January '08 Awards

All good things must come to an end. Every journey begins with a single step.


AP Photo/Mark Baker

Or maybe we're just at a natural pause.

So much happened in January, but we won't know how much it REALLY meant until the balance of the 2008 season is complete.

**TOP PLAYERS**
1. Novak Djokovic, SRB... it was only a matter of time before it happened, but now comes the hard part.
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2. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA... a new threat, or a talented flash in the Melbourne pan?
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3. Rafael Nadal, ESP... the stunning destruction by Tsonga notwithstanding, Rafa should be proud of his best hard court slam result ever.
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4. Roger Federer, SUI... he might look more human now than usual, but to underestimate him would be pretty stupid.
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5. Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram, ISR... bumping the Bryans from their accustomed moment in the spotlight.
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HM- Mikhail Youzhny, RUS & Michael Llodra, FRA
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**RISERS**
1. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA
2. Mikhail Youzhny, RUS
3. Dmitry Tursunov, RUS
4. Janko Tipsarevic, SRB
5. Nenad Zimonjic, SRB
HM- Andy Murray, GBR & Jarkko Nieminen, FIN

**SURPRISES**
1. Joseph Sirianni, AUS
2. Yang Tsung-Hua, TPE
3. Lukas Lacko, SVK
4. Ryan Harrison, USA
5. Michael Russell, USA
HM- Yuki Bhambri, IND

**VETERANS**
1. Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram, ISR
2. Michael Llodra, FRA
3. Juan Carlos Ferrero, ESP
4. Carlos Moya, ESP
5. Lleyton Hewitt, AUS
HM- Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra, FRA

**FRESH FACES**
1. Philip Kohlschreiber, GER
2. Marin Cilic, CRO
3. Stanislaw Wawrinka, SUI
4. Chris Guccione, AUS
5. Sonchat Raitwatana/Sanchai Ratiwatana, THA
HM- Bernard Tomic, AUS

**DOWN**
1. Andy Roddick, USA
2. Roger Federer, SUI & Rafael Nadal, ESP (in slam SF)
3. Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan, USA
4. Radek Stepanek, CZE (on the court)
5. David Nalbandian, ARG
HM- Andy Murray, GBR (at Oz)

**COMEBACKS**
1. Juan Carlos Ferrero, ESP
2. James Blake, USA
3. Mardy Fish, USA
HM- Sebastien Grosjean, FRA

**GOODBYES**
1. Gustavo Kuerten, BRA (after RG)
2. Davide Sanguinetti, ITA & Potito Starace, ITA (for three months for betting on matches)

=MATCH AWARDS=
*BEST PERFORMANCE*
Australian Open SF - Tsonga def. Nadal - 6-2/6-3/6-2.
...the Frenchman's Federeresque display of every shot in the book against Nadal turned the final into an Us-vs.-Novak affair.
*MOMENT OF TRUTH*
Australian Open SF - Djokovic def. Federer 7-5/6-3/7-6.
...to legitimize his prince-who-would-be-king claim to the throne, Djokovic had to take down The Mighty One on the big stage.
*MOST TELLING UPSET*
Australian Open 1st - Tsonga def. Murray - 7-5/6-4/0-6/7-6.
...it turned out to be a sneak preview.
*MOST DRAMATIC MATCH*
Australian Open 3rd - Federer def. Tipsarevic - 6-7/7-6/5-7/6-1/10-8.
...one wonders how much damage was done to Federer here, and how much confidence was instilled in Djokovic as a result of his countryman's near upset.
*BEST COMEBACK*
Australian Open 3r - Blake def. Grosjean - 4-6/2-6/6-0/7-6/6-2.
...now we know that Blake CAN overcome. But can he do it in NYC?
*LEAST SURPRISING UPSET*
Australian Open 3rd - Kohlschreiber def. Roddick - 6-4/3-6/7-6/6-7/8-6.
...actually, it'd be more of a stunner if Roddick ever WON another slam.
*DEVASTATION OF THE MONTH*
Chennai Final - Youzhny def. Nadal - 6-0/6-1.
...Rafa was on the wrong side of two head-knockers this month.
*MARATHON OF THE MONTH*
Australian Open 3rd - Hewitt def. Baghdatis - 4-6/7-5/7-5/6-7/6-3.
...if the pleas had been heeded and this match postponed until the next day, we'd missed out on a true classic that lasted until nearly 5 a.m. Sometimes the correct decision is the one that ISN'T made.


All for now.

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