Australian Open: Tournament Director Craig Tiley not only optimistic at Serena

He reckons that all superstars will actually be competing at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year in Melbourne. Says tournament director Craig Tiley.

One of the great virtues of a tournament director is undoubtedly his unshakeable optimistic thinking. Especially at smaller events it’s not such an easy exercise, after all there are always some players who think about their participation in an ATP-250 at short notice.

Craig Tiley’s in a better situation than that. The Australian Open are not considered the “Happy Slam”for nothing, most of the pros come from colder climates into the Australian summer – and are also warmly received by tournament boss Tiley. That’s what Serena Williams, the defending champion who hit her last professional ball in the Rod Laver Arena at the end of January, is expected to do. Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou had last questioned whether Serena would be ready to compete again in the beginning of 2018. Which Craig Tiley doesn’t further challenge.

“I am very pleased to confirm that all the top players will be back in Melbourne in January,”said Tiley on the website of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year,”2017 was an incredibly exciting year for tennis. We have seen Roger and Rafa, Serena and Venus raise the bar even higher in terms of performance. And it all started here in Melbourne.”

In fact, not only Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did not only determine the majors, but Venus also made it clear with her final entry in Wimbledon that she is not yet thinking of the tennis pension. But when Tiley speaks of “all” top players, this naturally includes ex-champions Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka – as well as Andy Murray, who had made it into the world rankings last year and was eliminated from the round of sixteen against Mischa Zverev.

It is not yet clear whether and in what form the above-mentioned players will head for Melbourne, even though Djokovic, for example, had already mentioned for the tournament in Doha. However, German Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann has no major concerns that the returners’ familiarisation period will be too long:”I assume that Murray and Djokovic will be competing for the title in Australia,”Kohlmann told tennisnet. com.

But Serena has probably the biggest history with her 23rd birthday. Who would have thought when Serena and Venus met with the ball kids the week before the Australian Open, that they would face each other in the final? That after Serena won here for the sixth time, we found out she was eight weeks pregnant?”