ANALYSE THIS: Oldest Australian Open quarter-final line-up since 1977

TENNIS – Six of this year’s quarter-finalists in the Australian Open men’s singles are over 28-years-old for the first time in the competition’s history. The average age of the eight quarter-finalists is the oldest since 43-year-old Ken Rosewall reached this stage in 1977.

ANALYSE THIS: The disappearance of the top teenage tennis player

TENNIS – If, like me, you grew up watching tennis in the late-1970s and early-1980s, you’d remember numerous teenage players at the top of the women’s game. At Grand Slam tournaments during those years, it was perfectly common for around one third of the seeds in the Ladies’ singles to be teenagers. However, at this year’s Australian Open there is one seed yet to celebrate her 20th birthday, the maximum there has been at each of the last seven editions of the year’s first Grand Slam.

REVIEW: Serena Williams claims 19th Major title

TENNIS – Serena Williams secured her 19th women’s singles title in a Grand Slam tournament by seeing off Maria Sharapova in the final of the 2015 Australian Open.

REVIEW: Veteran Wawrinka needs 36 attempts for 1st final

TENNIS – Stanislas Wawrinka reached the men’s singles final at the Australian Open in his 36th participation in a Major. Only one player in Open era needed more attempts to reach a GS final. David Ferrer reached the final at Roland Garros last year in his 42nd Grand Slam. Only one player has needed more than 36 attempts to WIN a Grand Slam. Goran Ivanisevic prevailed at Wimbledon in 2001 in an incredible 48th shot at glory.

RECORD: Ironman Federer about to set Open era GS record

TENNIS – On Day 2 of the 2014 Australian Open, Roger Federer will start his campaign for an 18th Major crown, appearing in his 57th successive Grand Slam men’s singles championship, by which he establishes an Open era record. The Swiss ace surpasses South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira, who reeled off 56 straight participations between 1991 and 2004. Federer has not missed a beat since foregoing the 1999 US Open.

PREVIEW: Date-Krumm (43) to face 16-year-old at AO

TENNIS – At 43, Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm is the oldest participant in the 2014 Australian Open women’s singles by almost 10 years. The draw has linked her to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who is the second youngest player in the tournament behind Croatia’s Ana Konjuh. The age difference between Date-Krumm and Bencic, more than 26 years, is the biggest ever in a women’s singles match at the Australian Open.

INFOGRAPHIC: Djokovic going for four in a row

TENNIS – Novak Djokovic will be chasing a record fourth consecutive title (Open Era) when the 2014 Australian Open starts on Monday, 13 January. Click on the picture to view the FULL Infographic on the subject. 

REVIEW: Djokovic 1st player in Open era to Aus Open threepeat

TENNIS – Novak Djokovic has become the first player in the Open era to win the Australian Open in three successive years. The last player to achieve that feat before the Open era started (1968) was Roy Emerson who won five in a row from 1963 to 1967. Jack Crawford (1931-1933) is the only other player to win this tournament at least three years in a row.

Djokovic took his sixth career Grand Slam men’s singles title in the Open era, in that respect equalling Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg.

PREVIEW: Li poised to add giant killer accolade

TENNIS – China’s Li Na will take on top seed Victoria Azarenka in the final of the 2013 Australian Open women’s singles final, coming fresh off a victory over second seed Maria Sharapova and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals. On only three previous occasions, a player managed to eliminate three of the top four seeds in the same Grand Slam championship (women’s singles).

> At the 1999 US Open, Serena Wiliams (seeded 7th herself), knocked out Monica Seles (4), Lindsay Davenport (2) and Martina Hingis (1).

> The year in which this was first achieved at the Australian Open was 2001. Jennifer Capriati (seeded 12th herself) also eliminated Monica Seles (4), Lindsay Davenport (2) and Martina Hingis (1).

> Serena was back at it at the 2005 Australian Open, ousting in succession Amélie Mauresmo (2), Maria Sharapova (4) and Lindsay Davenport (1).

PREVIEW: Sharapova on record pace

TENNIS – Maria Sharapova will play against Li Na in the semifinal of the 2013 Australian Open on Thursday. Sharapova has lost nine games in the first five matches of this tournament. This equals the second fewest number of games lost in a Grand Slam tournament for players reaching the final four (only players with five completed matches taken into account).

• In 1994, Mary Pierce set the record of losing only six games in five full matches before playing in the semifinal.
• In 1989, Martina Navrátilová also lost six games to reach the semifinals at the US Open.
• Both women reached the final that tournament, but failed to win.
• The record number of fewest games lost by a winner of a Grand Slam tournament (playing the full seven matches) is Navrátilová in the 1983 US Open. She lost 19 games, which means Sharapova can break that record if she loses no more than nine games in the final two matches.