What will stay with us from the 2009 Australian Open…

•    Bright colored tennis outfits in searing heat… wouldn’t white tennis clothes have been cooler?!

•    Australian Grand Slam champion, Lleyton Hewitt, on the comeback trail after hip surgery, losing in five tough sets in the first round to Fernando Gonzalez…

•    Lucky loser, Bosnian-born American citizen, Amer Delic, a twenty-six year old former NCAA champion, playing spectacular tennis at times during his third round loss to Serbian 2008 Australian Open champion, Novak Djokovic, on Rod Laver Arena

•    Rafael Nadal’s new look… shirts with sleeves hiding his bulging biceps!

•    Serbian-born Australian Jelena Dokic, a former Wimbledon semifinalist, delighting the hometown fans with her strong play by reaching the quarters

•    Spaniard, Fernando Verdasco’s terrific tennis in defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray en route to his heartbreaking five set loss to eventual champion, Rafael Nadal, in the longest match in Australian Open history…

•    Venus Williams and Serena Williams playing doubles together and winning another Australian Open title…

•    The empty Garden Square at Melbourne Park… no tennis fans willing to lie on the grass or sit in the lawn chairs and brave the 100+ temperatures to watch the big screen TV of the matches in Rod Laver Arena

•    Serena Williams’ powerful performance in the finals against Dinara Safina – her best match of the tournament and in a long time…

•    Rafael Nadal, after receiving his trophy for winning the 2009 Australian Open, putting his arm around a teary-eyed and devastated, Roger Federer