It is already a week since the shutters were lowered on Melbourne Park - returning to the stadium for a chat with Roger Federer the morning after his awesome success, it was remarkable how much of the previous two weeks' treasures had been parcelled up and carried away - and yet the memories are fresh and, in many cases, indelible. Not least that of sitting next to Federer on the 16th occasion we had been whisked off on a Monday morning to celebrate the victories that will never become dull.

Federer might have been holding court at Young and Jackson on the corner opposite Flinders Street station, clenching a chilled VB, such was the matter-of-factness of the conversation. It was up to the small group of inquisitors to try to find some new way of broaching his greatness and that in itself, is not easy to do. Suffice to say we are fortunate to spend such quality time in his company. As the man from Sports Illustrated, Jon Wertheim, said as we parted company and headed to the airport: "Imagine what it's going to be like when he's gone."

Here's a sample of the best (and the rest) of the 2010 Australian Open - a random collection of high and not-so-high points from the championships.

High points

Andy Murray's month in Australia. No doubt the British No 1 will choose a schedule for 2011 similar to the one he settled on in January. He was mocked for deciding not to play a tour event in the first week of the year and his welcome in Perth at the Hyundai Hopman Cup more than recompensed him for that decision.

He was able to train in extreme heat (we witnessed a couple of his sessions and they are brutal), hone his game, practice a few elements that he may not have felt comfortable doing in a tournament proper, build an excellent understanding with Laura Robson and relax in the company of a small media group.

The people of Western Australia took to him enormously - he is assured of a warm welcome back. His performances during the Open were nigh on exemplary - just a single set dropped on the way to the final, the first of the semi-final against Marin Cilic (this kid can win Wimbledon one day, trust me). If he got tight against Federer in the final, it is hardly a surprise. Roger wound him up a bit (just enough) but not nearly enough credit has been paid to the world No 1's excellence in the final, his backhand was a thing of beauty, he lured Murray into errors and he once again served well when he had to.

Li Na and Jie Zheng. The Chinese pair who, if we are to believed, were watched by more people in their home nation in the semi-finals of the women's event than Americans tuned in to watch the Super Bowl in Miami this weekend. The rumour was that had either of them made it to the final, President Hu Jintao was on his way to Melbourne, which would have thrown their already strict security people into a real tizz.

By the way, in a repeat of the loony tune who raced on to Court Philippe Chatrier during the men's French Open final last year; how do so many security people, who make you move if you're standing on the wrong square inch of space, fail to apprehend some bloke in a Croatia shirt running past Murray to congratulate Cilic on his semi-final performance in Rod Laver Arena?

Bob and Mike Bryan, the American twins who give doubles its meaning, won the men's title for the fifth time and have now won 8 slam finals each.

Louk Sorensen and Conor Niland, the Irish players. Sorensen qualified for the championships and won a round; Niland lost in the third and final round of qualifying. Britain's three representatives in qualifying all failed to negotiate two rounds. Heaven help us if we have to play them in the Davis Cup in July to avoid relegation to Euro Africa Zone III.

Peter Norfolk OBE, the Quadfather won his 17th grand-slam tournament and UK Sport are threatening to dock his funding by two thirds. If the LTA don't move in and help this remarkable athlete, they should be ashamed.