Tennis Frontier

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Australian Open Day 8 Schedule of Play / Scores: Monday, January 20

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) (20) d. Maria Sharapova (RUS) (3) — 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (2) d. Sloane Stephens (USA) (13) — 6-3, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 4
Rafael Nadal (ESP) (1) d. Kei Nishikori (JPN) (16) — 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-6(3)

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 4
Roger Federer (SUI) (6) d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (10) — 6-3, 7-5, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) (5) d. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) — 6-1, 6-3

[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 Doubles – Round 3
Eric Butorac (USA) / Raven Klaasen (RSA) d. Bob Bryan (USA) (1) / Mike Bryan (USA) (1) — 7-6(9), 6-4

Not Before: 1:00 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 4
Simona Halep (ROU) (11) d. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (8) — 6-4, 2-6, 6-0

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) (2) / Rohan Bopanna (IND) (2) d. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) / John Peers (AUS) — 7-6(5), 7-5

Not Before: 4:30 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 4
Andy Murray (GBR) (4) d. Stephane Robert (FRA) — 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-2

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) (7) / Lucie Safarova (CZE) (7) d. Madison Keys (USA) / Alison Riske (USA) — 6-4, 6-3

Not Before: 1:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 4
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (22) d. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) — 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (3) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) (3) d. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) (15) / Lisa Raymond (USA) (15) — 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Sania Mirza (IND) (6) / Horia Tecau (ROU) (6) d. Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) / Colin Fleming (GBR) — 6-2, 6-2

[divider]

Show Court 2 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 3
Max Mirnyi (BLR) / Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) d. Julien Benneteau (FRA) (11) / Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) (11) — 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Not Before: 12:30 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 3
Daniel Nestor (CAN) (8) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) (8) d. Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL) (9) / Marcin Matkowski (POL) (9) — 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Cara Black (ZIM) (6) / Sania Mirza (IND) (6) d. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) / Vera Dushevina (RUS) — 6-4, 6-3

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) (6) / Matthew Ebden (AUS) (6) d. Kveta Peschke (CZE) (7) / Marcin Matkowski (POL) (7) — 6-4, 3-6 [10-6]

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Jie Zheng (CHN) / Scott Lipsky (USA) d. Alicja Rosolska (POL) / Johan Brunstrom (SWE) — 6-3, 6-4

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) / Leander Paes (IND) d. Elena Vesnina (RUS) (8) / Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) (8) — 6-0, 2-6 [10-6]

[divider]

Show Court 3 — Not Before: 12:30 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 3
Lukasz Kubot (POL) (14) / Robert Lindstedt (SWE) (14) d. Ivan Dodig (CRO) (4) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) (4) — 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 3
Raquel Kops-Jones (USA) (8) / Abigail Spears (USA) (8) d. Alize Cornet (FRA) / Caroline Garcia (FRA) — 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) (4) / Max Mirnyi (BLR) (4) d. Casey Dellacqua (AUS) / Ross Hutchins (GBR) — 6-4, 6-4

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) / Daniel Nestor (CAN) d. Lisa Raymond (USA) / Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL) — 6-4, 6-1

[divider]

Court 7

Mixed Doubles – Round 2
Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) (5) / Bruno Soares (BRA) (5) d. Abigail Spears (USA) / Dominic Inglot (GBR) — 6-7(5), 7-5 [10-8]

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): pasukaru76

January 19, 2014
Ongoing Commitments

As intimated earlier in the week, one of the more fascinating battles going on this week has been waged not between players, but between the media and the English language. This has entailed an exhaustive quest for original ways to describe the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Rennae Stubbs found a way, though it didn’t necessarily lead to victory: “Can she survive in this heat, which is extraordinarily hot?” Rhetorically, we might generously call this a polyptoton, although it would exhaust generosity to call it a good one. On the other hand, Serena Williams’s assertion that the Australian Open is “a great start to the beginning of the year” is just a tautology. That’s okay – words are not her business. Her business is winning tennis matches. Thankfully Darren Cahill was on hand to explain in simple terms how she not only continues to do so, but is actually getting better at it, in clear defiance of her age.

Today Williams faced Daniela Hantuchova, who several days ago achieved the rarest feat in tennis: prompting the commentators to add a new line item to her official fact sheet. In this case the new fact is that she can play the piano, an astonishing feat that was demonstrated to the gobsmacked Australian media several days ago, who summarily dubbed her “a concert pianist”. The fact sheet having been amended, there’s now a legal obligation to bring up her astounding musical prowess whenever she appears on screen. From today: “She’s so good at so many things: tennis, piano . . .” The media love nothing more than celebrities – athletes, actors, US presidents – demonstrating hitherto unrevealed musical talents, no matter how meagre those talents truly are. The fact is, Hantuchova is a concert pianist in the same way that I am a professional tennis player. YouTube suggests her pianistic wizardry has been revealed many times before. (For the record, Williams was out of sorts, but still won. Hantuchova played very well.)

Of course, supplementary talents don’t have to be musical. Anything not directly related to tennis will do, down to and including functional literacy. More than once I’ve heard Janko Tipsarevic called a “borderline genius” because he has read Dostoevsky. Perhaps Benjamin Becker should try that, since the poor guy’s fact sheet hasn’t been updated in nearly eight years, and still only features two items. Firstly, he isn’t related to Boris (Boris confirmed this personally in the Australian Open’s draw ceremony). Secondly, he was the guy up the other end in Andre Agassi’s last match (Boris also mentioned this, amply fulfilling his ongoing commitment to supply no insight whatsoever).

Speaking of Agassi, he’s back on Australian television screens this year, fulfilling his ongoing commitment to talk very slowly over thinly-disguised Jacob’s Creek commercials. The overall success of the campaign is apparent in this year’s expanded budget. This time the ads are shot on location, and feature an extended cast including Steffi Graf, Agassi’s brother Phil, his Dad Mike, and Gil Reyes (who was included last year, but this time has more to do). The glacial solemnity of the delivery and the intrusive soundtrack as ever lend Agassi’s inspirational words a slightly creepy edge. It’s no stretch to imagine the weapons-grade sentimentality of the opening film breaking tough prisoners at a secret torture facility. After that, however, something miraculous happens — the rest of the ads are actually pretty good. As far as I can tell they each reprise material already featured in Open, but that’s understandable; any anecdote worthy of a wine commercial shouldn’t be omitted from one’s autobiography. ‘Magic’, the fourth and final film, is a trifle overwrought, with a syrupy orchestral track and a “magic mountain”. This mountain is the one Agassi would famously toil upon in order to prepare for Australia’s cruel conditions, its magic evident in its efficacy. Few players have mastered those conditions more thoroughly. Thirteen years ago I watched Agassi run David Prinosil into the ground on a very hot Melbourne afternoon, until the German keeled over and couldn’t get up. Times were different, and I don’t recall that it was regarded as a moral issue. If Prinosil was still playing, no doubt it’d be on his fact sheet.

For the longest time, networks kept their fact sheets safely out of sight, but no longer. Channel 7, in line with its “ongoing commitment to the evolution of tennis coverage”, has recently taken to sharing selected titbits before each match. A box pops up on screen, titled “Things You May Not Know”. For example, did you know that Sam Stosur loves to play “Bejeweled Blitz” on her phone? I hope not. Did you know that Hantuchova loves the film Gladiator? Of course you did: she’s a professional tennis player, and they all do. Apparently Benoit Paire is called ‘‘The Stork” because he is tall and thin. Just in case you assumed it was because he is a qualified midwife. Last night he recovered from two sets down, running Nick Kyrgios into the ground on a very hot Melbourne evening. It was tremendous entertainment, initially contoured by the Frenchman’s forehand, which for long periods barely worked at all, and later by the Australian’s legs, which gave out entirely. Given his technical issues, it was a commendably patient performance from Paire, laced with just enough of his characteristic lunacy to keep things interesting. Kyrgios is the image of untrammelled youth on court, but afterwards was as gracious and thoughtful as you could hope for.

Juan Martin del Potro last night contrived to lose to a laudably determined (and surprisingly inspired) Roberto Bautista-Agut. Del Potro was considered a pre-tournament favourite, or at any rate represented the sole reason to believe Rafael Nadal wouldn’t reach the semifinals unhindered. Nadal wasn’t significantly hindered by Thanasi Kokkinakis, conceding just eight games, although those eight games were accumulated with sufficient panache that Australians now feel some reason to maintain hope for the future, a rare sensation in these Tomic times. Andy Murray was completely untroubled by Vincent Millot, even, it turned out, when he trailed 1-5 in the third set. Roger Federer was imperious against Blaz Kavcic for two sets, then merely good enough for one more. The main interest, apparently, was that Federer was scheduled to play on Hisense Arena, the first time this has occurred since Gladiator appeared on DVD, to the collective ecstasy of both professional tours. Britain’s The Telegraph contended that this reflected Federer’s “current status among the also-rans of the top 10”, although they failed to address what this says about Murray, who as of the third round will have played on Hisense twice. Interviewed after the match, Federer gave every impression that he didn’t much care where he played, though the Hisense crowd couldn’t have been more delirious in their appreciation that he’d played right there in front of them.

Gilles Simon followed up his complicated five-set victory against Daniel Brands with another against Marin Cilic, all on a broken foot. Details have been slow to emerge, but it seems Cilic served for every set at least fifteen times, and that at one stage play was suspended when an escaped panther wandered onto court. Simon will next face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Florian Mayer beat Jerzy Janowicz in straight sets today, a stunning upset that more or less everyone expected. Janowicz’s form convinced no one this week, and after losing he conceded he hadn’t spent sufficient time on Magic Mountain, mostly due to injury. He struggled mightily in the heat, but insisted it was his own fault, an unpopular attitude that will certainly go unreported. Mayer will next face David Ferrer, whose quarter is so short on marketable quality that he has already played twice in Rod Laver Arena. It could be, per The Telegraph, that this merely reflects his exalted position among the elite, but I doubt whether anyone truly believes that. If he’d been drawn in the top half, one doubts whether he’d see the inside of Laver before the quarterfinals. He’d be confined to Hisense, in much the same way that Javier Piles once confined him to an extraordinarily hot ball-closet for shirking his piano practice. Or so the official fact sheet says.

January 18, 2014
Australian Open Day 6 Schedule of Play / Scores: Saturday, January 18

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Maria Sharapova (RUS) (3) d. Alize Cornet (FRA) (25) — 6-1, 7-6(6)

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Roger Federer (SUI) (6) d. Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) — 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) d. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (10) — 4-6, 7-5, 6-3

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (2) d. Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) — 6-1, 6-0

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Rafael Nadal (ESP) (1) d. Gael Monfils (FRA) (25) — 6-1, 6-2, 6-3

[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
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (8) d. Kurumi Nara (JPN) — 6-4, 7-5

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) (5) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) (29) — 5-7, 6-2, 6-2

Not Before: 2:30 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Andy Murray (GBR) (4) d. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (26) — 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-2

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (10) d. Gilles Simon (FRA) (18) — 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) (20) d. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) (16) — 6-1, 6-0

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Sloane Stephens (USA) (13) d. Elina Svitolina (UKR) — 7-5, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (22) d. Milos Raonic (CAN) (11) — 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(10)

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Kei Nishikori (JPN) (16) d. Donald Young (USA) — 7-5, 6-1, 6-0

[divider]

Show Court 2 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Rohan Bopanna (IND) (7) / Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) (7) d. Colin Fleming (GBR) / Ross Hutchins (GBR) — 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Timea Babos (HUN) / Petra Martic (CRO) d. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) (5) / Casey Dellacqua (AUS) (5) — 6-1, 6-3

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) d. Benoit Paire (FRA) (27) — 6-2, 6-1, 6-4

Not Before: 4:00 P.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Bob Bryan (USA) (1) / Mike Bryan (USA) (1) d. Robin Haase (NED) / Christopher Kas (GER) — 6-3, 6-2

[divider]

Show Court 3 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 3
Simona Halep (ROU) (11) d. Zarina Diyas (KAZ) — 6-1, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 3
Stephane Robert (FRA) d. Martin Klizan (SVK) — 6-0, 7-6(2), 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Alize Cornet (FRA) / Caroline Garcia (FRA) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) / Samantha Stosur (AUS) — 6-3, 7-6(4)

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Alex Bolt (AUS) / Andrew Whittington (AUS) d. David Marrero (ESP) (3) / Fernando Verdasco (ESP) (3) — 7-6(4), 6-3

[divider]

Court 6 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Cara Black (ZIM) (6) / Sania Mirza (IND) (6) d. Monica Niculescu (ROU) / Klara Zakopalova (CZE) — 7-5, 6-1

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Leander Paes (IND) (5) / Radek Stepanek (CZE) (5) d. Daniele Bracciali (ITA) / Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) — 6-1, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Alexander Peya (AUT) (2) / Bruno Soares (BRA) (2) d. Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) / Rajeev Ram (USA) — 6-4, 7-6(7)

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Sania Mirza (IND) (6) / Horia Tecau (ROU) (6) d. Hao-Ching Chan (TPE) / Robert Lindstedt (SWE) — 4-6, 7-6(3) [10-8]

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Julia Goerges (GER) / Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) d. Donna Vekic (CRO) / Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) — 6-3, 6-4

[divider]

Court 7 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Monique Adamczak (AUS) / Olivia Rogowska (AUS) d. Julia Goerges (GER) (14) / Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) (14) — 6-2, 6-3

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Eric Butorac (USA) / Raven Klaasen (RSA) d. Jamie Murray (GBR) (15) / John Peers (AUS) (15) — 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) / Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d. Oliver Marach (AUT) / Florin Mergea (ROU) — 7-6(3), 6-3

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (3) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) (3) d. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) / Karin Knapp (ITA) — 6-4, 6-3

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) (1) / Alexander Peya (AUT) (1) d. Vera Dushevina (RUS) / Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) — 6-3, 7-6(5)

[divider]

Court 8 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL) (9) / Marcin Matkowski (POL) (9) d. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) / Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) — 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(4)

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) / Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) (11) / Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) (11) — 6-4, 7-5

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) (15) / Lisa Raymond (USA) (15) d. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) / Stefanie Voegele (SUI) — 6-2, 6-3

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Ivan Dodig (CRO) (4) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) (4) d. Simone Bolelli (ITA) / Fabio Fognini (ITA) — 2-6, 6-1, 6-4

[divider]

Court 13 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) / Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) d. Annika Beck (GER) / Andrea Petkovic (GER) — 6-4, 6-2

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Madison Keys (USA) / Alison Riske (USA) d. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) (12) / Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (12) — 7-5, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Julien Benneteau (FRA) (11) / Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) (11) d. Johan Brunstrom (SWE) / Frederik Nielsen (DEN) — 0-6, 7-5, 6-3

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) / Matthew Ebden (AUS) d. Storm Sanders (AUS) / Chris Guccione (AUS) — 6-2, 6-4

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) (5) / Bruno Soares (BRA) (5) d. Cara Black (ZIM) / Jamie Murray (GBR) — 6-2, 6-4

[divider]

Court 15 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 2
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) (7) / Lucie Safarova (CZE) (7) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) / Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) — 6-2, 6-2

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Treat Huey (PHI) (12) / Dominic Inglot (GBR) (12) d. Andreas Seppi (ITA) / Potito Starace (ITA) — 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1

Men’s Doubles – Round 2
Daniel Nestor (CAN) (8) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) (8) d. Marin Draganja (CRO) / Mate Pavic (CRO) — 7-5, 6-1

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) (2) / Rohan Bopanna (IND) (2) d. Raquel Kops-Jones (USA) / Treat Huey (PHI) — 6-2, 6-3

Mixed Doubles – Round 1
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) / Daniel Nestor (CAN) d. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) / Raven Klaasen (RSA) — 7-5, 6-3

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Gypsy Saskia

January 17, 2014
Australian Open Day 4 Schedule of Play / Scores: Thursday, January 16

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Maria Sharapova (RUS) (3) d. Karin Knapp (ITA) — 6-3, 4-6, 10-8

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (10) d. Christina McHale (USA) — 6-0, 1-6, 6-2

Not Before: 2:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Rafael Nadal (ESP) (1) d. Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) — 6-2, 6-4, 6-2

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (2) d. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) — 6-1, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Andy Murray (GBR) (4) d. Vincent Millot (FRA) — 6-2, 6-2, 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 2
Elina Svitolina (UKR) d. Olivia Rogowska (AUS) — 6-4, 7-5

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (10) d. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) — 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) (5) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) — 6-0, 7-5

Not Before: 5:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Roger Federer (SUI) (6) d. Blaz Kavcic (SLO) — 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(4)

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Gael Monfils (FRA) (25) d. Jack Sock (USA) — 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-2

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Alize Cornet (FRA) (25) d. Camila Giorgi (ITA) — 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Sloane Stephens (USA) (13) d. Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) — 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

Not Before: 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Benoit Paire (FRA) (27) d. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) — 6-7(5), 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

[divider]

Show Court 2 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) (16) d. Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) — 7-6(2), 3-6, 8-6

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) (5) / Casey Dellacqua (AUS) (5) d. Alexandra Panova (RUS) / Karolina Pliskova (CZE) — 6-1, 6-1

Not Before: 6:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) d. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (5) — 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5

[divider]

Show Court 3 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Donald Young (USA) d. Andreas Seppi (ITA) (24) — 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) d. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) (31) — 7-6(1), 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

[divider]

Court 5 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Jamie Murray (GBR) (15) / John Peers (AUS) (15) d. Matt Reid (AUS) / Luke Saville (AUS) — 7-6(4), 7-6(6)

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Monica Niculescu (ROU) / Klara Zakopalova (CZE) d. Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) / Sorana Cirstea (ROU) — 6-3, 6-2

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Julien Benneteau (FRA) (11) / Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) (11) d. Mikhail Elgin (RUS) / Denis Istomin (UZB) — 6-2, 6-4

[divider]

Court 6 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Kei Nishikori (JPN) (16) d. Dusan Lajovic (SRB) — 6-1, 6-1, 7-6(3)

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) d. Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) — 6-3, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (22) d. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) — 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(11)

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) (33) — 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

[divider]

Court 7 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) (7) / Lucie Safarova (CZE) (7) d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) / Shuai Zhang (CHN) — 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Max Mirnyi (BLR) / Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) d. Nicholas Monroe (USA) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) — 6-3, 7-6(7)

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) / Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Irina Buryachok (UKR) / Oksana Kalashnikova (GEO) — 6-1, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (26) d. Michael Berrer (GER) — 6-4, 7-6(6), 6-4

[divider]

Court 8 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Simona Halep (ROU) (11) d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) — 4-6, 6-0, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Stephane Robert (FRA) d. Michal Przysiezny (POL) — 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (8) d. Ayumi Morita (JPN) — 6-2, 6-0

[divider]

Court 10 — 6:00 P.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Alize Cornet (FRA) / Caroline Garcia (FRA) d. Marina Erakovic (NZL) (10) / Jie Zheng (CHN) (10) — 6-3, 6-3

[divider]

Court 11 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Michael Llodra (FRA) (13) / Nicolas Mahut (FRA) (13) d. Pablo Andujar (ESP) / Leonardo Mayer (ARG) — 6-3, 7-5

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Rohan Bopanna (IND) (7) / Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) (7) d. Rameez Junaid (AUS) / Adrian Mannarino (FRA) — 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5)

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Simone Bolelli (ITA) / Fabio Fognini (ITA) d. Ryan Harrison (USA) / Sam Querrey (USA) — 6-2, 7-5

[divider]

Court 13 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) d. Marina Erakovic (NZL) — 6-4, 6-0

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) (20) d. Stefanie Voegele (SUI) — 6-0, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Milos Raonic (CAN) (11) d. Victor Hanescu (ROU) — 7-6(9), 6-4, 6-4

[divider]

Court 15 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Cara Black (ZIM) (6) / Sania Mirza (IND) (6) d. Tammi Patterson (AUS) / Arina Rodionova (AUS) — 6-1, 6-4

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Sara Errani (ITA) (1) / Roberta Vinci (ITA) (1) d. Mona Barthel (GER) / Megan Moulton-Levy (USA) — 7-5, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Gilles Simon (FRA) (18) d. Marin Cilic (CRO) — 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2

[divider]

Court 19 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) (29) d. Mandy Minella (LUX) — 6-2, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 2
Martin Klizan (SVK) d. Blaz Rola (SLO) — 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(2)

[divider]

Court 20 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Robin Haase (NED) / Christopher Kas (GER) d. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) / Andrey Golubev (KAZ) — 4-6, 6-2, 7-5

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Lucie Hradecka (CZE) / Michaella Krajicek (NED) d. Kiki Bertens (NED) / Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) — 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 2
Kurumi Nara (JPN) d. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) (32) — 6-4, 6-3

[divider]

Court 22 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) (2) / Shuai Peng (CHN) (2) d. Eva Hrdinova (CZE) / Paula Ormaechea (ARG) — 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 6-0

Men’s Doubles – Round 1
Alex Bolt (AUS) / Andrew Whittington (AUS) d. Julian Knowle (AUT) / Vasek Pospisil (CAN) — 1-2 Ret.

Women’s Doubles – Round 1
Annika Beck (GER) / Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. Olga Savchuk (UKR) / Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) — 6-4, 6-2

[divider]

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Athena Lao

January 15, 2014
Australian Open Day 2 Schedule of Play / Scores: Tuesday, January 14

[Scores added as known.]

Rod Laver Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (2) d. Johanna Larsson (SWE) — 7-6(2), 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Roger Federer (SUI) (6) d. James Duckworth (AUS) — 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Andreas Seppi (ITA) (24) d. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) — 7-6(4), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5

Not Before 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Rafael Nadal (ESP) (1) d. Bernard Tomic (AUS) — 6-4 Ret.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Maria Sharapova (RUS) (3) d. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) — 6-3, 6-4

[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 1
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (10) d. Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) — 6-0, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (10) d. Filippo Volandri (ITA) — 7-5, 6-3, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) (5) d. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) — 6-0, 5-7, 6-2

Not Before: 5:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Andy Murray (GBR) (4) d. Go Soeda (JPN) — 6-1, 6-1, 6-3

[divider]

Margaret Court Arena — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Simona Halep (ROU) (11) d. Katarzyna Piter (POL) — 6-0, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) (20) d. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) — 6-3, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (8) d. Misaki Doi (JPN) — 6-1, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (5) d. Rhyne Williams (USA) — 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Not Before7:00 P.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Gael Monfils (FRA) (25) d. Ryan Harrison (USA) — 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

[divider]

Show Court 2 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Kei Nishikori (JPN) (16) d. Marinko Matosevic (AUS) — 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) (31) d. Ze Zhang (CHN) — 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) (32) d. Andrea Petkovic (GER) — 6-2, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Elina Svitolina (UKR) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) (19) — 6-3, 6-3

[divider]

Show Court 3 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) (16) d. Vania King (USA) — 6-3, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Camila Giorgi (ITA) d. Storm Sanders (AUS) — 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) d. Benjamin Becker (GER) — 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(2)

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) d. Igor Sijsling (NED) — 7-6(4), 0-6, 7-6(3), 6-2

[divider]

Court 5 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Michal Przysiezny (POL) d. Horacio Zeballos (ARG) — 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-5

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) d. Katerina Siniakova (CZE) — 6-2, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Michael Berrer (GER) d. Michael Llodra (FRA) — 6-4, 7-5, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) d. Tadeja Majeric (SLO) — 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-4

[divider]

Court 6 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Alize Cornet (FRA) (25) d. Polona Hercog (SLO) — 1-0 Ret.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Martin Klizan (SVK) d. John Isner (USA) (13) — 6-2, 7-6(6) Ret.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Benoit Paire (FRA) (27) d. Frank Dancevic (CAN) — 7-6(12), 6-3, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Olivia Rogowska (AUS) d. Mariana Duque-Marino (COL) — 6-3, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Sloane Stephens (USA) (13) d. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) — 7-6(1), 6-3

[divider]

Court 7 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Stephane Robert (FRA) d. Aljaz Bedene (SLO) — 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-0

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) d. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) — 7-5, 7-5

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) d. Kaia Kanepi (EST) (24) — 6-2, 2-6, 6-2

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Gilles Simon (FRA) (18) d. Daniel Brands (GER) — 6-7(4), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 16-14

[divider]

Court 8 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Milos Raonic (CAN) (11) d. Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) — 7-6(2), 6-1, 4-6, 6-2

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Kurumi Nara (JPN) d. Shuai Peng (CHN) — 7-5, 4-6, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Ayumi Morita (JPN) d. Nadiya Kichenok (UKR) — 6-2, 7-6(5)

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Marin Cilic (CRO) d. Marcel Granollers (ESP) — 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2

[divider]

Court 10 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Christina McHale (USA) d. Yung-Jan Chan (TPE) — 7-5, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Blaz Rola (SLO) d. Federico Delbonis (ARG) — 6-4, 6-2, 7-5

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) d. Tim Smyczek (USA) — 6-2, 6-1, 6-1

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Karin Knapp (ITA) d. Paula Ormaechea (ARG) — 6-4, 6-2

[divider]

Court 11 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) d. Jimmy Wang (TPE) — 6-3, 6-2, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) d. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) — 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2, 6-0

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) d. Timea Babos (HUN) — 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) d. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) — 7-6(3), 6-4

[divider]

Court 13 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) d. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) — 6-1, 4-6, 6-1

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) d. Radek Stepanek (CZE) — 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-1, 2-0 Ret.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Donald Young (USA) d. Robin Haase (NED) — 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-2, 1-0 Ret.

[divider]

Court 15 — 11:00 A.M.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) d. Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) — 7-5, 4-6, 7-5

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Mandy Minella (LUX) d. Carina Witthoeft (GER) — 6-1, 6-4

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Olga Govortsova (BLR) d. Ying-Ying Duan (CHN) — 6-0, 7-6(6)

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Jack Sock (USA) d. Tobias Kamke (GER) — 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-2, 6-4

[divider]

Court 19 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (22) d. Bradley Klahn (USA) — 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) (29) d. Teliana Pereira (BRA) — 7-6(7), 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (26) d. Somdev Devvarman (IND) — 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(2)

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) (33) d. Jana Cepelova (SVK) — 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-3

[divider]

Court 20 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) d. Lucas Pouille (FRA) — 6-4, 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) d. Julian Reister (GER) — 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) Ret.

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Marina Erakovic (NZL) d. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) (21) — 6-4, 7-6(6)

[divider]

Court 22 — 11:00 A.M.

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Victor Hanescu (ROU) d. Peter Gojowczyk (GER) — 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-3

Women’s Singles – Round 1
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) — 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

Men’s Singles – Round 1
Vincent Millot (FRA) d. Wayne Odesnik (USA) — 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): evil monkey

January 13, 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 – Men’s Draw

Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are in the top half; David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic in bottom half.

Click here to discuss the Australian Open Men’s Draw in our discussion forum.

The full draw:

First Quarter

Rafael Nadal (ESP) (1)
Bernard Tomic (AUS)

Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
Igor Sijsling (NED)

Tobias Kamke (GER)
Jack Sock (USA)

Ryan Harrison (USA)
Gael Monfils (FRA) (25)

Andreas Seppi (ITA) (24)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)

Robin Haase (NED)
Donald Young (USA)

Qualifier
Lucas Pouille (FRA)

Marinko Matosevic (AUS)
Kei Nishikori (JPN) (16)

Milos Raonic (CAN) (11)
Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)

Qualifier
Victor Hanescu (ROU)

Qualifier
Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)

Bradley Klahn (USA)
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (22)

Benoit Paire (FRA) (27)
Qualifier

Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
Benjamin Becker (GER)

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
Tim Smyczek (USA)

Qualifier
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) (5)
[divider]

Second Quarter
Andy Murray (GBR) (4)
Go Soeda (JPN)

Qualifier
Qualifier

Qualifier
Michael Llodra (FRA)

Somdev Devvarman (IND)
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (26)

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) (21)
Aljaz Bedene (SLO)

Michal Przysiezny (POL)
Horacio Zeballos (ARG)

Qualifier
Federico Delbonis (ARG)

Qualifier
John Isner (USA) (13)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (10)
Filippo Volandri (ITA)

Qualifier
Julian Reister (GER)

Marin Cilic (CRO)
Marcel Granollers (ESP)

Daniel Brands (GER)
Gilles Simon (FRA) (18)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) (31)
Qualifier

Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS)
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)

Radek Stepanek (CZE)
Blaz Kavcic (SLO)

James Duckworth (AUS)
Roger Federer (SUI) (6)

[divider]

Third Quarter
Tomas Berdych (CZE) (7)
Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ)

Di Wu (CHN)
Kenny De Schepper (FRA)

Jan Hajek (CZE)
Qualifier

Ivo Karlovic (CRO)
Ivan Dodig (CRO) (32)

Kevin Anderson (RSA) (19)
Jiri Vesely (CZE)

Qualifier
Joao Sousa (POR)

Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)
Tommy Haas (GER) (12)

Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) (14)
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

Florian Mayer (GER)
Qualifier

Albert Ramos (ESP)
Pablo Andujar (ESP)

Jordan Thompson (AUS)
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) (20)

Jeremy Chardy (FRA) (29)
Jesse Huta Galung (NED)

Qualifier
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)

Steve Johnson (USA)
Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Alejandro Gonzalez (COL)
David Ferrer (ESP) (3)

[divider]

Fourth Quarter

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) (8)
Andrey Golubev (KAZ)

Alejandro Falla (COL)
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)

Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
Matthew Ebden (AUS)

Samuel Groth (AUS)
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) (28)

Tommy Robredo (ESP) (17)
Lukas Rosol (CZE)

Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
Julien Benneteau (FRA)

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Lukasz Kubot (POL)

Qualifier
Richard Gasquet (FRA) (9)

Fabio Fognini (ITA) (15)
Alex Bogomolov Jr. (RUS)

Dudi Sela (ISR)
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)

Santiago Giraldo (COL)
Sam Querrey (USA)

Juan Monaco (ARG)
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) (23)

Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) (30)
Michael Russell (USA)

Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Denis Istomin (UZB)

Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
Albert Montanes (ESP)

Lukas Lacko (SVK)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) (2)

January 10, 2014
Nadal Tops Monfils at Qatar Open

Rafael Nadal overcame Gael Monfils to capture his first title of 2014 at the Qatar Open in Doha, his maiden trophy here in five attempts, where it was Monfils himself who twice sent the Spaniard packing in previous years, but couldn’t make it a third time today.

Nadal raced through the first set while Monfils appeared to still be gathering himself, but the Frenchman led the entertaining second by a break for most of it. The Spaniard broke back, but Monfils took it in the tiebreak. Nadal broke early in the third, and didn’t look back, winning the match and the trophy: 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2.

This is the world No. 1’s 61st career title, one behind Guillermo Vilas’s total, putting him 7th on the all-time list. The only active player with more titles is Roger Federer, who is looking for his 78th tomorrow in Brisbane versus Lleyton Hewitt. The Frenchman has reached 20 career finals, but has won just four.

Photo credit: Marianne Bevis (Creative Commons License)

January 4, 2014
David, Rafa and Nole’s Excellent Adventure in South America

This part of the off-season is about sending off David Nalbandian, and to a lesser extent, Nicolas Massú. Nadal and Djokovic, the world’s numbers 1 and 2, have joined in for exhibition matches and festivities. Here’s some of the news from the front in the Spanish-language press.

The red-carpet was rolled out in Chile. The tennis players were received by President Sebastian Piñera. Nicolas Massú, who has also retired this year, was quoted as saying, “To have the honor of sharing this with Rafa, Novak, and David is a pleasure for anyone who cares about tennis.” Massú has now signed on as the Chilean Davis Cup captain. Chilean future hopeful Christian Garin was also in attendance. Also while in Chile, during a presser with Djokovic, Nalbandian, and Massú, Rafael Nadal offered to translate for Novak, and, hilariously, started restating what Nole said…in English. He had to be reminded that he was speaking English. He excused himself in Spanish, then saying, “At this point, I think English is my first language.” Likely it’s his first “press-conference” language, anyway.

[divider]

They also played some tennis in Córdoba, Nalbandian’s home town. Massú beat Nalbandian, 6-4, 6-2, and Djokovic got it over Nadal 7-6(3), 6-4. According to the Chilean press: “That never seemed like an exhibition, except for in the second set, where they joked about some fantastic points.” Otherwise the press in Spanish reckoned that they took it very seriously, for a “friendly.” The only break of serve came in the penultimate game of the second set. Interesting. I guess it’s not so easy for them to leave all the competitiveness aside.

In his home town, Nalbandian also beat Nadal 6-4, 7-6(6).

This is a particularly great point from the match:

[divider]

In between the exhibitions, Nalbandian and Nadal appeared together on the Susana Gutierrez show, a major talk show in Argentina. King David looked tanned and relaxed, and sartorially resplendent in a navy shirt, pink jacket, and red shoes. Nadal, according to the hostess, looked surprising tall. (“They always tell me that,” he said.) The conversation was light and full of humor. When asked about some of the longest matches they’d ever played, Nalbandian mentioned the six-and-a-half hour doubles match he’d played vs. Russia in Davis Cup. “Even I got bored,” said Nalbandian, to much laughter. Nadal said his was in Australia, lasting six hours, vs. Djokovic. “You must have won,” says la Susana. “No, I lost,” admitted Nadal, with a smile.

When the hostess told David that everyone was heartbroken that he was retiring, he said, “Don’t be sad. Anyway, it was a great excuse to get Rafa to Argentina.” The two do seem to be very genial friends.

You can see the videos of their appearance on the show here:

[divider]

Before everyone got back together in Buenos Aires, Nadal and Djokovic met in Patagonia for a hit-around with the glaciers as background. They took part in an exhibition on Friday, hitting on a barge in front of the Perito Moreno Glacier, near the southern extremity of Argentina. From Nadal: “I’ve just been in one of the most spectacular places that I’ve ever seen before, the Perito Moreno! Really amazing!”

[divider]

Novak and Rafa also got to hit goals in the Boca stadium in Buenos Aires. Not sure why River couldn’t get their attention, but:

In the rematch between Nadal and Djokovic in Buenos Aires, Nadal prevailed, 6-4, 7-5.

(Listening to Djokovic’s speech in Spanish, it seems clear he was coached by Rafa, because he used the Spanish idioms!)

Nadal and Djokovic then combined to play doubles against Nalbandian and Monaco. By all accounts, they had a very good laugh. At one point, Djokovic threw himself to the ground so as not to be hit by Rafa’s serve. Nalbandian feigned arguments with the chair, and Monaco tried to hit his opponents at the net.

Clearly, Nalbandian was well sent-off. The Chilean and Argentinian fans were greatly entertained, and Rafa and Novak seemed to have more-than-a-little fun. An Excellent Adventure, indeed.

November 26, 2013
What’s Next?

The Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals, Final

[2] Novak Djokovic def [1] Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4

[6] Verdasco/Marrero def [1] Bryan/Bryan 7-5, 6-7 (3), 10-7

Hello.

I know. It’s been awhile. And I’m sorry about that. But I did bring excuses. Some of them are even good ones. Others are distinctly less good-– such as, for instance, would you believe that a few days after the US Open final a convocation of eagles flew in through my office window and made off with my laptop? Or that in October a lamentation of swans invaded my living room and ate the TV? A bevy of larks broke in last week and took off with all my pens? Or, wait, here’s one: How about that I kept trying to watch Asian Swing tennis after work but the Tennis Channel was only showing matches from 2012? (Bingo!) See, a whole flock of excuses. But suffice it for now to say: I’m back, and just in time to say goodbye to another tennis season, to close the book on a heroic tale so many tennis fans fervently hope is only half-finished. That’s right — I’m talking about Fernando Verdasco’s doubles career.

The Spaniard and his compatriot, David Marrero, defeated the No. 1 ranked Bryan brothers 10-7 in the super tiebreak to claim the WTF beribboned doubles cup. The celebration and victory speech from the Spanish pair could hardly have been more emotional and touching, even by Verdasco’s extraverted, emoticoned standards. I only got home to my TV (a special swan-proof model) in time to see Verdasco win the final point of the match (a serve), and even without knowing anything about the dramatic arc of the match, I was immediately caught up in the exuberance of the moment. First, Verdasco fell joyfully to the ground. Then he got back up, leapt into his partner’s arms and hugged him with all four limbs before running to the sidelines to hug an entire century’s worth of Spaniards. Verdasco then wrote twelve stanzas of free verse poetry on the TV camera lens, and joined forces with Marrero—who became emotionally overcome while dedicating the victory to his late grandfather—to give the season’s most heartwarming acceptance speech. It was a lovely moment, and made me wish I’d seen the tennis that inspired it. (After the trophy presentation both men were stripped from the waist up, interviewed, and made to declare their intention to, first put clothes on, and then go eat Spanish food in South Kensington. Huzzah.)

I did, however, see all the points of the thirty-ninth chapter in the Nadal v. Djokovic rivalry. So far as tennis rivalries go, it’s hard to fathom how anybody could still argue against this one being among the very best. The pair has met fifteen times since 2011, and all but two of those encounters were tournament finals. (Both other meetings were semifinals: Roland Garros and Beijing in 2013. The match on the Paris clay was made of such high-quality drama that I wouldn’t be surprised if, going forward, it’s frequently misremembered as the tournament final.) Sure, the six-hour-long Australian Open final in 2012 could be accused of being a too-drawn-out slug-fest, but the rivalry has matured considerably over the past two years, with both players (and their ever-present support squads) devising new and more intricate ways to torture each other on the tennis court.

Unfortunately, no matter how good the rivalry, an individual tennis match tends not to soar to the outer-reaches of greatness when one half of the participants forgets to bring his forehand to the court. Novak Djokovic, ever the generous competitor, tried to make up for Rafael Nadal’s absentmindedness by playing super incredibly well from pretty much everywhere on the court, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quite compensate for Rafa’s missing forehand. (Even Djokovic isn’t quick enough to return his own serves.)

The world No. 2 held easily to open the match, then broke fairly easily, then held again. By the time we reached 3-0 in the opening set Novak had won 12 points to Nadal’s four, and Rafa’s game was looking as if his second serve might have run off with his forehand (probably to South Kensington to eat gambas al ajillo with Fernando). When Djokovic nearly broke the Spaniard again in the fourth game, the Serb decided he had to change tactics if there was any hope of elevating this edition of The Rivalry off the plywood floor. So, Djokovic started to make strange errors on his own forehand wing, and the backhand one, too. And it worked like a charm. Rafa held, and then broke back, and then held again.

By now—we’re at 3-3 in the first, in case you’ve lost count—Djokovic realized that if he went on smothering his forehand and forcing his backhand wide, he might actually not win the match, especially considering that Nadal had begun to play somewhat more assertively and that wary, feral gleam was now visible in the Spaniard’s eyes. Since losing the final of the Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals would have been no good at all for Djokovic’s twenty-something match win streak (tennis players tend to prefer their streaks to their rivalries), he resumed playing incredibly well and quickly went back to winning the match.

The highlight of the day came on break point at 3-4 on Nadal’s serve. The point, which you must watch if you haven’t seen it, featured stunning movement and hands from both men. But it was Djokovic who hit the eye-popping lob and Djokovic who won the point, and therefore it was the Serb who was entitled to claim the bonus loot, aka “the manna of destiny.” In the next game, Nadal won a point almost as good to go up 30-15 on Djokovic’s serve—Rafa slammed a muscular forehand down-the-line and followed it up by a no-look jumping backhand volley winner—but Djokovic got a lucky net cord the very next point and therefore collected double manna, which he promptly cashed in for an ace on set point.

From there the Serb looked like he was made of stars, while Rafael Nadal kept on fending off break points like a man who refused to be forced to earth. (Nadal defended 8 of 11 break points, compared with Novak’s 2 of 3.) But despite Nadal’s best psychological efforts, and perhaps because of several forehand errors, Djokovic still managed to break early in the second set. It should be said that Rafa brought his full measure of grit to the contest—fighting off two championship points before sending one of his trademark forehands just wide on the third— but he simply did not have the game today, while Djokovic had more than plenty. The final score was a surprisingly straightforward 6-3, 6-4.

After the match, as I waited patiently for the ATP Steering Committee to take their places near the trophy table, and for a nice lady named Rebecca to walk the trophy out onto the court, I took a moment to reflect on the state of men’s tennis today. Yesterday’s WTF semifinals featured Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Stanislas Wawrinka. Federer has career 77 titles, Nadal has 60, Djokovic now has 41. The 27-year-old Wawrinka has collected four. Nadal eased by Federer in the first semifinal, despite being outplayed in throughout most of the first set. Wawrinka was psychologically overmatched from the start and didn’t offer Djokovic anything like the fight he showed in Australia or New York. And while I agree with Darren Cahill that Roger Federer is likely to have a better 2014 than his 2013, he is 32 years old. Who’s next?

Even if Nadal didn’t play anything like his best tennis today, both men belonged in the final ATP match of the year. They’ve been several cuts above the competition for the majority of the season. Nadal will finish the “most emotional season” he’s had as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. Djokovic will be right behind him, at No. 2, with a Major title to defend in two months’ time. As exciting as it’s going to be to watch and see where 2014 takes this rivalry, it’s hard to imagine who is going to be able to hang in there with these two. Healthy versions of Murray, Federer, and del Potro? Pierre-Hugues Herbert? Martin Alund? Whomever he is, he’s going to need to be very good at tennis, and even better at summoning destiny.

When Novak Djokovic accepted his WTF trophy, he thanked the London crowd for coming out all week to watch tennis. “Thank you for appreciating what we do,” he said. “It means a lot to us.” This isn’t the first time Djokovic has thanked a crowd for hanging in there through a tournament or a match. He has a way of sounding not only grateful, but also surprised that people turn up to watch him—one of the greatest tennis players in the game—play great tennis. Nadal and Djokovic will both take home more than a million dollars for their London efforts, but it’s still the human recognition that counts. That’s heartwarming. Not quite a Fernando-Verdasco-hug level heartwarming, but nice nonetheless.

It’s also why I would like somebody to tell Djokovic—and Rafa and the rest—that I have plans to fly all the way across the Pacific Ocean to turn up to watch them play tennis at the Australian Open. I’m sure it will mean a lot to them. It also means that I will be able to write to you all about it. And that means a lot to me.

Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): Marianne Bevis

November 12, 2013