Grand Slams 2012 - Down memory lane

2012 has been an interesting year in the tennis circuit, especially the Grand Slams, wherein each Grand Slam had a different winner for the first time since 2003. There was no domination by any single player as such, unlike in 2010 and 2011, which were completely dominated by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic respectively.

Australian Open – The Djoker strikes back

The first Grand Slam of the year was a closely contested one. Going into the tournament, Novak Djokovic was the clear favourite due to his record in 2011, in which he lost just one match in Grand Slams. The first few rounds went without much of a surprise, with the top 4 seeds managing to make it to the semi finals. While Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in 4 sets, Novak Djokovic just managed to win an epic 5 hour 5 setter against Andy Murray. And the final between Djokovic and Nadal was the longest Grand Slam final ever, stretching upto 6 hours, with Djokovic being victorious.

Roland Garros – Nadal in 7^th heaven

Roland Garros wasn’t much of a surprise either, except for the Spaniard David Ferrer, who managed to overcome Murray in the quarter finals and faced Nadal in the semis. Nadal went past Ferrer pretty easily and Djokovic managed to defeat Federer. Again, Djokovic and Nadal faced each other in the final and this was the 4^th consecutive time they faced each other. But finally, Nadal prevailed and sealed his reputation as “The king of clay” by managing to win his 7^th French open title.

Wimbledon – Old is gold

Wimbledon, the most followed tennis event, was spectacular with lots of surprises. The first major upset was Nadal getting knocked out in the 2^nd round itself, as his persistent leg injury returned to trouble him again. And this time, Novak Djokovic faced Federer again, and Andy Murray faced Tsonga. No one expected Federer to win against Djokovic, but the Swiss master showed that he still had some tennis left in him by beating him and reaching the finals. Murray managed to win his semi final encounter against Jo Wilfred Tsonga, and became the first Briton since Fred Perry to reach the finals of a Grand Slam. The final was a very close contested one, with both giving out their best, showing how badly they wanted this win. And finally, Roger Federer managed to win his 17^th Grand Slam after a long gap of more than 2 years. Though Murray was reduced to tears after his loss, he won many hearts with his performance at SW19. Later, he took his revenge by winning the Olympic gold medal, defeating Federer in the final.

U S Open – The kid becomes a man

This tournament was more open than the rest, with Nadal out due to his knee injury and Murray in the form of his life. Roger Federer could not manage to reach the final, falling to Berdych in the quarters. Murray faced Berdych, while Djokovic faced Ferrer, with Murray and Djokovic managing to reach the finals. And the final, a five setter again, resulted in Andy Murray becoming the first Grand Slam winner for Britain since Fred Perry nearly 74 years ago. This was an emotional moment for the Scot, who finally managed to win a Grand Slam after just failing short at the final hurdle for 4 times.

Though Grand Slams in 2012 were competitive, next year is going to be even more interesting, with Murray finally managing to win one.