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Gil-galad

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:44 pm    Post subject: Australian Open Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

I know Rune and I have been tennis starved for the past few months, so I'm making this thread to commemorate the first Grand Slam event of the year. I know that ViktorFan, Aurelien, Rune and I will all be watching this tournament-- but I'm curious who else is interested in tennis. ^^

For those of you who are interested-- the main draw was released earlier today. Here is a link to the pdf of the men's draw: http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ms/msdraw.pdf

My thoughts:
GOD DAMMIT. Why did they have to make poor John Isner face Roger Federer in the second round. He's the best young player in the United States right now-- and could be better than Roddick or Blake given time, but up against RFed he doesn't really stand a chance.

Also, why is Djokovic in third behind Nadal? Djokovic is obviously the better play on hard courts. Too bad, I was looking forward to a Federer Djokovic final.

On the women's side, I really like Shahar Peer from Israel-- so I hope she does well.

The Williams sisters are on opposite sides of the draw this time-- I would keep an eye on them, because with them on opposite sides they won't have to worry about playing eachother and just be the crazy beasts they are.
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ViktorFan

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

Gilly wrote:

Also, why is Djokovic in third behind Nadal?


He is in third because he is on third rank in the ATP-Ranking list, while Rafa Nadal is on second rank. ^__^ It doesn't matter who plays better on the different courts, if that was the case Nadal would never be second behind Federer at the French Open since Nadal is the better player on clay.

Of course I hope that my German fellow Benjamin Becker will win his game in the first round, I know that he has no chance but maybe his opponent will underestimate him.

I hope it won't be that hot in Melbourne during the tournament (I heard that it was 40 ° Celsius - 104 ° Fahrenheit - there today).

I don't pay that much attention on Women tennis but I hope that Serena Williams won't win the Australian Open.
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Aurelien

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

This year's Australian Open for the men's side would be quite wide open compared to last year's.

This year, we have a Federer who is bugged with stomach virus about a week ago and hence, not participating at Kooyong. We also have Nadal who constantly improve on hard court, but not quite there yet despite being a solid number 2 in the world. We then have Djokovic who carried Serbia to the final of Hopman Cup last week (he literally carried Serbia because Jankovic forfeited 3 or 4 of her singles match so Djokovic had to win his singles match and then win the mixed doubles too). Then of course there's Andy Roddick who just won Kooyong. And let's not forget the home factor for Lleyton Hewitt (and Chris Guccione who beat Hewitt, Berdych and Stepanek on Medibank).

So yeah, it loooks to be quite open for me.

As for the women's singles ... well I still think that there's only one name in Justine Henin as she is the best in the world now. She has quite a tough draw though I think with Sharapova waiting somewhere (Quarter Final?).
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Gil-galad

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

I'm kind of apalled I never really talked about Andy Roddick-- you really can never count him on on hardcourts-- however he is also on the top half of the draw, in which he would need to play Roger Federer, and he has never beaten Roger Federer before.

Only women who I think have a good chance of beating Henin are the Williams sisters-- and only because they really think that they can 100%. Justine Henin is the best tennis player in the world-- but the Williams sisters, if on the top of their game will be able to beat her. However, who knows if they'll be able to play their best-- they're quite sporadic players.
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Aurelien

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

We've already lost two seeds on the men's side. Andy Murray and Juan Ignacio Chela are both gone. Pretty surprising for Murray because of him seeming to be ready to break through this year (and if I remember correctly, he had quite a good tournament last year). But then again, he had quite a tough draw with facing Jo-Winfried Tsonga as he is definitely a solid young player. TV showed two great rally points between the two, and both awesomely won by Tsonga with very tough winners. So yeah, more like bad luck for Murray for drawing Tsonga on first round rather than him being awful.

Currently showing Rafael Nadal vs Viktor Troicki from Serbia, a qualifier making his Grand Slam debut ranked number 126 in the world. Nadal was up 5-4 and serving for the match. Troicki broke Nadal's serve. Then he took control to lead 6-5 instead and 30-40 on Nadal's serve to get one set point. Troicki crumbled by choosing weak drop shot. Turned around into 6-6 and then Nadal went on to win the tie break 7-3.

It's already 11 PM down here, and we're just starting the second set. With me having to work full day tomorrow (and not having enough sleep yesterday, slept at 3.30 AM and being called to work by my boss at 7 AM), I think I'll opt to sleep.

Troicki looks quite promising. His serve reminds me of Ivanisevic's (ball just reaching maximum height with not-so high toss, and then hit immediately), but it seems that he ran out of energy. I expect him to lose easier on the next two sets. But then again, who knows. That guy seemed to be capable of producing killer winners.


EDIT: Well well .. just had a quick look at the TV, Troicki now leading 2-1 on secont set after breaking Nadal's serve. I sense long night for the two of them lol
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Sun's Vicegerent

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

I'm not really a super big fan of Tennis, but I might check it out since they're in Melbourne for some rounds this year.. or so I heard.

How about it, Aurelien?
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Aurelien

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

Well, Nadal won the second set 7-5 after breaking Troicki back to tie it 4-4. Seems like Troicki is struggling when it comes to the big moments.

Sunny, I do plan to go someday, but I really have no clue when yet. It's going to be on until the end of next week (though Semi-Final match onwards would be expensive). But yeah, if we both happen to be free, we could try going. I need to talk to my boss first on possible days to go. You got money now? >.>

And yeah, they're playing in Melbourne, not just for some rounds, but for the whole tournament (two full weeks starting today). Vodafone Arena, Rod Laver Arena, MCA, and whatever the smaller arenas too. Pretty close to your place. I'm sure that you'd be able to see tennis players around the city if you just hang around. Not that you'd recognize them, but yeah, just saying hee hee.
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

I couldn't watch the game but I've read the live ticker at eurosport and I'm glad that Nadal won the third set 6-1 :D. From what I've read Nadal had big problems (what is obvious when I look at the result of the first two sets) so I hope he will do better in the next game(s). (He has to, if he doesn't the tournament will be over very fast ...)
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Gil-galad

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

I saw Jelana Jankovic's match live last night (morning out in Australia) and she played pretty terribly. I usually don't say that about a player of her caliber, but it was just bad. She somehow managed to save many, many match points from going to her opponent, but it was not an easy fight. She's going to be worn down in the upcoming rounds-- so it'll be interesting to see if she can keep herself together physically.

Roddick won his match very swiftly, so good on him.

By the way, the new blue courts are very... blue. The players seem to think they're a major improvement over the boiling hot green surface they used to use.
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Aurelien

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

Jankovic is badly injured, that's why she played awfully (and also why she forfeited many of her women's singles matches in Hopman Cup). If her condition did not improve, it would be clear that she won't go far into the tournament.

Yeah, the new surface (somethingplex, I think?) is cooler than the old green rebound ace surface. But it seems that balls get fluffy rather quickly and some players said that balls bounce higher too. So yeah. Overally seem to be a positive improvement than the old surface though where sometimes it feels so sticky.
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Gil-galad

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

I remember on the old surface court temperatures could reach upwards of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. That must have been unbearable.

Ahh, so she's injured-- that would definitely explain her performance. She was by far one of my favorite womens' players of last year, so he play shocked me yesterday-- but it makes a bit more sense now.

I'm curious just how much Federer's stomach flu will bother him. Probably not at all, knowing him.
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Aurelien

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

The new surface is called plexicushion. Wooo. I finally remembered it. But yeah, the main problem with the old rebound ace is that when it gets so hot (because it's summer time in Australia when the Open begins every year), not only that the surface becomes very very hot, it also becomes rather sticky so that it can be dangerous with players' shoes sticking to the surface and causing injuries. I think there had been few players injured because of that in the last few years.

And yes, Jankovic is injured. Very badly too according to her during the Hopman Cup a week ago. She even went to say that it is a career-threatening injury, but she forced herself to play because she really wanted it so bad to play for Serbia in the Hopman Cup.

Quick results so far:

+ Ivanovic, Hewitt, Baghdatis, Kuznetsova, Djokovic, Chakvetadze, Blake, Hantuchova, Nalbandian, Ferrer, Petrova, Kirilenko, Radwanska, and Grosjean all gone through.

- Chris Guccione (Aussie boy), Marion Bartoli, Safarova, JOHN ISNER (Gilly's American boy), Ljubicic, and Safina had been eliminated on Round 1.
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Gil-galad

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

Aw, poor little John Isner. He didn't stand a chance to get past round 2 anyways-- he probably was a bit discouraged because of his draw-- young players can get like that (unless they're like Rafa). I'd keep an eye on him this year, though, he's a talented player.

Roger Federer plowed through his round 1 match 6-0, 6-3, 6-0, so it seems as though his sickness will not be a problem at all throughout this tournament.

Later tonight Lindsay Davenport, and Maria Sharapova face off. Davenport is one of the great American tennis champions, but she's just recovering from the birth of her child, explaining her being unseeded. So this early round collision is the first really intense battle we're going to see this slam. It really can go either way, I think.
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

Sharapova won 6-1, 6-3 vs Davenport. Rafa Nadal did a better job in the second round, he won 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 vs Serra (I was afraid he will have problems with his opponent again). Kohlschreiber (the best German player at the moment) won his second match too, Korolev had to give up in the third set, though.

The match Roddick ./. Berrer just started, I'm sure it's no challenge for Roddick ^^.
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Gil-galad

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

Looks like Sharapova's got her act together from last year, at least. Hopefully she can continue playing well. That or Perhaps Davenport just isn't fully recovered from her birth-- which is of course another possibility.

Roddick is smoothly playing through his match at the moment, first set 6-2.
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