Harboursport - Australian Open Day 12 2009

TENNIS

AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Day 12 review - Friday 30th January 2009.

The second mens’ semi-final was an epic; one of the all-time classic matches in grand slam history.
And at 5 hours and 16 minutes, the longest ever at the Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal was the hottest of favourites, but fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco put up an
amazing fight. Both had similar game styles, taking time between points to deliberate over their
moves. Long baseline rallies were common. And with so little between the players, long games with
multiple deuces were frequent; but service breaks were not.
Neither player was able to break serve in the first set; and, aided by a lucky net cord rebound,
Verdasco took out the tie-break. And when Nadal held serve to lead 5-4 in the second, it looked to be
headed similarly.
Nadal then briefly asserted himself, breaking Verdasco to take the set and breaking Verdasco’s
serve in the second game of the third to take the lead. But Verdasco immediately broke back; and
despite each player taking another service break the third set was to go to a tie-break, where Nadal
prevailed.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern to the first, with all 12 games going with serve before
Verdasco took the tie-break to take the match to a fifth set. Although by now it was past midnight, the
crowd remained; awestruck by the quality of tennis on display.
And so, despite suffering from heat and fatigue, with the clock passing 1am, the players battled on,
neither prepared to concede an inch in what had become a battle of nerves. But finally in the 10th
game it was Verdasco who cracked, dropping his serve to hand Nadal the match. Anti-climactically,
the end came from a double-fault; but the crowd stood and cheered as one in appreciation of both
players for a sensational match, one that is surely the highlight of the 2009 Australian Open.
And so the final everyone wanted has come – Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal. A true blockbuster for
Sunday night.
The first championship decided was the womens' doubles, with the Williams sisters taking out the
title after a straight-sets win over Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama. For Serena Williams, it could
be the first of two titles for this year's championships if she can defeat Dinara Safina in tomorrow's
womens' singles final.

HARBOURSPORT

WOMENS DOUBLES - FINAL
10 - Serena Williams(USA) / Venus Williams(USA)
def
9 - Daniela Hantuchova(SVK) / Ai Sugiyama(JPN)
6-3 6-3

The Aussies
Junior Girls Doubles, Semi-Finals
6 - Christina McHale(USA)/Ajla Tomljanovic(CRO) d Isabella Holland(AUS)/Sally Peers(AUS) 6-4
4-6                        [10-8]

The Seeds
Mens Singles, Semi-Final
1 - Rafael Nadal(ESP) d 14 - Fernando Verdasco(ESP) 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4

Junior Boys Singles, Semi-Finals
1 - Yuki Bhambri(IND) d 7 - Adrien Puget(FRA) 6-4 6-4
Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas(GER) d 2 - Julen Uriguen(GUA) 6-4 6-4

Junior Girls Singles, Semi-Finals
5 - Laura Robson(GBR) d 1 - Noppawan Lertcheewakarn(THA) 6-4 6-3
3 - Ksenia Pervak(RUS) d 2 - Ana Bogdan(ROU) 6-1 6-3

Junior Boys Doubles, Semi-Finals
Mikhal Biryukov(RUS)/Yasutaka Uchiyama(JPN) d 1 - Yuki Bhambri(IND)/Liang-Chi Huang(TPE)
6-3                         6-1
7 - Francis Casey Alcantara(PHI)/Cheng-Peng Hsieh(TPE) d Maximilian
Neuchrist(AUT)/Tristan-                                Samuel Weissborn(AUT) 7-6 6-4

The Others
Mixed Doubles, Semi-Finals
Sania Mirza(IND)/Mahesh Bhupathi(IND) d Iveta Benesova(CZE)/Lukas Dlouhy(CZE) 6-4 6-1

Quad Wheelchair Singles
Peter Norfolk(GBR) d Nicholas Taylor(USA) 7-5 6-1

SEEDWATCH - Mens Singles

1 – Rafael Nadal (ESP) - Through to Final
2 – Roger Federer (SUI) – Through to Final
3 – Novak Djokovic (SRB) – Eliminated Quarter Final
4 – Andy Murray (GBR) - Eliminated Round 4
5 – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) - Eliminated Qtr Final
6 – Gilles Simon (FRA) - Eliminated Quarter Final
7 – Andy Roddick (USA) – Eliminated Semi Final
8 – Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) – Eliminated Qtr Final
9 – James Blake (USA) - Eliminated Round 4
10 – David Nalbandian (ARG) – Eliminated Round 2
11 – David Ferrer (ESP) – Eliminated Round 3
12 – Gael Monfils (FRA) - Eliminated Round 4
13 – Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) - Eliminated Round 4
14 – Fernando Verdasco (ESP)- Eliminated Semi Final
15 – Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) – Eliminated Round 3
16 – Robin Soderling (SWE) – Eliminated Round 2
17 – Nicolas Almagro (ESP) - Eliminated Round 3
18 – Igor Andreev (RUS) - Eliminated Round 3
19 – Marin Cilic (CRO) – Eliminated Round 4
20 – Tomas Berdych (CZE) – Eliminated Round 4
21 – Tommy Robredo (ESP) – Eliminated Round 4
22 – Radek Stepanek (CZE) - Eliminated Round 3
23 – Mardy Fish (USA) – Eliminated Round 3
24 – Richard Gasquet (FRA) - Eliminated Round 3
25 – Ivo Karlovic (CRO) - Eliminated Round 2
26 – Marat Safin (RUS) – Eliminated Round 3
27 – Feliciano Lopez (ESP) – Eliminated Round 1
28 – Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) – Eliminated Round 2
29 – Dmitry Tursinov (RUS) - Eliminated Round 1
30 – Rainier Schuettler (GER) - Eliminated Round 1
31 – Jurgen Melzer (AUT) - Eliminated Round 3
32 – Philipp Kolschreiber (GER) – Eliminated Round 2

SEEDWATCH - Womens Singles

1 – Jelena Jankovic (SRB) – Eliminated Round 4
2 – Serena Williams (USA) - Through to Final
3 – Dinara Safina (RUS) – Through to Final
4 – Elena Dementieva (RUS) - Eliminated Semi Final
5 – Ana Ivanovic (SRB) – Eliminated Round 3
6 – Venus Williams (USA) - Eliminated Round 2
7 – Vera Zvonareva (RUS) – Eliminated Semi Final
8 – Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) - Eliminated Qtr Final
9 – Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) - Eliminated Rnd 1
10 – Nadia Petrova (RUS) – Eliminated Round 4
11 – Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) – Eliminated Round 3
12 – Flavia Pennetta (ITA) - Eliminated Round 3
13 – Victoria Azarenka (BLR) - Eliminated Round 4
14 – Patty Schnyder (SUI) - Eliminated Round 2
15 – Alize Cornet (FRA) – Eliminated Round 4
16 – Marion Bartoli (FRA) – Eliminated Quarter Final
17 – Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) – Eliminated Round 2
18 – Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) - Eliminated Round 4
19 – Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) – Eliminated Round 3
20 – Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) - Eliminated Round 3
21 – Anabel Medina Garriques (ESP) - Elim Round 4
22 – Jie Zheng (CHN) - Eliminated Round 4
23 – Agnes Szavay (HUN) – Eliminated Round 1
24 – Sybille Bammer (AUT) – Eliminated Round 1
25 – Kaia Kanepi (EST) – Eliminated Round 3
26 – Ai Sugiyama (JPN) – Eliminated Round 3
27 – Maria Kirilenko (RUS) – Eliminated Round 1
28 – Francesca Schiavone (ITA) - Eliminated Round 1
29 – Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) – Eliminated Round 4
30 – Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) - Eliminated Round 1
31 – Alona Bondarenko (UKR) - Eliminated Round 3
32 – Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) - Eliminated Rnd 1