The 2010 Australian Open, much like the 2009 edition of the event, will be remembered in a very simple way: It witnessed the continued dominance of tennis’s greatest modern-day champions.

The annual two-week tournament – often referred to as the “Happy Slam” – once again left underdogs and challengers in tears after 14 days of competition. That’s because the elite players in this sport – and no one else – announced to the rest of the world that they’re intent on staying at the top.

Saturday, Serena Williams defended her women’s singles championship and reminded the WTA Tour that she’s still on top of her game. One day later, on a sweat-filled Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena, Roger Federer followed Rafael Nadal’s 2009 crown with his own latest and greatest achievement.

Federer might have lost to Nadal in last year’s men’s singles final at Melbourne Park, but that wrenching five-set loss – played at a very high level for the first four sets of a match Rafa won in five – illustrated how high the bar had been set by two decorated rivals. Federer and Nadal spent the 2009 Australian Open beating back all nascent challengers, and so it must be said that after Federer took home the 2010 men’s singles trophy by beating Andy Murray in straight sets, the “old guard” of proven champions has maintained superiority over and against the rest of the field.

Federer proved to be the better player throughout Sunday’s championship match against the fifth-seeded Murray. A dependable serve combined with airtight focus on every essential point enabled the world’s No. 1 player to produce a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) triumph in 2 hours and 41 minutes. While denying Murray his first Major crown and forcing the United Kingdom to wait a few months for its long-sought breakthrough moment, Federer won his 16th Major championship to distance himself from Pete Sampras’s former record of 14 Big Four scalps.

There was no mystery to the sweet supremacy of the Swiss: In a refrain that’s become extremely familiar to every opponent not named Nadal, the most accomplished tennis player of the open era simply lifted his level at the business end of each and every set.

Even though Murray increased his stature over the past two week in Australia, and despite the fact that men’s tennis has managed to produce many different men’s singles finalists in the past year, it’s still the big boys who – with only a few rare exceptions – add to their trophy case at the end of a premium. Serena Williams is to women’s tennis as the Federer-Nadal axis is to the ATP Tour, for only these three players know how to close down opponents. Whenever intrigue entered the building on Sunday night, it was Federer who – like Serena in the women’s final against Justine Henin the day before – found the form and fearlessness needed to tuck away another titanic triumph, adding to his growing legend in the process.

You could talk about the fact that Roger Federer outserved Murray in this match, 66 to 57 percent. You could talk about the fact that Murray thumped only two aces in the first two sets. You could analyze this match by rightly noting that Murray didn’t do enough with the short balls Federer sent his way. All of those elements played a substantial role in deciding this duel, but the most salient piece of commentary that can be applied to this contest is that when the outcome of a set hung in the balance, it was Federer who brought a bolder brand of ball to the stadium.

In the first set, leading 4-3 and 30-all on Murray’s serve, Federer played two virtually perfect points – finishing with an inside-out forehand winner – to break for 5-3. One authoritative hold later, he put the first set under his belt and didn’t allow Murray to get a sniff at an early-stage comeback.

In set two, Federer broke early and was able to hold serve after grabbing a quick 2-1 lead. Instead of feeling the pressure late in the second set, the Swiss only improved his first serve when toeing the line at 4-3 and 5-4. Federer won eight of nine points in those two separate service games, using a mix of aces, service winners, and powerful first serves that set up easy put-away forehands.

And then came the third-set tiebreak that left a lasting imprint on everyone who witnessed it. It wasn’t quite “Borg-McEnroe 1980″ on the fabled lawns of Wimbledon, but a 24-point tussle that lasted over 18 minutes provided a powerful conclusion to the 2010 Australian Open.

Murray had his second set point of the third set at 6-5 in the breaker, but netted a down-the-line forehand approach to the deuce corner. On another set point at 7-6, Murray saw a makeable backhand volley drift wide of the sideline. On his fourth set point, at 9-8, Federer dictated the proceedings and drew a forced error on a defensive lob. On a fifth set point at 11-10, Murray couldn’t do much about a strong first serve from Federer which hit the wide ad corner of the service box. Murray spent his time flinching on set points, while Federer – though hardly error free – was able to deliver the goods each time his Scottish opponent threatened to take this match to a fourth set.

Then, at 11-all, the 15-time Major champion decided to put his foot down in the pursuit of Sweet Sixteen.

Fed hit behind Murray to produce his third championship point, and when Murray netted a backhand at 11-12, it was all over. Just as Serena Williams persevered against Justine Henin and stayed on the mountaintop in the women’s game, Mr. Federer reminded Andy Murray that the Roger-Rafa combo – which has now won 18 of the past 20 men’s singles Majors – is still to be trusted in the biggest tournaments on the calendar.

The Australian Open has now concluded. Serena Williams and Roger Federer made sure the Happy Slam ended in sadness for everyone but themselves.

Justine Henin stood on Mount Olympus, playing tennis from the gods. Serena Williams realized, though, that even tennis legends are mortal. That’s why one great champion turned back another in a deliciously dramatic Australian Open women’s singles final.

Serena Jameka Williams and Justine Henin entered their ultimate Saturday showdown in Melbourne with 18 Major singles titles between them. Because the two iconic athletes were contesting the first Major final in 14 head-to-head meetings, Williams and Henin were assured of creating a 19th Big Four championship inside Rod Laver Arena. The only question was: Who would be able to rise above the pressure in this classic confrontation?

For a while, it appeared that Henin would do the deed, but in the end, it was the world’s best female tennis player who prevailed on the basis of her patience.

Williams did lead this match by a 6-4, 3-2 score, and seemingly had her Belgian foe on the ropes midway through the second set. However, in keeping with the pattern of her career, Henin refused to wilt in the face of an opponent’s resourceful and resolute performance. Just when she was teetering on the edge of a straight-set dismissal, the seven-time Major champion elevated her game.

Serving at 2-3, Henin played a pair of picture-perfect points at deuce to level the set at 3-all. Then, late in the seventh game of the set, Henin gained confidence after her American adversary missed a second serve by a considerable margin. Throughout this match, Henin made a conscious and intentional choice to attack Serena’s second serve with punishing returns.

Most of the night, those high-risk returns zoomed beyond the baseline, but late in the second set, every shot off the Belgian’s racquet found the mark. Playing unconscious tennis and standing on a mountaintop of magnificence, Henin won 15 straight points to not only take the second set, but gain a 1-0 lead in the third and make a dent in Serena’s service game.

For the first time since the 2006 Wimbledon final involving Henin and France’s Amelie Mauresmo, a women’s singles final at a Major tournament had gone three sets. Henin owned all the momentum, and the capacity crowd inside Laver Arena wondered if the unseeded superstar – back from a 16-month hiatus from the WTA Tour – could continue to calibrate her high-risk groundstrokes.

She couldn’t… but in order for that to happen, Serena Williams had to make Henin question herself.

Serving in the third set at 0-1, 15-40, Serena threw down an ace and then dominated the 30-40 point with a series of groundstrokes followed by a forehand volley winner. When she held for 1-all in the deciding stanza, Serena not only avoided trailing by a break; more importantly, she stopped Henin’s hot streak and caused the underdog to feel pressure once again.

That’s when the spell got broken.

After the two champions exchanged breaks of serve, it was Henin who flinched at 2-all, 30-15, in the third. Henin tossed in a double fault for 30-all and then watched Serena smack an intimidating return winner for 30-40. So intent on finishing points with authority, Henin overcooked an easy forehand on break point to give Serena a 3-2 lead. The Belgian bomber, once on Mount Olympus, had come down from her perch. Serena Willams had waited her out successfully, much as Roger Federer waited out Nikolay Davydenko in this tournament’s men’s quarterfinal match from Wednesday afternoon.

The rest was history. Serena won the final three games and captured a riveting 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 decision to capture her 12th Major singles title, tying her with Billie Jean King. Justine Henin helped to make this match memorable, but the only thing people will truly remember as this match fades into the history books is that Serena Williams won the 2010 Australian Open, reminding fans and pundits alike that she’s the best tennis player of a young 21st century.

The men’s singles final of the 2010 Australian Open doesn’t figure to be boring, but an analysis of the titanic tilt involving top-seeded Roger Federer and fifth-seeded Andy Murray isn’t going to win many points for originality.

No, it’s hard to be overly creative in assessing the second Major final to pair the world No. 1 with Britain’s best hope for a defining tennis championship. When Federer and Murray lock horns on Sunday at Rod Laver Arena, their ballyhooed battle will come down to the two most elemental shots in tennis: the serve and the return.

For Federer, the first serve will be hugely important in the Swiss superstar’s twenty-second Major final. Fed’s second-serve kicker is solid, and it will win him some points, but it’s really on the first ball that the 15-time Major champion must make his move.

Federer depends on a steady stream of cheap points during matches. A copious amount of service points with no more than three strokes enables Federer to feel comfortable on the court and pick his spots as a returner. If the first serve is flowing on a consistent basis, Federer should be able to worm his way out of tight spots and steer the match in his direction.

With all that having been said, the biggest reason why Federer’s first serve will be so important on Sunday is that if he doesn’t convert a high percentage of first balls, Murray will make him pay. The Scotsman, seeking his first Major singles title, owns what is felt by many to be the best return of serve in men’s tennis, with Nikolay Davydenko being a close second.

Murray eats up second serves, and so if Federer has to hit a lot of second balls, he’ll lose a fair share of service points. Murray can then dictate the flow of the match and maintain a steady advantage.

Speaking of Murray’s ability to keep the upper hand, that will happen only if Britain’s best manages to beef up his second serve.

One of the big knocks on Murray’s otherwise resplendent set of skills is a cream-puff second serve bereft of bite or kick. Murray’s vulnerability on second-serve points – which really separate elite pros from also-rans in this sport – kept him from reaching the final round of every Major in 2009.

As he attempts to become the first British subject since Fred Perry (in 1936) to win a Big Four championship, Murray will have to find a second-serve kicker that can bail him out of jail.

If Murray lacks an above-average second serve, Federer will be able to tee off and win points quickly, which will deny Murray the ability to construct extended rallies and engage the Swiss in backhand-to-backhand exchanges that will certainly favor the Scot.

A sure way to assess this match is to identify quick points and distinguish them from prolonged points. The more quick points in this match, the better for Fed. The more extended rallies – particularly on the backhand wing – the better it will be for Murray.

See – that analysis was pretty boring. Yet, it’s hard to look at this blockbuster matchup in a decidedly different way. The fictional character James Bond existed “At Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” On a significant Sunday in Melbourne, Australia, Andy Murray will need to display first-rate service if he is to topple Roger Federer and make tennis history in the country James Bond called home.

Andy Murray began his first-ever Australian Open men’s singles semifinal with the trepidation of a middle-tier performer. He left Rod Laver Arena with not just a victory, but a newfound sense of swagger that could lift him to the very top of his sport.

The fifth-seeded Murray – ranked fourth in the world and poised to climb up the rankings in short order – defeated No. 14 Marin Cilic on Thursday night. The Scotsman who bears Britain’s hopes for Grand Slam glory punched a ticket to his second Major final with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 triumph in 3 hours and 2 minutes.

This four-set fightback didn’t just give Murray a fatter paycheck and a place in a prime-time spotlight on Sunday night in Melbourne. This come-from-behind conquest has a chance to be remembered as the moment when a talented contender learned how to comport himself in the biggest pressure cookers the sport of tennis can create.

Davis Cup always tests elite tennis players, but that event is fueled by the fires of nationalism. Moreover, Davis Cup also involves a team concept and the safety net of on-court coaching during a match. This leaves the four Majors as the tournaments that most fully expose a tennis player’s soul.

In Australia, France, England, and the United States, the lure of a supremely prestigious individual championship compels the world’s very best ballstrikers to tear each other apart in mortal combat. Physical fitness is essential to this line of work, but so is the realm between the ears. Without the right mentality under the microscope of Major tournament pressure, a perfect tennis body won’t amount to much in the end. This was the reality staring down Andy Murray in the semifinal stage of the 2010 Australian Open.

Murray, one will quickly recall, lost to Cilic in the fourth round of the 2009 U.S. Open. Murray had his chances in a contentious first set, but failed to capitalize. Cilic, a 21-year-old Croatian, made Murray pay dearly in the form of a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 wipeout that prevented Britain’s shining hope from making even one Major final in all of 2009.

When Murray made the 2008 U.S. Open final, a loss to Roger Federer couldn’t dwarf the emerging sense that the Scotsman was destined for greatness at a very high level. However, when Cilic charged past him in New York, Murray had to wonder if late-round struggles in Big Four events would become a lingering theme of his career. Such a realization represents a bulky form of emotional baggage, the kind of weight that can stifle holistic growth and snuff out a promising tennis journey before it has a chance to blossom.

Knowing that he needed to overcome his past failures at Majors, and knowing that Cilic so powerfully represented those failures over four months ago at the U.S. Open, Murray understandably began this Australian Open semifinal with an all-too-human emotion: fear. While Cilic blasted away from the baseline in the opening set, a tight and anxious Scottish athlete forgot to do the things that made him a top 5 player.

Murray spent the first set (and the first few games of the second) failing to move his feet and hit shots with the aggressive authority witnessed in his demolition of No. 2 Rafael Nadal in Tuesday’s quarterfinals. Seemingly paralyzed at the prospect of losing another big match at a Major, Murray allowed his younger foe to boss him around the court. With Cilic leading by a 6-3, 2-2 score, Murray knew he’d have to summon the strength that great players do when confronted with pressure.

One shot allowed that very process to take place. Given a break point on Cilic’s serve at 2-all in the second set, Murray retrieved a net cord shot by Cilic that bounced in the service box. After Cilic lobbed the Scotsman, Murray pretended to throw up a lob before – at the last instant – clubbing a turnaround forehand winner which zoomed past his stunned Croatian opponent.

Murray broke for a 3-2 lead, but more significantly, he broke through between the ears. After that highlight-reel display, Murray found the confidence that was missing in the first 13 games of the match. The footwork returned to form, the groundstrokes became more penetrating, and untimely errors decreased. With Cilic having played two straight five-set marathons before reaching his first-ever Major semifinal, Murray knew that as long as he enjoyed a neutral position in extended rallies, the odds suggested that his foe would falter.

That’s exactly what happened, as Murray cruised through the last three sets on serve and coasted to a 6-2 fourth set which wrapped up the match. The same Andy Murray who played the first 13 games with a raw bundle of nerves had authored the kind of turnaround that championship-caliber competitors manage to produce. Murray walked off the court with an attitude and a demeanor which suggested that a river had been safely navigated, a threshold successfully crossed. So timid at the start of this Cilic-based challenge, Murray had become a low-key, all-business tennis pro when the smoke had cleared in Melbourne.

The Andy Murray who began Thursday night’s fateful match will continue to lose in the fourth rounds of Majors. However, that’s not the Andy Murray who advanced to the Australian Open finals. As long as the good version of this ballyhooed Brit shows up on Sunday, a nation starved for a tennis champion – the first in Britian since Fred Perry in 1936 – will have a good chance to rediscover what it feels like to support a winner of the highest order.

All that’s left for Mr. Murray is to play the entirety of Sunday’s match with the flinty determination that mowed down Marin Cilic in Australia.