These may seem like the dark days of tennis to most fans. After all, the moment Fernando Verdasco wrapped up his Davis Cup-clinching win over Jose Acasuso on Sunday afternoon in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the off-season truly began.

But, tennis fans, I’ve got good news for you. The conclusion if the 2008 season is not just an end, but also a beginning. With the dust now settled and no more matches to be played, it’s officially time to get appropriately fired up for the Australian Open 2009!

Here are just some of the more intriguing storylines surrounding the upcoming Australian Open (on the men’s side) that will be thoroughly analyzed from now until January 19th:

Will Novak Djokovic be able to defend his 2008 Aussie Open title? He is not the favorite, for sure, but Djokovic definitely has a chance. Keep in mind that he ended 2007 is dismal form before coming out of almost nowhere to win it all Down Under. He seemed on his way to another poor finish in 2008, but the Serb turned around a brutal indoor slump by winning the year-end Masters Cup. That sets him up perfectly for the start of 2009 and he should be sky-high with confidence heading into Melbourne.

Will Jo-Wilfried Tsonga remain healthy (and well-rested) throughout the off-season to give himself a chance at reaching another Australian Open final? While the Frenchman has endured a troubling past of injuries, there is no reason to think he won’t be in fine shape at the start of 2009. After missing three months from May until the U.S. Open, Tsonga came back, stayed healthy, and played well for the remainder of the season, even qualifying for the Masters Cup despite missing two Grand Slams. Last year in Melbourne he stunned Andy Murray in the first round and went on to hand Rafael Nadal a beatdown en route to the final. Tsonga will not be favored to make it quite that far again in 2009, but anything less than a quarterfinal showing would be a disappointment.

Is Andy Murray ready to become a Grand Slam champion? All signs point to yes, but it’s a lot easier said than done. Murray found that out when he competed in his first major final at this year’s U.S. Open, getting blown away by Roger Federer in straight sets. While that had to hurt, the experience will help him down the road. The Scot won back-to-back Masters Series shields in Cincinnati and Madrid and also went undefeated in Masters Cup round-robin play in addition to his U.S. Open runner-up finish. Murray, who ended the year at No. 4 in the world, is one of the main favorites to contend for the Australian Open 2009.

What condition will Rafael Nadal be in? This could be the biggest question of all. Granted, he is not the favorite to win it all even at 100 percent (he has never made it past the semifinals), but it is still a pressing matter. Knee tendinitis forced Nadal out of his Masters Series Paris semifinal against Nikolay Davydenko and also kept him away from both the Masters Cup and the Davis Cup. More than two months off should give the Spaniard time to heal completely, but you never know with knee tendinitis. His first match Down Under will be eagerly anticipated.

Is Roger Federer capable of taking back the No. 1 ranking? He is certainly capable, but whether or not he will actually do it is a different story. The Australian Open, however, provides a great opportunity to start. Nadal might not be 100 percent, and Federer only has semifinal points to defend from this year, so a win would greatly enhance his standing in the rankings (in terms of points, not placement). Even if Federer does not win it all, how he looks should be a harbinger of things to come in 2009.

Do the Aussie fans have anyone to hang their hopes on? Probably not; at least not this upcoming year. Lleyton Hewitt is ranked 67th in the world and injuries destroyed his 2008 season. He showed some flashes of stellar tennis (such as at the French Open), so he could be able to win a few rounds in Melbourne if healthy, but obviously his best days are behind him. Chris Guccione always has potential to win matches just based on his booming serve, but he does not have the talent to go deep in a Grand Slam. He never has up to this point in his career, and chances are he never will. Brydan Klein played in the Kooyong Classic tune-up this season, but nothing ever came from it. Joseph Sirianni posted a few decent results this year, but has not done anything to warrant real excitement. The real Australian buzz, off course, surrounds 16-year-old sensation Bernard Tomic. He will get a wild card into the main draw, but he has been playing almost exclusively junior events. Tomic could be ready for the big-time sooner rather than later, but not in time for the Australian Open 2009.

Which young gun will put in the off-season work and send a message at Down Under that he is on his way to, perhaps, the Top 10? This season (although not until well after the Australian Open) it was Juan Martin Del Potro. 2009 candidates include Marin Cilic, Ernests Gulbis, Simone Bolelli, and Kei Nishikori. Cilic and Gulbis, of course, are the most-hyped and likeliest to have a breakout 2009 campaign. Gael Monfils is another youngster on the rapid rise, but his assault in the Top 10 would not exactly be coming out of nowhere. He has already been around for quite a long time and he is already on the verge of the Top 10 at No. 14 in the world.

Well, there you have it. Questions such as these, and many, many more, should have tennis fans already fired up for not only the Australian Open 2009, but the entire 2009 season. We’re less than 60 days away from the season’s first Grand Slam!