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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - In less than a week, Grand Slam tennis will be on the menu once again for the first time in four months. Stan Wawrinka will return as the defending mens champion, but he certainly wont be the favorite heading into the Australian Open. Novak Djokovic failed in his bid to capture a fourth straight and fifth overall title in Oz a year ago, but many expect him to return to the winners circle this time around. Djokovics 2015 season got off to a rough start with a loss at the hands of 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic in a quarterfinal in Doha last week, but rest assured, hell be ready to go for another run at his best Grand Slam event. The top-ranked Serb has won four of the last seven championships in Oz and is 4-0 when reaching the final round at Melbourne Park. Last years Wimbledon champ and French Open runner-up probably figures his stiffest competition will come from last weeks season-opening Brisbane champion, Roger Federer, who claimed his 1,000th career match win with the victory in Brisbane, joining Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) on that exclusive short list. The 17-time Grand Slam king is a four-time Aussie champ and former runner-up who hasnt run the Down Under table since 2010. The former world No. 1 Federer was last years Wimbledon runner-up to Djokovic and hasnt captured a major title since the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. Note: If Djokovic or Federer capture this years Aussie, that future Hall of Famer would set the Open Era record with five such championships. Then theres the great Rafael Nadal. The Spanish bull has been sidelined since October before returning to action in Doha just last week only to suffer a first-round setback against German fellow left-hander Michael Berrer. Rafa was rusty and it showed. Can he shake off the rust in time to make a big run in Melbourne? The former No. 1 star captured his lone Aussie title six years ago and is a two-time runner-up Down Under, including last year when he was shocked by Wawrinka in four sets in the final. Rafa was slowed mightily by a back injury in the title match and that back problem plagued him for much of the 2014 campaign, as did a wrist injury and a bout with appendicitis, which led to a season-ending appendectomy. Sure, Rafa captured yet another French Open title last year, but 2014 was basically a lost season for the 14-time Grand Slam champ, as he battled that bevy of physical ailments. Having said all that, I would still expect Rafa to be in the mix in Melbourne. The current world No. 4 Wawrinka broke through for his first-ever major title at the 14 Aussie, but he certainly benefited from that Nadal back injury, as the Spanish great was running at less than half speed in that particular final. Dont get me wrong, Stan played great at last years Aussie, but Im not expecting a repeat performance. He also had that tremendous gutsy victory over Djokovic in the quarterfinals, as Wawrinka prevailed in arguably the match of the year by outlasting the then-reigning champ in five sets, including a dramatic 9-7 fifth set. The Swiss slugger opened his latest campaign with a title in India last week. Note: Djokovic, Federer and Nadal had combined to win the previous eight Aussie Opens before Stan the Man broke through last year; and Federer, Nadal and Murray have combined to produce the last six runners-up at the physically demanding major. Kei Nishikori will look to become the first-ever Asian mens champion in Melbourne ... or at any major for that matter. The world No. 5 was last years surprise U.S. Open runner-up and just might have enough game to challenge the big boys this month. He reached the fourth round in Melbourne in each of the last two years and was a quarterfinalist there back in 2012. How bout Andy Murray? Is he all the way back from that back injury? Murray hasnt reached a major final since winning it all at Wimbledon in 2013. The athletic Brit is a three-time Aussie Open runner-up and has reached at least the quarterfinals there every year since 2010. He crashed out in the quarters a year ago while still on the mend from back surgery, but I think hes primed for another big run in the Bourne. Murray is a two-time Grand Slam champion and an Olympic gold medalist who hasnt missed a major quarterfinal (when competing) since the 2010 U.S. Open. The mens Top 10 is rounded out by last weeks Doha runner-up and former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, rising Canadian Milos Raonic, U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, and last weeks Doha champ David Ferrer. Cilic has already announced he will skip the 2015 Aussie due to a right shoulder injury, which will make world No. 11 Grigor Dimitrov a Top 10 seed in Oz. My favorites out of this lot of players to make a run are Raonic and Dimitrov. Raonic, who was last weeks Brisbane runner-up to the great Federer, possesses perhaps the best service game on the planet right now and is in the best shape of his young career, while Maria Sharapovas beau, Dimitrov, is a Grand Slam ace in the making, with his all-around game and fluid style that has forced the comparisons to Federer, thus prompting the nickname Baby Fed. Dimitrov reached the Aussie quarters a year ago. On the comeback front, former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro returned to action this week in Sydney, this after being out of commission since last February with a wrist injury. I dont expect too much from Delpo right now. FYI: The last American man to capture the Aussie was Andre Agassi back in 2003. An American will not win it again this time around. The easy pick here would be Djokovic ... and thats exactly who Im goin with. Ross Stripling Dodgers Jersey . How foolishly wrong I was. Forget the now inherent corruption and back handed favours that plague the beautiful game. Goal Line Technology? Youre having a laugh. As for them penalty cheating bandits, footballs lawmakers upend them by awarding the penalty to the opponent each time a player attempts to con the referee into awarding ghost penalties. Mike Piazza Youth Jersey . Speaking with TSN 1050 following Brendan Shanahans introductory press conference, the Leafs GM also addressed the clubs perceived leadership issues and the type of working relationship that can be expected within Torontos front office. http://www.ladodgersprostore.us/Kenta-Maeda-dodgers-jersey/. A fully booked flight forced me to leave two hours later. After a nice meal in which I studied the stats of the Argo win, I prepared to leave the restaurant. As I was gathering my things to leave many large individuals began to walk up and wait for tables. Joc Pederson Womens Jersey . Coach Randy Carlyle didnt know the severity of Bozaks injury. Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. Max Muncy Dodgers Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the deal will pay Schenn $2.25 million in the first year and $2.75 million in the second year. In 82 games with the Flyers in 2013-14, Schenn scored 20 goals and added 21 assists.DAVIE, Fla. -- Ryan Tannehill is playing lately like a quarterback under duress, which he is. During the Miami Dolphins three-game losing streak, Tannehill has been sacked 12 times and committed seven turnovers. Tannehill ranks fourth in the NFL with 11 turnovers, including three that made a difference of at least 13 points in the Dolphins 23-21 loss last week to the Buffalo Bills. Tannehill has been sacked a league-high 26 times, and he was limited in practice Wednesday because of a sore right shoulder. Pass-protection problems prompted Miami to trade this week for tackle Bryant McKinnie. But Dolphins coaches acknowledge Tannehills choice of targets has also contributed to a flurry of interceptions. "The decision-making has to improve," coach Joe Philbin said. "And our protection at times has to improve." Cutting down on turnovers and sacks will be the top priorities Sunday when Miami (3-3) plays at New England (5-2). Tannehill is throwing interceptions at a faster rate than a rookie than last year, when he finished with 13. Even so, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, Tannehill has showed improvement in his second NFL season. "It looks like hes much better at seeing the field and using all of his players in the passing game, whereas last year I think there were times where it seemed like he was more locked into either one side or one guy," Belichick said. "Now I think his vision has definitely improved, as has his accuracy, particularly on the outside throws." But Tannehill is tied for second in the league with four lost fumbled, and tied for sixth with seven interceptions. By comparison, two other members of the banner rookie QB class of 2012, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson, have thrown seven interceptions combined. "He needs to do a better job," Philbin said. Tannehill said each interception is an education. "Its definitely something Ill continue to work on," he said. "You have to learn from a good play or bad play. Turnovers or interceptions you overanalyze and get as much of it as you can." Tannehill is the only Miami player with a turnover this season, but his giveaways leave the Dolphinss at minus-one in turnover differential, a category Philbin listed as the teams No.dddddddddddd 1 priority during training camp. "Were killing ourselves right now," guard Richie Incognito said. "Turnovers, sacks, thats stuff that we can eliminate. Thats stuff that we can control. Thats the most frustrating part." Tannehill threw a career-high three touchdown passes Sunday and wasnt sacked until the fourth quarter. But with the game on the line, the Dolphins pass protection again crumbled, and one disastrous play served as a symbol for their recent slide. With Miami leading 21-20, Tannehill tried to throw from midfield but fumbled when hit by Mario Williams. The Bills recovered to set up their winning field goal in the final minute. Tannehill said that as he was hit, receiver Brian Hartline was breaking into the clear. "He was going to come open right when I was letting it go. It was that close," Tannehill said. "If we have another half-second, no one is talking about this." Williams used a power rush to beat tackle Tyson Clabo, who took the blame for the play. Tannehill said the timing and ferocity of Williams hit made the turnover difficult to avoid. "You dont want to fumble the ball, but Im in the middle of my throwing motion, so its tough," he said. Offensive co-ordinator Mike Sherman agreed. "He had no chance of getting out of that," Sherman said. "It happened rather quickly." Tannehill seemed intent on getting rid of the ball quickly Sunday, and he made poor decisions on both interceptions. The first occurred when Nickell Robey jumped a short route and stepped in front of Brandon Gibson for a 19-yard touchdown return. It was a play the Dolphins apparently have called too often. "Ive seen it, and I jumped it," said Robey, a rookie backup. "It was on film plenty of times." Sherman predicted Tannehill will shake off his turnovers, and the pounding hes taking from opposing pass rushes