Caroline Wozniacki and Roger Federer left Melbourne clutching the trophies after an Australian Open packed full of storylines.
The eventful passage of Wozniacki and Simona Halep to the women’s final and their tremendous duel for the title captured the imagination while Kyle Edmund and Chung Hyeon made their big breakthroughs on the men’s side.
Here, Press Association Sport picks out five things we learned from the Australian Open.
Federer’s passion
If at first you don’t succeed
A dream come true!! @australianopen champion and new world #1 ?? pic.twitter.com/aA5pcOqDcy
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) January 27, 2018
It was tough to remember a final with so much riding on it for both women as the clash between Wozniacki and Halep. Both in their third slam final having lost the first two, both knowing they may never get a better chance and with the world number one ranking on the line to boot. Between the 2012 Australian Open and the 2016 US Open, Wozniacki made it past the quarter-finals at a slam only once. Yet she kept believing when the doubters had long since written her off and earned her reward with a tremendous performance.
Andy who?
Women on top
I’m so incredibly proud to be a part of women’s tennis in this day and age. What a tournament for both @CaroWozniacki and @Simona_Halep ?????? @WTA @AustralianOpen
— Johanna Konta (@JoKonta91) January 27, 2018
Tennis has run out of superlatives for the era of the ‘big four’, but the men’s tournament was underwhelming as a whole while the women’s event featured outstanding matches throughout, capped by one of the best finals of recent years. Public perception has not yet caught up but the women have outshone the men at the last four slams. Could women’s tennis be coming out of its turbulent era just as men’s tennis heads into the unknown? Interesting times lie ahead.
No end to injuries
