While it was Novak Djokovic who took the honours in Australia 12 months ago, it was the opponent he defeated in the final who was the real surprise. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took the tournament by storm as his stunning power and searing strokes from behind the baseline left spectators amazed and opponents desperately running around the court as another brute of a shot came their way.
Tsonga, 23, beat Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet on his way to the last four where he did the unthinkable - he out-powered Rafael Nadal and made the Spanish player for once look mortal as he upset the odds with a dominant straight sets win. Though he came up short in the final against Djokovic after winning the first set, the Frenchman had sent out a strong message of intent to the rest of the ATP Tour.
Unfortunately a knee injury put him out of action for much of the season, but his Masters title victory in Paris in October showed that if his body can hold together he has the potential to trouble the top players. Certainly major contenders for the title Murray and Nadal will not have been thrilled to have seen that, as fifth seed, Tsonga is in their half of the draw. Though he was complaining of struggling with a back injury last week, you can be sure that his fitness and form will be of serious interest to his possible opponents.
The big serving American Andy Roddick should have the game to do well in Australia, and he has reached the semi-finals three times in the past. His run in Doha showed he is in good form, but the way in which Murray easily dismantled him in the final suggests he lacks the guile to be a major challenger here. The Argentine player Juan Martin Del Potro made an impressive impact on the ATP Tour last year, winning four events, and he started this year well by winning the Heineken Cup in Auckland.
The eighth seed will be full of confidence for his challenge and should at the very least improve on his previous best here, which was a second round loss 12 months ago. The mercurial No 10 seed David Nalbandian is another player who can beat anyone on his day, and he would be confident of beating Roddick if he can reach the last eight. gcaygill@thenational.ae
