Ranking the Biggest Early Surprises at the 2016 Australian Open
The 2016 Australian Open is less than a week old and already there have been some shocking results.
Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams and Simona Halep, all ousted in the first round, were among the many surprises.
There were several upsets. But not all upsets are that surprising. For instance, No. 6 Petra Kvitova lost in the second round to Aussie teen Daria Gavrilova. However, Gavrilova is ranked No. 39 and last year knocked off Maria Sharapova at the Miami Open.
Meanwhile, Kvitova has been so inconsistent in Grand Slams outside of Wimbledon. Kvitova losing early at a Slam is no longer that surprising.
The same can be said for America's future: Jack Sock. In fact, if you said to someone "hey, Jack Sock lost in the second round," they'd probably respond: "Not surprised."
To make this list, something has to border on shocking. Ranking from least to most unexpected, the following are the biggest early surprises at the 2016 Australian Open.
Honorable Mention: Caroline Wozniacki's "S---y" Start
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Caroline Wozniacki's loss to Yulia Putintseva was an upset, but not too surprising. Like Kvitova, Wozniacki has been inconsistent in Grand Slams.
Wozniacki leaving Melbourne early is nothing new. Last year, Victoria Azarenka defeated Wozniacki in the second round. But that was a two-time Australian Open champion, not a player ranked No. 76.
That's pretty surprising.
Five years ago, this probably would have been one of the biggest upsets all tournament. Unfortunately for Wozniacki, her early exit only warrants an honorable mention.
After her loss, Wozniacki called it a "pretty s---ty" way to start the new season.
7. Sloane Stephens Bounced in First Round
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Just when it appeared Sloane Stephens was bouncing back, she gets bounced in the first round.
Stephens had just won in Auckland. It was her second WTA title. She was moving back up the rankings and appeared ready to reclaim a spot in the top 20.
But Stephens looked out of sorts and had no answer for qualifier Qiang Wang.
Stunning. Stephens, a 2013 semifinalist at the Australian Open, sent packing by a woman who had never won a Grand Slam match.
6. Gambling on Digital LED Walls
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During changeovers, you may have noticed large animated images that pop up on the walls surrounding the show courts—Rod Laver, Margaret Court and Hisense arenas.
Similar to digital billboards, these wall-sized LED screens are a surprising addition to the show courts.
Tennis Australia manager of digital and publishing Kim Trengove told AdNews, “These digital walls provide this really rich, immersive experience at the change of ends, or change of match...It then goes back to static when play is back on.”
It's a wow factor for fans. But for players?
Players use changeovers to steady themselves, regroup. To concentrate, some players close their eyes, others even put a towel over their head. For those who prefer to stare out into a sea of blended faces, that's no longer an option.
Bam: In their faces are these digital images. One moment it's a woman floating under water. The next it's giant balls like those in the background of Fernando Verdasco and Nadal in the opening slide.
Perhaps most surprising is that Australian Open officials allow a gambling company to advertise on the screens.
Andy Murray told the Associated Press (h/t Daily Herald) he thought it was hypocritical considering the ongoing match-fixing scandal. "I think it's a little bit hypocritical. You know, because I don't believe the players are allowed to be sponsored by betting companies, but the tournaments are. I don't really understand how it all works. I think it's a bit strange."
About as strange as floating women during the changeover?
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5. Lleyton Hewitt's Retirement Tirade
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Long before Nick Kyrgios earned his bad boy reputation in tennis, his compatriot Lleyton Hewitt was Australia's most notable hot head.
Well, playing in his last Australian Open, Hewitt went on a little tirade. Perhaps for old times sake, Hewitt called the chair umpire "a freaking idiot" and a linesman "a moron."
He threw in a couple of other expletives unfit for print.
Of course, after Hewitt lost to David Ferrer, what most fans saw (via highlights) were sweet images of tears in his eyes, fans cheering him on as he left Rod Laver with his cute little kids.
It's because his children were in the stands for this momentous occasion that it was surprising to see Hewitt unleash such verbal attacks.
And this is the guy who is mentoring Kyrgios?
4. Venus Williams Makes Swift Exit
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Venus Williams ended 2015 strong and back in the top 10. In fact, this marked the first time both Williams sisters entered the Australian Open ranked in the top 10 since 2010.
She makes this list at No. 4 not simply because she lost, but also her post-match absence.
Johanna Konta defeated Williams 6-4, 6-2 in just 79 minutes. Konta is a talented player who reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Venus is 35 and has a chronic illness that can leave her fatigued. She's ripe for an upset at anytime.
But Williams can usually manage to make a match competitive. Not this time. An ambassador for the sport, Venus is always gracious in defeat. Not this time.
She skipped her post-match press conference and was hit with a record $5,000 fine. No-so-vintage Venus.
3. Simona Halep Ousted by a First-Time Winner
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Speaking of surprising upsets, Simona Halep's loss was just mind-numbing.
Ranked and seeded No. 2, Halep lost to Zhang Shuai, in straight sets. Zhang was 0-14 in Grand Slam matches. Last fall, Zhang was ranked outside of 200.
So unlucky had Zhang been that she considered retirement last year. She even invited her parents to Melbourne because she thought this might be her last Aussie Open.
Nothing about Zhang's past or game hinted at an upset.
2. Rafael Nadal One and Done
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Unlike Zhang, Fernando Verdasco arrived at the Australian Open packing an upset-making arsenal. But what makes his win over Nadal so surprising is that as dangerous as Verdasco has been, he's known for choking when it counts.
He lost an epic battle against Nadal in the 2009 Australian Open semifinals. Even after Verdasco came from down 0-2 in the final set to take a 3-2 lead, you just figured Nadal would find a way to come back.
But he didn't. Nadal was beaten, simply blasted off the court. It was shocking to watch.
Of course, Verdasco lost in the next round; not so surprising.
1. Fallout from the Match-Fixing Scandal
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The BBC and Buzzfeed unleashed a full-blown scandal when the news outlets alleged that 16 top players had been implicated in a match-fixing investigation.
Then the ATP World Tour's top player, Novak Djokovic told reporters he had once been offered $200,000 to fix a match.
Soon after, finger pointing and name dropping went out of control. It seemed like every player was being asked what they knew about match fixing. Djokovic had to deny charges that he was among the "top 16." He called the accusations "absurd."
Hewitt had to defend his name, even as he was saying farewell. Roger Federer suggested that instead of speculating, someone should release some names.
The scandal has overshadowed what has otherwise been an exciting and quite surprising tournament so far.
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