Australian Open 2012: Top 10 Key Storylines to Watch Heading into Tourney

With the NFL playoffs underway, the NBA lockout finally over and MLB free agency all hogging sports headlines, a lot of people have forgotten about the world of tennis. 

Be that as it may, but the first Grand Slam tournament of 2012 is fast approaching, and with it comes a fresh batch of storylines to watch for.  We're going to be seeing some of the veterans fade and some new faces come into the spotlight.

All of the discussion and movement will begin at the Australian Open.  Novak Djokovic and Kim Clijsters won the event last year, and will both be defending their titles in 2012.

As we enter the beginning of the tennis season, watch for these stories to unfold.

Novak Djokovic's Dominance

Let's just go ahead and kick this off by stating the obvious: Novak Djokovic was by far the best tennis athlete in 2011.

The man was 70-6 and won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, including the 2011 Australian Open.  In that tournament, we saw Djokovic best the likes of Tomas Berdych, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray (not dropping a single set to any of them, I might add).

His dominance in 2011 was no secret, and he'll be preparing to continue that in Melbourne.  Coming off of such a great year, is it possible for him to continue to win?

Samantha Stosur

Australian Samantha Stosur won the U.S. Open at the end of last summer, taking her first Grand Slam title since her pro debut in 2002.

Given that long absence from the winner's circle, you can't help but wonder how she's going to move from there.  Historically, she's not been very good at the Australian Open, as her highest finish has been making the fourth round.

Since her victory at Flushing Meadows, Stosur has moved up the ladder to become the sixth-ranked women's player in the world. 

If you've become a fan of her, you've got to become worried after her disastrous game against Francesca Schiavone in the Sydney International.  Schiavone routed Stosur 6-2, 6-4.

The U.S. Open was one of the rare times when she didn't commit too many errors—she'll need to regain that composure and get back on track.

The Impact of Andrea Petkovic's Injury

Coming into the Australian Open, Andrea Petkovic was going to be the 10th seed in the tournament.  She will now not play because of a stress fracture in her lower back.

It comes at a bad time for the 24-year-old German, as she is coming off one of her best year-long performances, reaching three quarterfinal rounds in Grand Slams.  Overall on the year, she won 54 matches and lost 17 of them.

Having one of the top 10 women out leaves the door open for new talent to step in.  Who is going to benefit from Petkovic's absence?

Can Maria Sharapova Get Back on Track?

True or false?  Maria Sharapova hasn't won a Grand Slam tournament since 2008.

That, my friends, is a true statement.  The Russian bombshell didn't have too bad of a 2011, but it was another year without a grand slam.

The last time she was victorious at such an event was exactly four years ago at this very tournament—the Australian Open.  In 13 Grand Slam tournaments since then, she's managed to crack the quarterfinal round only three times, and made it to the championship game of the 2011 edition of Wimbledon.

Nobody here has any doubt that Sharapova has talent, but you have to wonder if we've seen the last of her in the winner's circle.

Will This Be Roger Federer's Last Aussie Open?

Whether you're a tennis fan or not, you most likely know the name Roger Federer.  Throughout his illustrious career, he's won an astounding 16 Grand Slam tournaments.

That number includes four Australian Opens.  In fact, the 2010 Australian Open was the last Grand Slam that he won.

That prompts the question: Will this be the last time he's seen playing in Melbourne?  While no rumors are flying around about Federer's retirement, this is quite a long absence from atop the perch for him.

Plus, you have to think about the fact that he will be 31 this year, a pretty high age for a tennis athlete.  In addition, another back ailment has cropped up, forcing Federer to pull out of the Qatar Open earlier this month.

Are we getting ready to see Federer's last run towards the top?

Caroline Wozniacki's Title Drought

It's beginning to seem like the world's top ranking just came too soon for Caroline Wozniacki.

I'm inclined to believe it simply because she's only a month older than me and she's the top-ranked tennis player in the world!

Still, after going five years without a single Grand Slam championship (she's only seen one championship match), that top seed is definitely being met with some ridicule.  Wozniacki is very fast and can have pinpoint accuracy with her shots at times, but she hasn't gotten the job done.

That's what I like to call the "LeBron Curse."  All the talent in the world, but drops the biggest games when they matter the most.

Given that she recently was defeated in the Sydney International, it appears Petra Kvitova is ready to be named the world's top lady.

John Isner

When a man is ranked 17th in the world, most people won't take a second look.  However, John Isner is a bit of a different case.

Isner was catapulted into the mainstream when he and Nicolas Mahut had a marathon matchup at the 2010 Wimbledon.  It seemed that he instantly had a huge amount of support, particularly from here in the United States.

However, he's been a bit of an up-and-down player throughout his career.  In one game he'll look great, and in the next, he'll be sloppy and commit a thousand errors.  

He looked good in the 2011 U.S. Open, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time in his career.  He beat 12th-ranked Gilles Simon on the way there, before losing to Andy Murray in what was a very entertaining contest.

It seems everyone is wanting and waiting for Isner to break out.  Will we see that in Melbourne?

What Dark Horse Will Make Themselves Known?

With so many young athletes coming to Melbourne in hopes of winning their first Grand Slam tournament, at least one is bound to make themselves known through the Australian Open.

On the men's side, you could think of guys like Marin Cilic, Richard Gasquet or Gael Monfils.

On the women's side, names that pop out to me include Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

However, my pick to surprise everyone is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.  He's sixth in the world, so I guess it'd be a reach to call him a "dark horse," but let's be realistic; not many people are talking about winners outside of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. 

Tsonga has been climbing the ladder towards greatness over the last couple years and has come out and said he will take more risks in 2012.  That tells me that he's a man determined to win, and he's going to earn some attention in Melbourne.

The Rise or Fall of Li Na

Li Na really burst on the scene in the beginning of 2011, as she was a runner-up in the Australian Open and would become the first player from an Asian country to win a Grand Slam tournament with her victory at the French Open.

Na's strong play and rise into prominence have given her a fifth-place world ranking.  However, immediately following those two amazing performances came a second-round exit at Wimbledon, and a first-round exit in the U.S. Open.

Did a blind squirrel find a nut?  Was is just a case of jitters in the following two tournaments?  Which of these performances is the real Li Na?

We may begin to realize just how good Na actually is come Monday.

Will Andy Murray Finally Win a Grand Slam Tournament?

Andy Murray is one of those guys I'm finding difficult to place. 

He's got good speed, a decent serve, a beautiful stroke with the racket—it all seems to be there.

Yet, Murray has failed in his quest to win a grand slam thus far.  He debuted back in 2005, and since then he's been to the semifinals or championship game of a Grand Slam eight times.  Included in that are two consecutive runner-up finishes in Melbourne.

Murray has fallen to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the last two years' title games.

Given how talented he is and that he's simply due for a win, is it time for Murray to fulfill his potential?