It's all done and dusted now. Federer is on his way home with a 16^th Grand Slam title, and Serena Williams returns with her fifth Australian Open win. There have been incredible performances by a whole range of players over the Australian Open - we look at some of the outstanding efforts by a breed of incredible tennis players.

Player-by-Player Rundown

Men's

Lleyton Hewitt: Hewitt bowed out of the Open after losing to Federer, and underwent hip surgery shortly afterwards.

Rafael Nadal: A recurring knee injury was responsible for Nadal's retirement against Andy Murray in the quarter finals

Marin Cilic: Was beaten by Andy Murray in the semi-finals in four sets

Novak Djokovic: Was plagued by health problems throughout the tournament, but still managed to rise to career-best world number 2.

Roger Federer: Won the Australian Open this year, his 16^th Grand Slam title.

Andy Murray: Lost his second Grand Slam title to Federer. Hopes had been high that Murray would be the first Briton in many years to win a Grand Slam. Hopes are still high that he will be, however!

Peter Luczak: Drew Rafael Nadal in  the first round and was knocked out

Andy Roddick: Was beaten in the quarter finals by Marin Cilic in five sets

Bernard Tomic: Bowed out against Marin Cilic in the second round, amid controversy over the scheduling of his match.

Louk Sorensen: The first Irishman to win a Grand Slam was beaten by John Isner in the second round.

Women's

Kim Clijsters: Had her worst Open finish ever, bowing outin the third round to Nadia Petrova

Dinara Safina: Retired hurt in her match against Maria Kirilenko, in a betting upset. Her back caused the problem for Safina

Jelena Dokic: Bowed out in the first round match against Alisa Kleybanova

Serena Williams: Won her fifth Australian Open in three sets over Justine Henin

Justine Henin: Speculation abounded over whether Henin would win an Australian Open but remain unranked - unfortunately she could not.

Venus Williams: Reached the quarter-finals, but was beaten by Na Li.

Na Li: Reached the semi finals of the Open - along with Zhe Jieng, she is the first Chinese player in history to do so.  Lost to Serena Williams.

Elena Dementieva: Lost against Justine Henin, although she had not felt any pressure from her pre-match.

Zhe Jieng: Reached the semi finals of the Open - along with Na Li, she is the first Chinese player in history to do so.  Lost to Justine Henin.

Svetlana Kusnetsova: Nadia Petrova knocked Kusnetsova out in the fourth round.

Quotes of the Day

"Well, I mean, he's obviously a very patient man from the baseline, you know. I mean, I think this is how he made it to the top really. You know, not missing much, being dangerous, mixing up his pace very well, some loopier, some flatter. He can obviously go angle, hard down the line, as well as his backhand. I think that makes him particularly tough to play against", said Federer about Andy Murray's game.

“The support I got the whole tournament was great. I loved every moment. I hope one day I can come back and win it ... Sorry I couldn't do it for you tonight", Andy Murray told the crowd in Melbourne.

Twitter Sez…

 --- EmpressB7 @Serenawilliams1 Congradulations on winning the Singles and Doubles Final at the Australian Open! I knew you would do it!

 --- WhatsCurrentaff Craig Hickman: Roger Federer Wins Australian Open: "That was sweet," Roger Federer said to Wayne McEwan, tournamen... http://bit.ly/aaXUnF

 --- mindellep Australian Open What an Awesome Two Weeks!!!!

Well, the only part of the Australian Open left is the one that some people feel is the most boring, and some feel is the only part worth watching! We have only the men's singles final and the mixed doubles matches to go at the time of publication, but we'll be focusing on the Swiss-Scott rivalry today.  

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 14

   Roger Federer(SUI)[1] vs.  Andy Murray(GBR)[5]:  As far as betting odds go, Murray is currently paying $2.45 to Federer's $1.67.

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 13

Sean Berman, the Australian boy in the final of the Aus Open junior, was beaten by his opponent Tiago Fernandes of Brazil. Well done to both players!

Lleyton Hewitt has had hip surgery following his match against Roger Federer several days ago. Hewitt is taking strength from the examples of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, and hoping he'll be able to play by the French Open.

Today's Matches, Back in Time

Andy Murray has beaten Roger Federer 6 times in the past, to Federer's 4 wins against Murray. Andy Murray has also won four matches in the past 12 months where he was priced as the underdog, with similar odds to today's match.  Can anyone beat Federer in his present form, though … that is the question!

Quotes of the Day

"But this feeling of disappointment cannot take, you know, uhm, advantage on all the things I've done in the last few weeks. And it's just more than what I could expect for. I just have to remember that.....Even if it's quite soon after the match now, I'm sure there will be a lot of positive things I can think about in a few days. Uhm, it's been almost perfect. Just the last step, I couldn't make it", said Justine Henin after her valiant loss yesterday.

Twitter Sez…

 --- madcampbells don't know what to do now cbb has finished, will be watching Andy Murray v Federer at 8.30am tomorrow, Australian open final!

 --- TroyJDean A big conratulations to @SerenaJWilliams 4 winning the Australian Open - & she did it in (NIKE) RED laces! http://bit.ly/bSLEwg RT @joinred

 --- sparklybearsy Andy Murray in the Final of the Australian open against Roger Federer tomorrow. i CANNOT believe it. Wow.

 --- ADI_Buck Good luck to Andy Murray @ the Australian Open tennis in the morning. How do u see him - Scottish or British? interesting call of allegience!

'All the single ladies' are up there tonight - Justine Henin and Serena Williams are the stars of the show today. If Serena wins, it will be her fifth victory in Melbourne; if Justine wins, a technicality means she still won’t even be ranked. There's plenty of juniors and doubles action going on today - but we're focusing on the stars of the show.

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 13

  Serena Williams(USA)[1] vs.  Justine Henin(BEL):  It is a huge compliment to Justine Henin that she has odds of $2.05 compared to Williams' $1.93, considering that Henin is unranked, and facing the world number 1.

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 12

Aus Open gossip sources say that John Tomic, Bernard's father, has threatened to move his son to Croatia to play after the debacle over his son's playing times.

Sean Berman, the 17 year old Australian player, is through to the Junior's final. Well done Sean!

Lily Allen and the lead singer of Muse are said to have hooked up at the Australian Open, ahead of their appearance at the Big Day Out. Ooooo!

Today's Matches, Back in Time

Jstine Henin has won 5 of the previous 8 matches hse has played against Serena Williams. Willaims has the most recent victory, at Miami WTA Tier 1, but Henin won the 3 matches before that.

Quotes of the Day

"I actually didn't know the score. I thought that it was 5 2....I really don't know how I lost track. So I was confused, but I guess that's just focus", said Venus Williams when asked about why she looked to continue playing after her match was over.

When asked who he thought could beat Federer in the form he is currently in, Jo Wilfried Tsonga said "I think nobody."

Twitter Sez…

 --- LauraQuigley wishes Andy Murray good luck for the final of the Australian open

 --- feldy7 I am actually going to wake up at 3:30 AM to watch the Australian Open men's finals! My bet is on Federer.

 --- suzzzanna At what ungodly hour EST does the Australian Open women's final start tomorrow? My wife Justine Henin is playing.

 --- rrosebor @serenajwilliams I have faith in you to win the Australian Open. In the face of adversity, you thrive. GOOD LUCK!

 --- runsinthegenes Let's hope that the Australian Open final is more exciting than Federer's most recent match. Dispatched Tsonga with ease. Go Federer!

There aren't many players left to talk about at the Australian Open now … it has all come down to the last few. The two Chinese women who made history have been knocked out - it seems the superstition regarding their ages might have been too much! The last few matches of the Aus Open are set to be enormously popular.

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 11

Roger Federer(SUI)[1] vs.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga(FRA)[10]: Federer is the pick of the bookies, paying $1.26 to Tsonga's $4.50.

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 11

Glen Mitchell of the ABC will no doubt cause some controversy with his article, 'Australian tennis: nice stadium, pity about the players', where he says that the golden age of tennis in this country is long past.

Justine Henin will still have no official status, even if she wins the women's singles final tomorrow; this is because you need to have played at least three tournaments to qualify.

An (apparent) Croatian fan who wanted to congratulate Marin Cilic, and jumped over the barriers to do so, will be charged with unlawful entry to an arena and disrupting proceedings, police said yesterday.

Today's Matches, Back in Time

Federer and Tsonga last mte at the Montreal TMS in 2009, where Tsonga beat Federer in 3 sets - Andy Murray may not get his wish of facing Federer in the final after all. Before that match, the two played in Madrid in 2008, where Federer beat Tsonga in two sets.

Quotes of the Day

Justine Henin talked about her retirement period: "Probably the answer I got is that I started to trust myself much more as a person and I realized I could exist without tennis. So that was an important step for me."

Li Na also fended off some questions about the lack of Chinese male tennis players on tour! "They're still sleep. They didn't wake up. Someday they will wake up", she said

Twitter Sez…

 --- greengreenhels Andy Murray in the Final of the Australian Open - Whoopah!!!!

 --- georgia3187 Injured Nadal bows out of Australian Open, future uncertain http://bit.ly/bCQ6Ts

 --- RanGT @psg072 should we care about Australian Open?

 --- theboydetective Officially offline until I receive a new power cord. Hopefully the Australian Open and reading will keep me occupied enough.

Day 10 of the Austrailan Open was a day of both expectations met, and expectations smashed. There are two Chinese players in the final four of a Grand Slam event for the first time ever- but the stats say their age will be a factor in deciding whether either gets to the finals. Federer is in, Henin and Serena Williams are in, and so are some much less well-known names!

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 11

Marin Cilic(CRO)[14] vs.  Andy Murray(GBR)[5]: Cilic's odds are $4.46 compared to Murray's $1.23

 Justine Henin(BEL) vs.  Jie Zheng(CHN): Zheng is the underdog, with odds of $4.20 compared to Henin's $1.30

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 10

Jana Novotna and Amelie Mauresmo are the only other players in history to have won their first Grand Slam after the age of 25. 

The ball boys and girls had to wear pink yesterday ... in case you weren't watching the coverage on TV!

Today's Matches, Back in Time

Andy Murray and Marin Cilic have played each other 4 times in the past; Murray has won 3 of the 4 matchups. Last time they played was at the US Open, and Cilic won with odds of $12.18!

Quotes of the Day

"For some reason I was just a bit worried I was not gonna make it this time in the semis. You always believe the streak is gonna be broken. I stopped thinking about it after the second round on and just started focusing on the tournament." - Roger Federer is a bit worried about having won so many matches in a row.

Novak Djokovic talked about his health problems before the last match: "I don't want to find excuses for my loss, but, you know, I went to vomit and I had diarrhea before the match. Just a terrible feeling." And when asked about how he thought Tsonga would go against Roger Federer, he said "I don't know and I don't care."

Twitter Sez…

 --- guyadams @TamiH68 Sorry - in pictures: those camp Australian Open ball boy outfits http://bit.ly/c8lOpx

 --- aziza_ ok...i just checked on the australian open website. i cant wait to see serena vs. na. the battle of the thick gurl! Lol

 --- JustGillianne Serena just served 120mph. . .watchin Australian Open in awe! She looks like she's hurting tho.

 --- red_blu australian open dis year is pretty cool

Roddick's gone … Nadal's gone … Hewitt and Stosur departed yesterday … sob! There are some unexpected inclusions in the quarter final day of the Australian Open, including Na Li of China, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.  The audience numbers are dropping off, but those ;left are getting more passionate. We take a recap of day 9, and look forward at day 10!

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 10

 Na Li(CHN)[16] vs.  Venus Williams(USA)[6]: Williams is tipped to won, with odds of $1.42 against Na Li's $3.32. Last time they met Li defeated Venus Williams, in August 2008, in 2 sets.

  Roger Federer(SUI)[1] vs.  Nikolay Davydenko(RUS)[6]: Who do YOU think will win?! That's right - odds are on Federer, paying $1.40 compared to Davydenko's $3.41. These two players met only a few weeks ago at the Doha ATP in Qatar, where Davydenko beat Federer.

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 9

Zheng Jie has become the first Chinese player to make the semi-finals in Melbourne ... well done!

Andy Murray has said that he is 'gutted' for Rafael Nadal, with his exit from the Open due to a recurring knee injury.

Today's Matches, Back in Time

Davydenko and Federer have played plenty of times in the past. We mentioned their matchup at the Doha ATP in Qatar, and before that their last three matches were in the London TMC, Estoril ATP and Shanghai TMC. Davydenko won in London, Federer in Estoril and Shanghai.

Quotes of the Day

It's good to see tennis players giving each other credit, instead of beating each other down. Andy Roddick had this to say about Marin Cilic: "He keeps it together real well. Unlike a lot of the young guys who are very emotionally up and down, he doesn't beat on his chest, he stays the course, he's very deliberate, he hits the ball very well. Doesn't give an inch on the baseline. He literally sets up shop right behind the baseline and isn't going to be moved. That's something to be dealt with when you're out there."

"Cause I'm a good player" said Marin Cilic, when asked how come he was playing such "good tennis".

Twitter Sez…

 --- celtictennis86 sleep deprived for the pass couple days...oh why australian open you have to be so late?

 --- thetenniswriter RT @Tennis_Live: #Guardian: Andy Murray finally has something to really shout about at Australian Open. • 'I played against one... http://is.gd/777pM

 --- PremiershipTips Australian Open Day 10 Picks: Roger Federer v Nikolay Davydenko This match won’t be as easy as some might th... http://tinyurl.com/yaa9nzq

As many of us were expecting the bubble has burst for Aussies backing players from their home country. Sam Stosur and Lleyton Hewitt are out, and Croatian Marin Cilic is looking like an unexpected, but strong contender for the title! An all Chinese final is even possible, some pundits are saying, with the advancement of Li Na and Jie Zheng to the quarter finals. We look at what's going on for day 9, and what went on for day 8.

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 9

  Jie Zheng(CHN) vs.  Maria Kirilenko(RUS): Maria Kirilenko has been known for taking down high ranked players this final. Perhaps a lower ranked one will finally end her run - odds are in favour of Jie Zheng, 1.72 to 2.15

  Andy Roddick(USA)[7] vs.  Marin Cilic(CRO)[14]: It's close! Marin Cilic's odds are 2.35 compared to Roddick's 1.60

  Justine Henin(BEL) vs.  Nadia Petrova(RUS)[19]: Henin is the favorite - 1.42 to 2.92.

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 8

We've heard rumours that Lleyton Hewitt could face more hip surgery after his match with Federer last night. Nobody can say he didn’t give it his all.

How could we ignore Venus William's flesh coloured underwear? Her outfit looked as if she had no knickers on at all. She was enthusiastic, some fans were, and some were not. Personally, I'd think all that attention would be distracting - but she still managed to win against Casey Dellacqua.

Quotes of the Day

Roger Federer talks about staying at the top: "I think you definitely need it [mental strength] to stay at the top of the rankings for so long ... You have to be mentally strong to be at the top no matter - regardless of the player you are ... I know I've got the game, and this is very important that you know that you have it."

Twitter Sez…

 --- Hannah_x_chiefs All four of my hopes for the australian open are gone:(, so now its up to Roddick or Nadal to step up and take that ass Federer down!

 --- Steven544 Federer whips Hewitt in straight sets. LLEYTON Hewitt could face more hip surgery after exiting the Australian Open last night.

 --- superkevv Watching Australian open. Can't see Murray beating nadal tomorrow if I'm honest.

People are starting to care a lot more about the Australian Open matches being played now. There will be some guaranteed disappointments today as Lleyton Hewitt plays Roger Federer and Sam Stosur plays Serena Williams - no matter which way the matches go, there'll be few dry eyes! We have a look over the action for today and highlights of yesterday.

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 7

  Serena Williams(USA)[1] vs.  Samantha Stosur(AUS)[13]: Tennis pundits are actually predicting that Sam Stosur will win in three sets, but betting odds are 1.15 to 5.60.

 Roger Federer(SUI)[1] vs.  Lleyton Hewitt(AUS)[22]: Federer is predicted to win in five sets ... Lleyton should put up a good fight though, according to commentators. Betting odds are 1.10 to 7.25 in favour of Federer.

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 7

British players Laura Robson and Heather Watson have devised a coded language, backslang, to counter the fact that foreign born players can understand what they are saying in English, but few English-speaking players can understand the Russian, Serbian and Swiss spoken in the dressing rooms.

Quotes of the Day

Heng Jie talks about the absence of Chinese men on the tour: Maybe men need more hard working. I don't know. (Laughter.) I hope have the men because we can play the mixed doubles"

Samantha Stosur gives us some insight into what it is like to find yourself rising to be a star so rapidly: "You drive to the courts and you see your face at tram stops, it's a little bit different to what I've ever seen before going to Melbourne Park,", she says. "Now, I'm not the underdog most matches that I go out there and play. I'm not in that position anymore. I'm the player that I've always played against", she followed up.

Twitter Sez…

 --- mueeeler just voted "Roger Federer" on "Who will be the champion of the Australian Open 2010" vote too ➔ http://bit.ly/576fQx

--- narellekeating OMG OMG OMG 2hours til I'm going to the Australian Open :D :D :D :D

--- heuristical Clearly all the men at Australian Open tennis are mere sissies. Average of 10 of top 11 seeds just 6'2" & 186.4 lbs? Yes my own calculations

--- kdchatonline Australian Open Tennis would like to see Hewitt beat Federer... Cmon Leyton and GL! -D

 The Australian Open is rapidly becoming a who's who and a parade of new records for top players. Federer has won his 50^th match at Melbourne Park, Lleyton Hewitt is ready to take on the Fed, the Williams sisters are both in (with Sam Stosur as casualty), and Nikolay Davydenko is looking like a serious contender for the title after his  12^th win in a row, a demolition of Juan Monaco. Here's a look back, and a look forward!

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 7

  Maria Kirilenko(RUS) vs.  Dinara Safina(RUS)[2] : Safina remembers her narrow loss last year and is hungry - odds are $1.41 in favour of Kirilenko's $3.39

  Andy Roddick(USA)[7] vs.  Fernando Gonzalez(CHI)[11] : Roddick is tipped to win this one - odds are $1.43 for Roddick compared to $3.238 for Gonzalez

 Andy Murray(GBR)[5] vs.  John Isner(USA)[33]: The previous win stats for both of these big guns look great, but Murray is by far the favorite - paid at $1.16 compared to Isner's $7.02

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 6

Lleyton Hewitt is confident, or at least looking forward to playing Federer today. "It's not gonna be easy against 'Rodge'. It's not going to be easy. I'll be ready come Monday... You're not gonna play your best tennis day in and day out. You play for those moments, to play against the best players, Roger is that. This is what motivates you. If you can't get up for these matches, you shouldn't be playing the game", Hewitt said.

Bernard Tomic's hit out at Open organizers for making him play at 2am has been validated by a sleep specialist, who says that a 17 year old would have been much more affected by the sleep loss than any older opponent. Open organizers had previously said Tomic's reaction to being put on Rod Laver arena was 'churlish'; the expert opinion has backed up the 17 year old's claims.

Quotes of the Day

"I don't want to say I'm playing the best tennis of my life, because I haven't had to so far........[It] depends how you're being pushed and how the opponent is playing ... Obviously you'll elevate your game gradually as the opponents get harder." Says Roger Federer.

Twitter Sez…

 --- thewritecliche home alone cos my family has gone to the Australian Open.

 --- golfjerk Australian Open fans make fun of Tiger Woods - News - FOX Sports ... http://bit.ly/6jhyJG

 --- SportingDude Kim Clijsters Still an Inspiration Despite Australian Open Loss - Tonic: The GuardianKim Clijsters Still an Inspir... http://bit.ly/7z6xz3

You would think that viewership would be falling as people's favourites get knocked out of the competition - but as the tournament wears on, people just get more excited :-). What's happening on day 4 of the Australian Open?

Where the Ball will Fall: Match Win Predictions

Day 4

Kristina Barrois(GER) vs.  Samantha Stosur(AUS)[13]: Barrois' odds of winning over Stosur are set at 4.00 to 1.25

Janko Tipsarevic(SRB)   VS    (18)Tommy Haas(GER): Though Tipsarevic has won 4 of his last 5 matches, and Haas has lost 5 of his last 6 matches, the general feeling is that this is a close match up.

Today's Matches, Back in Time

Day 4

Lleyton Hewiit (AUS) vs Donald Young (US) : Young lost to Hewitt at Legg Mason in 2009, when Young was ranked #162 in the world and Hewitt ranked #1.Hewitt was not long recovered from hip surgery at the time. Hewitt

Court Out: Random Aus Open News

Day 3

After a match that ran past 2am, Bernard Tomic vented his disappointment with Aus Open organisers. At 17, he believes that he would have had the strength to defeat Marin Cilic in the last set, had they played during the day.

Andy Murray isn't afraid to admit when things go wrong for him: "Yeah, how terrible ... I mean, this is the highest level of the sport. That's gonna happen. But I played two matches and got broken twice, you know, once in each match. (I) served better today than I did the first day. I'm sure I'll serve better in the next round than I did today." Andy Murray, with an optimistic quote about his ‘volatile' serve

Poor Venus William's dress and choice of underwear is getting more attention than her tennis, with Huffington Post running a poll asking whether it was too revealing or just right.

Twitter Sez…

 --- BaseballGuyCAA James Blake's official role: to give an overrated up-and-comer an annual run for their money early in the Australian Open before bowing out.

 --- clnar Who do we want to win the Australian Open? I'm pulling for DelPo myself....

 --- AUSLEISURE Brumby slams "unacceptable" hooliganism at Australian Open http://www.ausleisure.com.au/default.asp?PageID=1&ReleaseID=1878&Display=True

 --- amethystjackson I think I'm going to move to Melbourne and stalk the Australian Open every year.

 --- mobileliving Is Maria Sharapova Still the Golden Girl after the Australian Open? http://isayusay.net/perl/iCU.pl?id=befxacxgaaddlnb