Australian Open 2017: Summary, Promotions, and Demotions

Federer

It was a nostalgic Australian Open, with Dai-Yokozuna (=Great Grand Champions) Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal playing the men's final, and the sisters Serena and Venus Williams - Dai-Yokozuna and Yokozuna (=Grand Champion), respectively - contesting the women's. Matchups that would have seemed more plausible 10 years ago than today. Federer, moreover, beat his nemesis Nadal in a grand slam final for the first time since Wimbledon 2007 in (yet another) epic five-setter (while Serena's straight sets win over her older sister Venus was somewhat less surprising).


Serena Williams

In dominating the field, these living legends - all of them in their early to mid 30s, and therefore well beyond the best tennis age - prevented several things from happening. Especially in the men's game: Federer stopped the Yokozuna run of his countryman, long-standing Ozeki (=Champion) and US Open Champion Stan Wawrinka. Instead of winning grand slam finals back-to-back, Wawrinka fell short in five hard-fought sets in the semifinals. Wawrinka still has a chance though: he now needs to win the 2017 French Open to ascend to the highest rank. And Nadal defeated Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals, who would have earned a promotion to Ozeki had he made the final. Nadal therefore reactivates active (Dai-)Yokozuna status.

Dimitrov

With Federer, Nadal, Dai-Yokozuna Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray - both of which exited early - there are now four active Yokozuna in the men's game, for the first time since the US Open 1996, when Becker, Courier, Sampras and Agassi were all active Yokozuna. Enjoy it while it lasts.


Lucic

Back to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) is Grigor Dimitrov, who gave Nadal a stiff fight in the semifinals. Dimitrov will share the rank with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who stayed put at Komusubi with a quarterfinal participation. As a side note, with Federer, Wawrinka and Dimitrov, three players who strike the backhand single-handed entered the semifinals - beautiful. 


Vandeweghe

In the ladies' game, Mirjana Lucic achieved a most unlikely return to the sanyaku (=championship) ranks, reaching the semifinals and climbing back to Komusubi after more than 17 years (!). In the semis, the (slightly older) Serena Williams was a number too big, but on her way, Lucic beat quality opposition, in particular Sekiwake Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals. At 4-4 in the third set, Pliskova was a mere two games away from an Ozeki promotion.

Hard-hitting Coco Vandeweghe  had a breakthrough tournament, reaching the semifinals and earning a first-time sanyaku (championship) promotion. She is the 63rd female Komusubi of the Open Era. Vandeweghe beat Ozeki Angelique Kerber in round 4, and former Sekiwake Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinals. Kerber is now kadoban: she needs to reach at least the quarterfinals of the French Open to defend her rank. Besides Vandeweghe, there are three more Komusubi: Lucic, ex-Ozeki Simona Halep, who exited in round 1 and gets demoted from Sekiwake, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who reached her second quarterfinal within three grand slam tournaments, and returns to Komusubi after more than 5 years.

 

Australian Open Winners:

• Roger Federer (Dai-Yokozuna)

• Serena Williams (Dai-Yokozuna)

New Career Sanyaku Rank:

• Coco Vandeweghe, the 63rd Female Komusubi of the Open Era

Sanyaku Rank Changes

Player (career rank if different)	To	From
Promotions
Milos Raonic	Sekiwake	Komusubi
Grigor Dimitrov	Komusubi	Maegashira
Mirjana Lucic	Komusubi	Maegashira
Coco Vandeweghe	Komusubi	Maegashira
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova	Komusubi	Maegashira
Demotions
Simona Halep (ex-Ozeki)	Komusubi	Sekiwake
Tomas Berdych (ex-Ozeki)	Maegashira	Komusubi
Kei Nishikori (ex-Sekiwake)	Maegashira	Komusubi
Lucas Pouille	Maegashira	Komusubi
Caroline Wozniacki (ex-Sekiwake)	Maegashira	Komusubi

Kinboshi:
("gold star" - prize awarded to a non-sanyaku ranked competitor for beating an active Yokozuna):

• Denis Istomin - for beating Dai-Yokozuna Novak Djokovic in round 2.

• Mischa Zverev - for beating Yokozuna Andy Murray in round 4.

Other noteworthy developments:

• Rafael Nadal (Dai-Yokozuna) reactivates Yokozuna status with a final participation.

• Angelique Kerber (Ozeki) goes kadoban after losing in round 4.

• Karolina Pliskova holds Sekiwake rank with a quarterfinal participation

• Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (ex-Sekiwake) holds Komusubi rank with a quarterfinal participation