The Australian Open is the Grand Slam without an identity. Roland Garros, Flushing Meadows, and, of course, Breakfast at Wimbledon come seeped in tradition and truly feel 'major'.
The Australian is known for what? Its blue courts?
That being said, I've seen some of the most intriguing and interesting tennis I've ever seen in the past couple days that I've seen in any Grand Slam. I'm talking about what ESPN calls "Super Saturday," which was filled with upsets galore, the unstoppable force Roger Federer looking infinitely stoppable, and many great stories and rising stars.
There were the late matches deep into the night (the latest starting time in any major in fact), Federer pushed to the brink and to his wits end with his opponent, the Aussie Lleyton Hewitt playing a gutsy match in front of his home crowd, Baghdatis in the same match tasting defeat so bitter it brought him to tears, the fierce comeback of James Blake, and the only Aussie on the women's side advancing and bringing her mother to tears.
It was a wild Saturday in Sydney, the crowds of Rod Laver Arena buzzing in delight. And me sitting back and not worrying about the Australian finding an identity, because it already has one: Great tennis from the best players in the world, playing their hearts out down under.
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