5 things we learned from the 2016 Australian Open

31 January 2016 03:53

Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber scooped the top prizes as the 2016 Australian Open drew to a close.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at five things we learned from the first major tournament of the year.

1 Match-fixing cannot be swept under the carpet

Allegations made by the BBC and Buzzfeed that match-fixing was widespread, not only in the lower echelons of tennis but at elite level too, cast a shadow over much of the Australian Open. Many of the claims had been reported before, but some had not, and it was the players who bore the brunt as the likes of Novak Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt had to deny any involvement in corruption. It was a tense and unsavoury week for tennis but the authorities appear at least to have shown willing to address the issue after it was announced that an independent review would examine the sport's anti-corruption programmes. If this fortnight has taught anything, it is that the process needs to be thorough, transparent and more than just another exercise in public relations.

2 British players are not so bad after all

Andy Murray going deep into the second week of a grand slam has become something of a routine these days but for once in Melbourne he was not alone in waving the British flag. Johanna Konta was the blockbuster breakthrough, and arguably the surprise of the tournament, as she continued her incredible rise up the rankings to make the semi-finals, only losing to eventual champion Kerber. If Konta's barnstorming run was not enough, Jamie Murray sealed his first ever men's doubles title alongside Brazil's Bruno Soares, making it third time lucky after his two lost finals at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. And then there was Scotland's Gordon Reid, who won his maiden singles title in the wheelchair event, after knocking out top seed and eight-time Australian Open champion Shingo Kunieda along the way.

3 Serena is beatable.but Djokovic is not

The two superpowers of tennis proved their might again, both reaching the final with relative ease - save for one erratic Djokovic display against Gilles Simon in the last 16. Djokovic came through and ultimately strolled to the title as he brushed aside both Roger Federer and Andy Murray - supposedly his greatest challengers - to win his fourth major in five tournaments. The 'big four' is now undeniably a 'big one'. Williams was expected to enjoy a similarly smooth ride as she won every set she played en route to the final but, unlike Djokovic, she came unstuck to the plucky German spirit of Kerber. After her shock defeat to Roberta Vinci in New York, this was another setback for the American, who perhaps at 34 years old is becoming more susceptible to nerves and surprise defeats. Her rivals will be encouraged.

4 Family conquers all for Murray

Murray is renowned as one of the hardest workers on tour, meticulous in his preparation and utterly committed to the improvement of his game. This fortnight, however, a different side to the Scot's character has been laid bare and that is a deep dedication to his family. From the moment he declared he would quit the tournament if his wife Kim went into labour early, it seemed as though Murray's feet were on a tennis court but his mind was elsewhere. He admitted his emotional displays - even more extreme than usual - were in part due to off-court stress while he spent the two weeks with his bags still packed and numerous flights on hold. Then another unexpected event occurred, his father-in-law Nigel Sears collapsing in the stands, prompting Murray to rush to hospital and again, consider quitting the competition. And finally, if confirmation were needed, he was seen beaming with pride and taking pictures as his brother Jamie was presented with the men's doubles trophy at past 1am on Sunday morning, hours before his showdown with Djokovic.

5 Good things come to those who wait

There was not a dry eye in the house when, shortly after Shuai Zhang knocked out world number two Simona Halep in the first round, she took to the microphone. The Chinese qualifier had not just caused a huge upset, she had won her first ever grand slam match after losing all 14 of her previous first-round matches. Zhang was on the brink of retirement - she said she wanted to start a coffee house in Melbourne - and her parents had even flown over to watch for what they suspected might be their daughter's farewell tournament. What they got, however, was a fairytale as Zhang beat Halep, Alize Cornet, Varvara Lepchenko and Madison Keys to reach the quarter-finals. Her debut victory was greeted with a rousing reception as the world number 133 broke down in tears and began a glorious underdog story.

Source: PA