#SmashTalk: what’s next for Roger and Serena?

Published by tennismash

Serena Williams (L) and Roger Federer parade their Australian Open trophies after winning the women's and men's singles titles in 2017; Getty Images
The #SmashTalk team predicts what’s next for Roger Federer and Serena Williams and reflects on the highs and lows of Australian Open 2017.

With perhaps the most exciting, emotional and memorable slam now done and dusted, the #SmashTalk team reunited to reflect on the incredible Australian Open 2017.

The panel – Paul Moore, Viv Christie, Matt Trollope and Leigh Rogers – discuss what’s next for Roger, who can stop Serena, and the most notable moments from the year’s first Grand Slam.

Agree or disagree with the views presented? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

Roger Federer: What happens next?

PM: If the land was riddled with fairies and unicorns, Roger would collect the remaining Masters 1000 titles missing from his resume (Monte Carlo and Rome), lose to Rafa in an epic French Open final, and then win Wimbledon. In the real world, however, we probably won’t see him again until Roland Garros, which he will exit before the fourth round. He’ll reach the semifinals of Wimbledon and then his body will start to break down again.

VC: First, hopefully, a break. Scheduled to play Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami, Federer says he’s also committed to a clay court run that incorporates the French Open. I’d love to see a selective approach that focuses on more success at Wimbledon. That said, if he never thrives at another Slam, Roger has already provided us with more feel good factor than we’d have ever imagined. Let’s cherish the ‘now’ before we consider the ‘next’.

MT: Almost entirely back to full health (perhaps?), inside the top 10 again and with an extraordinary injection of belief after beating his toughest opponent in five to win his first major in more than four years, things are looking pretty rosy for Roger. Federer’s next event is Dubai – giving him a few weeks’ valuable rest – and he’s confirmed he’ll play at Roland Garros this season. Assuming he remains healthy, he could definitely win a few more tournaments this year and make a strong charge at Wimbledon and the US Open, especially given his high motivation and playing level and considering Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic – the world’s top two – have dipped from their top level.

LR: Playing without the burden of expectation saw Federer produce some of his best tennis in years – and I’d like to see that continue. Winning the Australian Open should not only restore his confidence in his body after his injury-interrupted 2016 season but also elevate any self-pressure he may have been feeling about winning a coveted 18th Grand Slam title. I think we’ll see Federer adopt a Serena-like schedule for the rest of the year, resting his body with the intention of peaking at the Grand Slams. If he can play pressure-free, there’s no reason he can’t win more big titles.

Who is going to stop Serena sweeping all four Slams this year?

PM: First impressions suggest that Serena will probably be Serena’s biggest opponent this year. If I have to pick someone, though, the player who looks most likely to pose a consistent challenge is Karolina Pliskova (if she can figure out her wobbly form). Of the others, Angelique Kerber looks a little bit ‘cooked’, Garbine Muguruza has been MIA for a while now, and Maria Sharapova… well we all know how that match goes.

VC: It’s near impossible to predict any certainties in the women’s game, especially given early AO exits for Angie Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska, along with surprising quarterfinal departures of Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza. If anybody is going to stop Serena, it might well be Serena herself. Let’s face it – when she shows up to play, she shows up to win. It’s only injury, or a streaking opponent, that typically stops that.

MT: As clichéd as it sounds, I think the only person stopping Serena is herself. Her body has increasingly broken down and there’s no guarantee she’ll enter the major events healthy. But when she does, as we saw at the Australian Open when she did not drop a set en route to the title, she remains an unstoppable force. There are a few who can trouble her – think Kerber, Pliskova and Muguruza – but they don’t present the kind of consistent threat that Serena had to contend with in the days of Henin, Clijsters and Capriati. Plus with no Sharapova, Azarenka or Kvitova lurking, the field is more depleted than ever. A calendar Slam is not out of the question.

LR: Let’s stop the calendar Grand Slam talk now. Sure Serena was impressive at the Australian Open, and most of her biggest rivals were disappointing – but we can’t ignore that Serena was playing without the burden of pressure. “I feel like a lot of people were kind of writing me off, but it is what it is. I do best when I’m that underdog,” Serena said during the tournament. Talk of a calendar Grand Slam is only going to make Serena nervous – and when she gets tight, her game suffers and she’ll end up being the one to stop herself. I liked her approach of “I don’t have anything to prove” at the AO. After everything she has achieved, she really doesn’t.

Highlight/lowlight of Australian Open 2017?

PM: Highlight – admittedly, there were a few, but like most of the world it had to be seeing Roger and Rafa go toe to toe in an epic final. Lowlight – the lack of competitive action in the women’s draw. The men’s draw was so darn dramatic (in a high quality way) that it was sometimes hard not to overlook what was happening in the women’s tournament.

VC: Highlight – how do you choose just one fairytale from that magical collection? Apart from dream finals and greatest-ever champions adding to their legacies, I loved how Grigor Dimitrov at last entered the Grand Slam narrative. You sense this Australian summer will be an important stepping-stone to bigger successes for the talented Bulgarian. As for lowlights? Novak Djokovic’s early departure was a disappointment but in a strange way, the world No.2 added to his overall status with the class he showed in that surprising loss. I worry more for the long-term future of Nick Kyrgios; after a dominant first-round win that reminded many of his Grand Slam credentials, the Aussie’s second-round exit was as surprising as it was befuddling.

MT: Highlight – it’s hard to go past Federer recovering from 3-1 in the fifth set of the final to beat Nadal, a player who has so often and for so long thwarted him. An honourable mention? Mirjana Lucic-Baroni’s emotional run to the semis and that incredible on-court interview she did with Rennae Stubbs. The lowlight had to be Simona Halep’s performance – working with one of the world’s best coaches in Darren Cahill and coming to Australia weeks in advance to prepare with him in Adelaide deserved more than a limp first-round exit.

LR: Highlight – where do I begin? It was a sensational tournament. From seeing Serena create history with a 23rd Grand Slam, Venus’ resurgence, the revival of the Fedal rivalry, Federer winning an 18th title and Grigor’s great improvement, there were so many highlights. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni’s emotional run was another great story that really resonated with me. Lowlight – Angelique Kerber’s courage was the story of Australian Open 2016, but her title defence was a nervy display that ended in limp fashion in the fourth round. It was disappointing she couldn’t replicate that form, or at least show a bit more fight.

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