Australian Open: What's on the cards for the big three, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray?

By Niketh Sampath Kumar

Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, has showcased some of the most memorable upsets in the last decade. The top seeds, rusty after a month's break, need to put in extra effort to stand a chance to be the last man standing. In 2008, top seeds Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were pulverized by Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga respectively, in semis. In 2011, Ferrer crushed Nadal's dreams of winning all four grand slams back to back. Over the last three years, the big three of tennis—Djokovic, Nadal and Murray—have bagged 11 of the last 12 grand slams.

Over the past year, however, competition has intensified with players bridging the gap between themselves and the big three. These contenders might not have the ammunition to win the Australian Open but definitely have the capability to cause an upset.

Who can take down the Djoker?

In the 2012 Australian Open, Djokovic won a nearly five-hour battle against Murray to reach the finals, where he faced Nadal in the longest final in Grand Slam history. The Djoker is now gunning for the record of holding the most number of Australian Open titles in the open era.

Juan Martin Del Potro, Wawrinka and Federer are the only contenders who can take down Novak: Del Potro's never say die attitude coupled with his mighty ground strokes, Wawrinka's accurate serves and unreadable backhand and Federer's ability to mix up his shots and quickly move through service games could upset the Djoker's rhythm. But facing Djokovic's ego and spirit requires something extraordinary. Tomas Berdych, Tsonga, Milos Raonic and Ferrer might not be so effective; all of them are hardcore baseline players, and Djokovic has the edge in baseline encounters over them.

Can the Spanish warrior be tamed?

Nadal caused the biggest upset of 2009, forcing Federer's emotions to get the better of him after the match, when he came out victorious against Roger in a five set thriller. In 2012, he almost dethroned Djokovic, falling inches away from glory.

After an incredible season last year, Rafa has started on the right note by winning the 2014 Qatar Open. Pundits believe that he will reign supreme Down Under, but challengers are strong and plenty. If Rafa and Novak headline Australia, in all probability, Rafa will fall short. On their day and despite Rafa being at his best, Del Potro and David Ferrer have over-powered the Majorcan Prince. Jerzy Janowicz, with his lethal serve and deft drop shots, and Grigor Dimitrov, with his artistic shotmaking, could force Rafa out of his comfort zone, but taking him down would require something surreal from either.

What about trying to beat Murray?

In the 2010 Australian Open finals, Andy Murray showed tremendous resilience against Roger during the third set tie-breaker before tapping out. Last year, Murray kept Djokovic at bay for the first couple of sets before eventually falling short in four.

Andy Murray, the reigning Wimbledon champion, has missed out on all the action in the second half of 2013 owing to a back surgery. His lacklustre performance in the Qatar Open shows his vulnerability. Andy might breeze past the first few rounds, but come the fourth, his chances look murky.

Last year, Del Potro, Berdych and Wawrinka took down the Scot during the death stages of major tournaments. Furthermore, Andy fell to players outside the top ten at Monte Carlo, Rome and Rogers Cup, indicating that when he is out of sorts, Andy can't find a way out.

Taking down the big three needs monumental effort. To cause an upset, the challengers need to summon the courage and will to walk that extra mile, but to be King Down Under one needs to top that with consistency. To be King, in all likelihood, one needs to take down two of the big three. Who will reign supreme Down Under?