End of an Era, Beginning of Another?

The names seem to be changing rather quickly these days. Take a look at the players on the ATP or the WTA Tours having a great Australian Open and you will see a host of very young, very eager, and very talented players. On the women's side, you will find Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Anna Chakvetadze, Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli, Agnes Savay, and Sybill Bammer. On the men's side, you find Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, Janko Tipsarevic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Philipp Kohlschrieber.

Gone from the Australian Open already are Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Fernando Gonzalez, Marat Safin, and David Nalbandian. Losing women included Nadia Petrova, Amelie Mauresmo, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Serena Williams —Aall tour veterans who have been in the news for several years. None of them over the age of 28, and most in their early to mid-20s. The fall of "tour veterans," despite their young age, is becoming the rule more then the exception. Jelena Jankovic thoroughly outplayed Serena and has been at the top of the women's game for a year now. Andy Roddick leaving a big tournament at or before the quarterfinals is already not a big surprise. Has the new generation arrived?

Yes, King Roger Federer is still around, and so too is Maria Sharapova. Venus Williams, Daniela Hantuchova, and James Blake are also still playing. I'm seeing a trend though, and the "older" players more and more are losing early or more often. The game is changing quickly, maybe the quickest it ever has in its history. It doesn't seem that long ago, though I know it is, that players like Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and Jana Novotna came up and played top-flight tennis for years. Even when these players were in their 30s, it was a surprise when they didn't reach at least the semifinals of a major tournament.

So why is it that I'm not surprised to see even Andy Murray out early? Listening to Pam Shriver talking about the Serena Williams loss you would think the number one seed lost. I don't know why, because Jankovic was seeded third and Serena seventh. The higher seed won. Should be that way. Maybe my colleague Pam can't believe that the Williams Era is over.

It's the time of the Serbs, the Croatians, the Russians, and the Polish. It's not rocket science. The players of this new generation are physically and emotionally talented. The pure brute force of the Williams' sisters just doesn't translate like it did just a few years ago. The one-dimensional power game of Roddick just can't stand up to the quick, well-rounded games of the newer men. The players are beginning to catch up to the racquet technology, as well.

The Australian Open has traditionally showcased a new player to the game. This year, though, the new surface in Australia was supposed to be more player-friendly than the old, rubbery Rebound Ace, and slightly faster. It was supposed to be the surface that allowed the top seeds and vets to reach the rounds their rankings and seeds said they should. Overall injuries are down, but the results couldn't have been more unexpected. The new court surface became the great equalizer. It has made it clear to see that younger players with more complete games and better skills can compete and win. I don't want to call it parity, because it still isn't that.

In just a few years, the game has changed dramatically. Tennis is truly the international game, and as the political and financial climate has changed, so too the top of the game of tennis. The age of pure power and athleticism is over. American dominance is a thing of the past. The Williams/Roddick period has come to an end. All hail the rest of the world.