novak looks likely to struggle to be honest early and he is a candidate to be knocked out in the first week. baghdatis is 201 bucks to win the tournement and lleyton is 101 bucks to win the tournement
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AFLW 2024 - Round 6 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Australian Open 2010
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Yeah he's had an ordinary lead up, but I can't see any one in the first week beating him.
Up to the fourth round he's got a pretty easy draw, really. Normally you'd say Chardy would be a threat, but his form has been diabolical so far.
Fourth round really depends on who he plays. Youzhny might be a shout, but I can't imagine he'd lose to any one there if he can play himself into some form.
Who watched Tomic vs the Joker? Djokovic got paid to lose I reckon was just hitting everything back to Tomic. Was a joke.
CHBench
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- Jan 20, 2008
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Qualifiers drawn.
Sam drew Chinese teen Xinyun Han. Doesn't matter how shit her form has been, no excuses now.
Groth vs Arviddson
Tomic vs Rufin
Feel sorry for Yanina Wickmayer. Only conceded 1 game in her last 2 matches and she gets dealt into the death 3rd quarter. She did get Dulgheru up first though, who probably is the weakest player in the whole draw.
Sam drew Chinese teen Xinyun Han. Doesn't matter how shit her form has been, no excuses now.
Groth vs Arviddson
Tomic vs Rufin
Feel sorry for Yanina Wickmayer. Only conceded 1 game in her last 2 matches and she gets dealt into the death 3rd quarter. She did get Dulgheru up first though, who probably is the weakest player in the whole draw.
Gift
Norm Smith Medallist
Tomic still needs a lot of improvement with his consistency... Djokovic just poked all the balls back and Tomic still made so many unforced errors.
matt_897
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Thankfully Sam didn't get Wickmayer, no excuses for her now, play liek you should be able to Sam.
OOP is released as well, looks like my Hisense ticket won't be used at all unless it does actually rain. Tomic is 2nd on MCA, also looking forward to seeing Rogowska plys Ebden ahs got the night session on MCA as well..
The RLA session is what I expected, although Luczak/Nadal starts first and then Dokic/Kelybanova
OOP is released as well, looks like my Hisense ticket won't be used at all unless it does actually rain. Tomic is 2nd on MCA, also looking forward to seeing Rogowska plys Ebden ahs got the night session on MCA as well..
The RLA session is what I expected, although Luczak/Nadal starts first and then Dokic/Kelybanova
there isn't much you can take out of a match like that, it was hit to hit just about.
- Jul 11, 2007
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Hewitt may be able to take a set off Federer, but Toby Thurstans has more chance of winning the 2010 brownlow medal than hewitt does in beating federer.
As for Wimbledon last year, I was shocked, and I'll be shocked if he can beat a top 4 player at a grand slam for the rest of his career.
- Jul 11, 2007
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Worst I've ever seen Djokovic play. Surely/hopefully he was taking the piss.
I felt like I was watching a high school tennis match.
RLA and Hisense tickets are really just a rain insurance policy for the first few days, rarely an entertaining match to be seen on these courts early on. If I was going on Monday i'd be tempted to park myself on court 3 all day.
Got myself tickets to both Rod Laver and Hisense for the first four days, forked out a bit more cash but I figure it's worth it. Yes the first few rounds on RLA are rubbish and yes I spend about 70% of my time on the outside courts anyway but in case of heat, rain and the odd good match, I'm happy. 
TBH the Day 1 schedule doesn't look overly appealing as always seems to be the case. I reckon every single year I look at the draw for Monday and feel a little underwhelmed, but anyway.
Stupid Monfils the MCA night match.
As soon as he drew an Aussie I knew that'd happen. These are the matches I would like to see:
Sharapova/Kirilenko (looking like my decision paid off now)
Tomic/Rufin while hopefully catching a bit of Roddick/de Bakker
Murray/Anderson
Cirstea/Rogowska ← my favourite of the day! Can't lose really.
TBH the Day 1 schedule doesn't look overly appealing as always seems to be the case. I reckon every single year I look at the draw for Monday and feel a little underwhelmed, but anyway.
Stupid Monfils the MCA night match.
As soon as he drew an Aussie I knew that'd happen. These are the matches I would like to see:Sharapova/Kirilenko (looking like my decision paid off now
)Tomic/Rufin while hopefully catching a bit of Roddick/de Bakker
Murray/Anderson
Cirstea/Rogowska ← my favourite of the day! Can't lose really.
Who's going to the thing thats just been organized for tomorrow (the Haitti fundraiser thing)? The big guns are there but it's probably some casual hitting etc/entertainment/play tennis. It's $10 only so I'm considering going.
Sharapova/Kirilenko? Yes please.
- Nov 23, 2008
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Sharapova/Kirilenko? Yes please.
Eye Candy just got real.
Will have to wake myself up for that match.
mattys123
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Sharapova/Kirilenko? Yes please.
I'm doing back flips at the moment.
Have tickets for RLA day one, 5 rows from the front, and that is the first game, can you believe it.
I was tossing up between night and day, I think I've made the right decision.
Good to see the players putting on the charity event tomorrow too, I'd go if I wasn't going in on Monday.
- Nov 23, 2008
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I reckon those tickets will be gone before 12.
Apologies for the length!
Men’s Preview:
It’s often said but never really likely to occur but this year’s Australian Open is legitimately the most wide open Slam in a number of years. It promises to be one of the most entertaining fortnights of tennis in recent years.
World #1 Roger Federer is the bookies favourite to capture his 16th Grand Slam and his first Australian Open crown since 2007. He meets Igor Andreev first up in a match that will probably be good for Federer as it’ll force him to work harder and have a greater focus than usual so early in the two week tournament. Assuming he is fit following an injury plagued Hopman Cup, he should then face Victor Hanescu in the second round. Hanescu won’t win but he’s another tough opponent with a big serve and heavy groundstrokes. He’ll seek relief in the 3rd but it’s here when things start to heat up. He’ll face one of (in order of likeliness) Baghdatis/Hewitt/Ferrer in the 4th and then in the Quarters one of either Davydenko or Verdasco will be waiting. Davydenko has won their previous two encounters and if ever he was to have a major breakthrough at a Slam it appears now is the time. Verdasco achieved his best result at a Slam at the 2009 Australian Open and he’s just claimed the title in the exhibition in Kooyong. Whoever wins that match-up will be full of confidence. At the end of the day I still expect Federer to come out of his half of the draw.
Novak Djokovic finished 2009 as the hottest player on tour as he won titles in China, Basel and Paris in the process of claiming a year high 78 wins. He took a longer offseason than most as he only returned to the courts at Kooyong this week where he didn’t do much to impress. His last two losses contained extremely average and lacklustre play and some question his mindset coming into a Slam. As for his draw, it’s ideal for a big challenge. 2 relatively unknown opponents will see him through to the 3rd round and there he’ll face Chardy whose form is awful. Things start picking up in the 4th with one of Gasquet/Robdredo/Youzhny waiting and his QF opponent will be one of Tsonga/Soderling. He’s got the talent, he’s proved he can win on this surface, but there always seems to be something that prevents Djokovic from reaching a final, something he hasn’t done since the 2008 AO. I like his draw, I loved his play in the latter stages of 2009, but there’s always lingering questions with Novak.
Rafael Nadal seems to have snuck under the radar and as defending champion he’ll be determined to capitalise on his favourable draw. Question marks remain over how his knees will hold up and whether his physical game has fully returned but a comfortable draw will hold him in good stead. He’s got Australian Peter Luczak first, likely Mayer second, and Kohlscheiber in the third. Fourth round opponent going by seed is Stepanek but could easily be Ljubicic or Fish, regardless he should easily account for these guys. If he’s on his game I don’t see him having dropped a set until the QF’s where Andy Murray should wait. Murray’s proved he can threaten, and beat Nadal on hard courts in the Slams and should the two meet it would be unbelievably entertaining. If Nadal’s knees hold up, I’d suspect he’ll reach the Semi’s.
Juan Martin Del Potro, the reigning Grand Slam champion, has a difficult draw. James Blake should be his second round opponent but Delpo should wear him down and win in 4. Troicki is his seeded opponent for the 3rd, no worries there, but his next two matches contain the talented Cilic and the proven Roddick. Cilic stretched him at the US Open and Roddick is a 4 time Semi Finalist here and is coming off a win in Brisbane. We know Delpo has the game and nerve to win the big matches at the Slams but something tells me he won’t go too deep here. If Cilic is on his game the upset could occur but even if she survives this hurdle, Roddick should prove too strong. Not liking Del Potro’s chances of reaching the Semi’s let alone claiming a second consecutive Grand Slam title.
Having now slipped to #5 in the world, Andy Murray really needs to step up and prove that he’s the real deal. He’s proved time and time again that he’s one of the best 3 set players at the MS level, but he’s yet to prove that he can sustain his play over 5 sets and beat the players with more firepower. His draw is good, qualifier first, and no threat at all will come in the first three rounds. I like Melzer’s game, who he could face in the 3rd, but his talent hasn’t claimed results. Monfils, who was forced to withdraw from Sydney due to a shoulder injury, could be his 4R opponent as could Isner who is coming off a title in Auckland. Either could be an interesting match-up but Murray should have too much class. As I’ve already stated, he’ll meet Nadal in the Quarters where his run will likely end. He had a rigorous offseason spent training in the Miami heat and he experienced the heat again at the Hopman Cup which would have benefitted his preparation. In actual fact I liked his chances to do well here but his loss against Robredo proved to me that his game hasn’t advanced to the level it needs to be. Too defensive, too unwilling to take risks when things got tight so he let Robredo dictate play and claim victory. He’s got to realise that in order to beat the best risks need to be taken and a more aggressive style of play needs to be employed. He’s likely to always be around the mark but fail to jump the final hurdle until he’s escaped this mindset.
In addition to the 6 players already mentioned, there are three more that could possibly be considered legitimate threats of reaching the final. They are Davydenko, Tsonga and Soderling. Davydenko is in the best form of his career, is coming off a title in Doha and seems to have the edge over Federer and Nadal. Judging him purely on form you’d say he should at least the Semi’s but like Murray he’s yet to prove that he can beat the best on the biggest stage. Form, fitness and confidence are working in his favour; the lack of a real big win at a Slam is the concern. Tsonga is a former finalist here and has the game to knock anyone off but other than his breakthrough tournament in 2008 he’s yet to prove that he can sustain a high level for 7 matches. Similar to Davydenko, Soderling has plenty going for him here. Unlike Davydenko, he has proved the ability to get the big win at a Slam and he’s already topped Federer this year, albeit at an exhibition. Ability to win the Australian Open? Doubtful, but he’s got the shock factor. Verdasco is another to watch, got a good draw until the 4th where he’ll run into Davydenko.
As for the first round matches to watch, Monaco vs Gulbis; who could forget the hype surrounding Gulbis this time last year? Youzhny vs Gasquet is brilliant, unlucky for both really but I’ll tip Gasquet given his efforts in Brisbane and Sydney. Roddick vs de Bakker. Theimo de Bakker was a very talented and successful junior whose career took a dive. He has since hit back and through a remarkable stretch at ITF level last year he’s back on the scene. Roddick will win, but interested in seeing Theimo. Stepanek vs Karlovic, not that I’d ever go see them play. Blake/Clement and Cilic/Santoro are two others.
Prediction: Federer def. Roddick
Federer’s the gut feel, he should always start favourite at the Slams and here’s no different. His draw is a challenge, potentially Baghdatis - Davydenko - Djokovic, but doubts exist over all three. His form in Abu Dhabi wasn’t spectacular but he treats nearly everything as warm-up to the Slams these days. The bottom half of the draw is a real tricky one, the finalist will likely come from 4 players. IF Nadal makes it to the final I’d expect him to win, but getting there will be the real test and I lost too much faith from his final few months of 2009 where he couldn't beat a top 10 player to save himself. To me Del Potro will struggle to recapture his best form and Murray hasn’t done anything to suggest he’s turned a corner. Admittedly Roddick’s knee is a worry as he said just two weeks ago his knee wasn’t quite 100% but a title in Brisbane and another weeks rest will do wonders. He’s a proven performer in Melbourne, he’s got the self belief, and I expect him to snap his streak of 4 Semi’s to reach the final but eventually lose.
Men’s Preview:
It’s often said but never really likely to occur but this year’s Australian Open is legitimately the most wide open Slam in a number of years. It promises to be one of the most entertaining fortnights of tennis in recent years.
World #1 Roger Federer is the bookies favourite to capture his 16th Grand Slam and his first Australian Open crown since 2007. He meets Igor Andreev first up in a match that will probably be good for Federer as it’ll force him to work harder and have a greater focus than usual so early in the two week tournament. Assuming he is fit following an injury plagued Hopman Cup, he should then face Victor Hanescu in the second round. Hanescu won’t win but he’s another tough opponent with a big serve and heavy groundstrokes. He’ll seek relief in the 3rd but it’s here when things start to heat up. He’ll face one of (in order of likeliness) Baghdatis/Hewitt/Ferrer in the 4th and then in the Quarters one of either Davydenko or Verdasco will be waiting. Davydenko has won their previous two encounters and if ever he was to have a major breakthrough at a Slam it appears now is the time. Verdasco achieved his best result at a Slam at the 2009 Australian Open and he’s just claimed the title in the exhibition in Kooyong. Whoever wins that match-up will be full of confidence. At the end of the day I still expect Federer to come out of his half of the draw.
Novak Djokovic finished 2009 as the hottest player on tour as he won titles in China, Basel and Paris in the process of claiming a year high 78 wins. He took a longer offseason than most as he only returned to the courts at Kooyong this week where he didn’t do much to impress. His last two losses contained extremely average and lacklustre play and some question his mindset coming into a Slam. As for his draw, it’s ideal for a big challenge. 2 relatively unknown opponents will see him through to the 3rd round and there he’ll face Chardy whose form is awful. Things start picking up in the 4th with one of Gasquet/Robdredo/Youzhny waiting and his QF opponent will be one of Tsonga/Soderling. He’s got the talent, he’s proved he can win on this surface, but there always seems to be something that prevents Djokovic from reaching a final, something he hasn’t done since the 2008 AO. I like his draw, I loved his play in the latter stages of 2009, but there’s always lingering questions with Novak.
Rafael Nadal seems to have snuck under the radar and as defending champion he’ll be determined to capitalise on his favourable draw. Question marks remain over how his knees will hold up and whether his physical game has fully returned but a comfortable draw will hold him in good stead. He’s got Australian Peter Luczak first, likely Mayer second, and Kohlscheiber in the third. Fourth round opponent going by seed is Stepanek but could easily be Ljubicic or Fish, regardless he should easily account for these guys. If he’s on his game I don’t see him having dropped a set until the QF’s where Andy Murray should wait. Murray’s proved he can threaten, and beat Nadal on hard courts in the Slams and should the two meet it would be unbelievably entertaining. If Nadal’s knees hold up, I’d suspect he’ll reach the Semi’s.
Juan Martin Del Potro, the reigning Grand Slam champion, has a difficult draw. James Blake should be his second round opponent but Delpo should wear him down and win in 4. Troicki is his seeded opponent for the 3rd, no worries there, but his next two matches contain the talented Cilic and the proven Roddick. Cilic stretched him at the US Open and Roddick is a 4 time Semi Finalist here and is coming off a win in Brisbane. We know Delpo has the game and nerve to win the big matches at the Slams but something tells me he won’t go too deep here. If Cilic is on his game the upset could occur but even if she survives this hurdle, Roddick should prove too strong. Not liking Del Potro’s chances of reaching the Semi’s let alone claiming a second consecutive Grand Slam title.
Having now slipped to #5 in the world, Andy Murray really needs to step up and prove that he’s the real deal. He’s proved time and time again that he’s one of the best 3 set players at the MS level, but he’s yet to prove that he can sustain his play over 5 sets and beat the players with more firepower. His draw is good, qualifier first, and no threat at all will come in the first three rounds. I like Melzer’s game, who he could face in the 3rd, but his talent hasn’t claimed results. Monfils, who was forced to withdraw from Sydney due to a shoulder injury, could be his 4R opponent as could Isner who is coming off a title in Auckland. Either could be an interesting match-up but Murray should have too much class. As I’ve already stated, he’ll meet Nadal in the Quarters where his run will likely end. He had a rigorous offseason spent training in the Miami heat and he experienced the heat again at the Hopman Cup which would have benefitted his preparation. In actual fact I liked his chances to do well here but his loss against Robredo proved to me that his game hasn’t advanced to the level it needs to be. Too defensive, too unwilling to take risks when things got tight so he let Robredo dictate play and claim victory. He’s got to realise that in order to beat the best risks need to be taken and a more aggressive style of play needs to be employed. He’s likely to always be around the mark but fail to jump the final hurdle until he’s escaped this mindset.
In addition to the 6 players already mentioned, there are three more that could possibly be considered legitimate threats of reaching the final. They are Davydenko, Tsonga and Soderling. Davydenko is in the best form of his career, is coming off a title in Doha and seems to have the edge over Federer and Nadal. Judging him purely on form you’d say he should at least the Semi’s but like Murray he’s yet to prove that he can beat the best on the biggest stage. Form, fitness and confidence are working in his favour; the lack of a real big win at a Slam is the concern. Tsonga is a former finalist here and has the game to knock anyone off but other than his breakthrough tournament in 2008 he’s yet to prove that he can sustain a high level for 7 matches. Similar to Davydenko, Soderling has plenty going for him here. Unlike Davydenko, he has proved the ability to get the big win at a Slam and he’s already topped Federer this year, albeit at an exhibition. Ability to win the Australian Open? Doubtful, but he’s got the shock factor. Verdasco is another to watch, got a good draw until the 4th where he’ll run into Davydenko.
As for the first round matches to watch, Monaco vs Gulbis; who could forget the hype surrounding Gulbis this time last year? Youzhny vs Gasquet is brilliant, unlucky for both really but I’ll tip Gasquet given his efforts in Brisbane and Sydney. Roddick vs de Bakker. Theimo de Bakker was a very talented and successful junior whose career took a dive. He has since hit back and through a remarkable stretch at ITF level last year he’s back on the scene. Roddick will win, but interested in seeing Theimo. Stepanek vs Karlovic, not that I’d ever go see them play. Blake/Clement and Cilic/Santoro are two others.
Prediction: Federer def. Roddick
Federer’s the gut feel, he should always start favourite at the Slams and here’s no different. His draw is a challenge, potentially Baghdatis - Davydenko - Djokovic, but doubts exist over all three. His form in Abu Dhabi wasn’t spectacular but he treats nearly everything as warm-up to the Slams these days. The bottom half of the draw is a real tricky one, the finalist will likely come from 4 players. IF Nadal makes it to the final I’d expect him to win, but getting there will be the real test and I lost too much faith from his final few months of 2009 where he couldn't beat a top 10 player to save himself. To me Del Potro will struggle to recapture his best form and Murray hasn’t done anything to suggest he’s turned a corner. Admittedly Roddick’s knee is a worry as he said just two weeks ago his knee wasn’t quite 100% but a title in Brisbane and another weeks rest will do wonders. He’s a proven performer in Melbourne, he’s got the self belief, and I expect him to snap his streak of 4 Semi’s to reach the final but eventually lose.
Women’s Preview:
Williams escaped a ban, Henin is back, Clijsters continues to improve, Sharapova’s drawn out ‘title defence’, there are plenty of headlines for this year’s Australian Open.
Kim Clijsters made the bold statement that she is 25% fitter and stronger than she was when she won the US Open. She’s just claimed more success courtesy of a win over Henin in the stunning Brisbane final and her draw is good. Qualifier first, Karatancheva second and the inconsistent Petrova in the 3rd. Likely to face Kuznetsova in the 4th but she’s in a bit of trouble as she admitted her preparation has virtually been non existent. Dementieva or Henin will be there in the Quarters and this will probably be the biggest test as I can’t see anyone on the bottom section of the half beating here. Jankovic, Safina and Sharapova all seem to be well off their games and Kim should beat them comfortably. Hard to see anyone knocking off Clijsters in Melbourne, she’s just too good.
World #1 Serena Williams appeared to be primed for her title defence but a knee injury suffered in the Sydney International has dented her chances. Her draw will give her injury time to settle as in all honesty, it’s pretty much just a whole bunch of headcases until the Semi’s. Azarenka or Ivanovic might meet her in the QF, and her SF opponent could be anyone, possibly even Wozniacki. I think she’ll reach the final, her draw really is as good as she could’ve hoped for.
Victoria Azarenka’s form late in 2009 was average and she finds herself with a new coach as she tries to fulfil her potential. She was unlucky at this tournament last year as she was a set up against eventual champion Serena before being forced to retire due to illness. Her form in Sydney was reasonable at best with 3 three set victories against lesser ranked opponents before a crunching loss to Dementieva. The talent is clearly there; unfortunately the mental fragility is too. It’s always a tough ask trying to predict how she’ll fare but as she’s got a decent draw at the very least I see her reaching the 4R and a potential match against Serena.
Fellow young gun Caroline Wozniacki enters her first Slam where big results are expected rather than hoped for and how this will affect her game remains to be seen. She was a shock 1st round loser in Sydney and she her results have been steady, rather than exceptional at the AO in past years. Her draw is good, Wozniak is first who is tough but shouldn't cause an upset. One of the big hitting duo of Paszek/Goerges is next, that's a win, and the in-form Peer is a potential 3rd round foe. These are semi tough matches but shouldn't be losses. In actual fact, her draw is quite a smooth ride. If, as expected, Venus is knocked off early Caro will be smiling as a possible pathway to the SF will loom. She's got the draw to have a similar run like she did in New York, it's up to her to take advantage of it.
Dinara Safina may be the second highest ranked player in the world but it’s almost impossible to see her winning. Having pulled out of Brisbane due to her injury not quite being 100%, she eventually returned in Sydney and displayed some ordinary form. She’ll likely win her first two matches without any trouble and she should beat K.Bondarenko in the 3rd but Sharapova should end her tournament in the 4th. Venus Williams is another high seed who could be in strife, she faces lethal left hander Lucie Safarova in the first round who’s proved to have the talent to defeat the world’s best. Venus doesn’t have a great record at the AO, especially of late, so getting past the first round will be a big test. If she does survive her draw is one that’ll allow her to pick up momentum as it’s not overly challenging.
Justin Henin begins her return to Grand Slam level with a showdown against compatriot Kirsten Flipkens. It’s the next match that’ll be the big one, a clash with 5th seeded Elena Dementieva who is coming off another win in Sydney. A toss of the coin for that one, but you’d have to give the edge to Elena who is at her peak and clearly in good form. This is easily the most packed section of the draw with Dementieva, Henin, Clijsters and Kuznetsova all in the same quarter.
Maria Sharapova last won a Slam at the Australian Open in 2008 but wasn’t given the opportunity to defend her crown due to injury. She’s risen to #14 in the world and faces a battle with good friend Maria Kirilenko in what is the first match of the tournament, played on RLA. Maria has a relatively good draw but faces a challenge with Cibulkova in the 3rd who might prove to be a tough test. Safina should wait in the 4th and going by seed, Jankovic in the QF. She’s never been able to recapture her form before her shoulder issues so she’s a big question mark. Her draw is really quite good though and if she can play to her potential she should set up a SF showdown with Clijsters.
Jankovic shouldn’t be a big threat; she might even be disposed of by Alona Bondarenko who just won the title in Hobart. Kuznetsova has QF points to defend but won’t make it that far again but there appears to be two potentially big losers. The first is Zvonareva who made the Semi’s last year and is coming in with a suspect ankle and little form. The second is Australian Jelena Dokic who faces 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova first up and should she win will then meet Cirstea followed by Henin/Dementieva. Given her state of mind right now and patchy play, it’s hard to see her winning a game. She’s involved in the first night session of the tournament.
On top of the interesting first round matches already mentioned are Cirstea vs Rogowska, talent on both ends with a future top 10’er in Cirstea and perhaps Australia’s brightest young female talent in Rogowska. Pennetta vs Chakvetadze, Schiavone vs Cornet and Paszek vs Goerges, both who have only scratched the surface of their potential. It'll be interesting to see whether Oudin can have a couple of wins and whether Lisicki will start to display her vast potential.
Prediction: Clijsters def. S.Williams
If Clijsters feels she’s 25% fitter and better prepared now than she was for the US Open I don’t think anyone’s beating her. Serena Williams seems to always be the one to beat, especially at the Australian Open, so I’ve got her to reach the final. Given that Clijsters defeated Serena at the US Open and has started off 2010 with another title, she’s got to be the favourite to claim her first Slam other than the US Open. She’ll be a crowd favourite and she’ll be the 2010 AO Champion.
Williams escaped a ban, Henin is back, Clijsters continues to improve, Sharapova’s drawn out ‘title defence’, there are plenty of headlines for this year’s Australian Open.
Kim Clijsters made the bold statement that she is 25% fitter and stronger than she was when she won the US Open. She’s just claimed more success courtesy of a win over Henin in the stunning Brisbane final and her draw is good. Qualifier first, Karatancheva second and the inconsistent Petrova in the 3rd. Likely to face Kuznetsova in the 4th but she’s in a bit of trouble as she admitted her preparation has virtually been non existent. Dementieva or Henin will be there in the Quarters and this will probably be the biggest test as I can’t see anyone on the bottom section of the half beating here. Jankovic, Safina and Sharapova all seem to be well off their games and Kim should beat them comfortably. Hard to see anyone knocking off Clijsters in Melbourne, she’s just too good.
World #1 Serena Williams appeared to be primed for her title defence but a knee injury suffered in the Sydney International has dented her chances. Her draw will give her injury time to settle as in all honesty, it’s pretty much just a whole bunch of headcases until the Semi’s. Azarenka or Ivanovic might meet her in the QF, and her SF opponent could be anyone, possibly even Wozniacki. I think she’ll reach the final, her draw really is as good as she could’ve hoped for.
Victoria Azarenka’s form late in 2009 was average and she finds herself with a new coach as she tries to fulfil her potential. She was unlucky at this tournament last year as she was a set up against eventual champion Serena before being forced to retire due to illness. Her form in Sydney was reasonable at best with 3 three set victories against lesser ranked opponents before a crunching loss to Dementieva. The talent is clearly there; unfortunately the mental fragility is too. It’s always a tough ask trying to predict how she’ll fare but as she’s got a decent draw at the very least I see her reaching the 4R and a potential match against Serena.
Fellow young gun Caroline Wozniacki enters her first Slam where big results are expected rather than hoped for and how this will affect her game remains to be seen. She was a shock 1st round loser in Sydney and she her results have been steady, rather than exceptional at the AO in past years. Her draw is good, Wozniak is first who is tough but shouldn't cause an upset. One of the big hitting duo of Paszek/Goerges is next, that's a win, and the in-form Peer is a potential 3rd round foe. These are semi tough matches but shouldn't be losses. In actual fact, her draw is quite a smooth ride. If, as expected, Venus is knocked off early Caro will be smiling as a possible pathway to the SF will loom. She's got the draw to have a similar run like she did in New York, it's up to her to take advantage of it.
Dinara Safina may be the second highest ranked player in the world but it’s almost impossible to see her winning. Having pulled out of Brisbane due to her injury not quite being 100%, she eventually returned in Sydney and displayed some ordinary form. She’ll likely win her first two matches without any trouble and she should beat K.Bondarenko in the 3rd but Sharapova should end her tournament in the 4th. Venus Williams is another high seed who could be in strife, she faces lethal left hander Lucie Safarova in the first round who’s proved to have the talent to defeat the world’s best. Venus doesn’t have a great record at the AO, especially of late, so getting past the first round will be a big test. If she does survive her draw is one that’ll allow her to pick up momentum as it’s not overly challenging.
Justin Henin begins her return to Grand Slam level with a showdown against compatriot Kirsten Flipkens. It’s the next match that’ll be the big one, a clash with 5th seeded Elena Dementieva who is coming off another win in Sydney. A toss of the coin for that one, but you’d have to give the edge to Elena who is at her peak and clearly in good form. This is easily the most packed section of the draw with Dementieva, Henin, Clijsters and Kuznetsova all in the same quarter.
Maria Sharapova last won a Slam at the Australian Open in 2008 but wasn’t given the opportunity to defend her crown due to injury. She’s risen to #14 in the world and faces a battle with good friend Maria Kirilenko in what is the first match of the tournament, played on RLA. Maria has a relatively good draw but faces a challenge with Cibulkova in the 3rd who might prove to be a tough test. Safina should wait in the 4th and going by seed, Jankovic in the QF. She’s never been able to recapture her form before her shoulder issues so she’s a big question mark. Her draw is really quite good though and if she can play to her potential she should set up a SF showdown with Clijsters.
Jankovic shouldn’t be a big threat; she might even be disposed of by Alona Bondarenko who just won the title in Hobart. Kuznetsova has QF points to defend but won’t make it that far again but there appears to be two potentially big losers. The first is Zvonareva who made the Semi’s last year and is coming in with a suspect ankle and little form. The second is Australian Jelena Dokic who faces 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova first up and should she win will then meet Cirstea followed by Henin/Dementieva. Given her state of mind right now and patchy play, it’s hard to see her winning a game. She’s involved in the first night session of the tournament.
On top of the interesting first round matches already mentioned are Cirstea vs Rogowska, talent on both ends with a future top 10’er in Cirstea and perhaps Australia’s brightest young female talent in Rogowska. Pennetta vs Chakvetadze, Schiavone vs Cornet and Paszek vs Goerges, both who have only scratched the surface of their potential. It'll be interesting to see whether Oudin can have a couple of wins and whether Lisicki will start to display her vast potential.
Prediction: Clijsters def. S.Williams
If Clijsters feels she’s 25% fitter and better prepared now than she was for the US Open I don’t think anyone’s beating her. Serena Williams seems to always be the one to beat, especially at the Australian Open, so I’ve got her to reach the final. Given that Clijsters defeated Serena at the US Open and has started off 2010 with another title, she’s got to be the favourite to claim her first Slam other than the US Open. She’ll be a crowd favourite and she’ll be the 2010 AO Champion.
- Nov 23, 2008
- 12,452
- 293
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Wish I had gone to Hit for Haiti.
Grunting isn't that funny though...
Grunting isn't that funny though...
- Nov 23, 2008
- 12,452
- 293
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Noticed the stream has a 7 logo on it....
matt_897
Premium Platinum
Great preview Drummond again Would have to argue that Davydenko might of been the form player at the end of 2009 as well with those wins in Shanghai and London, and then of course in Doha a couple weeks back but you could argue a case for both. My predictions are a bit different but I would think that yours a more likely to happen.
As has been said this Open has a number of legitmate number of chances of winning, goes for both the women and the men. It's going to be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Federer has actually been given a tough draw, he has to be ready from the get go, Andreev and Hanescu are good players who have been seeded in slams in the past, while Andreev is a mental midget and Hanescu ahs been struggling with injury, they'll provide a test for him to begin with. Montanes will be nothing in the 3rd butthen could be Baghdatis/Hewitt in the 4th. I actually think Davydenko will get the big win here in the QF, Federer seems to be losing his edge a bit and Davydenko is probably playing the tennis of his lfie, Davydenko broke through at the end of 2009 and I think AO 2010 will be his year to breakthrough in a slam.
The other quarter has some interesting players, Djokovic's form is unknown (Kooyong meant nothing) but he should be ready to get far and make the semi but will have tough matches with probably Gasquet in the 4th and Soderling in the quarters, he could easily lose those. I'd expect Soderling big serve to frustrate Tsonga as Tsonga doesn't like big servers.
The 3rd quarter lands a very tough draw for Del Potro, I really want to see that 2nd round match with Blake but they'll probably sneak that on RLA. The matchup that should determine this quarter is Cilic/Del Potro, Del potro get the in here but that will go all the way and then should have too much power for Roddick. Although these guys have had tough matches in the past, Del Potro will step up here.
The 4th quarter we all might as well think about Murray and Nadal QF. Nadal does have a potential tough 4th round opponent in Stepanek/Ljubicic/Fish but shouldn't have too many problems. This possible QF hinges on how argessive Murray will be, the more argessive he plays, the better chance he will have, the way he beat Nadal at the US Open a couple of years back. There haven't been any signs that he'll change this but I think he will for Nadal and make the semis.
In the semis, Davydenko will have a close match with Djokovic that could go either way but I still feel this is Davydenko's time and he will win in 5 and then Del Potro to contiune his run beating Murray, probably in straight leaaving a Del Potro/Davydenko final. It would make more sense to pick Del Potro here, because Davydenko hasn't been to that stage before butagain just a feeling that he'll win.
Winner: Davydenko def. Del Potro
As far as the Australians, tough draw for some. Hewitt would be annoyed he is in the tops ection again but he first two rounds are no trouble (helpful being seeded now, Lleyton) but then Baghdatis/Ferrer in the 3rd will be close. I think he will win this and actually give him a chance against Federer (Federer would have to be in on of his crap moods though) but really Federer should win in 4 sets. 4th round would be a great result for Lleyton anyway, espically defending no points. Luczak got extremely unluck, good luck to him. Same with Ball. Ebden as well but he had a great effort in qualifing, can't overstate how important that will be for him, $20,000 or soemthing like that for a 1st round exit, that's a lot more money than he has ever seen on the Future circuit, hopefully Monfils retires or something. Tomic actually got a talented young gun in rufin so it doesn't necessarily mean it will be easy so I'll think he get the win and then get smashed like a bug against Cilic. Matosevic has also got a chance to win a match against Chiudinelli, a 2nd round matchup with Djokovic is possible,s ee how he copes with that. Lindhal has an intriguing matchup with Nieminen, don't he is quite ready to beat him I think he can dow ell, I'll have to make sure I see some of that tomorrow.
Would have to argue that Davydenko might of been the form player at the end of 2009 as well with those wins in Shanghai and London, and then of course in Doha a couple weeks back but you could argue a case for both. My predictions are a bit different but I would think that yours a more likely to happen.As has been said this Open has a number of legitmate number of chances of winning, goes for both the women and the men. It's going to be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Federer has actually been given a tough draw, he has to be ready from the get go, Andreev and Hanescu are good players who have been seeded in slams in the past, while Andreev is a mental midget and Hanescu ahs been struggling with injury, they'll provide a test for him to begin with. Montanes will be nothing in the 3rd butthen could be Baghdatis/Hewitt in the 4th. I actually think Davydenko will get the big win here in the QF, Federer seems to be losing his edge a bit and Davydenko is probably playing the tennis of his lfie, Davydenko broke through at the end of 2009 and I think AO 2010 will be his year to breakthrough in a slam.
The other quarter has some interesting players, Djokovic's form is unknown (Kooyong meant nothing) but he should be ready to get far and make the semi but will have tough matches with probably Gasquet in the 4th and Soderling in the quarters, he could easily lose those. I'd expect Soderling big serve to frustrate Tsonga as Tsonga doesn't like big servers.
The 3rd quarter lands a very tough draw for Del Potro, I really want to see that 2nd round match with Blake but they'll probably sneak that on RLA. The matchup that should determine this quarter is Cilic/Del Potro, Del potro get the in here but that will go all the way and then should have too much power for Roddick. Although these guys have had tough matches in the past, Del Potro will step up here.
The 4th quarter we all might as well think about Murray and Nadal QF. Nadal does have a potential tough 4th round opponent in Stepanek/Ljubicic/Fish but shouldn't have too many problems. This possible QF hinges on how argessive Murray will be, the more argessive he plays, the better chance he will have, the way he beat Nadal at the US Open a couple of years back. There haven't been any signs that he'll change this but I think he will for Nadal and make the semis.
In the semis, Davydenko will have a close match with Djokovic that could go either way but I still feel this is Davydenko's time and he will win in 5 and then Del Potro to contiune his run beating Murray, probably in straight leaaving a Del Potro/Davydenko final. It would make more sense to pick Del Potro here, because Davydenko hasn't been to that stage before butagain just a feeling that he'll win.
Winner: Davydenko def. Del Potro
As far as the Australians, tough draw for some. Hewitt would be annoyed he is in the tops ection again but he first two rounds are no trouble (helpful being seeded now, Lleyton) but then Baghdatis/Ferrer in the 3rd will be close. I think he will win this and actually give him a chance against Federer (Federer would have to be in on of his crap moods though) but really Federer should win in 4 sets. 4th round would be a great result for Lleyton anyway, espically defending no points. Luczak got extremely unluck, good luck to him. Same with Ball. Ebden as well but he had a great effort in qualifing, can't overstate how important that will be for him, $20,000 or soemthing like that for a 1st round exit, that's a lot more money than he has ever seen on the Future circuit, hopefully Monfils retires or something. Tomic actually got a talented young gun in rufin so it doesn't necessarily mean it will be easy so I'll think he get the win and then get smashed like a bug against Cilic. Matosevic has also got a chance to win a match against Chiudinelli, a 2nd round matchup with Djokovic is possible,s ee how he copes with that. Lindhal has an intriguing matchup with Nieminen, don't he is quite ready to beat him I think he can dow ell, I'll have to make sure I see some of that tomorrow.
matt_897
Premium Platinum
The women's is about the comeback Belgians, it's insane that both of them are in the same quarter. The 2nd round match between Dementieva and Henin will determine a lot about the tournament. I think Dementieva will win this and really see her possible QF matchup with Clistjers as probably the match will win the tournament. I can't believe I'm going to say this but I'm tipping Dementieva to win the whole thing, she's hitting the ball well enough it just depends whether that serve holds up, she was very unlucky to miss out at Wimbledon.
On the other side of the draw, Azarenka/S.Williams seems to a matchup in the QF. it's very dangerous to pick against Serena but I wonder how much ehr knee is actually troubling her, she looked awful in that Sydney final, so go with the risk of Azarenka beating Serena. That whole 2nd quarter is so open to me, wouldn't be surprised if Venus lost to safarova in the first round, Wozinacki to lose early (form is a bit dodgy), maybe to Hantuchova in the 4th. I'm just going with hantuchova to make the semis as a bit of a wild tip but looking at that section , it's possible.
Winner: Dementieva def. Azarenka
All in all, it still comes down that possible QF matchup with Clistjers, what a match that could be.
As for the Australians, Sam has no excuse not making the 3rd round, if she can pick up ehr game she can match with most players on the tour. Molik and Dellacqua would be evry happy for possible 1st round wins. Dokic has the rematch against Kleybanova, she seems to be struggling but with jelena the way she plays she can turn on and play well just like that. Rogowska has an interesting matchup with Cirstea, will be going out of my way to go watch her there. Olivia's form hasn't suggested though that she will win that though. Groth can win a match too against a qualifier while Rodinova has to play Kuznetsova again, can she take a set again?
On the other side of the draw, Azarenka/S.Williams seems to a matchup in the QF. it's very dangerous to pick against Serena but I wonder how much ehr knee is actually troubling her, she looked awful in that Sydney final, so go with the risk of Azarenka beating Serena. That whole 2nd quarter is so open to me, wouldn't be surprised if Venus lost to safarova in the first round, Wozinacki to lose early (form is a bit dodgy), maybe to Hantuchova in the 4th. I'm just going with hantuchova to make the semis as a bit of a wild tip but looking at that section , it's possible.
Winner: Dementieva def. Azarenka
All in all, it still comes down that possible QF matchup with Clistjers, what a match that could be.
As for the Australians, Sam has no excuse not making the 3rd round, if she can pick up ehr game she can match with most players on the tour. Molik and Dellacqua would be evry happy for possible 1st round wins. Dokic has the rematch against Kleybanova, she seems to be struggling but with jelena the way she plays she can turn on and play well just like that. Rogowska has an interesting matchup with Cirstea, will be going out of my way to go watch her there. Olivia's form hasn't suggested though that she will win that though. Groth can win a match too against a qualifier while Rodinova has to play Kuznetsova again, can she take a set again?
i really do believe verdasco can win the tournement this year. that big serve is going to help him
CroftyV1
Senior List
Wondering whats going on with the Pay-TV coverage this year? Channel 7 always do a pretty good job, but the last 3 or 4 years, Fox Sports have covered the outside court matches, & shown replays on the RLA matches overnight. It seems they aren't providing any coverage this year though
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