Rio 2016: Turbulence in tennis makes comp more exciting

By DEMITRIOS PANOPOULOS

Tennis’s image at the Olympic Games has improved considerably since its re-introduction in 1988.

For 60 years, tennis failed to feature in the Olympics, but in recent times the world’s best players have taken pride in representing their nations at the event.

There are players on the tour that rate winning a gold medal at the Olympics on par with winning a Grand Slam tournament, which is a huge boost for the Games.

However due to the well-publicised Zika virus, top players such as Milos Raonic, Tomáš Berdych, Simona Halep and Karolína Plíšková have decided to skip the tournament, while the notable Swiss trio of Roger Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka and Belinda Bencic will all be absent through injury. Australia’s best men’s players Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic will also not feature in the men’s field.

In spite of all this, there is still great potential with the quality players traveling to Brazil.

Andy Murray and Serena Williams are looking to successfully defend their gold medals from London 2012, feats that have never been achieved before.

Most of the tennis events commence on August 6, with all disciplines concluding on August 14. It will be as much a test of endurance as it is of skill, and it will make for fascinating viewing.

HISTORY

Tennis has endured a shaky history at the Olympics.

It was included in the original Games in 1896, and was featured regularly as a full medal sport.

In 1928 relations broke down between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Federation, which saw tennis removed as a full Olympic sport, and it didn't return until 1988.

Since that point, tennis has increased in its popularity and prestige at the Olympics.

When Andre Agassi won the gold medal at the Atlanta Games in 1996, views on the sport and its standing at the Olympics changed.

While this was a big turning point, it is important to understand that the impact women’s tennis has had on the sport at the Olympics is immeasurable, particularly since its re-introduction.

Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Elena Dementieva and Serena Williams are the names that have won gold since then, all top players at the time of their victories.

The fact that women’s tennis has been somewhat unpredictable in early stages of tournaments for a while has made it all the more entertaining. Consequently, Australia’s best hope in recent times has been in the women’s singles draw and this trend looks set to continue at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

KEY PLAYERS – MEN  

Novak Djokovic
The best player in the world has to be one of the favourites given his status in the tennis universe. Rio 2016 will be played on a hardcourt surface, which suits Djokovic, given he has won the Australian Open six times, and has reached at least the semi-final of the US Open every year since 2007 on a similar surface. Djokovic has participated in two Olympics, winning bronze in 2008 over James Blake, and finishing fourth in 2012, losing in straight sets to Juan Martin del Potro. The 29-year-old has won 12 Grand Slam events in his career and would love to add a gold medal to his mountains of silverware.

Andy Murray
The reigning champion in the men’s competition at the Olympics, Murray enters this tournament in great form having won the most recent Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon. Murray also won silver in the mixed doubles in London, and he will be a player entering the Olympics with plenty of confidence. Murray’s style of play suits the hardcourts of Brazil, with his tactical style and deceptive groundstroke pace two of his biggest weapons. Having worked hard on his game, he is now a constant, genuine threat to Djokovic.

Marin Čilić
Čilić is a bit of a wildcard in every tournament he participates in, but he often disappoints. Currently ranked 14^th in the world, Čilić’s only Grand Slam tournament win was in 2014 at the US Open. He is a powerful player with a strong serve, but his foot speed is an obvious letdown, as is his strangely average court coverage given his size. It would not necessarily be an upset result if Čilić were able to come away with a medal, and the three-set nature of each match – excluding the final, which is played in a best-of-five sets format – certainly works into his favour.

Rafael Nadal
Nadal has confirmed he is fit enough to participate in this tournament, having had to deal with a persistent wrist injury this season. He pulled out of Roland Garros before the third round and failed to front up at Wimbledon, meaning the Olympics will be his first tournament back in a couple of months. His hardcourt form in the first half of 2016 was average at best, performing poorly after his first tournament of the year in Qatar, most notably bouncing out in the first round of the Australian Open to countryman Fernando Verdasco. Nadal already has an Olympic gold medal next to his name, and winning another one while catching everyone off-guard would be the perfect comeback tale.

KEY PLAYERS – WOMEN

Serena WilliamsThere is little to say about Williams other than she is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time. She has won four gold medals at the Olympics, three in doubles competition and at London in the singles. She lost in the final of the first two Grand Slams of the year, before taking out Wimbledon a month ago. Williams will be very hard to beat in Rio.

Angelique KerberThe world No.2 has enjoyed her most successful year on the tour, winning the Australian Open and finishing runner up at Wimbledon. Her hardcourt form has been impressive, with the two tournaments she has won both played on that particular surface. Kerber’s confidence is at an all-time high as she’s in career-best form, and she will look to deliver Germany its third gold medal in tennis.

Venus WilliamsLike her sister, Venus Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, winning the singles competition in Sydney, and three doubles tournaments. While Williams’ relevance at Rio 2016 will again be in the doubles, where the two sisters will be red-hot favourites to win their fourth doubles gold medal, her late career revival – which saw her reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year – means she is certainly still a formidable force in singles competition. At 36 years old, her court coverage is not what it once was, but the chemistry she shares with Serena should be enough to help them secure the doubles gold.

Sam Stosur
The great white hope of Australian tennis will go to Rio as Australian tennis’s best medal chance. Stosur’s game is suited to the hardcourt surface and has a far better record on it than most other seeded players at Rio 2016. Stosur has unfortunately had huge issues with her ability to handle pressure, and is yet to show that she can consistently perform at a high level. There is a big chance Stosur goes deep into this tournament, and if she can strike cleanly, Australia could net a tennis Olympic medal.

PREDICTIONS

Kei Nishikori is a player who has featured as one of the premier group of players for a while and is suited to the hardcourt surface, however he is yet to win any event above an ATP 500 (two tiers below Grand Slam tournaments). He, along with Čilić, will be the major threats to Djokovic in the men’s tournament, however the world No.1 should finally add a gold medal to his collection.

Serena Williams will be close to unbeatable in the women’s side of the draw having recently won Wimbledon. Stosur will be the interesting player in the field, and she has both to potential to win a medal or get knocked out in the first round. There is not much in-between for the Australian, but 2016 feels like it’s her time to shine.

The Williams sisters are 14-0 in finals of Grand Slam tournaments, and they have won two doubles gold medals in a row at the Olympic Games. Their main competition comes in the form of the French duo of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic and the sister act should overcome them in the final, despite the French pairing winning four tournaments together in 2016.

The men’s doubles will look for a fairytale story for the host nation with Brazilian veterans Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo seeking gold. The two have plenty of experience and will inevitably have the whole crowd behind them. Soares and Melo are helped enormously by the fact the Bryan Brothers are not featuring in the Olympics’ doubles draw.

(@DemP_9)