Australian Open Day 1: Monday, January 19

[Carol]

http://youtu.be/5vtOmA_Z7jU

Well played Rafa!

 

[pavlik89]

Grigor Dimitrov vs Dustin Brown FULL MATCH HD Australian Open 2015

http://www.tennishdhighlights.com/australian-open/2015-2/

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Rafa played really great in his first round match against mad doctor. He served especially well.
He is going to be very dangerous at this fast rate of shaking up the rust. If he gets past Lukas,
he will make a minimum of SF, if not more.

He still hits a few short balls in return games and that will go away soon too.

 

[Denis]

I wonder if Gulbis just thinks it's still Christmas or whether he is back on his way to the Challenger tour. Not so good results as of late.

 

[mrzz]

Rafa played really great in his first round match against mad doctor. He served especially well.
He is going to be very dangerous at this fast rate of shaking up the rust. If he gets past Lukas,
he will make a minimum of SF, if not more.

He still hits a few short balls in return games and that will go away soon too.

Really? I saw just two different sets of highlights... but the match seemed in slow motion... and 90% of the balls both guys played (at least on the highlights) were short.

 

[Carol]

Rafa played really great in his first round match against mad doctor. He served especially well.
He is going to be very dangerous at this fast rate of shaking up the rust. If he gets past Lukas,
he will make a minimum of SF, if not more.

He still hits a few short balls in return games and that will go away soon too.

Really? I saw just two different sets of highlights... but the match seemed in slow motion... and 90% of the balls both guys played (at least on the highlights) were short.

You should have seen the whole match

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Rafa played really great in his first round match against mad doctor. He served especially well.
He is going to be very dangerous at this fast rate of shaking up the rust. If he gets past Lukas,
he will make a minimum of SF, if not more.

He still hits a few short balls in return games and that will go away soon too.

Really? I saw just two different sets of highlights... but the match seemed in slow motion... and 90% of the balls both guys played (at least on the highlights) were short.

Well, the problem devil) with Rafa is that with each match he will be improving exponentially.
So, he needsto be eliminated fast. You cannot say anything about his form based on his second match which is a gimme. I expected little bit more of a fight from Youzhny. But, he went out rather lamely.
BTW, am I the only one to think the mad doctor seems to have lost considerable weight?

Although, the opponents are different, Rafa lost just 7 games compared to Roger's 11 and
Andy's 13. On paper Andy had the easiest opponent (someone ranked 317, the lowest
ranked player in the entire draw and someone playing a GS match for the first time). I look
forward to seeing Rafa/Lukas match.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rafa had a promising start,playing against The Youz was a good first match for Rafa
Still there is a long way to go.That also applies for all players

 

[tented]

Well, the problem devil) with Rafa is that with each match he will be improving exponentially.
So, he needsto be eliminated fast. You cannot say anything about his form based on his second match which is a gimme.

When will you learn that nothing is a gimme. Wasn't Berrer a gimme? Darcis? Klizan? Brown?

 

[Carol]

Rafa had a promising start,playing against The Youz was a good first match for Rafa
Still there is a long way to go.That also applies for all players

Exactly, that applies for all players and of course more to the ones who were long time out of the court due to injuries or surgeries

 

[the AntiPusher]

I wonder if Gulbis just thinks it's still Christmas or whether he is back on his way to the Challenger tour. Not so good results as of late.

Denisovich, Gulbis's is a billionaire, Everyday day is Xmas for Ernie G.

 

[Kirijax]

Not a big fan or anything, but glad to see Kyrgios make it through. Hate to see a career derailed by injury. Maybe he can get it going again after a good Aussie run.

 

[mrzz]

Well, the problem devil) with Rafa is that with each match he will be improving exponentially.
So, he needsto be eliminated fast.

Here's the point. I agree with you that he is able to improve exponentially: credit to him for that, one of the main reasons of his huge achievments.

But Tented put it perfectly: weren't all the Rosols of the world a gimme? That's why I asked you if you saw the match, because the actual score line does not mean much, but you can access his form from what you are in fact seeing. And, exponential or not, where he gets depends also from where he starts. From what I saw, if I were a Nadal fan (which I am not, even if I admire him a lot), I would be very worried. On the other hand, if he can pull out a win out of this, hats of to him.

And, again, I don't agree with the "need to be eliminated fast". If that were to happen, I would find it good for one reason: the draws from here to Roland Garros would become very shuffled, and it would be fun, at least for me. On the other hand, even if I am not an asterisk spotter, a GS win with Nadal on the way would be surely more valuable to anyone, not just Federer.

For Federer, in fact, it would be much more than going from 17 to 18. It would give a new look at his biography.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

As a Rafa fan I watched the whole match and I am not Worried at all
One of the most promising signs for me was Rafa's movement in the match.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I did see the match. Rafa's serve was really good. The short balls seem to be still a problem.
I did not see the sequence of multiple vicious topspin forehand routine in this match, but I
think it is because it was not needed. As Youzhny did not provide enough of a challenge, it
is little bit hard to assess Rafa's level though.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well we could all say that about Roger and Murray as well in their first rd matches?
It is delusional to take any form from the top players,usually in the first week all players are still working out any kinks in their games
Lets wait till the business end of a Grand Slam,the 2nd week.Thats where it Counts.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Well we could all say that about Roger and Murray as well in their first rd matches?

I beg to differ. Both Yuki and Lu gave a decent fight although the outcome was never in doubt.
With the mad doctor, the fight was not there at all.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Hats off to Aussie men. Five of the eight who played on the opening day won: Tomic, Kokinakis,
Kyrgios, Groth and Mattosevic.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Oh please is it Rafa's fault he wasnt tested in his first rd match,that was the draw he was given
I am certain Rafa will be tested as he moves through the draw.

 

[Riotbeard]

Well we could all say that about Roger and Murray as well in their first rd matches?
It is delusional to take any form from the top players,usually in the first week all players are still working out any kinks in their games
Lets wait till the business end of a Grand Slam,the 2nd week.Thats where it Counts.

I thought he was moving quite well, especially when capitalizing on short balls and hitting forehands down the line. He looked really good honestly.