in No. 9 Angelique Kerber after the German was ousted in an opening-day three-setter.
3. And then former Wimbledon finalist, No. 28 seed Sabine Lisicki, joined the pity party, as did No. 27 Svetlana Kuznetsova.
[+] EnlargeRyan Pierse/Getty ImagesAna Ivanovic was the first major casualty of the Australian Open.
4. When Day 1 was over, no fewer than eight women's seeds were already setting their sights on the French Open.
5. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention there were nine (nine!) opening-day men's matches that went five sets.
6. And this included the always demonstrative Ernests Gulbis, who told the vociferous Aussie Open crowd to "shut up."
7. While the Latvian was short-tempered, Rafael Nadal walked onto the court with alarmingly short shorts.
8. So short, in fact, that some thought this was the 1980 Australian Open all over again, which, apropos of nothing, is the same year Venus Williams was born.
9. Venus, for what it's worth, played nothing like the 34-year-old she is in her first-round match, blasting Maria Torro-Flor 6-2, 6-2.
10. Afterward, Venus said she was feeling great on the court, unlike, say, Christina McHale, who had an on-court reverse dinner (if you know what we mean) during a thrilling 12-10 third-set win.
11. But McHale prevailed, as did Viktor Troicki, who was returning to Grand Slam play for the first time since after a yearlong suspension for failing to provide a blood sample.
12. Troicki was understandably overjoyed, as was the retired Li Na, who returned to Melbourne Park and announced her pregnancy.
13. Felicitations are in order for her, as they should be for Czech Tomas Berdych, who announced his engagement to model Ester Satorova.
14. While Li and Berdych have a lot to be proud of, so should hometown girl Jarmila Gajdosova, who, after 10 attempts, finally won a match at the Australian Open.
15. Gajdosova was understandably relieved, as was Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, who was playing in front of his home fans for the 19th straight year.
[+] EnlargePatrick Scala/Getty ImagesIn his 19th appearance Down Under, Lleyton Hewitt gave us some early thrills.
16. In all, 11 Australian men and women reached the second round of the Aussie Open, including uber-talented Nick Kyrgios, whom many still believe is too emotional to win big.
17. Conversely, uber-talented Milos Raonic, one of the most tranquil players on tour, made headlines for dropping 11 pounds so he could more freely on court.
18. As for Sloane Stephens, she felt the weight of Victoria Azarenka's racket with the Belarusian winning their much-ballyhooed first-rounder handily.
19. Afterward, Stephens said she was disappointed but wasn't going to dwell on yet another disappointing result.
20. But a loss is a loss, something Maria Sharapova almost experienced before saving two match points in her second-round clash against Alexandra Panova.
21. Afterward, Sharapova told the media she was just off, much like Nadal, who needed five sets, and a lot of inspiration, to hold off American Tim Smyczek.
22. Nadal, who played for 4 hours, 12 minutes before prevailing, nearly channeled his inner Christina McHale by coming this close to leaving the contents of his stomach on the court.
23. In his news conference, Rafa downplayed the potential, um, eruption and instead lauded his worthy competitor for a class-act decision.
24. Historically not a paragon of class, Aussie Bernard Tomic nonetheless quelled Philipp Kohlschreiber in four sets behind a raucous crowd on Margaret Court Arena.
[+] EnlargeMatt King/Getty Images Juan Martin del Potro never had a chance to play the Aussie after he decided to undergo wrist surgery again.
25. But at least Kohlschreiber made it out on court, unlike the unfortunate Juan Martin del Potro, who that day underwent surgery on his wrist -- the 2009 US Open winner's third such surgery.
26. There's no question the tennis world wishes del Potro a speedy recovery, as do they Marinko Matosevic, who was embarrassed by Andy Murray in a 102-minute second-rounder.
27. And while Murray was in good spirits, the same couldn't be said of Roger Federer, who barked at a television cameraman ("Do you need to be so close?") during a medical timeout in his second-round struggle.
28. Nonetheless, Federer still impressed Pete Sampras, who told ESPN UK that he's amazed by Federer's motivation and willingness to travel at 33 years old.
29. While Federer was still alive in the draw, a handful of young Aussies, Tomic and Kyrgios, were just getting started, each having won second-round matches on the first Wednesday.
30. Another precocious Aussie, teenager, Thanasi Kokkinakis, almost joined the celebration that day but was ousted in five thrilling sets by huge-serving Sam Groth, who just so happens to be an Aussie himself.
31. If there was a bitter narrative that day, Kyrgios was ripped for his arrogant, disingenuous postmatch remarks.
32. Nice guys play tennis, too, including Raonic, who debuted what he called his military shave haircut at the Aussie.
33. It should be noted that Raonic's hair does not move, thanks what he calls "a lot of product."
34. Apparently, Azarenka's feet were moving just fine as she, a round after stopping Stephens, easily dismissed Caroline Wozniacki.
35. There is so much about the Aussie Open that Azarenka (a two-time champ) loves, but Vegemite is not one of those things.
36. After missing a good part of 2014, Azarenka showed us a lot, as did Serena Williams, who showed off some serious skin with her backless Australian Open dress.
[+] EnlargeCameron Spencer/Getty ImagesEugenie Bouchard's awkward encounter with an emcee led to tennis' first ever Twirlgate.
37. Eugenie Bouchard's attire garnered a lot of attention when, awkwardly, the courtside emcee asked her to perform a twirl in front of the Margaret Court Arena crowd after her match.
38. Bouchard called the request "very unexpected," unlike Hewitt's decision to stick with tennis after 19 years playing Down Under.
39. Venus Williams, who is trying to earn her MBA, wasn't going anywhere, either, as she breezed through her second-round match.
40. Venus is a bright player, as is American compatriot Coco Vandeweghe, who stopped Aussie Sam Stosur in the second round.
41. Early on in Australia was good to the American women, including Madison Brengle, who topped 13th-seeded Andrea Petkovic and then told reporters she had a recent scare when doctors had to remove a spot of cancer from her leg.
42. Federer had more than a scare, though, as he was taken apart by Andreas Seppi in the third round.
43. Seppi came into the match with a 23-match losing streak against top-10 players and an 0-10 record against Federer.
44. Nobody beats Seppi 11 times in a row, and no one beats Nadal the first time they play, as Dudi Sela found out in Round 3.
45. Sela's staunch followers failed to lift the Israeli's spirits as he was bushwacked in three quick sets by the 14-time Grand Slam champ.
46. There was little excitement in that match, unlike the raucous crowd that almost propelled fan favorite Marcos Baghdatis over 10th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.
47. Dimitrov prevailed in five thrilling sets, a far more compelling match than the 6-1, 6-1 beatdown his girlfriend, Maria Sharapova, gave Zarina Diyas that day.
48. It was a thorough performance, much like the one Novak Djokovic handed Fernando Verdasco in a swift three-setter.
[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Andy BrownbillJohn Isner was the last American man to lose at the Australian Open.
49. And while everything was going swimmingly for the top-ranked Serb, the same couldn't be said for American John Isner, who couldn't forge a single break against Gilles Muller in a disappointing third-round loss.
50. Combined with Steve Johnson's dismal, the U.S. men were once again left without a single representative heading into the fourth round.
51. That made it four straight years without a single American man in the fourth round Down Under and, remarkably, officially marked the 45th straight Grand Slam since a Yank last hoisted a Grand Slam trophy.
52. This again raised questions as to why U.S. can't produce more successful men's players, the same concern Scotland is going to have, according to Murray's brother, Jamie, who lashed out at his country for not making more indoor facilities.
53. Jamie Murray called the situation rubbish, which is probably how Jarkko Nieminen felt after Stan Wawrinka was done blowing him off the court.
54. Wawrinka was feeling eminently confident with his game, as were Kyrgios and Tomic, who each reached the fourth round -- the first time two Aussies had gone this far in their home Slam since 2004.
55. Not to be outdone, the Williams sisters won three-setters in their third-round matches, which meant that for the first time since 2011, the siblings were still both alive in the round of 16 in the same Grand Slam.
56. At the same time the two Williams were doing their thing, two Madisons were making headlines as well.
57. Madison Keys stunned defending Wimbledon champ and No. 4 seed Petra Kvitova, while Madison Brengle took care of fellow American Vandeweghe.
58. It goes without saying that the two Madisons were over-the-moon happy with their efforts, especially with the growing band of believers the two were garnering.
59. No one had more belief in her game than Agnieszka Radwanska, who under the guidance of Martina Navratilova, was crushing everyone in her way through three rounds.
60. Radwanska was understandably feeling at ease, unlike one spectator who was miffed at the tennis Australian organizers for failing to provide enough shade in the stands.
[+] EnlargeElsa/Getty ImagesNick Kyrgios showed us his game is as big as his charisma.
61. While said fan was angry, the always entertaining Kyrgios was busy coming back from two sets down in front of a jamming Hisense Arena to beat Seppi.
62. For his part, Kyrgios became the first native player to reach the Aussie quarterfinals since Hewitt a decade ago.
63. As for Murray, he then became the first Brit to reach the quarterfinals Down Under since ... Murray a year ago.
64. The Scot slowed down Dimitrov in four spine-tingling sets, but true to form, Murray had his share of irascible moments during the match.
65. Afterward, a more mirthful Murray told the crowd that he may not only wear a kilt to his upcoming wedding but also do so without wearing ... wait for it ... underpants.
66. Murray, who is not always a private (so to speak) person has a knack for creating drama with quite a panache, as does Mr. Tomic, who called the first-week scheduling at the Aussie "ridiculous."
67. Perhaps Tomic was feeling bitter, considering he had just been wiped out of the Aussie by big-hitting Berdych in three sets.
68. That match took only 2 hours, 1 minute -- five minutes less than it took Nadal to send Kevin Anderson back home.
69. Just two rounds after it looked like Sharapova might be going home, she continued her sizzling play with a straight-sets win against Peng Shuai, setting up a blockbuster match with Bouchard.
70. Although Sharapova and Bouchard garnered the attention, under-the-radar Ekaterina Makarova was busy continuing her clinical performances Down Under, reaching the quarterfinals without dropping a single set.
71. While Makarova quietly moved along, Venus Williams did as well, but with much more recognition after an impressive three-set win against Radwanska in the fourth round.
72. The 34-year-old Venus was joined in the quarters by sister Serena, who struggled to get by Garbine Muguruza.
73. However, young Keys completely overpowered Brengle, giving the U.S. three women in the final eight in a major for the first time since the 2004 US Open.
[+] EnlargeGreg Wood/AFP/Getty ImagesMadison Keys emerged on to the scene in a big way at the Australian Open.
74. Keys, so ecstatic after reaching the quarters, said she was going to celebrate by buying a Louis Vuitton handbag.
75. The American triumvirate were joined in the winner's circle that day by Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, who flew well under the radar for the tournament, and not because she's only 5-foot-3.
76. Cibulkova's height might be a little compressed, but she is a massive ball-striker, as Azarenka found out in a three-set loss to last year's Aussie Open runner-up.
77. Massive ball-striking was at its finest at the Aussie Open, with 19 WTA players crushing 115 mph serves or faster, this compared to only 10 who did it last year in Oz.
78. While the power was impressive, Kei Nishikori has made a sweet living with his fleet feet, a feature that was on full display in beating David Ferrer in three sets.
79. Ferrer's journey was cut short, as were the belly-bumping Bryan brothers, who were stunned by Dominic Inglot and Florin Mergea in a hasty 68-minute third-rounder.
80. That was a solid effort, and the start of a string of quick, efficient matches, including Sharapova's 6-3, 6-2 win against Bouchard in the quarterfinals.
81. This coming just after Makarova was done waxing Simona Halep in just over an hour.
82. Not to be outdone, Berdych crushed Nadal in straight sets, ending a 17-match losing streak against the Spaniard.
83. No one, but no one beats Berdych 17 times in a row, and no teenagers beat Murray period, as Kyrgios found out in a straight-sets quarterfinal thumping.
84. Teenagers, though, made a nice comeback on Day 10 when Keys foiled Venus Williams' Aussie Open pilgrimage with a choppy three-set win.
85. Although Keys is a great story, she thwarted any chance of an all-Williams sister semifinal showdown -- a matchup we would have seen if Venus had won -- considering Serena clobbered her way into the final four with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Cibulkova.
86. Serena, as we thought, then took it to Keys the next day in the semifinals, but the world No. 1 needed nine match points to finish the job.
87. Still, a win is a win, and some make winning look easy, as Sharapova did in her semifinal match against Makarova.
88. This set up the greatest non-rivalry matchup, maybe in the history of the game, between Serena and Sharapova.
[+] EnlargeWilliam West/AFP/Getty ImagesFor the 16th straight time, Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova.
89. Serena had won 15 straight against her Russian rival dating back to 2004, but Williams purportedly had to cut practice short the day before after experience coughing fits that had plagued her throughout the tournament.
90. Murray was feeling just fine, though, especially after a redemptive semifinal win against Berdych, the player who scooped up the Scot's longtime hitting partner last year.
91. Murray, though, quickly had to go on the defense in his postmatch presser after cameras captured his fiance, Kim Sears, spewing some foul-mouth language toward Berdych.
92. Sears was obviously bothered by something, just as top-seeded Novak Djokovic was bothered by Stan Wawrinka, who took the Serb to five sets before falling short.
93. The set up the fifth head-to-head Grand Slam finals meeting between Djokovic and Murray, including their third Down Under.
94. Cleary these two knew each other well, unlike Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova, who teamed up for the first time and promptly won the Aussie Open women's doubles title.
95. A fascinating feat, but they will have to win 18 more major championships to catch Serena Williams, who took out Sharapova for her 19th Slam and sixth Down Under.
96. Serena, who served up 18 aces in the final, became the oldest women's champ (33) at the Aussie Open.
97. As for Sharapova, she fell to 5-5 in her career in Grand Slam finals.
98. It's not a great record for the Russian but better than Murray, who fell to 2-6 in major finals after a plot-twisting four-set loss to Djokovic.
99. Djokovic snared his fifth Aussie Open title, the most of anyone in the Open era.
100.With the win, Djokovic equaled Andre Agassi, Ken Rosewall, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl with eight Slam titles.
Source: http://espn.go.com/tennis/aus15/story/_/id/12257848/australian-open-serena-williams-novak-djokovic-shine-first-slam-season
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