5 best matches at the Australian Open 2016

Emotion and passion, drama and thrills, comebacks and upsets – we have seen it all for the past fortnight at the 2016 Australian Open. If you missed out on any of the action, you need not worry! You can easily relive all the matches of the tournament on the Sony LIV website and App. You can find all the highlights, winning shots, key moments, interviews and much more.With the season’s first Slam having just concluded, it is an ideal time to relive those memories.Presenting our top 5 picks for the best matches of the 2016 Australian Open:

#5 Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic Mens singles semi-final

Murray def Raonic 4-6, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2

The much-improved Milos Raonic was involved in another enthralling match after his upset of Stan Wawrinka. Andy Murray and Raonic have always had a fascinating rivalry and they were locked at 3-3 in their head-to-head record coming into this showdown.

No wonder, their latest encounter lived up to it. The 13th seeded Canadian broke the two-time Major champion in his very first service game and let his aggressive forehands do the talking for the rest of the set. Murray upped the intensity on his returns and managed to sneak out the hard-fought second set.

The 13th seeded Canadian struck back once more as he clinched the third set in a tie-break.

But that was probably the last time that the Canadian could smile. One set away from creating history, Raonic’s body let him down. Pain in the adductor of his right thigh hampered his movement and his booming serve as the 25-year-old struggled to even hold his serve. In the fifth set, he could manage just two games and later on, spoke about his on-court frustration: “Probably the most heartbroken I’ve felt on court.”

#4 Madison Keys vs Ana Ivanovic Womens singles third round

Keys def Ivanovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Two aggressive players – Madison Keys and Ana Ivanovic – both of whom are endowed with rocket-like forehands put up a brilliant show but this third round match would be remembered more for reasons other than tennis. 2008 runner-up Ivanovic’s coach and Andy Murray’s father-in-law, Nigel Sears fell sick after the completion of the opening set and collapsed in the stands that led to a brief delay as Sears was being stretchered away by paramedics.

When the match resumed, the 28-year-old Serb could not hold on to her one-set lead and conceded the second set to the big-hitting Keys. The 20-year-old who was a semi-finalist last year, had the momentum and broke Ana but the former World No. 1 broke back. The young American once again inched ahead and finished with a barrage of 19 winners alone in the third set.

#3 Daria Gavrilova vs Kristina Mladenovic Womens singles third round

Gavrilova (L) def Mladenovic 6-4, 4-6, 11-9

Australian fans found a new hero that they could vociferously root for! The unseeded Russian-turned-Australian Daria Gavrilova’s fierce competitive spirit came to the fore as she edged past the 28th seeded Kristina Mladenovic in a three-setter that lasted for 2 hours 51 minutes.

The raucous crowd was an inextricable part of this duel as they sang, shouted, cheered for their favourite ‘Dasha’ and lifted her spirits whenever she was in dire need of support. The two girls had played at the junior French Open final in 2009 which the Frenchwoman won. But this time, the 21-year-old Gavrilova was not to be denied.

She was on a roll at this tournament, having toppled the sixth seed Petra Kvitova in the earlier round in straight sets. The-then World No. 39 continued to press in a lengthy deciding set and finally made the breakthrough, which she later on called the best win of her career.

#2 Milos Raonic vs Stan Wawrinka Mens singles fourth round

Raonic def Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3

Milos Raonic pulled off one of the biggest upsets on the men’s side in the fourth round. 2014 winner Stan Wawrinka who was on a seven-match winning streak, was heavily expected to make it to the summit clash. Nobody envisaged him to falter against Raonic, who had never beaten him in four previous meetings.

But the Canadian did just the unthinkable. Showing the hard work that he had done in the off-season, the Brisbane champion blasted through the gates to take the first two sets in a stunning display of attacking tennis. With his title aspirations close to getting crushed, the fourth-seeded Swiss fought back and grabbed the next two sets to set up an intriguing decider.

But the undeterred Raonic was a revelation in the fifth. Calm and composed, he made relentless forays into the net to throw Wawrinka off balance. His efforts were rewarded as the experienced Swiss crumbled and Raonic ended with a whopping 82 winners.

#1 Angelique Kerber vs Serena Williams Womens singles final

Kerber def Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Grit met passion, determination met belief as Angelique Kerber pulled off the biggest upset and surprise of the tournament in the women’s singles final. It will go down as one of the most thrilling and enjoyable women’s finals ever played at any Grand Slam.

Kerber was facing a formidable opponent on the other side of the net – 21-time Major winner and six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams but she refused to be intimidated by her sheer presence. In her maiden appearance in the final of a Major, the 28-year-old German southpaw brought forth some sensational angular backhands that left the World No. 1 scrambling to reach them.

The seventh seed forced the American into 46 unforced errors and stopped her from tying her legendary compatriot, Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22 Major titles in an unbelievable finish.