Top 5 upsets at the Australian Open

The Grand Slams are the centre-stages of stories. The stories of champions being born, the stories of heroics, of unrelenting grind and inspiration, which comes out as a result of the struggles the athletes go through to give out everything they possess for the ultimate showdown.The players, locked in head to head, amidst the nervous silence of the crowd, the grueling heat of the centre court and of the high-octane moment, transcend the physical aspect of the game. But there is more to Grand Slams besides the obvious physical and emotional facets of the game.The records of Slams are written in history books. Once there, the tennis player has achieved the purpose for what he picked up the racquet for: immortality. But immortality is not for everyone. Only the very best of the profession, with their inexhaustive persistence and unflinching will, can overcome the mountain-esque odds to reach the top.And for that reason, “upset” has such a special meaning in the Majors. You don’t see a former champion go out in a whisker. Champions will dig in; they will persist, and will find a way to get the job done. But sometimes, the opponent will simply go all out, and flirt with the persistence and the will of the champion. Like the champion, the underdog decides to dig in too, and wait until he finds the right moment to pull the trigger.Here are some of those momentous and inspiring memories of the underdog causing a massive upset at Melbourne Park.

#5 Marcos Baghdatis Vs Andy Roddick

Marcos Baghdatis def. Andy Roddick 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Andy Roddick has had few chances in his life to win a Slam. With an unfortunate fate of playing at the peak of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s career, Roddick never had enough to unsettle the two great champions to raise the toast at the biggest showdowns.

But at the 2006 Australian Open, the American was pondering over a new reality, especially after the withdrawal of Nadal. Seeded 2, Roddick now had only one roadblock against him – the mighty Swiss, Federer. But his past record against Federer – the precious Wimbledon final of 2004 – gave him and his supporters enough hope.

Roddick, reposing one-of-the-favorite stature, made his intentions clear by winning the first three rounds in straight sets. The 20-year-old, unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis undid his nascent dreams in the fourth round.

In four, winner-loaded sets, Baghdatis came out better against his American counterpart in the baseline game. In the process, Roddick let go of another opportunity to win a Major.

#4 Helena Sukova Vs Martina Navaratilova, 1984

Helena Sukova def. Martina Navaratilova 1-6, 6-3, 7-5

At the peak of her career, Navaratilova was all but infallible. In 1984, the American came to Melbourne Park with six consecutive Grand Slams to her name. Clearly the favourite to take home the Australian Open, Navaratilova went down to Helena Sukova in a riveting three-set semifinal clash.

Navaratilova, however, looked certain to make an easy run into the finals after she convincingly won the first set 6-1. But the 74-match winning streak came to an abrupt end after Sukova charged her way through to win the next two sets.

After the match of her life, Sukova, however, fell to Chris Evert in the final.

#3 Thomas Johansson Vs Marat Safin, 2002

Thomas Johansson def. Marat Safin, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)

The 2002 Australian Open was the Open of upsets. After the World No. 1 and local boy Lleyton Hewitt went out in the first round, the 16th seed Thomas Johansson, who never progressed beyond the quarter final stages in his last 24 Grand Slam appearances, found a new-found vigor to defeat Marat Safin in the final.

Johansson admitted that he was surprised with the result. "I never thought that I was going to be a Grand Slam winner."

#2 Mark Edmondson Vs John Newcombe, 1976

Mark Edmondson def. John Newcombe 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1.

Ranked 212 in the world, Mark Edmondson squared off against the Two-time Australian Open Champion John Newcombe in the final of the 1976 Australian Open. The unseeded Australian battled past 5 seeded players en route to the final.

Clearly the favorite, Newcombe won the first set. But the 21-year-old Edmondson showed his gritty character to take the second set. After that, it was all Edmondson who outlasted the defending champion though his massive serves.

In the process of staging an upset, Edmondson became the first unseeded player to win the Australian Open.

#1 Andreas Seppi Vs Roger Federer, 2015

Andeas Seppi def Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5).

Roger Federer, the 4-time former champion of the Australian Open, goes down to the cool and hardy Andreas Seppi of Italy in the 3rd round of the Australian Open.

Federer, who came into the Australian Open as one of the favorites after his successes at the Davis Cup last year and the Brisbane International this year, was defeated in four tight sets to his Italian counterpart, who had only managed to win one set in their previous ten encounters.

As Federer noted in an interview, the combo of Federer not being at his best and Seppi being clinical throughout the 4-set match thwarted the Swiss player’s hope of winning the fifth Australian open. Federer struggled with his serves and made nine double faults.

But most importantly, the crunch points that went Seppi’s way. Federer led 4-1 in tiebreak in the second set, but squandered the lead with a double fault and a forehand shank. Then, in the fourth set, Federer had the set on his racquet, when he served 5-4 in the tiebreak. But Seppi’s deep returns during the rally extracted errors from the 17-time Grand Slam champion. Seppi wrapped up the match with a scintillating down the line passing winner.

It was the first time since 2003 that Federer did not reach the semi-finals at the Australian Open. Seppi persisted, and he got the reward.