2015 Australian Open: Biggest Surprises in Melbourne so Far

It's still Week 1 at the 2015 Australian Open, and already shocking upsets have grabbed the headlines. The most shocking has to be Roger Federer's third-round loss. 

Federer's defeat, along with the unexpected strong performance of American women, are among the biggest surprises in the tournament so far. 

Unseeded American women have outperformed seeded Australian ladies. A flurry of upsets on Day 1 blew one side of the women's draw wide open. 

American men struggling is no surprise. Neither is Lleyton Hewitt, the Aussie fan favorite, going out in a scintillating defeat. 

Even a first-round loss by Ernests Gulbis, while eye-opening, is nowhere near as stunning as the following surprises.

The Fall of Roger Federer

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Roger Federer during his third-round upset at the 2015 Australian Open.

Roger Federer came into the Australian Open playing as well as any of the Big Four. 

So it was beyond stunning when he lost in the third round to unseeded Andreas Seppi.

Federer, 33, falling short of the finals is no surprise. However, him going out to No. 42 Seppi, a guy who was 6-67 in his career against Top-10 players in ATP World Tour and Grand Slam matches, sent shockwaves through Melbourne. 

You might expect Federer to be taken out by one of the Big Four or at least an up-and-coming player such as Kei Nishikori or Milos Raonic. But Seppi?

The Demise of the IPTL Players

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Ana Ivanovic and Gael Monfils root for teammates during an IPTL match.

During the International Premier Tennis League season, tennis fans were treated to nonstop selfies, players partying on buses, private planes and dancing on the courts.

Just one week into the 2015 Australian Open, and most of the IPTL singles players can get together for a reunion selfie. That's because only a handful will be playing in the second week.

There is no clear evidence that playing in the IPTL hurt their Aussie Open chances.

But consider the following: Two players, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marin Cilic, had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. Only two female singles players remain.

The singles ladies seemed to get hit the hardest. Ana Ivanovic and Kirsten Flipkens went out in the first round. Caroline Wozniacki, Daniela Hantuchova and Kristina Mladenovic lost in the second round.

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were the only IPTL female singles players to advance to the third round. They also played far fewer matches than Ivanovic and Mladenovic. 

On the men's side, Gael Monfils, Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt joined Tsonga and Cilic on the sidelines. 

Officials from the IPTL better hope two of its players win it all. Otherwise, some players may think twice about playing IPTL again.  

Quick Collapse of the Lower Half of the Women's Draw

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Angelique Kerber defends during her first-round loss at the 2015 Australian Open.

The lower half of the women’s draw, featuring No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova, was already considered weak compared to the champion-rich top.

Then, in the first round, the weaker half collapsed. Eight seeded players, including Ana Ivanovic, were upset in the first round. Most came on the lower half of the draw. The carnage continued as Yanina Wickmayer upset No. 14 Sara Errani in the third round.

This keeps Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard are on course to meet in the quarterfinals. 

Juan Martin Del Potro's Late Withdrawal and Surgery

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Juan Martin del Potro takes questions after announcing his withdrawal from the 2015 Australian Open.

First Juan Martin del Potro's announcement that he would play in the Australian Open was a bit surprising, considering he was being so tentative about his return. But then he played at Sydney.

Despite obvious issues with the backhand, Del Potro looked solid enough to give Melbourne a shot. However, he withdrew on the eve of the tournament. Most disturbing was the news that he underwent a second surgery on his left wrist. 

Given the surgery, the late withdrawal was understandable, but disappointing. His career seems to be in limbo. 

The Rise of American Women

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 22: Coco Vandeweghe during her match against Sam Stosur on Rod Laver Arena during day four of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Patrick Scala/Getty Images)

CoCo Vandeweghe, 23, reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. With her big serve, she took out Australian Samantha Stosur.

Vandeweghe was among seven American women to reach the third round. Led by top-seeded Serena Williams, the seven included Venus Williams, Varvara Lepchenko, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Madison Keys, Madison Brengle and Vandeweghe.

In contrast, Stosur was the last Aussie woman standing. Keys ousted another Aussie, No. 23 Casey Dellacqua.

As for the the American men, no surprise there, as the weak showing saw only two U.S. men—No. 19 John Isner and Steve Johnson—advance to the third round.