Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

Roger’s 20th

Michael Jordan, after leading the Chicago Bulls to NBA titles from 1991 to 1993, stopped playing basketball and pressed the pause button. When he returned, MJ scored another three-peat from 1996 to 1998.

Roger Federer, a fellow Nike endorser (they jointly-designed the Zoom Vapor Air Jordan shoes), followed a similar pattern. After winning a record 17 majors from 2003 to 2012, he stopped winning the Grand Slam trophies. More than four years passed before he won again (last year’s Australian Open). And now, in a span of 12 months, he has collected 3 of the 5 Grand Slam singles titles.

Calm, relaxed and collected all throughout his seven matches in Melbourne, his emotions burst open during the awarding when tears of happiness flowed. As inhuman as he is with that Wilson racket, he’s human. He cries. He laughs like a little kid while being interviewed by Jim Courier. In the history of all sports, he ranks as one of the classiest and most respected of gentlemen. To the list that include Pele, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, add the name “Roger Federer.”

FRITZ STROLZ. I requested a dear friend to write about his fellow countryman. Dr. Fritz Strolz was born and raised in Switzerland. While there, he met a Cebuana (Pearle) and they settled and lived in the same land as Mr. Federer.

In a piece he entitled, “We Cried Tears of Joy,” here’s the commentary of Dr. Strolz:

“It is a privilege to follow the extraordinary career of a Swiss sportsman. He is an athlete and a man whose story that could not be better invented in the dream factory Hollywood.

“Last Sunday, we sat in front of the TV with our mouths open and with watery eyes. Pearle suffered with Roger; she tigered around like in a cage and at every point she cried out.

“We are desperately looking for superlatives for Roger. If you don’t have the words, music often helps. Then you can at least hum along in your mind. ‘You’re Simply The Best,’ by Tina Turner would be a variant. Or ‘You are the champion,’ the adapted version of Freddie Mercury.

“Roger is a star who, with his infinite ease, his unique suppleness, his incredible talent and his flair for tennis, is once again fascinating the world. The phenomenal successes are one thing. For him, winning is never a matter of course. Tears never lie. His emotions leave no one untouched.

“Roger embodies typical Swiss characteristics: Humility, respect, modesty and devotion. He is down-to-earth and yet worldly. Modest and yet self-confident. Cosmopolitan yet thoroughly Swiss.

“For someone who does such extraordinary things, he leads an astonishingly ordinary life. He resists being held hostage to his popularity. For example, he takes the children to the zoo by tram. He stands in the swimming pool for an ice-cream shake.

“The injury to his left knee showed his own finiteness. Since then, he has enjoyed every second he is allowed to stand on the world stages. When asked what drives him, the answer is always the same, perhaps banal: He loves tennis.”

Hyeon Chung

South Korea is home to Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Kia Motors and over 52 million people. Here in the Philiippines, it is estimated that over 1.5 million Koreans visited the country in 2017. In the realm of sports, the Winter Olympic games will be held in Pyeongchang (about 180 kms. from Seoul) next month, from February 9 to 25. If we consider the most popular sports in Korea, they are football and baseball. With golf, the lady golfers dominate: five of the world’s Top 12 money earners come from Korea, including Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu.

There’s a new star in Korean sports: Hyeon Chung. If you haven’t heard of him before this week, you’re forgiven. Ranked No. 58 and only 21 years old, he’s not a famous name in tennis. But after winning five of five thus far in the Australian Open, this 6-foot-2 netter is now one of Korea’s most famous personalities.

Last Monday, I watched his Round of 16 battle against six-time Oz Open winner Novak Djokovic. What a display of steady and power tennis. We know Djokovic is not at his peak yet, having returned from a six-month layoff. But the performance of Chung (including a win over Sascha Zverez) was outstanding. He is a legitimate future Top 10 player.

The question is: Can he beat the defending champion, Roger Federer, in the semis (granted that RF won his quarterfinals last night) ? The odds are absolutely against Chung. He will have to play even better compared to how he played Novak. He will have nothing to lose but the heavy favorite to win the whole tournament and to pocket his 20th Grand Slam title is the gentleman from Basel, Switzerland.

Still, Korea is rejoicing with the emergence of their new tennis star.

Casino Español billiards

If you’re a billiards and Bata Reyes fanatic, tonight is the night. Casino Español de Cebu, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, has organized an exciting event that’s open to the public.

Efren “Bata” Reyes, also nicknamed “The Magician,” will be playing tonight with the Mandaue City-born top female billiards champion, Rubilen Amit.

Bata Reyes needs no introduction but Ms. Amit is also one of the nation’s best. Our sportswriters group awarded Rubilen in 2013 and 2014 as the “Athlete of the Year.” During that period, she was the world’s top World 10 Ball champion and partnered with her compatriot tonight (Bata Reyes) to win the Mixed Doubles World title.

With Bata Reyes in Casino Español

The venue will be the Salon de España of Casino Español and the exhibition games start at 7 p.m. But prior to that, there will be prelimary games starting at 3:30 p.m. The official statement from the club reads: “Watch Ipar Miranda, Mic Mic Miranda, Abe Sy, Wellington Yu, Kevin Co, Kendrick Sulay, Jose Rodolfo Tiu, II and the winners get to team up with the billiard greats.”

Tickets are priced at P700 (for members) and P800 (for guests), already inclusive of the club’s superb dinner buffet.

That’s Bata Reyes and Rubilen Amit at 7 p.m. later in Casino Español.

Stars and Spikes

La Salle vs. Ateneo two nights ago was a thriller! Ricci Rivero dunked. Isaac Go scored another game-winning three. Watched by 22,012 fans inside the Araneta Coliseum, the game was a seesaw contest that saw Ben Mbala, formerly a Cebu resident, playing against Kris Porter, a Cebuano. Three-pointers were easily converted like it was the NBA. What a high quality game to end the UAAP basketball season.

VOLLEYBALL. Speaking of Ateneo, we move from basketball to volleyball. This weekend promises to be an exciting one for Cebu volleyball fans. It’s called “Stars and Spikes” and it’s an invitational tournament between the Ateneo Lady Eagles and the Creamline Cool Smashers.

Alyssa Valdez is a true and blue-blooded Atenean who graduated last year. She won’t wear the white-and-blue attire but will don the pink uniform for Creamline. She’ll be accompanied by one of the country’s best setters, Jia Morado. The Valdez and Morado tandem from Ateneo will face their former teammates in a two-day contest.

WLD Promotions is organizing this activity. Led by Mr. Dean Wong, the father of Ateneo volleyball player Deana, this will be a major sporting event for Cebu.

“Stars and Spikes” will kick-off with a volleyball clinic at the USJ-R Basak campus on Friday starting at 2 p.m. (To join, just buy P200 worth of Creamline ice cream products and visit the Facebook page of Creamline Creamy Ice Cream to register.)

The volleyball action starts on Saturday (Dec. 9) with a preliminary game between the lady players from USJ-R and SWU at 3 p.m. This will be followed by the main event between Creamline and Ateneo at 4:30 p.m.

On Sunday (Dec. 10), the preliminary game will feature the varsity men from SWU and USJ-R at 12 noon. The main contest, again between Ateneo and Creamline, starts at 2 p.m.

Venue for Saturday and Sunday is the same: the fully-airconditioned USJ-R Coliseum in Basak. (USJ-R is the school where Deana Wong, one of the stars of Ateneo, finished high school.) Proceeds to this event will be for the benefit of the Cogon Pardo Senior Citizens Association, the Buot Senior Citizens Association, and the USJ-R Athletics Scholarship Program.

Ticket prices are reasonable: P400 for the VIP seats, P350 for Lower Box seats, and P300 for the Upper Box. For ticket reservations, you may call Chona at 0925-5257557 or Judin at 0998-8650322. Tickets will be available to the general public at the USJ-R venue three hours prior to the preliminary game.

Sponsors of this event include Golden Prince Hotel and Suites, Lournet’s Catering, SunLife Financial, CDN, Aison Surplus, Lantaw Native Restaurant, House of Lechon and Thirsty Juices and Shakes.

The complete roster of players include:

For the Ateneo Lady Eagles: Bea de Leon, Maddie Madayag, Kat Tolentino, Jhoana Maraguinot, Jules Samonte, Deanna Wong, Sydney Eleazar, Pauline Gaston, Jenelle Lo, Bettina Abella, Dani Ravens and Kim Gequillana.

For the Creamline Cool Smashers: Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado, Pau Soriano, Rosemarie Vargas, Rizza Mandapat, Coleen Bravo, Ivy Remulla, Jamela Suyat, Carlota Celda, Alex Cabanos, Jonalyn Ibisa, Aerieal Patnongon and Anngela Nunag.

What’s the stand on Standhardinger?

The smallest stood the tallest. Lewis Alfred “LA” Tenorio scored 26 points en route to pocketing the Finals MVP trophy as he led the Ginebra Gin Kings to their 10th overall title last Friday. I watched the YouTube highlights and, like in any winner-take-all and with 54,086 watching inside the Philippine Arena, that Game 7 was electrifying.

Greg Slaughter, our fellow Cebuano, was, literally and figuratively, a tall factor for Ginebra. I chanced upon meeting Greg at the Mactan airport last August when his team played the Alaska Aces at the Hoops Dome. Despite his superstar status, Greg has remained very friendly and polite. We chatted about his PBA stint and recovery from injury.

In the 7-game Finals, Greg averaged 11.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. And after leading UV and Ateneo to collegiate titles, it was his first PBA championship.

CONTROVERSY. Today at the Robinsons Place Manila, it’s the PBA Draft. It’s that once-a-year gathering when the 12 teams choose new players. The main squabble involves Christian Standhardinger. He’s 28 and was born in Munich to a German father and Filipina mother, Elizabeth Hermoso. Out of the 44 players who have offered their services to join Asia’s first pro basketball league, some popular cagers include Jeron Teng, Kiefer Ravena and Raymar Jose. But the undisputed No. 1 pick, given his height and international exposure, is the Fil-German. Standhardinger, who stands 6-foot-7, is expected to follow in the giant footsteps of Slaughter and June Mar Fajardo.

The PBA has 12 teams and, in the spirit of fair play and “giving chance to others,” the weakest team gets to pick first in the Draft. This is common sense. This team is Kia Picanto and they’re expected to choosae Standhardinger, right? Wrong. In a baffling move, they’ve exchanged places with San Miguel Beermen (the second-to-the-last to pick) so that SMB will pick the Fil-German in exchange for a slew of non-superstar players. This prompted Fred Uytengsu of Alaska to complain, “It clearly doesn’t make basketball sense for the weaker teams, unless there is another consideration.”

In simplest terms, why would a team that has the chance to employ the best give up that opportunity? Can someone please enlighten me?

Bobby Motus, my fellow sportswriter from The Freeman, in his usual funny but on-target manner, said it best in his column the other day: “We are all aware of that abnormal trade proposal dropped at the PBA office where KIA will give up their first pick to San Miguel for three practice players. Hoooowaw! Upon getting the one-sided proposal, the PBA league commissioner should have immediately thrown that into the shredding machine and then to the incinerator instead of letting it sit and say that many factors are being considered before deciding on it. And did he say something like everything is all for the good of the PBA? Yeah right.”

But life, as we know, is never fair. And the PBA is following the path of the NBA. Imagine Standhardinger joining Fajardo? Like the Warriors, OKC, and the Cavs, SMB is becoming the super “super team” of the PBA. Too unfair?

World Series

Of the countless sporting memories that I’ve kept, one moment is forever entrenched in my brain’s hard drive. It was that moment when I caught a baseball in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game. This happened back in 1993 when our family vacationed in California.

The baseball fanatic that I was, I convinced my dad Bunny and brother Randy to watch the Oakland Athletics face the then-defending champions, the Toronto Blue Jays. We were seated behind home plate and after a foul ball was struck, I dove forward and scrambled with a couple of other spectators to emerge holding the baseball. That memory I’ll never forget.

Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s another team that my dad and I watched during that trip. I won’t forget catcher Mike Piazza hitting a homerun when the Dodgers played the Colorado Rockies (then a brand-new team).

Why this baseball talk? Because the biggest stage will happen tomorrow. It’s the World Series. If golf has the Masters, the NFL has the Super Bowl and tennis owns Wimbledon, it’s the best-of-seven series called the World Series for baseball.

I was hoping that the New York Yankees would defeat the Houston Astros. They were down 0-2, won the next three games in Yankee Stadium, only to lose the final two games to Houston.

Tomorrow starting at 8:09 a.m. (Phil. time), it’s the Houston Astros vs. the LA Dodgers. It will be a 2-3-2 hosting arrangement. The first two (and last two) will be at the Dodger Stadium while the middle three games will be played in Houston.

As a sport, I find baseball to be both exciting and boring. It gets thrilling when a homerun is smothered or a diving catch is witnessed or an excellent pitching strike is recorded. But in between those mini-moments during the 3-hour long contest, it’s all strikeouts and missed swings.

Why is baseball America’s national pastime? Based on TV ratings, it only ranks third to American Football and the NBA. But it’s such a beloved game because it dates back a long time (in the late 1800s) and because parents and children play throw-and-catch in their backyards and playgrounds.

With the Dodgers and Astros, it will be their first ever World Series meeting. The LA Dodgers is one of the world’s most popular teams (they just outpointed the Lakers in a poll this year) and they’ve accummulated six World Series trophies.

The Astros have never won a title. They reached the World Series in 2005 but lost to the Chicago White Sox. And while the Dodgers was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York (before moving to LA in 1958), the Astros have a less historic resume. They started in 1962 with the name that will let you smile: Houston Colt .45s. Now we know where Colt .45 originated from.

A few interesting facts about the 113rd edition of the MLB championship. Both teams did not lose at home throughout the playoffs. The Dodgers won 104 regular season games (vs. the 101 by the Astros) and they have the homecourt advantage. The two teams did not play each other in the 162 games of the regular season.

In this Texas vs. California battle, my pick is the team from Hollywood.

Cebu vs. Visayas

One school, founded in 1919, will turn 100 years old in two years’ time. The other, named after our city and province, used to be called “Cebu Central Colleges” before carrying its present initials: UC.

These are two proudly-Bisaya institutions with a combined population of over 150,000 students, making them a couple of the largest educational systems in our 7,107 islands.

Founded by Don Vicente Gullas, the University of the Visayas used to called “Visayan Institute.” Its buildings were ravaged by World War II but instead of closing, it flourised; in 1948, it became Cebu’s first university: UV.

The two sons of Don Vicente and his wife Josefina (fondly called “Inday Pining”) took over the headship of UV. They are Talisay City Mayor Eddie Gullas and his brother Jose “Dodong” Gullas. I have been privileged to have collaborated with the two Gullas leaders and they are some of the finest gentlemen that you can meet. The year 1919 is a much-anticipated year for the Gullas family. They will be celebrating two 100-year-old celebrations that year: The Freeman newspaper and UV.

Atty. Augusto Go founded his school in July 1964. It began as Cebu College of Commerce then changed its name to CCC. Then, 25 years ago, it transformed into what it is today, the University of Cebu. Like the Gullas brothers, Atty. Gus Go is not only a visionary and iconic Cebuano businessman, he is simple and kindhearted.

Why this talk of UV and UC? Because after several months of Cesafi basketball action, it will either be “Cebu” or “Visayas” who will be triumphant. At 4 p.m. today inside the Gus Go-owned Cebu Coliseum, the season-ending Game 3 of the men’s collegiate finals will be played.

UV and UC both can claim to early victories this week. The UV Baby Lancers defeated the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles to win the high school crown. For UC, Atty. Go celebrated his birthday with an astonishing gift from his school: the top 12 examinees of the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineer exams all came from UC.

Who will win today? The fairytale ending would be seeing Coach Yayoy Alcoseba’s Webmasters dethroning the defending champions. UC has not won the title since the PBA’s upcoming 4-time MVP June Mar Fajardo donned the blue-and-yellow uniform.

But UV will be the favorites. They led all teams in the preliminary rounds and were heavily-favored before getting shocked with UC’s Game 1 victory. But with their win in Game 2 last Friday, the momentum is back. Who will win tonight? Only one will carry the trophy.

University of Champions? University of Victory?

Star Wars

Only LeBron James can call the U.S. president “U Bum” and be considered a hero. Voted by his peers as “The Player You Secretly Wish Was On Your Team,” only LBJ can manufacture a “3 in 1” deal: absorb the shocking loss of Kyrie Irving and emerge with three replacements: Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade.

D-Wade? Yes. It’s no secret that the former Miami Heat teammates are best friends. For four years while together in Florida, they made the trip to the Finals each season and won twice. Can D-Wade’s reported entry into the Cavs elevate this squad to rival Golden State? Absolutely.

What we’re seeing is the beauty and defect of the NBA. The strong become stronger while the weak turn powerless. There’s GSW. Has there ever been a stronger bunch in the league’s 71-year history than the formation of Steph, Klay, Draymon and Kevin? Probably not. I’d rank this gang higher than MJ-Pippen.

The NBA has 30 teams. The idea is to distribute the talent so no one team dominates completely. But we know the world doesn’t operate this way. Some have more money. Others have the clout of a Magic Johnson who can lure a Lonzo Ball.

The NBA has entered the era of the “Super Teams.” Of the 29 U.S. cities plus Toronto competing in the NBA, these “super teams” are a handful of squads whose roster includes at least three superstars. And unless you’ve assembled such All-Stars, you’re doomed.

This 2017-2018 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder has emerged as a super team. Joining the MVP Russell Westbrook is Paul George. And if that one-two punch isn’t potent enough, Carmelo Anthony leaves New York to form their Big 3.

The Houston Rockets is another. James Harden is joined by Chris Paul. How about the New Orleans Pelicans, with DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis? My question is: Why the lopsided strength of the Western Conference? GSW, OKC, Houston, Spurs. And there’s the Minnesota Timberwolves with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins.

The East? We might as well proclaim the Cavs as East Champs because of their lack of competition. It’s unfair and lopsided, this West vs. East pendulum.

As for LeBron and Wade, their bromance started in Miami and is continuing in Cleveland. But these two aren’t young; LeBron turns 33 in December and Wade celebrates his 36th birthday the month after.

“I would love to have D-Wade a part of this team,” James said of his 12-time All-Star best friend. “I think he brings another championship pedigree, championship DNA. He brings another playmaker to the team who can get guys involved, can make plays and also has a great basketball mind.”

Come October 17 when the NBA’s first regular season game kicks off and, perfectly-scripted, the Cavs face the Celtics, LeBron’s face will be smirking at Kyrie as if to say, I got Isaiah, Derrick and my man D-Wade to replace you, boy!

Fast forward to the 2018 NBA Finals, imagine a line-up featuring Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green and Iguodala against James, Rose, Wade, Thomas and Love. Like the intergalactic movie series, I can’t wait for this real-life Star Wars, Part 4.

President vs. El Presidente

Last month, when Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano resuscitated our nation’s bid to host the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, I thought that unity in sports would follow.

When the DFA chieftain sat in front of the table with the Philippine Sports Commission chairman in one side and the Philippine Olympic Committee president on the other, I thought that partisanship and bickering had ended.

I was mistaken. Politics in sport is lousy. Sport brings unity. (Just don’t ask Donald Trump!) Sport does not care if you’re black or white or Filipino or Spaniard or Roman Catholic or Muslim. Sport transcends all divisions and focuses on a human being’s capacity to endure physical and mental suffering to triumph.

That’s the beauty of sport. It connects people. It joins different personalities and the outcome — who’s the fastest or stongest — is determined by one’s heart and not color of skin.

So I was happy to learn of our SEAG hosting two years from now. We were at the brink of informing our Asean neighbors that we were backing out.. only for Cayetano to assume the chairmanship and say, Yes, we’re hosting.

Now, the question: Given that politics in sport is distressing and ugly, is the latest move headed by PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez a good one? Last Wednesday, the 6-foot-5 Cebuano who won four PBA MVP crowns and 19 championship trophies led the community in demanding one outcome: Oust Peping.

It’s El Presidente against the POC President. The PBA’s all-time leading scorer with 18,996 points and all-time rebounder with 8,652 rebounds against the 83-year-old Jose Cojuangco, Jr. who has been the all-time longest running POC president.

My opinion on this battle? As much as I am for peace and unity, especially in sports, I am supporting Mon Fernandez. So are a vast majority of people, including athletes.

Why does Peping want to hang on to a position that has given our nation poor results and where he’s being lambasted by almost every sector in our sports community?

Power. That’s the only reason I can come up with. It can’t be “because I want to improve sports.” He’s had three full POC terms (totaling 12 years) and the results are worsening. He’s presided over seven SEA Games and, counting the total medals by Team PHL, we’ve won… 291 medals (in 2005), 228 (2007), 124 (2009), 169 (2011), 101 (2013), 131 (2015), and last month, 121 medals. Notice the deteriorating pattern? It can’t be “because I promise change.” He and his cohorts cannot win this argument because he is much older than, say, Ricky Vargas, who ran against him in last year’s POC elections.

Power. Given that the Cojuangcos are out of political power, he just wants to hang on to this power, via sports. It’s unfortunate, selfish, unpatriotic.

There’s still time. We are at the early stages of preparing for SEAG 2019. If there’s any good time for a change in leadership, it’s now. If he wants to be remembered as a good sportsman, he should do the right thing. The question begs: Is Peping willing?

Sweet 16

I set the alarm at 4:30 a.m. yesterday but only got up an hour later. When I switched on to Fox Sports (channel 758 in SkyCable), Rafael Nadal was leading 6-3, 4-2. An hour later, dressed in black with pink Nike trimmings, the Spaniard had defeated Kevin Anderson.

Prior to the 2017 start, did you ever think that Rafa and Roger Federer would win all four Grand Slam singles titles? Before January, Roger was ranked No. 17 and Rafa was barely inside the Top 10. Both were over 30 years old and had not won a major in years. That was then. Now, they’ve alternated victories: Roger in Melbourne, Rafa in Paris, Roger in London, and Rafa in New York.

R & R own 35 majors. Comparing tennis with the same individual sport that also has four majors per year, golf has Jack Nicklaus with 18 majors and Tiger Woods at 14. That’s 32 for golf vs. 35 for tennis. But the big difference: Nicklaus is 77 years old while Tiger, who sat in Rafa’s box over the weekend to watch his fellow Nike endorser, is no longer going to win the big ones. Roger and Rafa, while aged 36 and 31, are getting better and will add to their harvest.

Speaking of harvest, Rafa pocketed $3.7 million for winning seven matches at the U.S. Open, the largest purse in tennis. Overall, including endorsements from Kia Motors, Richard Mille and Tommy Hilfiger, Rafa is estimated to have earned over $90 million.

(Photo: AP/Julio Cortez)

With his New York victory, you can say that Rafa is also lucky. Juan Martin del Potro dispatched of his biggest threat, Federer, and he never had to face an opponent who was ranked No. 24 or higher. Since the seedings were increased from 16 to 32 in 2002, this is the first time that a major winner did not face a top-20 seeded player. Also the first time for Rafa to win a Grand Slam trophy without facing Roger, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray or Stanislas Wawrinka.

The main cause for this less-difficult-to-win Slam for Rafa? One word: injuries. None of the Big 3 (Murray, Djokovic and Wawrinka), winners of the four majors in 2016, joined the U.S. Open. Added to the list of non-participants were Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic.

Nadal took advantage of this lack of competition and, excluding two four-setters in the earlier rounds and his first set loss to Del Potro, he played near-flawless tennis.

Anderson, who himself came back from injury, praised the 16-major champion, saying, “I know we’re the same age but I feel like I’ve been watching you my whole life… You’re one of the toughest competitors in the game and one of the greatest ambassadors of our sport.”

I agree. I’ve been following tennis for over three decades now and there is no one with more fire and competitive spirit than Rafa. In my assessment, his 10 French Open crowns (the Paris major is the calendar’s toughest event) is one of the sporting world’s most incredible achievements.

Rafa and Roger, No. 1 and No. 2, will continue to battle for that year-end top spot until the season ends. As for 2018, how exciting can it get? Novak, Andy and the others are returning, well-rested. Plus, there’s Dominic Thiem and Sascha Zverev. And, having just given birth, Serena Williams will win the Australian Open in January.