Game, set, unmatched: a review of the 2023 Australian Open

Florence Clifford

This year’s Australian Open began under the cloud of big-name absences and unease over Novak Djokovic’s return to Australia. By the close of play on January 29th the organisers could breathe a sigh of relief, although it was by no means a drama-free fortnight.

From the outset, the tournament saw the falling of titans, epitomised by Rafael Nadal’s limp second round defeat. When world number one Iga Swiatek was swept aside in the fourth round, the tournament became the first in the Open era to wave goodbye to the top two male and female seeds before the quarterfinals. Other big names featured in the new documentary Break Point fell early, victims of a supposed ‘Netflix curse.’

As ever, the best players made it through a tumultuous draw. The women’s final was a high-quality affair between two powerhouses, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka had won her three previous matches in three sets; this made it four. She won her first Grand Slam title 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after a gutsy fightback from a set down. The match was an enjoyable contest between one of the calmest, most composed players on the tour - Rybakina - and one of its most emotional and fired-up, Sabalenka.

Sabalenka has long had the physical prowess for major victories but struggled under pressure, notably tormented by serving issues - including the WTA record for double faults last year. A year spent working on her serve and a itude certainly paid off

Both women present a real challenge to Swiatek, whose vulnerability was exposed in a series of underwhelming performances.

The men’s draw was a different story. Djokovic arrived in Australia with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove, which he did emphatically, bulldozing through the rest of the field to a recordequalling tenth title. Djokovic has never lost a semi-final or final at Melbourne Park, and his 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) victory over third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas draws him level with Nadal at a record 22 Grand Slams. It also makes him only the second man to win ten or more titles at a single Slam: Nadal’s 14 French Opens remains the number to beat.

Djokovic’s self-righteous anger was an extra weapon in his arsenal of unparalleled athleticism and fitness, mental fortitude, and ability to neutralise all opposition. However, it did li le to dispel his controversial image.

Djokovic. He called this “probably the biggest victory in my life considering the circumstances,” and collapsed into tears as the enormity of his win and its a endant pressure hit him.

Another one of the spectacular stories of the tournament was the Andy Murray renaissance. Four years after a tearful first-round exit from the Australian Open, hampered by the hip injury he feared would end his career, Murray produced some vintage tennis to twice rescue himself from defeat. He triumphed in five sets against Ma eo Berre ini and Thanasi Kokkinakis, the la er match ending at 4.05am, the third-latest finish in the Open era.

This year, again, the spotlight was rarely off him. First there was suspicion over his hamstring injury; then his father caused another PR nightmare by being pictured with Putin supporters. A different player would have cracked under the strain, but not

Murray’s a rition ba les took their toll: he was eventually defeated by Roberto Bautista Agut, the same man who knocked him out in 2019. Despite this loss, Murray’s dogged determination and phenomenal ability - with a metal hip - cemented his place among the best in the sport. It was proof that the old guard of tennis might be down, but certainly aren’t out.

Besides Murray, this was largely a forge able tournament for the Brits, with the notable exception of wheelchair tennis stars Alfie Hewe and Gordon Reid. The duo added a fourth Australian Open to their remarkable sixteen Grand Slam doubles’ victories together, while Hewe also won the singles after twice finishing runner-up. Wildcard men’s doubles pairing Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler ensured a happy ending for the home nation despite disappointing singles’ performances and major absences. They beat seven toptwenty seeds in their surprise run to the title, ensuring an Aussie successor to last year’s champions, Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios. Djokovic’s victory capped off a remarkable two weeks of tennis but also leaves us with questions. The farcical late finishes led to renewed calls to change the format of the night session, but for the moment ratings gold trumps player welfare. The awkward geopolitics of the women’s final ensures tennis governing bodies can’t escape the spectre of war in Europe and how to respond (Sabalenka is Belarusian and Rybakina was a Russian citizen before playing for Kazakhstan). And finally, is there anyone out there that can stop Djokovic in his march to the all-time record? further than they ever have done before in the Euros qualification, so it is growing at the highest level and the lowest level. As people hear more, they start to watch it and it is a very exciting sport to watch so that will just help with the exposure.”

So, what makes a beginner good at handball?

“I’d say if you have any sort of athletic ability, you’ll already have some advantage. If you can jump high, run fast and if you are agile, you’ll be good. Obviously if you can throw and catch the ball that’s more than ideal. Ge ing in initially, athleticism is good. A lot of the movement is similar to other sports. If you’ve played rugby before, your footwork will be good”

However, goalkeeping in handball is a different ma er. Goals

“Durham itself was rocking”

Continued from back page play in goal is about changing the mindset.” it was quite an international sport. It was a really nice group of people and having so many international students made me feel more at home. Now though, it’s just the main sport I play. I’ve ditched the others.”

And that is exactly what they sought to do. The adage ‘new year, new me’ was taken to a fresh level by Durham as they kicked 2023 off with a thrilling 3-3 effort against eventual champions Stirling. Having been in possession of a 3-1 lead at half time in that fixture, the signs were encouraging for the Maiden Castle mob.

The arrival of Hild Bede forward and fresher Fin Gwillim would also pay dividends after a debut goal in this match. Hope was the word, and this time it wasn’t being proffered by Barack Obama – instead, it was M1s captain Jack Gibbons inspiring the masses.

Next on the calendar was a fixture ready to make any Durham football enthusiast froth at the mouth with sweltering saliva: Newcastle University at home for the annual charity match – in aid of ‘Sport in Action’.

This occasion in 2022 had produced a thrilling 3-2 victory for Durham over an otherwise marauding Loughborough side. Live on PalTV and under the lights, destiny awaited beyond the glossy posters plastered around each college bar.

The build up to the match was tense, with spectators flocking in from all corners of this cathedral city se led calmly by the River Wear. Billed the ‘North East derby’, a sense of exalted expectation arose: was it fault or fortune wri en in the stars?

Cameras were duly switched on, floodlights flickered and shimmered upon the pitches around Maiden Castle, and the goals flowed delightfully.

A ha rick for Tom Hizze , Durham’s seemingly omnipresent talisman, was complemented by further additions to the score sheet from the boots of Gibbons, Gwillim, and substitute Ned Ventham.

Newcastle’s disheartening own goal equaliser soon became a mere consolation finish for the visitors. The hosts had simply been dominant in pervasive fashion. Durham were rocking; Durham itself was rocking.

A grandstand finish was thus set up at home to former football heavyweights Loughborough, with membership of the Aldi Premier North Division on the line. As aforementioned, characteristic mental fortitude, moments of genuine brilliance, and distinctive pace and passion saw the M1s cross that previously elusive line.

Euphoria ensued as members of the club and Team Durham in its swathing entirety swarmed the starting and finishing XI. History was made with the capture of survival. Careers had been duly defined, heroes had been miraculously uncovered, and now the national knockouts await for the side.

Whether the new year niceties of successful intuition can be continued remains to be seen. Following this resurgence in form - odds are suddenly in their favour.

Contrary to football, handball matches tend to become higher scoring as the quality of the players increases. “At a low level, you wouldn’t see a lot of goals. If you’re good at handball it’s almost impossible to stop the ball.” Whilst players are not allowed to shoot in the D, the ability to throw the ball with such power and accuracy means that most close-range shots are unstoppable.

Ozzy points to the diversity of players that you get in DU Handball as a key reason why it has such a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

“It is also very inclusive and diverse in the sense that we’re from many different countries. Asia, Europe, Latin America to name a few, so anyone can come along and find someone who’s got a similar background.” are common, and a ackers almost always have the upper hand.

Handball at Durham evidently caters to all levels of players and is starting to a ract social members too, despite being handed some tricky training hours to make. “It’s the first year we’ve had 7am training sessions twice a week but people are turning up which I didn’t expect. Even some people have come along and not particularly liked the sport but have stayed on as social members.

“This year the women’s goalkeeper played football and, whilst she knows how to play in goal, she says it’s so quick and said, “they’re scoring so many goals.” Because handball is such a high scoring match having the ability to

What makes DU Handball stand out amongst other Team Durham sports and other university level handball teams? Sophie certainly had a more unorthodox route into DU Handball.

“Me and my friend first started because we wanted to get stash! I lived in Brunei, and we played handball, but it was a different sport there.

“We went along but it wasn’t that sport, but I stayed because people were nice and, in that year,

“There’s no problem with that. And 7am sessions aren’t compulsory! We train every day except Saturday, so there’s plenty of opportunity to come along!”

Handball certainly is growing in the UK, both amongst players and spectators. Durham is at the heart of this growth, with even Ozzy hearing about Durham’s set up when he was studying at Bangor for his undergraduate degree. However, there was certainly one selling point that stood out above the others: “If you want DU stash, this is the society for you!”

Break Point: a resounding success or just another documentary?

Break Point: a resounding success or just another documentary?

Tom Ewart Smith Sport Reporter

Tom Ewart Smith Sports Reporter

Over recent years Netflix has produced a great array of sports documentaries, whe ing the appetite of sports fanatics.

The popularity of Drive to Survive has made way for the production of a new sporting insight, Break Point, by the same producer – Box to Box Films. Break Point explores the ups and downs for those playing on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour – the two major tennis circuits for men and women, respectively.

So far, only five episodes have been released, exploring the experiences of young and promising talents at the Australian Open, Indian Wells Masters, Madrid Open, and French Open. Such talent includes the likes of Nick Kyrgios, Paula Badosa, and several others.

Break Point is particularly interesting due to its focus on the pressure that young players feel to succeed. The media has been hyping up the younger generation for several years – particularly on the male side – which has been accompanied by the narrative that the emerging stars should be stealing the crown away from ‘the big three’.

Break Point is therefore able to explore the mental challenges that players face because of immense expectation, and it allows for a discussion about mental health.

For example, although Paula Badosa has previously been open to the public about her struggles with depression, the series allows us to understand her experience in greater depth.

In one emotional scene, Badosa hangs her head and begins to cry at the end of an interview as she explains her feelings after a tough loss in her hometown of Madrid. The use of a Spanish explicit as she begins to tear up further highlights the emotional toll faced by highperformance athletes.

Break Point is also captivating given the range of characters examined. Perhaps the most controversial of these is Nick Kyrgios, who is the focus of episode one – fi ingly named, The Maverick. The series allows us to see the Australian’s mindset and the reasoning behind some of his choices.

For example, he explains why he doesn’t play all-year round, unlike most players; he feels the need to make time for family and friends, as well as look after his mental health. Therefore, having perhaps been labelled as a villain and hothead by the media, the documentary allows viewers to reassess their views of ‘the maverick’.

A focus on Ons Jabeur, the female trailblazer from Tunisia, is another positive aspect of the series, seeing as she is such a significant inspiration for the Arab and African world – particularly for the female population. In May 2022, she became the first Tunisian and Arab player to win a WTA 1000 final – doing so in Madrid – and, conveniently, Break Point is able to capture the moment and journey. Her interviews within the series allow the Tunisian to express her belief that Arab females can break free from any societal norms and rules that may hold them back and she is a perfect example of this.

At times, the documentary comes across as slightly anticlimactic and underwhelming given the lack of success that the cast achieves. While Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis won the Australian Open doubles, and Taylor Fritz and Ons Jabeur won their first significant titles over the course of filming, there is li le to cheer about for the other players who are followed throughout Break Point. This, therefore, deprives the viewer of excitement at various points in the series.

Nevertheless, Break Point is more often than not compelling viewing and the failure of some of the players adds value to the documentary as it highlights the hardships and pressure faced by young players. Whether you enjoy tennis or not, I would recommend watching Netflix’s latest endeavour.