In a shocking turn of events, a 29-year-old tennis coach from Sydney, Jordan Smith, has won the inaugural One Point Slam at the Australian Open, taking home a staggering A$1m prize. The tournament, which featured a unique format where each tie was determined by a single point, saw Smith upstage a field of professional players, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff.
The One Point Slam, a knockout tournament with a twist, was held at the Rod Laver Arena during the opening week of the Australian Open. The event, which was organized by Tennis Australia, aimed to attract a new audience to Melbourne Park by introducing a non-traditional format. The tournament featured a field of 48 players, including current professionals, local celebrities, and qualifiers, with half of the players being professionals and the other half being amateurs.
To make the competition more evenly matched, the professional players were given only one serve, and the server was decided by a game of rock-paper-scissors before each point. This unique format added an element of unpredictability to the game, making it exciting for the audience. The amateur players were also given the opportunity to shine, with six women making it to the quarter-finals, including Iga Swiatek, who won a thrilling point against Flavio Cobolli.
The victory of Jordan Smith, a former US college player with a career-high ATP rank of 1,141, was a testament to the fact that the One Point Slam format can produce unexpected winners. His family and girlfriend, who were in attendance, added a human touch to the event, and their reactions to his win were priceless.
Smith, who works at his family's tennis academy, was clearly overwhelmed by his win, saying, "I can't even speak, it's unbelievable". He plans to use the prize money to invest or buy a house in Sydney's inflated property market. The contrast between Smith's humble reaction and that of professional player Donna Vekic, who said she would use the money to buy diamonds, was striking.
The One Point Slam format, while innovative, had its rough edges. A quarter of the matches in the first round ended with faults, and the commentators' attempts to analyze the pressure on the players didn't quite hit the mark. The format also gave players who won the choice to receive an additional advantage by allowing them to choose the side of the court they preferred. The numerous commercial breaks also disrupted the flow of the game, causing players to pace impatiently and spectators to lose interest.
Despite these issues, the One Point Slam showed its potential as a format that can produce exciting and unpredictable tennis. The fact that six women made it to the quarter-finals, including Iga Swiatek, who won a thrilling point against Flavio Cobolli, demonstrated that the format can be gender-neutral. The professional players, including Alcaraz and Gauff, were supportive of the format, which has been used in other tournaments.
The success of the One Point Slam has significant implications for the future of tennis, as it provides a new and innovative way to attract fans to the sport. The format's ability to produce unexpected winners and exciting matches makes it an attractive option for tournaments looking to shake things up. As the tennis world continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the One Point Slam format is received and whether it becomes a staple of the sport.
In conclusion, the One Point Slam was a groundbreaking event that brought a new level of excitement and unpredictability to the Australian Open. The tournament's unique format, which featured a single-point knockout system and a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide the server, added an element of unpredictability to the game. The fact that an amateur player, Jordan Smith, was able to win the tournament and take home the A$1m prize is a testament to the format's ability to produce unexpected winners. As the tennis world looks to the future, it will be exciting to see how the One Point Slam format continues to evolve and whether it becomes a staple of the sport.
Original: The Guardian
Image: The Guardian
Written by Npsports
