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| TENNIS |
| AUSTRALIAN OPEN - Day 6 Review. Melbourne Park, Saturday 19th January 2008. |
| SEEDWATCH - Mens Singles First Round Completed 1 - Roger Federer (SUI) - Through to round 4 2 - Rafael Nadal (ESP) - Through to round 4 3 - Novak Djokovic (SRB) - Through to round 4 4 - Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) - Through to round 4 5 - David Ferrer (ESP) - Through to round 3 6 - Andy Roddick (USA) - Eliminated round 3 7 - Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) - Eliminated round 3 8 - Richard Gasquet (FRA) - Through to round 4 9 - Andy Murray (GBR) - Eliminated round 1 10 - David Nalbandian (ARG) - Through to round 3 11 - Tommy Robredo - Eliminated round 2 12 - James Blake (USA) - Through to round 4 13 - Tomas Berdych (CZE) - Through to round 4 14 - Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) - Through to round 4 15 - Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) - Eliminated round 3 16 - Carlos Moya (ESP) - Eliminated round 1 17 - Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) - Eliminated round 1 18 - Juan Ignatio Chela (ARG) - Eliminated round 1 19 - Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) - Through to round 4 20 - Ivo Karlovic (CRO) - Eliminated round 3 21 - Juan Monaco (ARG) - Eliminated round 3 22 - Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) - Through to round 3 23 - Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) - Through to round 4 24 - Jarkko Niemenem (FIN) - Through to round 4 25 - Fernando Verdasco (ESP) - Eliminated round 2 26 - Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) - Eliminated round 2 27 - Nicolas Almagro (ESP) - Eliminated round 1 28 - Gilles Simon (FRA) - Eliminated round 3 29 - Philipp Kolschreiber (GER) - Through to round 4 30 - Radek Stepanek (CZE) - Eliminated round 1 31 - Igor Andreev (RUS) - Eliminated round 3 32 - Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) - Eliminated round 2 |
| SEEDWATCH - Womens Singles First Round Completed 1 - Justine Henin (BEL) - Through to round 4 2 - Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) - Eliminated round 3 3 - Jelena Jankovic (SRB) - Through to round 4 4 - Ana Ivanovic (SRB) - Through to round 4 5 - Maria Sharapova (RUS) Through to round 4 6 - Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) - Eliminated round 3 7 - Serena Williams (USA) - Through to round 4 8 - Venus Williams (USA) - Through to round 4 9 - Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) - Through to round 3 10 - Marion Bartoli (FRA) - Eliminated round 1 11 - Elena Dementieva (RUS) - Through to round 4 12 - Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) - Through to round 4 13 - Tatiana Golovin (FRA) - Eliminated round 2 14 - Nadia Petrova (RUS) - Through to round 3 15 - Patty Schnyder (SUI) - Eliminated round 2 16 - Dinara Safina (RUS) - Eliminated round 1 17 - Shahar Peer (ISR) - Eliminated round 3 18 - Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) - Eliminated round 3 19 - Sybille Bammer (AUT) - Eliminated round 2 20 - Agnes Szavay (HUN) - Eliminated round 1 21 - Alona Bondarenko (UKR) - Eliminated round 2 22 - Lucie Safarova (CZE) - Eliminated round 2 23 - Vera Zvonareva (RUS) - Eliminated round 1 24 - Na Li (CHN) - Through to round 3 25 - Francesca Schiavone (ITA) - Eliminated round 3 26 - Victoria Azarenka (BLR) - Eliminated round 3 27 - Maria Kirilenko (RUS) - Through to round 4 28 - Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) - Eliminated round 3 29 - Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)- Through to round 4 30 - Virginie Razzano (FRA) - Eliminated round 3 31 - Sania Mirza (IND) - Eliminated round 3 32 - Julia Vakulenko (UKR) - Eliminated round 1 |
Even with the best intentions, things just don't go to plan and a meticulously organised event can
descend into chaos. And that's how day 6 at the Open unfolded, a marathon day that made even
the 2am finish of day 5 seem like an early night.
Rain all day prevented any play on the outside courts; and only the two courts with retractable roofs
saw any action. But those who had tickets and got to watch some tennis certainly got more than
their money's worth; with upsets and epic encounters the order of the day.
First up on Rod Laver Arena, 6th seed Anna Chakvetadze was upset in 3 sets by Maria Kirilenko; while
meanwhile on Vodafone, 2nd seed Svetlana Kuznetsova's Australian Open campaign ended at the
hands of Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska.
7th seed Fernando Gonzales made it all the way to the final last year, but this time round he went
out in 4 sets to unseeded Croatian Marin Cilic. The second set was a marathon, going well over an
hour; and with the clock continuing to tick away the third match on Rod Laver got under way, with
Roger Federer taking on Janko Tipsarevic.
Roger Federer went all the way through last year's Open without dropping a set, and had done the
same in the first two rounds this year; but this encounter was to be a different story. The unseeded
Tipsarevic was playing the match of his life, taking the first set in a tiebreak before dropping a
marathon 80-minute second set in another tiebreak. But when Tipsarevic got a shock break late in
the third to take the set, an upset looked on the cards.
Federer lifted and took the 4th set 6-1; but the final set was to be a lot tougher. And a lot longer, as
the match passed the 4 hour mark and the set continued. Finally the defending champion took the
match 10-8 in the 5th set; but by now the time had passed 9pm and the day session was only just
concluding. And there was still a night session to come - the fans had paid good money for their
tickets and waited patiently in the rain for the day session to end; and now it was their turn to be
entertained. Although it was late, they had a full program of 2 matches to look forward to.
Meanwhile on Vodafone, James Blake had been in all sorts of trouble against Sebastian Grosjean, 2
sets down and down 4-1 with a double-break in the 3rd. But somehow the American rallied to take
the match in 5 sets. Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic had comfortable straight-sets wins, but Tomas
Berdych had a fight before getting up over Juan Monaco in 4 sets.
The night session got under way; and Venus Williams took out her match against Sania Mirza. It went
off in straight sets, but Mirza had chances to take a marathon first set before going down in a
tie-break. And although it was now nearly midnight, the feature match between local hero Lleyton
Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis was still to come.
And what a match it was. Fortunes fluctated through the night, as the clock continued to tick away.
By 1am, Baghdatis had taken the first set. Hewitt had equalised by 2am. Despite the late hour, most
of the crowd stayed; enthralled by the dramatic match. Hewitt took the third, and Baghdatis fought
back to take the 4th in a tie-break. Finally at 4:42am it was Hewitt who took the honours. The
crowd had come for a Saturday night session, but were greeted to a Sunday sunrise as they made
their way home after an amazing night.
descend into chaos. And that's how day 6 at the Open unfolded, a marathon day that made even
the 2am finish of day 5 seem like an early night.
Rain all day prevented any play on the outside courts; and only the two courts with retractable roofs
saw any action. But those who had tickets and got to watch some tennis certainly got more than
their money's worth; with upsets and epic encounters the order of the day.
First up on Rod Laver Arena, 6th seed Anna Chakvetadze was upset in 3 sets by Maria Kirilenko; while
meanwhile on Vodafone, 2nd seed Svetlana Kuznetsova's Australian Open campaign ended at the
hands of Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska.
7th seed Fernando Gonzales made it all the way to the final last year, but this time round he went
out in 4 sets to unseeded Croatian Marin Cilic. The second set was a marathon, going well over an
hour; and with the clock continuing to tick away the third match on Rod Laver got under way, with
Roger Federer taking on Janko Tipsarevic.
Roger Federer went all the way through last year's Open without dropping a set, and had done the
same in the first two rounds this year; but this encounter was to be a different story. The unseeded
Tipsarevic was playing the match of his life, taking the first set in a tiebreak before dropping a
marathon 80-minute second set in another tiebreak. But when Tipsarevic got a shock break late in
the third to take the set, an upset looked on the cards.
Federer lifted and took the 4th set 6-1; but the final set was to be a lot tougher. And a lot longer, as
the match passed the 4 hour mark and the set continued. Finally the defending champion took the
match 10-8 in the 5th set; but by now the time had passed 9pm and the day session was only just
concluding. And there was still a night session to come - the fans had paid good money for their
tickets and waited patiently in the rain for the day session to end; and now it was their turn to be
entertained. Although it was late, they had a full program of 2 matches to look forward to.
Meanwhile on Vodafone, James Blake had been in all sorts of trouble against Sebastian Grosjean, 2
sets down and down 4-1 with a double-break in the 3rd. But somehow the American rallied to take
the match in 5 sets. Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic had comfortable straight-sets wins, but Tomas
Berdych had a fight before getting up over Juan Monaco in 4 sets.
The night session got under way; and Venus Williams took out her match against Sania Mirza. It went
off in straight sets, but Mirza had chances to take a marathon first set before going down in a
tie-break. And although it was now nearly midnight, the feature match between local hero Lleyton
Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis was still to come.
And what a match it was. Fortunes fluctated through the night, as the clock continued to tick away.
By 1am, Baghdatis had taken the first set. Hewitt had equalised by 2am. Despite the late hour, most
of the crowd stayed; enthralled by the dramatic match. Hewitt took the third, and Baghdatis fought
back to take the 4th in a tie-break. Finally at 4:42am it was Hewitt who took the honours. The
crowd had come for a Saturday night session, but were greeted to a Sunday sunrise as they made
their way home after an amazing night.
| THE AUSSIES: Mens Singles, Third Round: 19 - Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) d 15 - Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 4-6 7-5 7-5 6-7(4) 6-3 THE SEEDS: Mens Singles, Third Round: 1 - Roger Federer (SUI) d Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-7(5) 7-6(1) 5-7 6-1 10-8 3 - Novak Djokovic (SRB) d Sam Querrey (USA) 6-3 6-1 6-3 Marin Cilic (CRO) d 7 - Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 6-2 6-7(4) 6-3 6-1 12 - James Blake (USA) d Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 4-6 2-6 6-0 7-6(5) 6-2 13 - Tomas Berdych (CZE) d 21 - Juan Monaco (ARG) 3-6 6-3 7-6(5) 6-2 Womens Singles, Third Round: 29 - Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d 2 - Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-3 6-4 4 - Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d 28 - Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 6-3 6-4 27 - Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d 6 - Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 6-7(6) 6-1 6-2 8 - Venus Williams (USA) d 31 - Sania Mirza (IND) 7-6(0) 6-4 |