Tennis Frontier

Tag: novak djokovic

2014 – Out With The Old, In With The New (But Some Things Don’t Change)

2013 is clearly behind us, but it’s worth taking a glance back at some of the successes and some surprises at the top of the tennis world. Just when it looked like Mr. Novak Djokovic and Mr. Andy Murray had ascended as the two top players in the sport, dethroning Mr. Rafael Nadal and Mr. Roger Federer, with a one-two finish at the 2013 Australian Open, Mr. Nadal defied the odds and came back after a seven month respite, and rather amazingly achieved top form quicker than anyone had a right to expect. He not only achieved it, he maintained it, and continued it for the rest of the slam season and was the year end No. 1 player on the ATP tour, winning two out of three of the Grand Slam events he played, including his record eighth title on the red clay of Roland Garros and his second US Open victory. In doing so, he removed Novak Djokovic from his pedestal, defeating him at the Roland Garros semifinal and the US Open final.

It was not only in majors where Rafael Nadal had success. He won 10 titles and was a finalist in two others out of 13 events from February to September, his only misstep being a first time first round exit in a major at the Wimbledon Championships to Steve Darcis, No. 135 in the world. That shock loss, after the previous year’s second round shock loss to Lukas Rosol, had many people wondering if Rafa had again suffered some injury. But he quickly recovered from the slippery turf, and returned with a vengeance, recovering his form on the hard courts of North America and captured the rare triple in the Canada and Cincinnati Masters series and the US Open trophy. He finished the year very respectably, albeit without a title, making two semifinals, and two finals including the season ending tournament at the World Tour Finals in London where he lost to a resurgent Novak Djokovic.

Though the Return of Rafa was undoubtedly the story of the year, the highlight was probably Andy Murray’s Wimbledon Championships triumph, the first one by a gentleman from Great Britain’s soil in 77 years when Fred Perry won the event. After winning, Mr. Andy Murray also received the rank as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). Andy defeated a game Novak Djokovic in the final who had just endured a titanic struggle with the Tower of Tandil, Mr. Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina. With this win, Andy basically said he had achieved his ultimate dream. Unfortunately for him, later in the year, after being unable to defend his 2012 US Open title, losing to an improved and confident Stanislas Wawrinka, Mr. Murray, OBE, left the tour for back surgery.

Novak Djokovic started 2013 in fine form, winning the Australian Open for the third consecutive, and fourth time in all, over Andy Murray. Though he would not win another major, Novak was very consistent the whole year. He won six other titles including three of the Masters 1000 series in Monte Carlo, Shanghai, and Paris, and continued his run at the final event of the year at the World Tour Finals in London. He made two other Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, and lost a close match in the semifinals at Roland Garros to Rafael Nadal. It was an excellent year by anyone’s standards, even if somewhat disappointing to his fans.

Roger Federer perhaps had the most surprising and disappointing year of the “Big Four”. After his outstanding run in late 2011 to the summer of 2012 where he won nine titles, including Wimbledon and extended his weeks at No. 1 to 302, Federer only captured the Halle title in 2013, was ousted in the second round at Wimbledon by Stakhovsky, and to Robredo in the fourth round of the US Open, and only made one semifinal early at the Australian Open. But in retrospect, should we have been surprised? Federer clearly said 2013 was going to be a transitional year at the start. Not many bothered to ask what that meant, but it was evident that he was going to ease up somewhat from the year before. Also, he suffered a back injury rather early in the season at Indian Wells, which he said bothered him until around Hamburg, just before the US Open, preventing him from playing well and perhaps more importantly, training properly. But for his fans, and fans of tennis around the world, he did not leave the tour. He was still playing events, drawing crowds and audiences on television, perhaps realizing just how important he is to the tennis world. So one has to credit him for sticking in there, even when the going was tough and while taking a lot of criticism. By the end of the year, Roger had slipped from No. 2 to No. 6, and many people were saying he was in full decline and were even calling for him to retire, again. But Federer said he was happy playing, enjoying the tennis life, his health was better, and that he expected 2014 to be a much better year. This writer, for one, will never count Mr. Federer out as long as he plays. He’s simply a magician on the court, and at his best, can still beat any player in the world. Those moments may not come as often as they once did, but one believes his remaining time on tour should be cherished like the last bottles of vintage wine from the cellar, to be sipped slowly, filled with memories of past glory, savoring each of his remaining better performances until the end of his career.

Other notable player performances of 2013 have to include those of Mr. Juan Martin del Potro who challenged the very best during the year and won four titles and was a semifinalist at Wimbledon losing gamely in a close five set match with Novak Djokovic, which may have been the second best match of the year. The best match of the year was likely the fourth round of the Australian Open between Mr. Stanislas Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic, where the Swiss No. 2 had the best performance of his career, and was so close to winning, but was finally beaten 12-10 in the fifth and deciding set by the No. 1 player in the world. Wawrinka would later make the semifinals at the US Open after beating Andy Murray in the quarterfinals, but was again beaten by Djokovic in a hard fought five sets. Stan only won one title, but obviously played consistently throughout the year to earn his placing in the World Tour Finals in London among the best eight in the world, where he made it to the semifinals, losing again to the eventual winner, Novak Djokovic.

The 23-and-under players finally made an impact, with Canadian Milos Raonic finishing at No. 11. The future also appears bright for Jerzy Janowicz from Poland, who finished at No. 21 and made it to his first major semifinal, at the Wimbledon Championships, finally losing to Andy Murray in four sets. Bulgarian rising star Grigor Dimitrov was close behind him at No. 23 in the world as he became more consistent, going deeper into tournaments, losing in competitive battles to the very best players. Vasek Pospisil, also from Canada, finished the year at No. 32 after starting at No. 125. Pablo Carreno-Busta of Spain finished at No. 64 after starting the year at No. 654. One would likely expect to see more from these players in the next two to four years.

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Now it’s a new year of high expectations and hopes. Many players would like to pick up from where they left off last year, while many want to throw out last year and start anew. We have new tennis coaches for some of the top players, highly successful players from the old days, as players have probably been influenced by the Ivan Lendl effect on Andy Murray. They are Boris Becker for Djokovic, Stefan Edberg for Federer, Michael Chang for Kei Nishikori. Not surprisingly, world No. 1 Nadal has not changed, keeping his trusted coach and family member, Toni Nadal. From what we’ve seen so far, it seems that we are in for an interesting year in men’s tennis.

The story of the Australian Open for the men so far has been the scintillating success of Stan Wawrinka, who has continued his fine play from 2013 and defeated no less than No. 2 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinal, and No. 7 Tomas Berdych in the semifinal to make his first Grand Slam final. The popular Swiss player finally overcame Djokovic in the fifth set 9-7, after losing two tough battles in the Australian Open and US Open in 2013. He has his first chance to win it all on the major stage. One wishes him the best. Some may say that Novak Djokovic may have had too easy a draw up to Stan and was undercooked, but others would say that it was just Stan’s moment.

In the other half of the draw it seems that some things never change. Once again, we have a match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, this time in the semifinal. Federer, who had been dismissed by many as a fading force after his admittedly weak 2013 results (for him), appears to have had a resurgence and is in his best form in at least a year or more. In arguably one of the tougher draws in the tournament, he has emerged from the problematic path relatively unscathed and hardened, dropping only one set. Along the way, he has steadily improved his play, beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with whom he had played a tough five-set match last year, in a relatively easy three sets, and Andy Murray, to whom he had lost in the semifinal last year, in a slightly more difficult four sets. His serve has been excellent, only being broken twice along the entire way with a key high percentage of second serves won. He is definitely more aggressive, coming to net 41 times in the Tsonga match with 84% success, and 66 times in the Murray match with 74% success. One has to believe that his additional part-time coach, Stefan Edberg, has been a positive and effective influence so far.

Federer’s play against Murray in the first two sets and nine games was impeccable. Murray didn’t reach a break point on the Federer serve and looked lost as to what to do to turn things around. However, Roger suffered a little hiccup in the tenth game where his first service percentage dipped a bit, Murray stepped up to take full advantage, and Federer failed to serve for the match at 5-4, and failed to convert two match points in the tiebreak to lose the third set. However, it was also encouraging for him to recover from that setback to come back and win the fourth. He changed tactics, and made the match more of a physical effort, extending Murray’s service games, one of them to 10 deuce points, and it paid off as Murray visibly tired as the set wore on. In Murray’s defense, he came into the Australian Open with only two tour matches since he left the tour for back surgery just after the 2013 US Open. He had a very easy first four rounds, facing nobody in the Top 25, and was simply not ready for as tough and determined an opponent as Federer.

Rafael Nadal has come through, albeit not quite as smoothly. Though his initial draw looked tough, it opened up a bit. Bernard Tomic suffered an injury early in their first round match and retired after one set. Then the next top seed in Nadal’s quarter, Juan Martin del Potro, lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round. Nadal’s third round opponent, No. 25, Gael Monfils, didn’t play well at all. Nadal’s fourth round and quarterfinal were rather tight affairs, with Nishikori losing in two tiebreaks and 7-5. In the quarterfinal, Nadal was hampered by a bandage for a blister on his palm, but he played just well enough to win in four sets, winning two tiebreaks, and was fortunate to win the one in the third set where Dimitrov sailed a easy set point long. Dimitrov couldn’t recover after that. Nadal did not look comfortable in the match, hitting many balls short, and was errant with his usually dependable forehand.

One looks forward to their 33rd meeting on Friday. Roger will need to continue to play at the excellent level he displayed in the Tsonga and Murray matches to have a good chance. Has he left his old 2013 form totally behind and brought in a new outlook via his new coach, Stefan Edberg? Rafa will have to improve his level from his last match and when he meets Roger, he usually does. Will he be able to contend with the new, more aggressive Roger? Weather may be a factor as Friday’s forecast calls for relatively cool and rainy conditions during the day, though the rain may be over by the time they play. In any case, the tennis world awaits the latest chapter in their long history. Some things don’t change. But whomever wins will have to face a new player in the final in this new year. One hopes that more new and exciting results await in 2014. May the best players win.

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January 23, 2014
An Elemental Truth

The 2014 Australian Open Men’s Quarterfinals, and Other Observations

Tomas Berdych [7] def. David Ferrer [3] 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

Stanislas Wawrinka [8] def. Novak Djokovic [2] 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7

Rafael Nadal [1] def. Grigor Dimitrov [22] 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-2

Roger Federer [6] def. Andy Murray [4] 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-3

Speaking from the expertise of over week’s worth of days in south Australia, I can say there are a lot of great things about Australians, not least of which is a penchant for friendly abbreviations. Here, on this vaster than vast continent, language lovers can discover more diminutives than Merriam and Webster ever imagined possible. Chocolate becomes ‘choco’ or even ‘choc,’ special becomes ‘spesh,’ documentaries are ‘docos,’ a renovation is a ‘reno,’ mosquitos are ‘mozzies,’ Stanislas Wawrinka is, well, ‘Stanimal,’ and the 2014 Australian Open becomes, simply, ‘The Tennis.’

Television announcers tell you “the Channel 7 News will be aired following the tennis.” The gate staff at Melbourne Park will tell you to “have a great day at the tennis!” And if you clap your hands very, very loudly when Mikhail Youzhny wins a point in men’s doubles, the elderly lady next to you will whisper to her husband in an tolerant, amused tone, “She really enjoys the tennis, doesn’t she?” ‘The tennis’ is endowed with such easy intimacy, and it’s wonderfully, unabashedly tennisy. “Are you going to the tennis today?” is a question I’ve been asked by everyone from friends, to fellow tram passengers, to complete strangers. Even the Uniqlo brand-representative standing outside the Uniqlo pop-up store hopes I’ve been enjoying my time at the tennis.

Uniqlo is newly arrived in Melbourne, and the line outside this particular location—on bustling Swanston Street, not far from Federation Square—zigged and zagged across the wide sidewalk so many times I was all but sure I’d find Novak Djokovic perched at its end, signing autographs, or maybe doing his best Boris Becker impersonation. When I asked the Uniqlo representative where they’d put Novak, he explained that the long line had less to do with the tennis than it had to do with free underwear. In honor of the brand’s entrance to the Melbourne market, Uniqlo was giving away underclothes to all comers. And not just any underclothes, “AIRism” undershirts. Equally as philosophical as it is sartorial, the entire AIRism line is hand-woven from molecules of pure, organic oxygen. “No matter what you wear it under, the AIRism will keep you cool,” the Uniqlo representative told me with a friendly smile. (The AIRism is also worn by Novak Djokovic, on the rare occasion when his opponents require him to sweat.)

If I’d waited in line I could’ve tested that theory, because the temperature rose into well into the 40s (approximately 2,012 F) before lunchtime on that day. But I didn’t wait in line, because it’s nonsense to wait in a 40-minute line in the 40-degree heat for what is essentially a white tank top. Besides, I was on my way to the tennis. Since arriving in Australia I’ve done all sorts of southern-hemisphere type activities. I’ve gone swimming in the South Sea, kangaroo spotting on a suburban golf course, to the Queen Victoria Market to ogle barrels of ground spices and buy myself one of those hats with the corks hanging off the brim to keep the mozzies away. But most of all, I’ve gone to the tennis.

And not unlike the hours spent frolicking in the ocean waves, the tennis has been an immersive experience. To keep on with the elemental metaphors, my Australian Open experience reminds me of going to the Musée de l’Orangerie—which I did for the first time years ago, on an August day in Paris hot enough to melt my unfashionable American tennis shoes— and standing very, very close to Monet’s water lilies to admire the rainbow of color on the surface of all that blue water. Looking at a Monet up that close is a textural and evocative experience, the brush strokes brim with feeling, but it’s damn near impossible to distinguish anything like structure or form, let alone plants, in all that scribbled mess.

That’s what the first week at the Australian Open was like for me. I was submerged in the experience of colorfully garbed athletes—Adidas blues, Lacoste sea foam green, Asics pink, Nike teal, and shades of Uniqlo sand—skittering across a sea of blue concrete. But, unlike trying to discern les nymphéas at close range, if you stay at a tennis tournament long enough, allowing your gaze to soften and the pace of your thoughts to slow until it matches the rhythmic chanting of Bulgarian tennis enthusiasts, you will begin to discover the lilies. And one of those lilies will have a gilded backhand, and his Aussie name will be Stanimal.

Stanislas Wawrinka’s surprising upset of the Australian Open defending champion, and the champion of defending, Uniqlo’s Novak Djokovic, was far and away the best match of the tournament, and will likely feature as one of the best of 2014. And I was there. And I did not take a single bathroom break. Granted, it was a relatively quick five-setter, for all that the score was 9-7 in the final set. The first set went by all too quickly for those of us hoping Wawrinka would put up the kind of fight that gave us their tremendous five-set, five-hour encounter in the 2013 Australian Open fourth round. I confess to being one of those tennis fans who thought this year’s sequel would fail to live up to the hype. (I felt the same about the second edition of Sloane Stephens vs. Victoria Azarenka, especially because that matchup wasn’t even particularly close last year, just controversial.) Imagine how elated I was to be wrong.

Throughout the first set, and for a good portion of the second, I mostly marveled at what seemed like the sheer impossibility of hitting a tennis ball to a place on the court not occupied by the World No. 2. Djokovic’s defense is uncanny, for its impenetrability, but also for its strategy. He has a habit of accelerating into his forehand when least expected, and the placement on his return is downright cruel. If Wawrinka landed a competent first serve, the Swiss was likely to find the ball bouncing off his shoelaces a second later, or buried into the farthest corner of the court. Wawrinka’s response to the confidence-killing Djokovic return seemed to be to avoid serving the ball anywhere near the service box. Likewise, the Swiss response to the Serb’s forward-moving, attacking defense was to retreat well beyond the baseline and try (and fail) to fire winners from behind the Melbourne sign.

But, as the second set wore on, Wawrinka kept forcing himself back up to the baseline, willing himself to try again, to fail better. Being there, I could imagine that I, too, felt the depth of his effort. I suspect many others in the crowd would agree with me, because the stadium was enthusiastically, warm-heartedly behind the scruffy, barrel-chested No. 8 seed. Objectively speaking, the second set featured some of the best tennis of the match, as the upward arc of Wawrinka’s tennis intersected with the vaguely downward trajectory of Djokovic’s game. But it was the fifth set that was most thrilling.

After Wawrinka somehow won the second and then the third sets, my spectating companion—a fellow tennis-writer whose humor plays equally as well live as it does on the page—remarked that now we were at least guaranteed five sets. And Djokovic did win the fourth, though he didn’t run away with it as I’d thought he might. There was also a moment in the fourth, somewhere nearer the end of the set than the beginning—one of the things about getting caught up in the creative flow of live tennis is that, for me, time loses some of its linearity—when Wawrinka left a ball he should have hit, thinking it would float wide. It was a decision clouded by hope, and the Swiss looked utterly deflated afterward. It was one of those moments that could have marked a turning point in the match. Indeed, I noted it with an eye toward mentioning it here, as evidence of the difference between the unwavering concentration of tennis’s demi-gods and the emotional force that rules the lives of mere mortals.

But as the fifth set opened, Djokovic’s nerves were every bit as jangled as Wawrinka’s, and the set was a wild ride. As they had been in the second set, the rallies in the fifth were sometimes stunning, and stunningly long, with booming backhands from both men, and those wonderful, dramatically angled flat forehands from Stan. But there were also plenty of cautious, tentative rallies, with both players trying to wait out the other. Wawrinka’s serve came in and out of focus, as did Djokovic’s forehand wing, which often flapped fitfully at his side, all out of sync with the rest of his body. The Serb’s primal scream, however, remained as richly articulated as ever. I wish I could tell you exactly how the final two games unfolded, but the details are lost in the massive emotional wave that crashed through Rod Laver Arena after Djokovic’s attempt to serve and volley away match point went quietly, strangely awry. Even the AIRism underclothes weren’t enough to keep Novak’s head cool in the moment, and he pushed a relatively routine forehand volley wide.

I can tell you that by the time we got to 5-5 in the fifth I was feeling intensely for both men, who were so clearly giving the match their all. The stakes felt sky high. There was a moment—again, I’m not sure when it was, maybe in the 7-7 game—wherein Wawrinka landed an excellent first serve, and saw it come back to him made even more dangerous by the Serb’s return. For few points before this one, Wawrinka had been playing tight, tentative tennis. But as the defending champion’s service return came flying back at his feet it seemed as if something clicked inside the Swiss. He went after the ball, really went after it, as if he finally realized he could only win if he put his whole heart into it. And he won the point, and then, miraculously, the match. Afterward, he said he felt really, really, really happy. It showed.

None of the other quarterfinals were near the quality of this one, though they were all exciting in their way. I somehow found myself watching most of Berdych’s upset of Ferrer on a muted television screen under Rod Laver Arena in the players’ cafe, surrounded by tennis people who all seemed to agree that Ferrer was out of form. They also agreed that while Berdych’s serve might often rise to the level of unplayable, his T-shirt is downright unwearable.

Federer’s four set win over Andy Murray, which I did not see live, should have been over in three. As Federer told Courier afterward, he knows he’s better at earning break points than converting them. And as high as the stakes felt for Djokovic and Wawrinka, the Federer-Murray encounter was relatively tensionless (unless you count the tension Murray managed to work into his grimaces, which was, as per usual, tremendous). It is good to have the Scot back on tour after his back surgery, but it was also evident that he’s not yet fully returned to form. As a spectator, and a Jo sympathizer, I preferred Federer’s fourth round win over Tsonga. It was a sumptuous match, and so easy to admire for the beauty of the brushstrokes. Sure, there was never much sense that the Frenchman might win a set, let alone the match, but there were so many points to be enjoyed as stand-alone creations, like the public art that decorates the urban landscape here in Melbourne.

As a Rafael Nadal fan, and one who would also be pleased to see the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov take up residence somewhere nearer the Top 10, I’d hoped to enjoy their quarterfinal match more than I actually did. Maybe it was the fact that my seat was positioned in the midst of twenty or so spectators who’d disembarked from a cruise ship that morning and felt compelled to compare notes on the wall décor in their various cabins (very similar, it turns out). Or maybe it was that Dimitrov’s serves were either astonishing or terrible. Or that Nadal’s forehand was like Dimitrov’s serve, and that the Bulgarian’s return of serve was nearly non-existent. Maybe it was because I was aware Mikhail Youzhny and Max Mirnyi were losing their doubles match out on Court 2. Or—and, this is just a guess—it might be that I’d already watched 20 hours of tennis in the past two days.

As close as Nadal came to not winning the two tiebreak sets, I didn’t worry much that he’d fail to win the entire match. His champions’ fire was too well lit. And, as Rafa said when it was all over, he also got very, very lucky. Taken together, the No. 1 and 2 seed’s quarterfinal matches reinforced both sides of an essential, conflicting reality: Most of the time, the better player wins the match, especially when the better player is one of the Big Four. But, it’s tennis, which also means anything can happen, anything can be. Call it an elemental truth, call it a TRUEism if you like—or just call it another great day at the tennis.

January 23, 2014
Lessons Learned

Australian Open, Quarterfinals

(8) Wawrinka d. (2) Djokovic, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7

It presumably surprised no one when Channel 7’s hype-department went into overdrive at the prospect of another blockbuster match between Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka. As with all commercial television networks, Australia’s tennis broadcaster subscribes to the crude conceit that any memorable event must inevitably be repeated if even a few of its defining conditions are present. In this case the defining conditions were the players involved and the best-of-five format. These men played two five-set classics last year, and according to Channel 7 this ensured their next effort was destined to be another. Being steadier and wiser, I wasted no opportunity to inform anyone near me – family members, buskers, stalkers – that there is more to professional tennis than the Majors, and that Djokovic easily dispatched Wawrinka twice at the end of last year, in Paris and London. Only an unredeemed ignoramus, I maintained, would expect another classic. Djokovic would win easily. My son, who has decided that he and Djokovic are going to become friends, was particularly thrilled by this news. As it transpired, the match was a classic. Channel 7 was right, and I was wrong. That may not be the hardest sentence I’ve ever had to write – “Mr Becker, I regret to inform you that your brain condition is inoperable.” – but it’s certainly on the shortlist.

At least for the first set, it looked as though I’d be proved right. Djokovic was looking exactly like the guy who hadn’t lost a match of any kind since the US Open final in September, who was currently enjoying the second longest Grand Slam semifinal streak in the Open Era. Wawrinka, meanwhile, looked like he couldn’t quite work out where his baseline was, or why it was important that he position himself closer to it. He figured it out in the second set, however, though it still came as a surprise to everyone in the stadium when he finally broke Djokovic, and served it out.

Crowd sympathy within Rod Laver Arena had slightly favoured Djokovic as the players sauntered on to court, though it could have been that the Serbian fans were more punctual. By the time Wawrinka broke in the third set, twice, there was no doubt which man the crowd preferred. Djokovic was too content to rally with the Swiss, especially crosscourt on the backhand, and rediscovered that this shot doesn’t break down the way other single-handers can. Nonetheless, Djokovic took the fourth comfortably, and broke at the start of the fifth. A reprise of their US Open appeared more likely than their extravagant 12-10 effort from Melbourne last year.

Then, for reasons ungraspable by rational minds, Djokovic compiled a service game of cosmic awfulness, sturdily mounted on four forehand errors, and was broken back. Both men settled into a long sequence of holds, interrupted briefly by a rain delay. Djokovic went back to holding comfortably. Wawrinka did it harder, but, somehow, legs and mind constricted, he did it. Blithely ignoring the concept of momentum, he finally broke Djokovic with the Serb serving to stay in the match for the fourth time, at 7-8. Djokovic’s brain-wave to serve-volley on match point down has already blossomed into legend. To volley was, to put it mildly, a rash choice, and it was rashly played. He swung at it, pushed it wide, and the three-time defending champion was out. He left the court to a wave of warm regard, which heated to radiant affection once Wawrinka took his chance to speak. He pronounced himself “very, very, very, very happy.” He’d proved me wrong, but in the moment I found it hard to begrudge him his joy. My son was less impressed when I told him the result, but learned a vital first lesson in parental fallibility. It had to happen some time. I won’t complain if he gains something of Djokovic’s perfect grace in defeat, but I do dream he’ll somehow acquire a backhand like Wawrinka’s.

(1) Nadal d. (22) Dimitrov, 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-2

If he falls in with a bad crowd, he may end up with a backhand more like Grigor Dimitrov’s, a doom no parent would wish upon their child. For the first set of today’s match between Dimitrov and Rafael Nadal, the Bulgarian did an excellent job of shielding his backhand wing from the Spaniard’s merciless attention. Mostly he did this by breaking early and serving well.

This was an unusual match, easily the strangest of the round; not particularly enjoyable to watch, nor, from what I could tell, to play. It boasted little of the drama of Djokovic’s loss to Wawrinka, and none of the quality. Nadal began poorly and never hit full stride. Dimitrov began well, but immediately subsided into woeful inconsistency. He broke early, but thereafter could barely land a return, and saw out the first set on the strength of his first serve alone. Breaks were donated and whimsically re-gifted in the second set. Nadal sought to fire himself up, and succeeded in whipping the crowd into some sort of startled frenzy through the sheer force of his personality, or at any rate the lustiness of his bellows, which for duration and incongruity were a fitting homage to the departed Djokovic. Either man could have taken the second set, but naturally only Nadal did, with a lovely combination of passes.

The third set was more or less the second set with all the settings dialed up. Breaks each way, flailing inefficiency from both men – Nadal’s serve in particular was heavily affected by a blister on his left hand, which Channel 7 took great delight in showing in dynamic detail, with Spidercam swooping in – an expertly curated selection of beautifully framed forehands, and the inability of both men to sustain pressure. This point from the third set tiebreak encapsulates the overall dynamic quite perfectly: Dimitrov’s tweener lob is the brilliant moment fated to resonate, but observe how once he has re-established himself in the rally he undoes his good work with a sequence of weak, short backhands. Nevertheless, Dimitrov had three set points in total, including one on his own serve. It was a big serve, too – 205kph out wide – leaving him with an attractively pristine acre of court to hit into, or out of, as it transpired. That forehand miss will certainly stay with him for a long time. It was certainly still on his mind in the press conference, as he shed hot tears of frustration. Nadal later admitted to Jim Courier that he’d simply been lucky in that moment, with a relief that had hardly faded in the intervening hour. The fourth set saw Dimitrov fade in the usual manner. He hadn’t played especially well, though he had fought well, and his tournament was over. If he’d been able to land those forehands it might have been a different match, though probably not a different result. If he’d been able to regulate the depth on his backhand better, it certainly would have been.

(6) Federer d. (4) Murray, 6-3, 6/4, 6/7(7), 6/3

Nadal will face Roger Federer in the second semifinal, another installment in the most famous rivalry in the sport, an exalted status reflected in its recourse to Roman numerals. This will be their XXXIIIth meeting. Whereas last year’s matches were dominated by Nadal, there is some reason to believe that Friday’s meeting will be more competitive. Federer, with his new racquet and mended back, is back to playing the kind of aggressive tennis he was once famed for, at least for the opening sets of each match. After that his boldness erodes sharply. Two rounds ago he tore through Blaz Kavcic in fearsome fashion, before the third set devolved into an unnecessary dogfight. The same pattern threatened to recur in the fourth round against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga; that it didn’t owed mostly to the Frenchman’s sense of timing, which is not commensurate with his sense of occasion. Tsonga left his run too late, and Federer was permitted to coast over the line. Andy Murray almost committed the same mistake, only coming truly to life as Federer served for the match at 5-4 in the third set.

Federer commenced in majestic fashion, his forehand and serve both devastating, his backhand impenetrable, and his excursions into the forecourt frequent and decisive. Murray had ambled to the quarterfinals thanks to the most generous draw since, well, his last Australian Open. Federer was thus his first true test, not only of the tournament, but since last year’s US Open. He missed four months of tennis, and last night appeared fatally short of big match practice. I’m not sure anyone besides those ardent Federer fans who exist in a state of perpetual anxiety truly expected Murray to maintain a high level for long enough, in perfect contrast to last year’s semifinal. On paper it was the most appealing of all the men’s quarterfinals, but when it came down to it the stakes somehow didn’t feel very high.

The Scot finally found his feet in the second set, like Wawrinka the night before forcing himself to venture up onto his baseline. Federer continued to be aggressive, and this was probably the best period in the match, until Murray threw in a poor game to be broken. We can put this lapse down to shortage of match play, but Djokovic had already proved that even the best players don’t really need a reason. Federer served out the set. The third was much the same, with the Swiss entirely untouchable on serve, at least until he stepped up to serve for the match, and thoughtfully reminded us that pressure has internal obligations of its own. Federer tried to coast over the line, but Murray, to his enormous credit, was having no part of it. Invited to step in, he did, heavily augmenting the pace on his groundstrokes, and forcing Federer into error. Federer gained a couple of match points in the tiebreak, and once more reverted into passivity, and was made to pay.

The fourth set began in much the same manner – Murray’s first service game lasted about a quarter of an hour, and saw Federer gain half a dozen break points, which he mistook for an ideal opportunity to work on his sliced forehand returns. His personal challenge appeared to be to see how many of them he could bunt onto Murray’s service line. It turned out to be a lot. Murray by this point was largely spent, his first serve shorn of pace, and his movement to the forehand corner sluggish. But he was rarely stretched, and made the most of his opportunities to move forward. Federer finally attacked a forehand return on a break point late in the set, and was presumably the only person surprised to learn that this markedly enhanced his chance of winning the subsequent rally. Obliged once more to serve it out, he fell quickly to 0-30, but extricated himself with a bold rally and a brave second serve, before taking the match a few points later.

Afterwards, forced to explain himself to Courier, he sounded about as relieved as Nadal had, though one was left to wonder if he realises just how weighed-down he lately seems by pressure. At times this tournament he has looked like his old self, not merely the statesman who returned to No. 1 in 2012, but the reckless youth who dominated the world in 2006. At other times, however, he has looked exactly like a man who has learned by heart the lesson that all things must pass, that one’s moments of greatness don’t become less precious the more of them you’ve accumulated, but more precious the fewer of them you have left.

January 23, 2014
Wawrinka Stuns Djokovic in 5 Set Thriller

Stanislas Wawrinka produced the performance of his career to stun defending champion Novak Djokovic and march into the semifinals of the Australian Open. The pair had met in two Majors last year with Djokovic triumphing in five sets on both occasions. This time, the Swiss World No. 8 was not to be denied.

Djokovic got off to a flying start by breaking Wawrinka twice to secure the opening frame 6-2. The Swiss finally made a breakthrough at 3-3 in the second set, capitalizing on a break point opportunity by unleashing a monstrous backhand that just clipped the line. The remainder of the set went with serve, allowing Wawrinka to level the match. It was the first set Djokovic had dropped during the entire tournament.

An inspired Wawrinka broke twice in succession early in the third set to wrestle control of the match. He served it out and now the pressure was on his Serb opponent to match his intensity.

The fourth set was a tightly contested affair before Djokovic broke the Wawrinka serve in the ninth game after coming back from 40-0 down.

In common with their last three meetings at Grand Slam tournaments, this was going to a fifth and final deciding set.

Both players had opportunities in the fifth and traded early breaks. The defining moment came at 7-8 on the Djokovic serve where the Serb shepherded a volley out of the court for Wawrinka to break and take the match in a nail-biting finish.

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Cover Photo: karlnorling, Creative Commons License

January 21, 2014
Australian Open Day 9 Quarterfinals Schedule of Play / Scores: Tuesday, January 21

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Quarterfinals
Na Li (CHN) (4) d. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (28) — 6-2, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Quarterfinals
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) (30) d. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (14) — 5-7, 7-5, 6-2

Not Before: 2:30 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Quarterfinals
Tomas Berdych (CZE) (7) d. David Ferrer (ESP) (3) — 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Quarterfinals
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) (8) d. Novak Djokovic (SRB) (2) — 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7

Men’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Daniel Nestor (CAN) (8) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) (8) d. Alex Bolt (AUS) / Andrew Whittington (AUS) — 6-2, 7-6(1)

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — Not Before: 1:00 P.M.

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Jie Zheng (CHN) / Scott Lipsky (USA) d. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) (1) / Alexander Peya (AUT) (1) — 2-6, 7-6(5) [10-5]

Women’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (3) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) (3) d. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) (7) / Lucie Safarova (CZE) (7) — 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4)

Women’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Sara Errani (ITA) (1) / Roberta Vinci (ITA) (1) d. Cara Black (ZIM) (6) / Sania Mirza (IND) (6) — 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

Not Before: 5:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Kveta Peschke (CZE) (4) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) (4) d. Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) / Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) — 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

[divider]

Show Court 2 — Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Raquel Kops-Jones (USA) (8) / Abigail Spears (USA) (8) d. Shahar Peer (ISR) / Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) — 6-4, 6-0

Men’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Eric Butorac (USA) / Raven Klaasen (RSA) d. Treat Huey (PHI) (12) / Dominic Inglot (GBR) (12) — 6-7(3), 7-6(6), 6-4

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Julia Goerges (GER) / Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) d. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) (4) / Max Mirnyi (BLR) (4) — 6-3, 6-4

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Rexness

January 20, 2014
Australian Open Day 7 Schedule of Play / Scores: Sunday, January 19

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (28) d. Angelique Kerber (GER) (9) — 6-1, 4-6, 7-5

Not Before: 12:30 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (14) d. Serena Williams (USA) (1) — 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 4
Novak Djokovic (SRB) (2) d. Fabio Fognini (ITA) (15) — 6-3, 6-0, 6-2

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) (30) d. Casey Dellacqua (AUS) — 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0

Men’s Singles – Round 4
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) (8) d. Tommy Robredo (ESP) (17) — 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-6(5)

[divider]

Click here to discuss the Men’s matches in our discussion forum.

Click here to discuss the Women’s matches in our discussion forum.

[divider]

Hisense Arena — Not Before: 12:30 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Na Li (CHN) (4) d. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (22) — 6-2, 6-0

Men’s Singles – Round 4
David Ferrer (ESP) (3) d. Florian Mayer (GER) — 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-2, 6-1

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Sara Errani (ITA) (1) / Roberta Vinci (ITA) (1) d. Monique Adamczak (AUS) (3) / Olivia Rogowska (AUS) (3) — 6-2, 6-2

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) / Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) d. Timea Babos (HUN) / Petra Martic (CRO) — 6-2, 7-5

Men’s Doubles – Round 3
Leander Paes (IND) (5) / Radek Stepanek (CZE) (5) d. Yuki Bhambri (IND) / Michael Venus (NZL) — 6-3, 6-2

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 3
Alex Bolt (AUS) / Andrew Whittington (AUS) d. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) / Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) — 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-5

Not Before: 5:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 4
Tomas Berdych (CZE) (7) d. Kevin Anderson (RSA) (19) — 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

[divider]

Show Court 2 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Shahar Peer (ISR) / Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) d. Lucie Hradecka (CZE) / Michaella Krajicek (NED) — 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2

Not Before: 12:30 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 3
Treat Huey (PHI) (12) / Dominic Inglot (GBR) (12) d. Rohan Bopanna (IND) (7) / Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) (7) — 6-4, 7-6(1)

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) / Colin Fleming (GBR) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) — 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 3
Michael Llodra (FRA) (13) / Nicolas Mahut (FRA) (13) d. Alexander Peya (AUT) (2) / Bruno Soares (BRA) (2) — 7-6(4), 6-4

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) / Leander Paes (IND) d. Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) / James Duckworth (AUS) — 7-5, 4-6 [10-7]

[divider]

Show Court 3 — Not Before: 12:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Kveta Peschke (CZE) (4) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) (4) d. Hao-Ching Chan (TPE) (13) / Liezel Huber (USA) (13) — 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-4

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Elena Vesnina (RUS) (8) / Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) (8) d. Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) / David Marrero (ESP) — 6-7(3), 6-4 [10-5]

[divider]

Court 6 — Not Before: 4:00 P.M.

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Lisa Raymond (USA) / Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL) d. Liezel Huber (USA) (3) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) (3) — 6-2, 6-2

[divider]

Court 15 — Not Before: 6:00 P.M.

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Abigail Spears (USA) / Dominic Inglot (GBR) d. Lucie Hradecka (CZE) / Martin Emmrich (GER) — 6-1, 7-6(5)

[divider]

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): MD111

January 18, 2014
Australian Open Day 5 Schedule of Play / Scores: Friday, January 17

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Serena Williams (USA) (1) d. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) (31) — 6-3, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 3
David Ferrer (ESP) (3) d. Jeremy Chardy (FRA) (29) — 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-2

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d. Jie Zheng (CHN) — 6-2, 6-4

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (14) d. Samantha Stosur (AUS) (17) — 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Novak Djokovic (SRB) (2) d. Denis Istomin (UZB) — 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

[divider]

Click here to discuss the Men’s matches in our discussion forum.

Click here to discuss the Women’s matches in our discussion forum.

[divider]

Hisense Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Angelique Kerber (GER) (9) d. Alison Riske (USA) — 6-3, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Na Li (CHN) (4) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE) (26) — 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Tomas Berdych (CZE) (7) d. Damir Dzumhur (BIH) — 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Tommy Robredo (ESP) (17) d. Richard Gasquet (FRA) (9) — 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(6)

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Bob Bryan (USA) (1) / Mike Bryan (USA) (1) d. Paul Hanley (AUS) / Jonathan Marray (GBR) — 6-4, 7-6(3)

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (28) d. Mona Barthel (GER) — 6-1, 7-5

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Ivan Dodig (CRO) (4) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) (4) d. Chris Guccione (AUS) / Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) — 7-5, 7-6(5)

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Kevin Anderson (RSA) (19) d. Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) — 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-5

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Fabio Fognini (ITA) (15) d. Sam Querrey (USA) — 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

[divider]

Show Court 2 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) / Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) d. Andre Begemann (GER) / Martin Emmrich (GER) — 7-6(3), 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (22) d. Monica Niculescu (ROU) — 6-4, 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) (12) / Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (12) d. Aleksandrina Naydenova (BUL) / Teliana Pereira (BRA) — 6-1, 6-2

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) / Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d. Dustin Brown (GER) / Gael Monfils (FRA) — 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

[divider]

Show Court 3 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Florian Mayer (GER) d. Jerzy Janowicz (POL) (20) — 7-5, 6-2, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) (30) d. Lauren Davis (USA) — 6-2, 6-2

Not Before: 2:30 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
David Marrero (ESP) (3) / Fernando Verdasco (ESP) (3) d. James Duckworth (AUS) / Matthew Ebden (AUS) — 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Kveta Peschke (CZE) (7) / Marcin Matkowski (POL) (7) d. Arina Rodionova (AUS) / Nick Kyrgios (AUS) — 7-5, 6-4

[divider]

Court 6 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Kveta Peschke (CZE) (4) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) (4) d. Katarzyna Piter (POL) / Alicja Rosolska (POL) — 7-6(2), 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Shahar Peer (ISR) / Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) d. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) (2) / Shuai Peng (CHN) (2) — 7-5, 3-6, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Lukasz Kubot (POL) (14) / Robert Lindstedt (SWE) (14) d. Benjamin Mitchell (AUS) / Jordan Thompson (AUS) — 6-1, 6-3

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) (15) / Lisa Raymond (USA) (15) d. Mandy Minella (LUX) / Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) — 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-1

[divider]

Court 7 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Raquel Kops-Jones (USA) (8) / Abigail Spears (USA) (8) d. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) / Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) — 6-4, 7-6(4)

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) / John Peers (AUS) d. Olivia Rogowska (AUS) / John-Patrick Smith (AUS) — 6-3, 6-4

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) / Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) d. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) (9) / Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) (9) — 1-6, 6-4, 7-5

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (3) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) (3) d. Lauren Davis (USA) / Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) — 6-3, 6-2

[divider]

Court 8 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Yuki Bhambri (IND) / Michael Venus (NZL) d. Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) (10) / Horia Tecau (ROU) (10) — 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Leander Paes (IND) (5) / Radek Stepanek (CZE) (5) d. Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) / Lukas Rosol (CZE) — 6-4, 6-1

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Madison Keys (USA) / Alison Riske (USA) d. Xinyun Han (CHN) / Miki Miyamura (JPN) — 6-2, 7-5

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) / Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. Valeria Solovyeva (RUS) / Elina Svitolina (UKR) — 6-3, 6-1

[divider]

Court 13 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Sara Errani (ITA) (1) / Roberta Vinci (ITA) (1) d. Kaia Kanepi (EST) / Renata Voracova (CZE) — 1-6, 6-1, 6-1

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Michael Llodra (FRA) (13) / Nicolas Mahut (FRA) (13) d. Philipp Oswald (AUT) / Simon Stadler (GER) — 7-6(5), 7-6(2)

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Julia Goerges (GER) (14) / Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) (14) d. Naiktha Bains (AUS) / Olivia Tjandramulia (AUS) — 6-3, 6-3

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Andreas Seppi (ITA) / Potito Starace (ITA) d. Tobias Kamke (GER) / Florian Mayer (GER) — 7-6(1), 6-4

[divider]

Court 19 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Hao-Ching Chan (TPE) (13) / Liezel Huber (USA) (13) d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) / Raluca Olaru (ROU) — 6-4, 7-6(4)

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Max Mirnyi (BLR) / Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) d. Marcel Granollers (ESP) (6) / Marc Lopez (ESP) (6) — 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3)

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Lucie Hradecka (CZE) / Michaella Krajicek (NED) d. Vania King (USA) (16) / Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) (16) — 7-6(4), 6-1

[divider]

Court 20 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Daniele Bracciali (ITA) / Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) d. Jonathan Erlich (ISR) / Andy Ram (ISR) — 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Timea Babos (HUN) / Petra Martic (CRO) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) / Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) — 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): pasukaru76

January 16, 2014
Australian Open Day 3 Schedule of Play / Scores: Wednesday, January 15

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Na Li (CHN) (4) d. Belinda Bencic (SUI) — 6-0, 7-6(5)

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Serena Williams (USA) (1) d. Vesna Dolonc (SRB) — 6-1, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Novak Djokovic (SRB) (2) d. Leonardo Mayer (ARG) — 6-0, 6-4, 6-4

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Samantha Stosur (AUS) (17) d. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) — 6-2, 6-0

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) (28) d. Matthew Ebden (AUS) — 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(9), 6-1

[divider]

Click here to discuss the Men’s matches in our discussion forum.

Click here to discuss the Women’s matches in our discussion forum.

[divider]

Hisense Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Tomas Berdych (CZE) (7) d. Kenny De Schepper (FRA) — 6-4, 6-1, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 2
David Ferrer (ESP) (3) d. Adrian Mannarino (FRA) — 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-0, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) (18) — 6-3, 6-0

Not Before: 5:00 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Eric Butorac (USA) / Raven Klaasen (RSA) d. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) / Patrick Rafter (AUS) — 6-4, 7-5

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Monica Niculescu (ROU) d. Sabine Lisicki (GER) (15) — 2-6, 6-2, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (28) d. Monica Puig (PUR) — 6-3, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Angelique Kerber (GER) (9) d. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) — 6-4, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Sam Querrey (USA) d. Ernests Gulbis (LAT) (23) — 6-2, 6-3, 6-4

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) (8) d. Alejandro Falla (COL) — 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4

[divider]

Show Court 2 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Richard Gasquet (FRA) (9) d. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) — 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Tommy Robredo (ESP) (17) d. Julien Benneteau (FRA) — 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-6(6)

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) (30) d. Virginie Razzano (FRA) — 6-2, 7-6(10)

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (14) d. Annika Beck (GER) — 6-1, 6-2

[divider]

Show Court 3 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (22) d. Irina Falconi (USA) — 6-2, 7-5

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) (20) d. Pablo Andujar (ESP) — 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(5), 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Alison Riske (USA) d. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) — 6-1, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Fabio Fognini (ITA) (15) d. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) — 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

[divider]

Court 5 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) (11) / Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) (11) d. Azra Hadzic (AUS) / Jessica Moore (AUS) — 6-3, 6-1

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Kveta Peschke (CZE) (4) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) (4) d. Alexandra Cadantu (ROU) / Simona Halep (ROU) — 2-6, 6-3, 6-2

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Shahar Peer (ISR) / Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) d. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE) / Janette Husarova (SVK) — 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) / Stefanie Voegele (SUI) d. Jelena Dokic (AUS) / Storm Sanders (AUS) — 6-4, 6-4

[divider]

Court 6 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Mona Barthel (GER) d. Luksika Kumkhum (THA) — 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) (29) d. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) — 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 7-6(5)

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Kevin Anderson (RSA) (19) d. Dominic Thiem (AUT) — 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Lauren Davis (USA) d. Julia Goerges (GER) — 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

[divider]

Court 7 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Hao-Ching Chan (TPE) (13) / Liezel Huber (USA) (13) d. Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) / Saisai Zheng (CHN) — 6-3, 6-3

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Kaia Kanepi (EST) / Renata Voracova (CZE) d. Sally Peers (AUS) / Viktorija Rajicic (AUS) — 6-3, 6-1

Not Before: 2:30 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Marcel Granollers (ESP) (6) / Marc Lopez (ESP) (6) d. Samuel Groth (AUS) / John-Patrick Smith (AUS) — 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Benjamin Mitchell (AUS) / Jordan Thompson (AUS) d. Carlos Berlocq (ARG) / Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) — 5-7, 6-3, 6-4

[divider]

Court 8 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Florian Mayer (GER) d. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) (14) — 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Denis Istomin (UZB) d. Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) (30) — 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Jie Zheng (CHN) d. Madison Keys (USA) — 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-5

[divider]

Court 10 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Katarzyna Piter (POL) / Alicja Rosolska (POL) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) / Christina McHale (USA) — 6-3, 6-3

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Marin Draganja (CRO) / Mate Pavic (CRO) d. Marc Gicquel (FRA) / Benoit Paire (FRA) — 7-6(0), 6-3

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) / Raluca Olaru (ROU) d. Shuko Aoyama (JPN) / Misaki Doi (JPN) — 6-2, 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) / Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) d. Sharon Fichman (CAN) / Monica Puig (PUR) — 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

[divider]

Court 11 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) (10) / Horia Tecau (ROU) (10) d. Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) / Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) — 6-2, 7-5

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Colin Fleming (GBR) / Ross Hutchins (GBR) d. Marinko Matosevic (AUS) / Michal Przysiezny (POL) — 4-6, 6-4, 6-0

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Alexander Peya (AUT) (2) / Bruno Soares (BRA) (2) d. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) / Andre Sa (BRA) — 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) / Rajeev Ram (USA) d. Santiago Giraldo (COL) / Joao Sousa (POR) — 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

[divider]

Court 13 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Damir Dzumhur (BIH) d. Ivan Dodig (CRO) (32) — 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 4-1 Ret.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) (31) d. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) — 6-3, 3-6, 12-10

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Monique Adamczak (AUS) / Olivia Rogowska (AUS) d. Darija Jurak (CRO) / Andreja Klepac (SLO) — 6-3, 7-6(2)

[divider]

Court 15 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Oliver Marach (AUT) / Florin Mergea (ROU) d. Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) (16) / Scott Lipsky (USA) (16) — 6-3, 7-6(6)

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL) (9) / Marcin Matkowski (POL) (9) d. Tomasz Bednarek (POL) / Ivo Karlovic (CRO) — 7-5, 7-5

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Philipp Oswald (AUT) / Simon Stadler (GER) d. Jesse Huta Galung (NED) / Igor Sijsling (NED) — 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2

Not Before: 3:30 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Daniel Nestor (CAN) (8) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) (8) d. Benjamin Becker (GER) / Daniel Brands (GER) — 6-4, 6-3

[divider]

Court 19 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Lucie Safarova (CZE) (26) d. Lucie Hradecka (CZE) — 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Lukasz Kubot (POL) (14) / Robert Lindstedt (SWE) (14) d. Federico Delbonis (ARG) / Albert Ramos (ESP) — 6-3, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) d. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) — 7-6(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-1

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Treat Huey (PHI) (12) / Dominic Inglot (GBR) (12) d. Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL) — 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

[divider]

Court 20 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Johan Brunstrom (SWE) / Frederik Nielsen (DEN) d. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) / Divij Sharan (IND) — 6-2, 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) / Karin Knapp (ITA) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) / Vera Zvonareva (RUS) — 6-2, 6-4

Not Before: 2:30 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Vania King (USA) (16) / Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) (16) d. Sandra Klemenschits (AUT) / Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) — 6-2, 6-3

[divider]

Court 22 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Raquel Kops-Jones (USA) (8) / Abigail Spears (USA) (8) d. Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE) / Liga Dekmeijere (LAT) — 6-1, 6-1

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Yuki Bhambri (IND) / Michael Venus (NZL) d. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) / Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) — 6-2, 7-5

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) / Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) / Donna Vekic (CRO) — 6-0, 6-1

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): jimmyharris

January 14, 2014
A Few Words of Advice

The 2014 Australian Open Men’s Draw, and Vacation Planning.

As those close to me already know, despite feigning indifference to the world of tennis for some months now—mostly in the form of not writing about it, and by canceling the Tennis Channel in a fit of futile protest against the nefarious skimming price-structure of the Comcast Corporation— I have actually been busy scheming to get myself to the 2014 Australian Open. All that’s left now is to put a final coat of paint on my Balsa wood raft, print out a PDF of the Google Maps version of the Pacific Ocean, and pack some snacks. Oh, and copies of the tournament draws will be useful, too. In case I need a focus for my travel anxiety—there’s no telling if that Elmer’s wood glue is going to hold against tons of sloshing salt-water— I can always fret about the Men’s top half of the draw. (There are few other anxious pleasures as delicious as worrying over the fate of your favorite during the lead-in to a tournament.)

Of course, I am not serious about the raft. But I am serious about going to the Australian Open, and also about that top half of the draw, which is as over-loaded with fine tennis players as my Balsa boat is with Cheez-Its and bottles of sunscreen. In actual fact, my meticulous preparations for my journey to the land down under began just after Christmas, with a concentrated and drawn-out bout with flu (to get me in a competitive mood), followed by more sleep than I had in all the nights of twenty-thirteen put together, followed by the online purchase of a purple skort (with reflective zipper pockets), and a stack of guidebooks on Australia and New Zealand. (Did I mention I’m also stopping over in the land of teenaged Lordes and flying Concords?) I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.

Sure, it might have helped to have actually read my guidebooks. But why bother? Not when I’ve been getting plenty of advice from friends, colleagues, and complete strangers ever since I purchased my 20-hour plane ticket. Even in this modern age of jaded, Twittified, digital global interdependence, a vacation in Australia is still viewed as something of an adventure. Generally speaking, after a person learns about my travel plans and has finished telling me Australia is located far, far away indeed, he or she sorts themselves into one of two camps: Those who have been to Australia, and therefore to Melbourne, and who think the city is the most wonderful place on earth and enjoy telling me exactly why this is so; and those who have never been to Australia and spend long sentences warning me about snakes, spiders, venomous birds, pterodactyls, and Australian men. Also, they tell me to always wear sunscreen because Australia is hot.

(A notable exception to this intimate knowledge of Australian weather came in a recent conversation with my hair stylist, who simply refused to believe it’s currently summertime in Melbourne. How can this possibly be, when it’s winter and (almost) chilly in Northern California? To illustrate to her how this seasonal anomaly is made possible, I created a makeshift diagram of our solar system out of hair product containers. Earth was a pink bottle of Kevin Murphy POWDER PUFF — aka poudre volumisante— which happened to be vaguely spherical. I explained that if we, in the NorCal temperate zone, are the “F” in the vertically printed POWDER PUFF, then Melbourne is the powdery “P” all the way down near the bottom of the bottle. Thus, the sun —which turns out to be a vial of peppermint-scented “Naturaltech” Energizing Lotion— is way closer to the P than it is to the F at the moment because of the magic of gravity, which was invented in olden times before anybody had good hair days. Ta-da, summer!

I’m not sure my makeshift solar system was able to demystify the southern hemisphere for my hairdresser, but at least it didn’t cramp her style. My bangs are now neatly trimmed for travel, and I am the proud owner of a pink bottle of corn starch to puff onto my head in the mornings. Incidentally, Kevin Murphy products are “Australian designed and formulated,” and everybody knows that products designed and formulated closer to the ‘natural tech’ of the sun work better.)

But, instead of taking all the generously given travel advice from friends and strangers along with me to Melbourne—there is only so much room in a suitcase—I’ve decided to make note of it here, manipulating it until I manage a connection, however spurious, to the 2014 Australian Open draw. Because that’s the purpose of a tennis blog —and, one could argue, even of tennis itself— to offer metaphorical linkage to the larger game of life. Also, as Oscar Wilde once noted, good advice is best passed on, as it is never of any use to one’s self.

So here goes, a list of advice for those on sojourn in Australia, those intending to sojourn in Australia (or even those who have ever considered a sojourn in Australia), in no particular order, and in no way at all derivative of any hit radio single concocted by Baz Luhrmann*—

Always wear sunscreen;

Do not bother with makeup — it will only make your face look like it’s melting;

Try not to melt;

Avoid being bitten by spiders, snakes, venomous birds, or Australian men;

Carry a bottle of antibiotic wherever you go (to treat the bites);

Get smitten;

Put corn starch on your hair in the morning;

Watch out for any animals carrying extra vowels;

Visit the bush country, but leave before it makes you too hot; nothing – not even sleeping with ice packs under your pillow— will make you too cold;

Explore;

Remember that you are still young(ish), and therefore better looking than you think you are;

Try not to blame David Ferrer;

Drink lots of coffee (it’s good there);

Stay up too late; siesta; misbehave; don’t eat meat pies;

Do not check your work email;

Watch tennis, cricket, and people in general;

Remember to look the other way when you cross the street;

Write; listen to forehands (and Tommy Haas’s backhand); then write some more;

Blame David Ferrer;

Do not fall asleep on the plane, because if you do, your mouth will fall open and that’s how the germs get in;

And don’t forget the sunscreen.

As tempted as I am to tell you that the advice about the germs on airplanes came to me in a tweet from Boris Becker, it didn’t. It is real advice. It might even be my favorite advice. But the advice that relates most to the Australian Open Draw is —you guessed it— the bit about blaming David Ferrer. As many of you know, I am fond of David Ferrer, and not just because of his tremendous calf musculature and his subtle use of poudre volumisante. I enjoy watching him play tennis. I admire his speed, his split-step, and his finely calibrated forehand; and I enjoy being impressed by the intensity of his effort. But I also spent a pretty penny on a semifinal ticket for the bottom half of the draw. If the seeds should hold, I’ll have paid well over a hundred dollars to watch Novak Djokovic demolish Ferrer in less time than it takes a motivated flotilla of germs to seek out a snoring airplane passenger. Which is to say, hardly any time at all.

Of course, it isn’t Ferrer’s fault that Murray and Federer have bad backs. Nor is it his issue that Tsonga has, well, issues. Or that Wawrinka doesn’t win the big titles, that Berdych is Berdych, and Juan Martin del Potro is forced to keep returning from injuries. (Though I wouldn’t be at all surprised if 2014 turns out to be the year the Argentine bushwhacks his way to a more permanent residence near the pinnacle of the game. I cannot think I’m alone in this expectation. After all, he did dethrone the fearsome Bernard Tomic in Sydney last weekend.) David Ferrer made a fitting and able World No. 5, the steadfast guardian of the gate to the impenetrable fortress of the Big Four. Over the past few years Ferrer has been part of some of the most exciting mid-round contests in Majors. But, as a Top Four seed he has also been a part of a few of the most lopsided and painful-to-watch matches at the tail end of the Slams and Masters. Several of them against Novak Djokovic. Also, Ferrer does not seem happy as the fourth seed (let alone the third)! A player with calves like that deserves to be happy.

But it is not only Ferrer who is throwing off the balance of the draw. Some of the other 127 tennis players present must also share in the burden, especially the ones with the little numbers next to their names. Consider the breakdown of seeds in the four quarters:

Top Half

Nadal’s quarter: Monfils, Seppi, Nishikori, Raonic, Dimitrov, Paire, and del “dethroner” Potro

Murray’s quarter (alternatively known by the old-school appellation “Federer’s quarter”): Lopez, Kohlschreiber, Isner, Tsonga, Simon, Verdasco, and Edberg

Bottom Half

Djokovic’s quarter: Tursunov, Gulbis, Fognini, Gasquet, Robredo, Pospisil, and Wawrinka

Ferrer’s quarter: Chardy, Janowicz, Youzhny, Haas, Anderson, Dodig, and Berdych

I don’t like to name names (I prefer to list them), but some of these names are not quite like the others. Murray and Federer probably have it worst, since they have to fight the likes of Isner and Tsonga, each other, and their own bodies. Nadal is likely to be OK (don’t tell anyone I said that) until he bumps into del Potro, who should present a formidable challenge. If Rafa gets past del Potro, he’ll have to face Murray or Federer, or possibly Tsonga, or possibly an army of venomous Australian pterodactyls. And all before meeting either Novak Djokovic or Serena Williams in the final. A tough draw.

If I had to guess—which I realize only I am obliging myself to do—despite his relatively gentle draw, Ferrer will go out before the semifinals this time. Parting ways with Javier Piles, his coach and a father-figure since childhood, is a massive change, and one that requires a period of transition. Meaning, of course, that Novak Djokovic will get to beat somebody else very quickly in the semis. Maybe Haas? Or is it possible – and now I’m dreaming big—a Haas/Wawrinka semi? Or Youzhny and Gulbis? Fognini and Berdych? Gasquet and Chardy, a fickle French affair? Tursunov and Janowicz could be entertaining if the tournament officials interviewed both guys every changeover. . .

Who am I kidding? I simply cannot imagine Djokovic losing before the very last moment (and even that is difficult to picture). So, whomever finds himself in the semis with Novak Djokovic, as the Serb seeks to clinch his fifth Australian Open title —whether it’s Ferrer, or Haas, or Jordan Thompson— I hope he’s been sleeping with his mouth closed. Because the guy who takes on Djokovic is going to need all the vigor he can muster.

But, there’s a lot of tennis to be played before the final weekend. And I couldn’t be more pleased to be headed out to watch it live. My Balsa raft and I should be washing up on Australian shores sometime during the second half of the first round. So, until then, farewell! I’m off! Next time I write, it’ll be summer.

*Although Baz Luhrmann released the song “Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen)” with voice-over by fellow Australian Lee Perry, the original words were written by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich, who also wrote the sexy (sort of) Brenda Starr comic strip for nearly 30 years. Or so Wikipedia tells me.

January 12, 2014
Australian Open Day 1 Schedule of Play / Scores: Monday, January 13

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Angelique Kerber (GER) (9) d. Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) — 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
David Ferrer (ESP) (3) d. Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) — 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Samantha Stosur (AUS) (17) d. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) — 6-3, 6-4

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Novak Djokovic (SRB) (2) d. Lukas Lacko (SVK) — 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Serena Williams (USA) (1) d. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) — 6-2, 6-1

[divider]

Click here to discuss the Men’s matches in our discussion forum.

Click here to discuss the Women’s matches in our discussion forum.

[divider]

Hisense Arena – 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) (8) d. Andrey Golubev (KAZ) — 6-4, 4-1 Ret.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Na Li (CHN) (4) d. Ana Konjuh (CRO) — 6-2, 6-0

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (14) d. Kiki Bertens (NED) — 6-4, 6-4

Not Before: 5:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) (20) d. Jordan Thompson (AUS) — 1-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (22) d. Venus Williams (USA) — 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Tomas Berdych (CZE) (7) d. Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ) — 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Julia Goerges (GER) d. Sara Errani (ITA) (7) — 6-3, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Luksika Kumkhum (THA) d. Petra Kvitova (CZE) (6) — 6-2, 1-6, 6-4

Not Before 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Denis Istomin (UZB) d. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) — 6-4, 7-5, 6-4

[divider]

Show Court 2 – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) (31) d. Heather Watson (GBR) — 7-5, 3-6, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Matthew Ebden (AUS) d. Nicolas Mahut (FRA) — 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 0-6, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) (28) d. Samuel Groth (AUS) — 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Lauren Davis (USA) d. Sachia Vickery (USA) — 6-3, 6-3

[divider]

Show Court 3 – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) (18) d. Laura Robson (GBR) — 6-3, 6-0

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d. Vera Zvonareva (RUS) — 6-2, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Richard Gasquet (FRA) (9) d. David Guez (FRA) — 7-5, 6-4, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d. Tommy Haas (GER) (12) — 7-5, 5-2 Ret.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Sabine Lisicki (GER) (15) d. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) — 6-2, 6-1

[divider]

Court 5 – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Irina Falconi (USA) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) — 6-3, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Dominic Thiem (AUT) d. Joao Sousa (POR) — 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3)

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) d. Carlos Berlocq (ARG) — 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-2

[divider]

Court 6 – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Belinda Bencic (SUI) d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) — 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) (23) d. Juan Monaco (ARG) — 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Jie Zheng (CHN) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) (12) — 6-4, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) d. Ricardas Berankis (LTU) — 7-5, 7-5, 6-2

[divider]

Court 7 – 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) d. Dudi Sela (ISR) — 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Fabio Fognini (ITA) (15) d. Alex Bogomolov Jr. (RUS) — 6-3, 6-2 Ret.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Monica Niculescu (ROU) d. Shahar Peer (ISR) — 6-4, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) d. Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) — 6-3, 6-2

[divider]

Court 8 – 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Sam Querrey (USA) d. Santiago Giraldo (COL) — 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3)

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Kenny De Schepper (FRA) d. Di Wu (CHN) — 7-5, 7-5, 7-6(2)

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Mona Barthel (GER) d. Shuai Zhang (CHN) — 7-6(4), 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Alison Riske (USA) d. Elena Vesnina (RUS) (23) — 6-2, 6-2

[divider]

Court 10 – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) d. Pauline Parmentier (FRA) — 6-0, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Damir Dzumhur (BIH) d. Jan Hajek (CZE) — 6-4, 6-2, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Lucie Hradecka (CZE) d. Donna Vekic (CRO) — 6-3, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) d. Albert Montanes (ESP) — 6-1, 6-3, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Vesna Dolonc (SRB) d. Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) — 2-6, 6-2, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) — 7-6(5), 6-3

[divider]

Court 11 – 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Alejandro Falla (COL) d. Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) — 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Madison Keys (USA) d. Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) — 6-2, 6-7(8), 9-7

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) d. Lukasz Kubot (POL) — 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

[divider]

Court 13 – 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Ivan Dodig (CRO) (32) d. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) — 7-6(8), 6-3, 7-6(4)

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (28) d. Alexandra Cadantu (ROU) — 6-0, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Annika Beck (GER) d. Petra Martic (CRO) — 6-0, 6-0

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Tommy Robredo (ESP) (17) d. Lukas Rosol (CZE) — 6-1, 6-7(7), 3-6, 7-6(5), 8-6

[divider]

Court 15 – 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) d. Steve Johnson (USA) — 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) (30) d. Hao Chen Tang (CHN) — 7-5, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Lucie Safarova (CZE) (26) d. Julia Glushko (ISR) — 7-5, 3-6, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) (30) d. Michael Russell (USA) — 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

[divider]

Court 19 – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) d. Caroline Garcia (FRA) — 6-2, 7-6(7)

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Kevin Anderson (RSA) (19) d. Jiri Vesely (CZE) — 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Pablo Andujar (ESP) d. Albert Ramos (ESP) — 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

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Court 20 – 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) (14) d. Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) — 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Virginie Razzano (FRA) d. Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) — 7-6(3), 7-6(3)

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Julien Benneteau (FRA) d. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) — 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2

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Court 22 – 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Monica Puig (PUR) d. Anna Tatishvili (GEO) — 6-2, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Florian Mayer (GER) d. Denis Kudla (USA) — 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) (29) d. Jesse Huta Galung (NED) — 6-2, 6-4, 6-4

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Brian Giesen

January 11, 2014