YOUR FEEDBACK: AUSTRALIAN OPEN - posted February 6

Following my recent articles on the predictability of men's tennis - click here to read it - and Victoria Azarenka's rise to world number one (full piece below), here are some of your responses.

I agree that an air of predictability has settled over the men’s game recently, but not simply because the ‘Big Four’ have been so dominant in recent grand slam events. The predictability in my view comes from the boring baseline slug fest that seems to be the way the men’s game is going at present.

No one would doubt that Djokovic and Nadal are extremely fit and dedicated athletes. However, their brand of tennis is like watching UFC as opposed to (Muhammad) Ali in his prime.

Personally I would rather watch the sublime skills of Federer or the variation of Murray or the change of pace of Tomic than another multi-hour epic where neither Djokovic nor Nadal is willing to make some play or take risks for fear of losing the point. In my view the Aussie Open final was merely a better executed version of the dull Isner/Mahut marathon.

It will be disappointing if, as happened in the women’s game during the Williams sisters’ dominance, the men’s game becomes 100 per cent about gruelling baseline exchanges, with power hitting ultimately winning the day.

Lewis Grenier

I thoroughly agree with all Andy's comments re "predictability" and the stranglehold the Big Four have on the men's game. However, it's still all enthralling tennis, a marvel of skill and a joy to watch.

What isn't so joyful unfortunately is the level of 'commentary' served up by Eurosport: the paucity of analysis, the inane and often puerile remarks that have no relevance to the match in hand. At least on Sky's tennis coverage, we stand more chance of hearing something worthwhile! Those of us who are housebound, unable to attend live matches, relish the TV coverage of the sport we love - what a shame that accompanying commentary on certain channels continually disappoints so painfully.

Thank you for your continued high standard of articles and comments though! Much appreciated.

Carol Jervis, Bolton

It is true that the top four are dominant for now. However, Del Potro is likely to break into the top four, or make it a top five soon, as he is steadily improving after injury.

The likes of Tomic and Dologpolov need another couple of years before they reach that level, by which time Federer is likely to have faded. The reason it looks predictable is that three of the top four (Federer probably being the exception) are all still improving, and all were already at an incredibly high level.

Murray to win Wimbledon – quite possibly in my view!

Alex Gall

I read the recent article you wrote about Azarenka. I watch both the men’s and women’s tour closely. Regarding Azarenka, I would say firstly, it’s great to see a slam-winning no.1. I agree with Wilander - I also see her winning multiple slams in her career. Her main competition will come from Kvitova.

I totally disagree with this part of the article: "Rewind six months and similar things were being said about Petra Kvitova after her Wimbledon triumph but in the two majors since she's yet to return to the final."

Look at some of the recent most successful players on the women’s and men’s tour. A few examples:

So Kvitova not winning her second slam straight after her first, does not mean anything. Yes, there are many one-slam wonders: Na Li, Schiavone, Stosur, but all of these players are old and have done well to win a slam; they were never going to dominate the women’s tour and nor was that their intention.

But Kvitova and Azarenka are young, and that is major benefit. Both have the powerful all-round game to dominate the women’s tour. They will provide some much-needed consistency at the top of the game. Sharapova will be close behind. Wozniacki will never win a slam, and I would not be surprised if she never makes it to another final as well.

The WTA should be happy they have a committed, solid, young, slam-winning no.1 player, who other players will start to feel scared of, similar to the Serenas, Henins of the game rather than Safinas, Wozniackis.

Ali Khan

TOUGH AT THE TOP FOR AZARENKA - posted February 1

The relief from the WTA's headquarters in Florida was almost audible when Victoria Azarenka held the Australian Open trophy aloft in Melbourne.

For not only was she winning one of the greatest prizes in her sport, the Belarusian was becoming the new world number one.

Perhaps, finally, the seemingly-endless debate over the ranking system can have a line drawn under it.

Remember, the WTA's last three first-time number ones - Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina and Caroline Wozniacki - all ascended to the summit without winning one of the four majors, something which had led to criticism of the ranking system and, sadly, dragged the players in question into a debate not of their choosing.

The constant questions certainly got to Jankovic and Safina. One can only hope that Wozniacki, knocked off her perch by Azarenka's success, will not go the same way. Certainly, post-Melbourne, the picture from the WTA's perspective looks much healthier. They have a standard bearer with greater validity, that cannot be denied, while four of their top five-ranked players now have Grand Slam titles on their CV.

But whether Azarenka can stay there remains to be seen. The way she dismantled Maria Sharapova in the final certainly bodes well - she won 12 of the last 13 games to post a dominant 6-3 6-0 victory - but the pressure and expectation that will follow will have to be dealt with. So far she has avoided a return to her days as a stroppy teenager with a spoilt-child attitude. It will be interesting to see how she responds to the inevitable lull which will follow somewhere down the line.

Certainly there have already been some bold, some would say foolish, predictions made about 'Vika'.

Mats Wilander says he expects her to win "eight, nine, 10" Grand Slam titles. While the Swede knows plenty about winning majors having claimed no fewer than seven in his career, it's quite a prediction.

Rewind six months and similar things were being said about Petra Kvitova after her Wimbledon triumph but in the two majors since she's yet to return to the final. It could be argued that her defeat to Sharapova in the Melbourne semis was very much a case of the pressure getting to her.

Right now though, it would appear that Azarenka and Kvitova will be heavily involved in the short- to medium-term future of the women's game.

The pair are 22 and 21 respectively, while Wozniacki is younger than both and certainly a player with her attitude should not be written off - she has already vowed to regain that number one spot.

We should also say the same about some of the older guard. Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams, both Slam winners in the past 18 months, missed out in Melbourne but will surely challenge again this year. Beyond that though you would think the baton will be passed to the younger generation.

That generation is one which should also include the vanquished Sharapova. It is hard to believe she is still only 24 but she has played in two of the last three major finals, a remarkable achievement given her enforced service redmodelling following shoulder surgery.

In short, the competition for Azarenka promises to be stiff on the road ahead. As a child, the pony-tailed girl from Minsk once hit 1,460 consecutive shots against a wall. It would appear she may need all that focus and determination if she is to stay at the summit of her sport.

Do you agree with Andy? Is Azarenka a long-term number one, or simply a flash in the pan? Let us know your thoughts by emailing tennisfeedback@sportinglife.com or tweeting Andy @NetTalkTennis.