Australian Open 2014

Hi, My name is Scarlet and I am addicted to tennis.

Now that we have that out of the way...

We are down to the semifinals of this year's Australian Open and WOW is it not what I would have predicted at all!

There was a lot of talk when the draws came about a stacked men's side with Nadal, Federer, and Murray on one side and Djokovic just chillin' on the other. I'm not sure why anyone was surprised since Nadal is 2 and Murray is 4 so of course they'd be on the same side and Federer is not a top 4 player anymore and was bound to match up with a big player in the quarterfinals. But none of that ended up mattering because our last four players are: Nadal, Federer, Berdych, and Wawrinka. NOT completing shocking, but I would have bet money that Djokovic would have made it to the semifinals.

So, let's go through who is left in reverse order of who I want to win:

Roger Federer:

I go through phases where I am okay with Federer, but this is not one of those times. He beat my favorite player, Andy Murray this morning and, while it wasn't a huge shock since Murray is on the comeback from back surgery, I never like for Federer to go farther in a tournament than my guy. I tend to only like Federer when he is losing, to be honest. I don't like for anyone to dominate (except for Murray, of course), and Federer has enough Grand Slam titles and I do NOT want to see him get another! Federer fans are also really weird and act like they've been brainwashed in a cult. When I saw Federer play in Cincinatti, Ohio last summer, the crowd was obsessed with him. I know I am obsessed with Murray, but I've liked him since his first year on the pro tour. I have a theory about Federer where because most people just watch the finals on tv, they've seen him play a lot since he has won so much. Unless you're a die hard tennis fan like I am who wakes up at 4am to watch tennis, you probably don't often watch the early rounds of tennis where you get to see some great matches with some lesser known players. I think that if more people watched earlier rounds, they'd find more players to like and not all just obsessed over Federer. Anyway, that's a very long-winded way to say that I definitely do NOT want Roger Federer to win the Australian Open!

Rafael Nadal:

Nadal is such an intense, insane player that I have to like him sometimes. He is the type of player who literally never gives up and that deserves mad respect. However, like I said when discussing Federer, I don't like anyone but my guy to dominate, and Nadal has been doing that since coming back from knee surgery last year. I don't want him to win anymore majors either, but I kind of can't wait to see Federer fans squirm if Nadal gets closer to Federer's numbers.

Tomas Berdych:

I used to really like Berdych until he played Andy Murray in the extreme wind a couple of years ago at the US Open and complained after he lost that it wasn't fair. He made it seem like the wind was only on his side and it's taken me a couple of years to even consider cheering for him again. (I know. Way harsh, Tai.) One thing that has really made me like Berdych again is his tweeting! He is hilarious and one of the best tennis players on twitter. I would love to see him win over both Federer and Nadal.

Stanislas Wawrinka:

Wawrinka is one of those players who you just can not dislike. He plays so hard every time he steps onto the court and he has been around forever, just plugging away. He made his first Grand Slam semifinal at the 2013 US Open and this is his first Aussie Open semi. I would LOVE to see him win the title!

The semifinals are Nadal vs Federer and Berdych vs Wawrinka so I'm very torn about who I want to win between Nadal and Federer. I don't want Federer to make it to the final, but I also think he is the one that one of the other guys has a better chance of beating. So let's go: Federer vs Wawrinka in the final, which will be super awkward for them because they're friends and from the same country.

WAWRINKA FOR THE WIN!!!!!

Now, the women's side.

We have Eugenie Bouchard, Li Na, Dominika Cibulkova, and Agnieska Radwanska. My favorites (who had a shot), Sharapova and Azarenka both got knocked out already so here is my reverse order of who I want to win the title:

Li Na:

A lot of people really like Li Na, but I find her to be incredibly boring. She is good, but I never get excited to see her play. And, I'm not sure if it's just me, but her off court interviews come across like she is a 30 year old trying to sound like she is 15. Soooo yeah, that's my way of saying that I don't want her in the final.

Dominika Cibulkova:

A Slovak player, she has been around since 2004, and has had some good runs, but this is her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2009. I don't totally dislike her, but I've never seen much of her personality so she is kind of just there. Sure, it should just be about the tennis, but it's not. I want to cheer for someone I like! Let's hope that in her next match she really lets loose.

Eugenie Bouchard:

I actually saw Bouchard play briefly last summer in Ohio and she has really had a breakout tournament down in Australia! She's from Canada, loves Justin Bieber, and plays like she never gets nervous. It's incredible! I want her to make it to the final, but breakthrough wins are not always my favorite. It's kind of like the Oscars: I want her to be nominated (finals), but not win until another year.

Agnieska Radwanska:

Radwanska is awesome. I love how she is an unconventional, crafty player who doesn't always have success once up against the Williams and Azarenkas of the tour, but she competes so hard and seems to invent new ways to play. I also love that she has a sister on the tour and seems like she would be a lot of fun to be friends with, too. But in a bitchy way. Like, you better be cool if you think you're gonna hang with Aga.

I am really hoping for a Bouchard vs Radwanska final! Then I can just watch and enjoy and not care who wins. Perfect!


Who are you cheering for??

XO,
SVR