Another magnificent Slam is now part of tennis history. Two esteemed champions of the past, Roger Federer and Serena Williams, again commanded the final weekend. But if the champions were of the elder generation of pro stars from Europe and America, respectively, there was also excitement in the successes of two other elders, female players from China, where a next generation may be ready to claim world attention.
 
The setting was splendid, featuring the Melbourne skyline, the fine modern facilities, and the enthusiastic crowds that daily provided the spark for player commitment. The weather, which one year ago brought searing midsummer heat, was close to perfect, featuring moderate temperatures, patterns of wind and sun that enhanced the challenge, and only occasional intrusion of rain. Watchers worldwide by television were daily treated to offerings that in former decades were only for those eyewitnesses present. Meanwhile the level of tennis provided by the world's top pros was probably as high as ever before seen.
 
This year's competition was unusually close. The array of pre-tournament contenders having plausible chances of capturing the crown was especially wide, including a dozen male and almost as many female singles artists. Five-setters proved frequent in the men's singles -- a total of 37 among the 127 main-draw matches, up from a total of 23 last year. But it was the women's side that produced most of the unexpected results, starting with the opening match.
 
The generally cooler air slowed ball velocities slightly, but servers nevertheless held a considerable edge over serve-returners. Data from the last four rounds showed that servers won 81% of games served, compared with the tournament's previous four-year average of 77%. Aces happened on 9.5% of the points, up from the previous four-year average of 7.4%. In both aces and in serve-holding, the Aus Open 10 values also exceeded the four-year averages at Garros and, surprisingly, at U.S. Open, though not at Wimbledon.
 
Over the last nine years the best predictor of results at Australian Open had been the preceding year's U.S. Open. The next-most-accurate predictors had been the preceding Wimbledon, Australian Open, and Miami tournaments, in that order. The new results at Australia scarcely overcame the historical pattern, as all four of the above events forecast the Melbourne results better than usual. Of the four, the slightly better predictors for Australia 10 were Wimbledon 09 and Miami 09.
 
WOMEN'S SINGLES
 
It began on Monday, January 18, the roof of Laver Arena closed because of early-morning rainshowers. Two tall and fair-haired Russian women held the stage -- Maria Sharapova regal in her carriage and confidence, Maria Kirilenko, the same age at 22, both women serious and determined. Both were regular grunters, their screeches magnified inside the enclosure.
 
Sharapova had won the tournament just two years before. Now Sharapova, as expected, was the more forceful hitter, and as matters progressed her total of winners far exceeded Kirilenko's. But so too did her errors. The Moscow-born Kirilenko, it was becoming apparent, was quite skilled in returning Sharapova's hard serves and was remarkably consistent in returning her taller opponent's flattish rockets to the corners, often with enough power and placement to avoid immediate further punishment. The score swung back and forth. Slipping behind, Sharapova In the final game struck two untouchable power winners, but she also committed four errors, ending the affair. Kirilenko d. Sharapova, 76 36 64.
 
The rains of Monday yielded to several days of coolish and windy weather as the intended schedule for completing matches was gradually regained. The winds bothered play only slightly in the main arenas, which were semi-enclosed even with their tops open, but became a factor in most matches outside.
 
The Henin-Dementieva second-rounder might have been a final-round match-up in a different draw. Neither player was particularly brilliant at the outset, both troubled by double-faults and neither serving forcefully. But as expected, the stroking and court movement of both soon became magnificent. (For the full match, the serve-returning player won more games and also more points than did the server.) Elena, the taller and heavier-built, produced her stroking power with seemingly less effort. Justine was the more aggressive in coming forward and was the better player once there, winning 81% of her 43 points at net. The outcome reaffirmed Henin's reputation for winning tight matches. Henin d. Dementieva, 75 76.
 
FIRST WEEK: ROUNDS THREE AND FOUR
 
The temperatures shifted abruptly upward into the 90's on Friday, Day Five, making problems for many players not adapted to hot weather. Both Justine Henin and Alisa Kleybanova, 20, who seemed overweight at a listed 159 pounds at height 5-11, seemed affected. Alisa served and stroked with impressive power, capturing the first set and leading by 31 in the second. Justine was hard-pressed to recover but managed to do so by raising her game, helped by increasingly frequent errors by her opponent. Henin d. Kleybanova, 36 64 62.
 
Moscow-born Nadia Petrova, now 27, has been just outside the elite group in women's tennis for most of an injury- and illness-troubled career. At size comparable of Kleybanova's, her power and form have always been strong. On this early Friday evening in Melbourne, Nadia scorched every serve, forehand, and backhand, capturing the first set in 18 minutes. Her opponent, Kim Clijsters -- my pick to win the tournament -- was helpless to change matters, unable to match Nadia's incessant power, mostly unable to keep her own serves and strokes in court. The second set was not much better for Kim, taking only 34 minutes. It was hard to believe the happening. Petrova d. Clijsters, 60 61.
 
Both Henin and Petrova continued to advance in the Third Quarter, which was by far the most difficult one. In split-set fourth-rounders Justine fought off Yanina Wickmayer, whose seeded place had been denied amid a short suspension for drug-test non-availability, while Petrova prevailed over Svetlana Kuznetsova.
 
Victoria Azarenka, 20, and Vera Zvonareva, 25, dueled well past midnight Monday morning for the right to face defending champion Serena in the next round. The wondrous backhand of the Russian player, Zvonareva, produced an initial edge, bringing the emotionally fragile star the first set and an early break in the second. But Azarenka, who emerged from the tournament the most advanced of the game's pre-21's, abruptly turned the momentum in a stretch marked by her own error-avoidance and Vera's several backhand errors. Perhaps concerned over a long-standing ankle injury, Vera lost eleven of the last twelve games. Azarenka d. Zvonareva 46 64 60.
 
QUARTERS
 
All four quarter-finals, played on Second Tuesday and Wednesday, were of high interest, flavored by the unexpected successes of two Chinese players.
 
It was not the Nadia Petrova that had swept away Kim Clijsters a few days earlier. Nadine's natural power was still evident but the serves and shots that had found the corners and lines previously were no longer doing so. Nor was Justine Henin at her best, so the flow moved back and forth until the arrival of a first-set tiebreaker, which became a nightmare for Petrova as Justine stepped up her forcefulness and consistency.
 
Then it became the Nadia of earlier as the Russian won the first three games of set two, twice breaking the Henin serve. But Justine soon stopped these goings-on, regaining her best -- superior in her shot preparation, her attacking instincts, and her avoidance of error. Henin d. Petrova, 76 75.
 
So far the tournament had been easy for Serena Williams, who had stormed through four victories without losing a set or indeed a service break. But now, against Victoria Azarenka, Serena seemed sluggish. The scores stayed close, but Victoria was beginning to dominate in the rallies. Behind her sweeping backswing, her velocities were matching Serena's, and her placement and avoidance of error were superior. Serena seemed slow to react to Victoria's shots, slow in moving once under way, and it appeared that the left knee, wrapped just below from the outset, was making trouble.
 
But down by a set, loser of the first four games of set two, Serena abruptly found her old confident self. She now moved into striking position easily, the rockets leaping from her strings, finding their targets regularly. There was no noticeable decline in Victoria's play -- simply an abrupt reversal by Serena. Soon it was tiebreak game, and there too, after falling behind, Serena recovered to equalize the match, now at one-set-all. Victoria held serve to start set three, but from then on, Serena's serve-returning became pulverizing. The American closed out matters with the aplomb of a champion. S. Williams d. Azarenka, 46 76 62.
 
Six years ago, in 2004, female players from China captured the doubles at the Athens Olympics. Four years later another Chinese pair, Zheng Jie and her partner, won the bronze medal at Beijing. Meanwhile China had for three years hosted Masters Cup and become site for other, regular events on the pro tours. Chinese athletes had excelled in badminton and table tennis. Successes in tennis singles, however, had been elusive.
 
In the early rounds at Melbourne Park, Zheng Jie, diminutive at age 35, defeated three seeded players. Now in the quarter-finals, she faced the weaponry of Maria Kirilenko, who had advanced over Sharapova and three others. Kirilenko was the more powerful player, but behind excellent retrieving ability, Zheng took command of matters with excellent placement, court craft, and moderate power, all amid an almost absolute freedom from error. The Chinese star mixed in ample doses of controlled aggression, but in those very long rallies where neither player applied pressure, Zheng showed almost complete superiority in avoiding error. Zheng d. Kirilenko, 61 63.
 
One of the marvelous things about tennis is how the scoring system requires that a player -- not a clock -- must close out the end of a match. Against Li Na in their Wednesday quarter-final, Venus Williams easily took the first set amid atrocious error-making by the Chinese player, age 27 at a listed 5-8 but surely taller. Early in the second set, Li began to equalize the exchanges, perhaps overcoming her nervousness or perhaps becoming familiar with Venus's pace. And as the points and games became tougher for Venus, it seemed that Venus's confidence slowly slipped away and with it, her interest in coming forward, in getting to short balls quickly.
 
Li had more firepower than countrywoman Zheng, and her ground strokes often carried almost as much weight as Venus's. Meanwhile Venus's serve began showing signs of deterioration, especially in the second-set tiebreaker, won by Li. Venus led much of the way in a third set marked by frequent breaks of serve. But as the end approached it became evident that it was Li who was playing with boldness, maintaining her firm hitting. Meanwhile Venus played in fear of losing, especially in the last several points. Li d. V. Williams, 26 76 75.
 
It had been a remarkable two days for the Chinese women.
 
FINAL FOUR
 
The first-serving of Serena Williams was almost enough to swing the first set to Serena, though her opponent, Li Na, was the better mover and stroker throughout. Serena seemed slowed in reaction and movement by her various lower injuries. But the difficult early-afternoon sunshine took the sting from Serena's serving, allowing the set to reach tiebreak game. The sun played a role in the tiebreaker, helping the player on the favored side. Seemingly tight, Li let two successive serving points from the favored side slip away, and Serena managed to clip a sideline with a second serve from the bad side. First set to Serena.
 
Set two was also close, as neither player broke serve. Serena was still unaggressive, inclined to return safely and await errors by Li. Serena reached several match points, but her passiveness was probably unwise when Li stepped up her play on these occasions. But again, Li failed to produce her best tennis in the tiebreak game. Serena survived despite never attaining her best. S. Williams d. Li, 76 76.
 
Zheng Jie held serve to win the first game from Justine Henin and then lost the next twelve games. The slight Chinese player's serving and stroking weaponry were simply inadequate to cause Justine any trouble. Henin d. Zheng, 61 60.
 
FINAL
 
Serena had struggled two days earlier in her semi, and since then she had played and won two doubles matches. Justine on the other hand enjoyed easy going in the semis and then had opportunity for rest and preparation. Since their last meeting, won by Serena at Miami 07, Serena had dominated the women's game, but she had also endured varied and often lingering injury problems. Meanwhile Justine in her 20-month retirement seemed to have refreshed her physique and spirit.
 
Throughout their three-set final on Saturday evening, neither Serena nor Justine showed signs of tiredness or injury. From the outset Serena was quick to the ball, employing a moderately forcing, controlled style generally. Justine played a forcing game from the outset, as she had throughout the tournament, very nearly matching the power of her opponent although at greater effort in arm speed and body energy, relatively uninterested in rallying passively. Both were quick to go for winners when opportune. It was high-quality, intense tennis.
 
The tally on the scoreboard swung back and forth, Serena won sets one and three, Justine won set two behind a late-set run of consecutive points. Serena's edge in generating easy power was important, especially on her backhand side, where her two-hander seemed equal to Justine's fine one-hander, both in attacking and defending. The most marked difference was in the serving, where Serena led in aces 12-4 with fewer double-faults, 3-6, the differentials more than accounting for Serena's small edge in total points won. Indeed, excluding aces and double-faults Justine made more winners and fewer unforced errors than did Serena. Serena won the last four games from 2-all in the third set, raising her determination and striking velocities even higher than before. Probably the key moment came at 30-40, break point against Justine in the fifth game, when a Henin bid for a backhand winner landed beyond the line. S.Williams d. Henin, 64 36 62.
 
For Serena at age 28 it was her fifth Australian crown. It was also the twelfth Slam triumph of her career thus tying her with Billie Jean King at #6 on the all-time list. Her rolling 12-month ranking at #1 atop women's tennis remained secure for the immediate future, along with a strong lead in the year-to-date race for 2010. Meanwhile Justine, 27, could take huge satisfaction in having reached a Slam final so early in her comeback, despite a highly unfavorable draw.
 
There was no surprise in the final tally of matches won by the female contingents of the various nations. The Russkayas led comfortably, outscoring the women from every other nation for the fifth consecutive Australian Open. Second place remained an uncertainty until American strengths in doubles, including the championship run by Serena and Venus Williams, began to outweigh Italian depth in early-round singles:
 

Russia, 34
U.S.A., 29
Italy, 17.5

Spain, 14
USA, 11.5
France, 11
Germany, 11
Croatia, 9

U.S.A., 20
Spain, 18
France, 14
Croatia, 14

U.S.A., 23
Spain, 18
Croatia, 15.5