1. Smashing bloke Groth takes final bow
And so, his race is run. Sam Groth, the man credited with the fastest serve in history, has officially hung up his racquet after his last tilt at an Australian Open title ended in the men’s doubles quarterfinals. It was a heart-breaking moment for the 30-year-old out on MCA, but the presence of his mate, doubles partner and Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt made the moment a more bearable experience for the Big Show.
“I wanted to say thanks to Lleyton for playing with me for my last one – it obviously wasn’t the way we wanted to go out, but hey,” said Groth, invited to address the crowd before he left the court one last time as a professional.
“And thanks to my team, everyone who’s worked for me…”
Then the tears came. As Groth composed himself and accepted the roar of the crowd, Hewitt stepped in to pay his own tribute, knowing only too well what Groth was going through.
“Playing in front of big crowds on home courts like this is what you really miss,” Hewitt said. “The adrenaline rush we get from coming out and putting on a show – when you retire, that’s the biggest thing.”
And this is the end, at least for now, Hewitt insisted, ruling out a return to doubles action in Australia’s Davis Cup tie with Germany in Brisbane next month.
“We’ve had our time in Davis Cup, we had some big matches together, that was one of the main reasons I came back to play. I loved playing Davis Cup with this fella, he wore his heart on his sleeve – he’d do anything for the green and gold, and for me to come and play alongside him in his last event was pretty special.”
Groth, whose ranking peaked at No.53 and who once hit a serve clocked at 263.4km/h – comfortably the fastest in history – has already mentioned plans to return to local football having played in the Eastern Football League for Vermont’s reserves side during a break from tennis in 2011.
Nevertheless, round these parts he will always be remembered for that backward cap, the ‘sorry mate’ when his ball-toss wasn’t quite in the right spot, and the occasional (!) racquet smash, including another beauty after he double faulted against the Colombian duo to give up the decisive break.
So we’ll leave the last word to Sam Groth, wishing him the best of luck with whatever the future holds. Onya, Grothy: “Thanks to my fiancée Britt, my family, all the coaches that have worked with me over my time, and of course the Aussie fans. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me. Thank you for everything.”
2. What has four heads, eight legs and a 39-1 record?
Answer: Your Australian Open women’s semifinal quartet. Anyone who doubts the value of lead-in tournaments, particularly ahead of the first major of the season, need only look at the recent runs of the final four in the women’s draw for the counterpoint: three WTA title winners and one finalist now find themselves two victories from the title.
Both Shenzhen champion Simona Halep and Sydney winner Angelique Kerber - Wednesday's quarter-final winners - and two-time Hobart title defender Elise Mertens are all a perfect 10-0 on tour in 2018, while Caroline Wozniacki is 9-1 after reaching the final in Auckland.
The message is clear: preparation is everything.
3. Clear-eyed Chung very much in the frame
As a kid, Hyeon Chung had terrible eyesight, prompting his father suggested he take up tennis to improve his vision – perhaps, he reasoned, picking up the ball against the court’s green surface would help sharpen his focus.
Well, he’s still wearing his glasses (Chung has high-grade astigmatism and has to wear specs both on court and off), but his focus looks pretty good to us. After downing both Novak Djokovic and Tennys Sandgren in straight sets, the 21-year-old will spend Thursday preparing for his maiden Grand Slam semifinal and a first career meeting with Roger Federer on Friday night.
Chung has been the talk of the town in Melbourne, winning both matches and fans with his nerveless all-court game and P.T. Barnum gestures to the crowd, urging them to raise the volume when he starts getting hot.
He’s also been a hit in the post-match exchanges with Jim Courier, who gave him a chance to introduce his family and team with his own inimitable energy:
4. Roger, meet Jimmy. Jimmy, Roger…
Another day, another record matched by Roger Federer, though to his 14th Australian Open semifinal in 15 years after trouncing Tomas Berdych for the third AO in succession. Already a record at Melbourne Park, Fed’s 14 is now a match for Jimmy Connors’ runs to the final four at the US Open between 1974 and 1991, an Open era record for the men at the majors.
With one record equalled, Fed now has his sights on another this weekend – a sixth Australian Open title would see him draw level with Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic as the most decorated men in AO history, not to mention the 20th Grand Slam title of his career.
5. And finally, in social media news…
Nope, we’re not going there. Hyeon Chung has joined Twitter!