2006 Australian Open

TennisEventInfo|2006|Australian Open
date= January 16 - January 29, 2006
edition= 94th
champms= flagicon|SUI Roger Federer
champws= flagicon|FRA Amelie Mauresmo
champmd= flagicon|USA Bob Bryan / flagicon|USA Mike Bryan
champwd= flagicon|CHN Zi Yan / flagicon|CHN Jie Zheng
champxd= flagicon|SUI Martina Hingis / flagicon|IND Mahesh Bhupathi

The 2006 Australian Open was played between January 16 and January 29, 2006.

Leadup

Several leading men's players declined to attend the Open due to injury, including Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and defending champion Marat Safin.

The women's tournament fared much better, with no absentees among the top 20 ranked players.

It was Martina Hingis' first grand slam event in her comeback to the game. Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams were among those who welcomed her return to the circuit as a positive step forward for women's tennis.

Finals

eniors

"'Men's Singles

Roger Federer (SUI) def. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP), 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2

Women's Singles

Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) def. Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL), 6-1, 2-0 ret.

Men's Doubles

Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) def. Martin Damm (CZE)/Leander Paes (IND), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Women's Doubles

Yan Zi/Zheng Jie [Yan and Zheng won the first ever Chinese Grand Slam title.] (CHN) def. Samantha Stosur (AUS)/Lisa Raymond (USA), 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-3

Mixed Doubles

Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)/Martina Hingis (SUI) def. Elena Likhovtseva (RUS)/Daniel Nestor (CAN), 6-3, 6-3

Juniors

Boys' Singles
Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA) def. Nick Lindahl (AUS), 6-3, 7-6(4)

Girls' Singles
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) def. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3

Boys' Doubles
Blazej Koniusz/Grzegorz Panfil (POL) def. Kellen Damico/Nathaniel Schnugg (USA), 7-6(5), 6-3

Girls' Doubles
Sharon Fichman (CAN)/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) def. Alize Cornet (FRA)/Corinna Dentoni (ITA), 6-2, 6-2

eeds

=Men's Singles=

[http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/event_guide/attendance_history.pdf]

Trivia

Men's singles
* When he won the event, Roger Federer's Grand Slam finals record stood at 7-0, the best in history and tying the mark set by William Renshaw and Richard Sears in the late 19th century.Men's doubles
* The Bryan Brothers reached their fifth consecutive Grand Slam finals.Women's singles
* This edition of the tournament was noted for its strong player field. Among the quarterfinalists were seven of the top eight seeds, and a former three-time champion: (1) Lindsay Davenport, (2) Kim Clijsters, (3) Amélie Mauresmo, (4) Maria Sharapova, (6) Nadia Petrova, (7) Patty Schnyder, (8) Justine Henin-Hardenne and Martina Hingis. In addition, six of these eight players attained the #1 ranking, with five of them having already won a Grand Slam title (incidentally, Amélie Mauresmo, the eventual winner, was one who hadn't).
* Amélie Mauresmo's victory marked the second time in the Open Era (and the first in women's singles) that a Grand Slam final was won when a competitor retired. Justine Henin-Hardenne was criticized for retiring without any evident pain that would justify her action and for not finishing the match even though there were a few points away for completion, thus depriving Mauresmo the opportunity to properly celebrate her first Grand Slam victory. This was Mauresmo's second appearance in a Grand Slam final, seven years after the 1999 Australian Open. Mauresmo won her second Grand Slam a few months later in Wimbledon, once again beating Henin Hardenne in the final.Women's doubles
* The Chinese double Yan Zi/Zheng Jie saved two Championship Points in the second set tiebreak of the final; saved three match points in QF match vs. Ruano Pascual/Suarez; and earned the first Grand Slam title for China.Mixed doubles
* Despite her well-known doubles pedigree, the victory of Martina Hingis (partnering Mahesh Bhupathi) in mixed doubles marked only the first time she won such an event in a Grand Slam.

References

* cite news
first=Linda
last=Pearce
title=Dokic leaves shattered but philosophical
date=2006-01-17
publisher=The Age
url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/tennis/national-pride-before-a-fall/2006/01/16/1137260002658.html

External links

* [http://www.australianopen.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.eurosport.com/tennis/australian-open/2006/draw_gnd341.shtml Complete women's doubles results]