Players Who Raised Their Profile the Most at the 2015 Australian Open
As the lights switched off on Rod Laver Arena for the final time at the 2015 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were celebrating yet again as Grand Slam champions.
But these last two weeks were notable for more than just the two players who left with hardware.
Epic five-set matches, thrilling battles and shocking upsets were the norm Down Under this past fortnight. Fans and spectators enjoyed high-quality tennis throughout the tournament, and more than a few entrants announced themselves to the world in the process.
From under-the-radar players to wily veterans and young upstarts, several men and women raised their profiles significantly. Here is a look at those who added the most cache in Melbourne.
Irina-Camelia Begu
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Simona Halep is the pride of Romanian tennis and a top-five-caliber player, but another woman from that country also made waves in Australia.
A clay-court specialist, Irina-Camelia Begu looked more than comfortable on the hard courts Down Under. The 24-year-old notched one of the biggest upsets of the tournament in the first round when she knocked off No. 9 Angelique Kerber 6-4, 0-6, 6-1.
Begu didn't stop there. She brushed past teenagers Katerina Siniakova and Carina Witthoeft to make the fourth round of a major for the first time.
Standing in her way was superstar Eugenie Bouchard. But Begu wasn't intimidated and pushed the Canadian to three sets. Though Bouchard prevailed 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, Begu acquitted herself well and made the seventh seed work hard for the win.
With that result, Begu rose to a career-high rank of No. 32. As the clay-court season approaches, tennis fans may be hearing more of her name at Roland Garros.
Tim Smyczek
2 of 7
It's not often an opponent leaves Rafael Nadal gasping for air and weak in the knees. But that's exactly what unheralded Tim Smyczek did in their second-round encounter.
Granted, Nadal may have been suffering through cramps or fatigue in his second tournament back after an injury-shortened 2014 season. But Smyczek kept the Spaniard on the ropes and held a two-sets-to-one lead.
That Nadal rebounded and forced a fifth set wasn't surprising. What turned heads was something Smyczek did.
As the fifth set turned into a battle of attrition, neither man blinked during the first 10 games. Nadal finally captured a hard-earned break to go up 6-5. While trying to serve out the match at 30-0, a fan yelled out during the point and distracted Nadal, who sailed a first serve long.
Upset, Nadal prepared to hit a second serve. But Smyczek motioned to the chair umpire to replay the point and give Nadal another first serve.
Thankful for his opponent's sportsmanship, Nadal went on to win the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-5.
''What he did at the end of the fifth is just amazing,'' Nadal said, per The Associated Press' Justin Bergman (h/t Yahoo). ''Very few players can do that after four hours something of a match, at 6-5, love-30. So I just will say thanks to him because he's a great example what he did today.''
Despite the loss, the way Smyczek pushed Nadal and his classy gesture earned him the respect of not only tennis fans but also one of the sport's greatest champions.
Madison Brengle
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American women dominated the last two weeks, and one surprising member of the brigade was Madison Brengle.
A 24-year-old Delaware native, Brengle entered the tournament ranked No. 64, and she had had won only one main-draw match at the Grand Slam level. In her second Australian Open, Brengle tripled that win total.
In the first round, she upset 13th seed Andrea Petkovic in a tense 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 affair. She followed that win—the biggest of her career—with straight-set wins over her compatriots, Irina Falconi and Coco Vandeweghe.
"Current coach Phil Simmonds says he think Madison Brengle's game is most like Radwanska's: "Someone who can move the ball around" #AusOpen
— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) January 25, 2015"
Ironically, it was a countrywoman with the same first name—Madison Keys—who ended her run in the fourth round. Still, she continued her stellar start to the season after also making the final in Hobart.
As Brengle continues to win and her ranking rises, she adds yet another face to an already deep roster of women for the United States.
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Nick Kyrgios
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With the home crowd cheering him on, Nick Kyrgios edged his way into another Grand Slam quarterfinal, further cementing his status as a future contender.
The teenager may look flashy with his stud earrings, shaved eyebrows and ever-changing hairstyles, but those things can't hide a game with serious potential.
Kyrgios has already proved his baseline prowess, and the Australian is able to take over matches from both wings with blistering shots. He used that skill set to survive tight matches against Federico Delbonis and Ivo Karlovic in the first two rounds. But his fourth-round match turned into an epic.
Against Andreas Seppi—who was fresh off a win over Roger Federer—Kyrgios displayed both majestic highs and youthful lows. Luckily for the Australian, he had the Hisense Arena crowd behind him, and the spectators willed him back from a two-sets-to-love deficit.
Not even facing match point could rattle Kyrgios.
In the final set, he held a 4-1 lead before Seppi came storming back to level the match. But the Aussie held his nerve and broke back later for the 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 8-6 victory.
That result propelled him into a quarterfinal clash against eventual runner-up, Andy Murray. His luck ran out there, as Murray cruised to a 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 win.
While his run at the Australian Open ended in disappointment, Kyrgios joined some exclusive company in the process.
"Nick Kyrgios becomes the first male teenager to reach two Grand Slam quarterfinals since… Roger Federer.
— SI Tennis (@SI_Tennis) January 25, 2015"
Last year, Kyrgios earned the first signature moment of his career with his upset of Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. During this year's Australian Open, he hinted that similar landmark wins may be on the horizon.
Ekaterina Makarova
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Who's the only woman to advance to the quarterfinals or better in the last three Grand Slams?
If you answered Ekaterina Makarova, you're correct.
The 26-year-old Russian has turned into an unlikely contender over the past several months, following up her quarterfinal run at Wimbledon last year with semifinals berths at the U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open.
As Makarova keeps going deep into major tournaments, more fans are beginning to remember her name. Now ranked No. 11 in the world, Makarova is on the precipice of winning important titles.
"Hey Makarova all over Goerges about to make her 3rd Ausie open quarters, these quick courts are perfect for her game
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) January 25, 2015"
In Melbourne this year, she advanced to the semifinals without dropping a set. Her game bewildered third-ranked Simona Halep during a 6-4, 6-0 quarterfinals romp.
She fell to Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals, but Makarova will jump to a career-best No. 9 ranking because of her run. Based on her recent results, the Top Five may be near.
Andreas Seppi
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Any time Roger Federer loses at a major, it's a big deal.
But when 30-year-old Andreas Seppi knocked him out in the third round, many tennis fans were left wondering, "Who?"
Seppi, currently ranked No. 46, brought a 0-10 record against the Swiss into the match, and he had never advanced past the fourth round in Melbourne. The stage was set for another Federer waltz.
But the opposite happened. Seppi looked like the superior player, rocketing forehands past Federer and keeping him pressed behind the baseline on the constant defensive. Not even Federer's (many) net rushes could turn the tide, and Seppi held on for the 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5) win.
As Seppi acknowledged after the match, the victory was monumental.
“To beat Roger first time, especially in a Grand Slam, best-of-five, is a special moment for me,” Seppi said.
Though the Italian dropped his next match to teenager Nick Kyrgios, he left Australia with some added name recognition after slaying the king of the Grand Slams.
Madison Keys
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There's a song by The Smiths called "How Soon Is Now?" Throughout the Australian Open, teenager Madison Keys kept asking the same thing as she turned potential into legitimate title contention.
Keys, a 19-year-old from Rock Island, Illinois, had her breakthrough moment in Melbourne, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal. Along the way, she took out Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in a straight-sets win in the third round and outlasted Venus Williams in a thrilling three-set quarterfinal.
But it was her effort in a loss that raised the most eyes—for positive reasons. Against eventual champion Serena Williams in the semifinals, she pushed her compatriot hard into a first-set tiebreak. While Williams captured the set and the match 7-6 (5), 6-2, Keys gained an important fan: Serena.
"Serena on Madison Keys: "I think she’s going to be winning this tournament very soon and lots of other Grand Slams"
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) January 29, 2015"
Serena doesn't easily offer up the love to opponents. Even she was left awed by Keys' rapid rise, and Serena gave the teenager a congratulatory hug at the net after the match.
With a powerful serve and bazooka-like forehand, Keys already had the goods to be a Top 10 player. But in Australia, she demonstrated how fast the other parts of her game are coming together. Expect her to be in contention at majors for a long time.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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