|
The Australian Open: Day 9 Recap
by Nadya Vlassoff
Day 9 at the Australian Open began with high-profile doubles matches on both the men’s and women’s draws. Casey Dellaqua and her partner Francesca Schiavone from Italy beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld from Germany and Patty Schynder of Switzerland in three sets to reach the women’s semi-final. It was also a day for doubles as Nathalie Dechy of France won both her women’s and mixed doubles matches on the same day. It was a double-double for Leizel Huber as well but not with the same result. She lost both her women’s doubles match in a stunning upset and also her mixed doubles match on the same day as well. Day 7 was all about Marion Bartoli as she beat Jelena Jankovic in straight sets but this time she was unable to continue her hot streak and was beaten in straight sets by Vera Zvonareva as Bartoli cramped up during her match and was slow on the return. Roger Federer decimated Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets 6-2, 6-0, 6-0. It’s not often that fans get to experience a double bagel in tennis but with Federer it does not come as much of a surprise as the towering Argentine had no answers for the man from Switzerland. Here is a look at some of the highlights.
Dinara Safina (3) vs. Jelena Dokic
 It has been hard to go through this tournament without thinking about Jelena Dokic and her miraculous return to tennis. No one really expected her to make it past her second round match but she has continued to surprise taking out seeded player after seeded player. Last night, on Rod Laver Arena, the home Australian’s luck ran out. In front of 15,000 fans and facing the number three player in the world, Dokic showed her lack of match experience and made error after error. Safina also made her share of errors especially on crucial serves on her service games. In the second set with Dokic up 5-4 and Safina serving, she hit two double-faults handing the set over to Dokic on a silver platter. Neither player was able to control their own service games in the third set as they exchanged brilliant shots on breaks of serve but could not continue that style of play in their own service games. Down 2-4 in the third set, Dokic managed to climb back to make it 4 all but from there was broken again and Safina never looked back. Even with a lose last night Jelena Dokic has made a name for herself yet again. The Comeback Kid of 2009 still has a brilliant career ahead of her and the rest of the women’s field should watch out with Dokic back on the prowl. For Dinara Safina, this win puts her into the women’s semi-final at the Australian Open for the first time. Her next opponent is the number 7 seed Vera Zvonareva.
Best:
Roger Federer (2) vs. Juan Martin del Potro (8)
This was a return to form for the great Roger Federer as he tore apart every aspect of Juan Martin del Potro’s game without so much as a ‘Thanks for the memories’. Roger Federer came out with his trademark killer instinct that many had questioned if he still had. It only took a few whipped forehands for Federer to silence the critics. Juan Martin looked like a lost little boy on the court as he could not match Federer’s pace. He managed to hold for a bit in the first set and looked like he might be able to take on the master himself but Federer crushed that thought with an overhead crosscourt smash. Federer will next face Andy Roddick, the man he beat in the semi-finals in Melbourne two years ago but this time Roddick has a new game and hopes to prove himself as a much more formidable opponent against his nemesis, Roger Federer.
Worst:
Liezel and Huber seemed to be on the ropes as Hantuchova and Sugiyama held strong to go into a tiebreak but then the number 1 doubles team showed why they deserved their top ranking as they reeled off seven straight points in the tiebreak to take the first set. In the second set Hantuchova and Sugiyama continued to pressure their opponents and it paid off as they broke in the 6th game to go up 4-2. That was the decisive break in the set as they won the set 6-3. The third set began with the crowd wondering if they were going to witness the biggest upset in the women’s doubles draw so far. Black and Heuber denied them that pleasure as they buckled down to go up 5-2 and looked about ready to take the match but then in another miraculous run, Hantuchova and Sugiyama won 3 straight games as spectators and their opponents alike were wondering exactly what was going on with the ninth ranked doubles team. In the tiebreak Huber and Black raced to a 3-0 lead and looked poised to repeat the tiebreak they played in the first set but Hantuchova and Sugiyama came out of nowhere and evened it out. Finally, after Black and Huber squandered three match points, it was Hantuchova and Sugiyama who prevailed on their serve to take the tiebreak 12-10 and the match in a stunning upset.
With the semi-finals approaching the draw slimming down, there are a few surprise names in the mix. Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain plays tonight and looks to continue her surprising run in Melbourne. Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfred Tsonga play in their quarter-final matches tonight in a quest for a spot in the final 4. Stay tuned.
|
