In Tennis, whenever an unexpected result occurs there are some dramatic changes when it comes to the big picture as some players are given a burst of morale and ultimately an improbable help in their quests. The Australian Open 2017 marked its biggest upset so far as Novak Djokovic ( the defending champion in Melbourne) suffered an early exit in the 2nd round. It was Denis Istomin who was the artisan of this particular upset. Now, with Djokovic out of the picture, some seeded players might recalibrate their strategy and eventually their final goals.
Nadal's chances are bigger
In the bottom half of the men's draw, those with the biggest chances to move up to the top were Djokovic, Raonic, Nadal, Gasquet, Thiem, Goffin and perhaps Dimitrov who seems to be on a positive bubble in Melbourne. With Djokovic off the table, in the 4th quarter of the draw remains Dimitrov, Gasquet and maybe Goffin or Thiem as eligible to move forward into the higher stages.
For Nadal, the 3rd quarter of the draw reduces to a possible battle against Monfils (6 ATP) in the 4th round as both tennis players went through the early stages without putting in much effort. Up next, it might be Raonic (3 ATP) to fight against in the quarterfinals. Against the French, Nadal won his last Masters 1000 event last year in Monte Carlo while Raonic might be a tough rock to crack open.
What is encouraging for Nadal is a great deal of consistency he managed to put in so far. Despite a long absence from the ATP Tour, the Spaniard is in great shape in Australia. Earlier today, he made an impressive match against Marcos Baghdatis winning in straight sets 6-3 6-1 6-3.
For the 3rd round, Nadal is set to play against the youngster Alexander Zverev ( seed no.
24).
Other top players are redesigning their strategies
Djokovic being ousted means that there is a space needed to be filled up with something. It`s a disruptive event that enhances the probability to have a surprise winner in Melbourne. Federer or Nadal, both with long absences due to injuries, are now seeing their chances growing up.
With all the respect people have for their achievements, no one really taught that they have a real chance in Melbourne, not with Djokovic and Murray around. Now that is gone the equation has changed.
Besides, there are others like Raonic, Nishikori or Thiem with great tennis achievement lately but unable to get past Djokovic. It also might be their moment of greatness.
