The Australian Open Tennis Championship 2013 - The Grandslam of Asia/Pacific
FINAL:
WS_F: Victoria Azarenka vs Li Na (4-6, 6-4, 6-3)
(2 dvd)
MS_F: Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray (coming soon)
MD_F: Mike Bryan/Bob Bryan vs Robin Haase/Igor Sijsling (6-3, 6-4)
(1 dvd)
WD_F: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci vs Ashleigh Barty/Casey Dellacqua (6-2, 3-6, 6-2)
(1 dvd)
MXD_F: Jarmila Gajdosova/Matthew Ebden vs Lucie Hradecka/Frantisek Cermak (coming soon)
coming soon, the best match of australian open 2013:
Novak Djokovic vs Stanislas Wawrinka (1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7, 12-10)
Novak's triple treat
Sunday, 27 January, 2013
The great Roy Emerson must have smiled widely when No. 1 Novak
Djokovic put on another defense-to-offense clinic to wear down Andy
Murray 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 6-3 6-2 to win his third consecutive Australian
Open men’s singles title on Sunday night.
The Serbian became the
first man since Emerson won five straight titles from 1963-67 to pull
off a hat-trick at the tournament, and the 25-year-old is the first man
in the Open Era (1968-present) to do so.
In winning the Norman
Brookes Challenge Cup for a fourth time, Djokovic earned his sixth Grand
Slam title, and the world No.1 joins Andre Agassi and Roger Federer as a
four-time Melbourne champion.
“What more motivation you need than from this trophy?” Djokovic asked.
“Just
seeing it and reading the names of the winners in last 50, 100 years,
it's incredible. To be also mentioned in the history aspect, and winning
three in a row, it's a huge achievement. I'm always motivated in every
match that I play, but of course Grand Slam finals are always bringing
something new, something special to every player, and that's where you
want to perform your best.”
Just as Emerson was in his reign,
Djokovic was simply relentless. The top seed stamped his mark on the
tournament from start to finish, daring every opponent to try and run
with him, hit through him and be willing to play past five hours if
necessary.
While Murray showed in defeating Djokovic in the 2012
US Open final that he is capable of doing it on occasion, he could not
sustain the Serbian’s level at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night, which
has become Djokovic’s home away from home.
He has won 21
consecutive matches in Melbourne, some of them simple and easy, other
hard-fought but predictable, and some absolute classics when he had to
pull out all stops against top-shelf opponents.
Sunday night in
Melbourne was one of those affairs, as he and his childhood rival Murray
threw big blows at each for three hours and 40 minutes. They went end
to end, engaged rapid-fire crosscourt rallies, tossed in sharp slices
and bullets down the line. They mixed it up to try and throw their foe
off, or cranked it up in intimidating fashion.
Djokovic held four
break points in the fifth game of the first set, but couldn't convert as
he committed unforced groundstroke errors on all of them.
He held
another at 3-3, but Murray put away a forehand volley. Djokovic’s
inability to convert any of those seemed to irk him more and more as the
set grew longer, and he was also slipping on occasion – possibly
because his shoes weren’t gripping the court as they should have – and
he began to yell in frustration towards the supporters in his players’
box.
Murray looked a little winded at times after long rallies,
but he stayed strong for the most part, gamely running down big blasts
and powering up his groundstrokes when called upon.
While Djokovic
continued to talk to himself, Murray contested a solid tiebreaker,
winning it when Djokovic committed a forehand error.
Djokovic
almost dug himself a big hole in the opening game of the second set, but
came back from 0-40 down to hold. From there on, he seemed much more
comfortable as he began to hold easily, moved further inside the
baseline and waited patiently for his opportunities.
He made the
rallies as physical as he could, and while he grew frustrated at times
with his inability to do much with Murray’s first serve, he punched
himself into a tiebreaker.
Contending with a bleeding big right
toe that he would be treated after the tiebreaker ended, Murray fell
apart at the end of the second set. At two points apiece in the
tiebreaker, Murray served a critical double fault when he stopped
between serves to remove a feather that had blown onto the court,
breaking his focus.
Sensing an opportunity, Djokovic pressed hard, and two Murray backhand errors handed the Serb the set.
Djokovic
then began a very deliberate and steady push to the title. He cleaned
up his game in the third set, cut down on his unforced errors and added
some more pop to his groundstrokes.
“I tried to be more
aggressive, so I went for my shots, especially in the third and fourth –
I came to the net quite often,” said Djokovic, who won 35 of 41 points
at the net.
“I was quite successful in that percentage, so it worked well for me. I needed to be the one who dictates the play.”
Murray
was having trouble starting and stopping, and with his movement
somewhat compromised, Djokovic pounced. The top seed broke the Scot to
5-3 when Murray dumped a forehand into the net, and then easily held to
win the set 6-3.
Sensing victory, Djokovic played even more freely
in the fourth set, and he broke Murray to 2-1 after long rally where
his foe butchered an inside-out backhand into the net.
With Murray
struggling with what appeared to be a left buttock injury and feeling
the effects of his four-hour five-set semifinal victory over Roger
Federer on Friday night, Djokovic continued to torture the Scot with
suffocating defense and began to move Murray as much as he could up and
back the court. Djokovic broke Murray again to 4-1 when he caressed a
beautiful drop shot, and then saw the world No.3 double fault.
The
Serbian dropped first two points of the final game, but he then ran
Murray side to side until his legs gave. The contest ended on a Murray
backhand long, his 46th unforced error of the match.
“When you
play one of your biggest rivals and somebody that is in the top form in
finals of a Grand Slam, there is a lot to play for,” said Djokovic, who
now owns an 11-7 head-to-head record against Murray.
“I think it
went two hours and 20 minutes, the first two sets. I think that says
enough about the intensity of the match. I kind of expected that. I knew
that it's going to be physically very demanding, a lot of long rallies,
so I needed to hang in there. I've done that.”
Murray’s defeat
ended his quest to become the first man to back up their maiden Grand
Slam title with a second at the very next opportunity, and he has now
been runner-up at the Australian Open in three of the last four years,
losing to Federer in 2010 and Djokovic 12 months later.
SOURCE
Instant success for Aussie mixed duo
Sunday, 27 January, 2013
Matt Ebden and Jarmila Gajdosova entered the fortnight as a scratch
wildcard pairing, but leave Australian Open 2013 as Grand Slam champions
on home turf after a 6-3 7-5 mixed doubles triumph over Czech duo Lucie
Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak on Sunday.
The Australian pair was
more solid when it counted in the 73-minute affair, breaking the
Hradecka serve twice in the first set for 5-3 before Ebden held to love
to take it 6-3.
Ebden and Gajdosova pounced early in the second,
pinching a crucial early break on Cermak’s serve in the opening game and
consolidating the advantage until 4-2.
Up a set and a break and
with one hand seemingly on the cup, the Aussies had break points on
Hradecka’s serve but failed to convert, Gajdosova relinquishing the lead
in the following game when Hradecka cracked a double-handed forehand
crosscourt out of reach to level at 4-4.
Ebden stemmed the flow of
games, holding for 5-5, with Hradecka then sending down two double
faults and a netted backhand to hand the Aussies the chance to serve for
the championship.
Impressive on serve all day, Gajdosova raced to
triple match point and sealed the result on her third offering when
Cermak sent a return long.
The win marked the first Grand Slam
trophy of any kind for the duo, and Gajdosova said it was something
every aspiring player dreamt of achieving.
“I know it’s mixed, but
it’s still a Grand Slam title. You can tell your kids ‘I won a Grand
Slam and it was in Australia’, which is very special,” she said.
“I think our personalities gel pretty well. I hope this is not our last one and we get to play again.”
Ebden admitted he instigated what has started out as an undefeated partnership with Gajdosova in the off-season.
“I chased her up and back in December got a hold of her number from a secret person and just texted her,” he laughed.
“She’s
been to the semifinals of other Grand Slams twice with another partner
who she sometimes plays with, but he wasn’t available so she said ‘let’s
do it’. Then as it got to the quarterfinals, semifinals, it got
serious.”
Ebden was clearly not taking the win for granted, as he
admitted you never knew how many chances you’d get to compete in a Grand
Slam decider.
“To come out with a win in our first final and get a
title straight away and to become Grand Slam champions is an amazing
feeling, and something we'll always have,” he said.
“Hopefully we
can both use this is as a springboard and give us some confidence
looking forward to Davis Cup and Fed Cup, and for the rest of the year
for singles, too.”
SOURCE
Bryans at the double
Saturday, 26 January, 2013
The
numbers keep piling up in the Bryan brothers’ favour after the American
twins claimed their sixth Australian Open men’s doubles crown with a
6-3 6-4 result against unseeded Dutch pair Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling
on Saturday night.
The victory took the duo’s Grand Slam tally to
13, surpassing Australian greats John Newcombe and Tony Roche for the
most doubles majors, and atones for a surprise loss to Leander Paes and
Radek Stepanek in last year’s final.
Under lights on their most
successful arena, the Bryans were in command throughout, their only
shaky moment coming in the opening game when the Dutch ripped through
Bob’s serve to break for 1-0.
From there the twins were never
headed, making it all the way to the second-last game of the final set
before Bob committed their first unforced error of the match.
“Obviously
it feels pretty good to have that record. We weren’t thinking about it
much out there but it’s going to be fun to look back on in our career to
say we have the most Grand Slams,” Mike said.
With the full set
of four majors, an Olympic gold medal and a Davis Cup replica trophy
filling the cabinet, a calendar-year Grand Slam remains all that has
eluded the Bryans.
“I don’t think it’s possible anymore,” Bob said. “The margins are too small and there are too many people who can win.
“As
far as records, there’s not much [left] but we’re competitors, we hate
to lose and want to finish No.1 and that’s just the way we are.”
“Probably try to shoot for 100 and cut it,” Mike joked. “Has anyone ended up on a round number like that?”
Like
any close siblings, the Bryans carry the same rules for keeping the
peace onto the tennis court. It keeps them in good stead, Mike believes,
to pick up the pieces after difficult losses, no matter how few and far
between they are.
“When we lose, we go back to the same place and what we need to do together to get better,” Mike said.
“And we never really point fingers in tough situations. Everyone has their slumps. Those feelings never linger,” Bob added.
With the trophy cabinets already cluttered, was there a piece of silverware they’d still like to squeeze in?
“It’d be nice to win another Davis Cup,” Mike said.
SOURCE
Twice is nice
Saturday, 26 January, 2013
There is just one word to sum up the events surrounding the women’s singles final between Victoria Azarenka and Li Na. Drama.
From
5-4 in the second set of Azarenka’s semifinal to the subdued
celebrations following her 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory on Saturday night to
secure her second straight Melbourne title, this was a tennis match
where what happened off the court almost threatened to rip the spotlight
from the action on it.
Thankfully, it didn’t.
Even without
the controversy surrounding Azarenka’s semifinal medical time-out in her
victory over Sloane Stephens, this final had more than its share of
drama once play started. Three interruptions including two medical
time-outs – both for Li – and a 10-minute break for fireworks were the
kicker in a match that delivered three sets of absorbing tennis.
Azarenka
entered Saturday night’s match on a 13-match Melbourne Park winning
streak, Li Na was 14-1 for the 2013 season, and the Belarusian had won
their past four matches against each other.
In the lead-up, much
of the conversation surrounding this final was how would Azarenka handle
the scrutiny of the past 48 hours? In the corridor before the match, Li
stood still waiting to be called to court, while Azarenka paced around
anxiously behind her, her hood on and earphones in as usual.
Li entered to a rapturous applause, while Azarenka received a subdued welcome, which she was fully expecting.
“I was expecting way worse, to be honest,” said Azarenka after the match.
“What can you do? You just have to go out there and try to play tennis in the end of the day.”
And
that’s what she did. The top seed channeled her energy into breaking Li
in the opening game to get her title defense off to the perfect start,
but lost it soon after as Li broke straight back.
It was a pattern
that would endure throughout the match. Li would serve first at the
beginning of each set, and Azarenka would break her on each occasion.
In
all, the opening set threw up seven breaks of serve as both players
struggled to hold. Li’s backhand was proving to be her go-to shot as she
wrestled the momentum from Azarenka.
The sixth seed needed four
set points before finally claiming the opening set after an Azarenka
double fault, which she unsuccessfully challenged – more out of
desperation than reality.
“In the first set, she was really on top
of me, I think, she was really going for her shots and making
everything happen,” said Azarenka.
“Then I just had to readjust and really take advantage of when she gives me an opportunity.”
Azarenka
lifted her game in the second set, breaking Li twice to set up an early
3-0 lead. Li wrestled back one of the breaks but still trailed 1-3.
Then came the night’s first interruption. With the score locked at
30-30, Li fell to the court after trying to change direction, twisting
her left ankle in the process.
After getting her ankle taped, Li
returned, but the set belonged to Azarenka. The top seed regularly
targeted Li’s backhand as she coughed up repeated unforced errors from
that side.
The night’s second interruption came early in the final set – a 10-minute break – thanks to the annual Australia Day fireworks.
On
the first point following the resumption of play, Li went over on the
same injured ankle, crashed to the court and hit the back of her head.
The blow was enough to have the sixth seed seeing stars for a moment,
but after a quick check-up, play resumed.
Li promptly brought up a
break point, which Azarenka fought off with a forehand down the line to
hold serve. The world No.1 broke Li the very next game to take a 3-2
lead that she wouldn’t relinquish.
In control of the match now,
Azarenka’s consistency won out over Li’s instinct to attack. The sixth
seed managed some flashes of brilliance and added a few more winners to
the highlights reel, but ultimately she was unable to break back.
Azarenka broke Li one more time to close out the match, becoming the eighth woman to win back-to-back Australian Open titles.
A
clearly emotional Azarenka pointed to her team before burying her head
in a towel as the pent up emotion from the past two days rushed to the
surface.
“I feel really happy right now. It's been a long match.
It's been a tough match. Li Na was absolutely playing great tennis.
Unfortunate things that happened to her, you know, but that's sport.
“I'm
just happy that everything I went through, you know, I still could
manage to give my best and really come out there and try to focus on my
game and play tennis that I can produce.”
For Azarenka, it’s a
happy end to what has been a difficult fortnight. The media scrutiny
surrounding her semifinal win could have disrupted her preparation but,
to her credit, she found a way to find focus beyond the headlines.
Needless to say, the 23-year-old will attach different memories to this victory compared with her debut title here last year.
“It's a completely different mix of feelings. This one is way more emotional,” she said.
“It's gonna be extra special for me, for sure.”
SOURCE
Italians
Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci are the Australian Open 2013 women’s
doubles champions, with the top seeds combining to end the fairytale run
of Australian wildcards Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua ,winning 6-2
3-6 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena on Friday.
It is the Italians’ third
major title together, following their 2012 French Open and 2012 US Open
triumphs, and betters their runner-up finish at last year’s Australian
Open.
Barty and Dellacqua had been the surprise packets of the
tournament, storming through the draw without dropping a set and
becoming the first all-Australian pair to reach the final since 1977.
At
just 16 years of age and playing in her first grand slam final, Barty
showed no nerves early, hitting a volley winner on the opening point of
the match.
The more-experienced Italian pair soon got on top, breaking Dellacqua’s serve twice as they took the opening set in 29 minutes.
Vinci
and Errani had too many answers for the Australian pairing, committing
only three unforced errors for the set compared to their opponents’ 14.
Dellacqua
again dropped serve early in the second set, and it looked as though
Errani and Vinci were closing in on a comfortable win. But the
Australians dug deep, breaking back in the next game to get back into
the match.
The confidence of Dellacqua and Barty was growing, and
they broke Errani’s serve in the eighth game to grab a 5-3 lead before
Barty served out the set.
The Australians had lifted, and the
crowd was being treated to some spectacular doubles action, with all
four players impressing with their net play and some brilliantly
well-placed lobs.
With the crowd now getting behind them, Barty
and Dellacqua broke in the opening game of the final set, and it looked
like an upset could be on the cards.
The Italians had other plans
though, breaking straight back. Their experience shone through as they
won five of the last six games to take it 6-2 in 30 minutes.
Barty, who showed great poise throughout the match, said she was disappointed not to take the title.
“It
felt like we were really close in that match, a lot closer than the
score suggested,” she said. “A point here and there and I think that
third set could have really turned. “
Dellacqua congratulated Errani and Vinci, the first all-Italian team to win the Australian Open women’s title, on their victory.
“They're obviously the No. 1 team in the world. They're there for a reason,” Dellacqua said.
SOURCE
Semi Final:
WS1_SF: Li Na vs Maria Sharapova (6-2, 6-2)
(1 dvd)
WS2_SF: Victoria Azarenka vs Sloane Stephens (6-1, 6-4)
(1 dvd)
MS1_SF: Novak Djokovic vs David Ferrer (6-2, 6-2, 6-1)
(1 dvd)
MS2_SF: Andy Murray vs Roger Federer (6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 6-7(2) 6-2)
(2 dvd)
MXD_SF: Jarmila Gajdosova/Matthew Ebden vs Yaroslava Shvedova/Denis Istomin (7-5, 7-6)
(1 dvd)
Murray makes it happen
Friday, 25 January, 2013
It
took Andy Murray over four years to be able to upend the great Roger
Federer at a major, but he pulled it off in brilliant fashion,
overcoming the Swiss 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 6-7(2) 6-2 in exactly four hours to
earn himself a meeting with top seed Novak Djokovic in Sunday night’s
final.
In an extremely physical and complicated contest between
two of the game’s smartest tacticians on a brisk Friday evening , Murray
was able to emotionally regroup after he failed to serve the match out
at 6-5 in the fourth set.
More fit than he was three years ago
when Federer bested him in the Melbourne final and certainly mentally
tougher after his standout 2012, when he won the Olympic gold medal as
well as his first major at the US Open, Murray played an airtight fifth
set, winning 16 of his 19 service points and pouncing on his foe’s
serves during his return games.
He won the contest when a
seemingly exhausted Federer – who has just come of a brutal five-set win
over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Wednesday night’s quarterfinal – flew a
forehand long.
“I’ve obviously lost some tough matches against him
in Slams,” Murray said. “So to win one, especially the way that it went
tonight, was obviously nice. I’m sure both of us will play each other
again in Slams, so it will help having won once against him.”
One
of the world’s most accurate returners, Murray immediately began to get
on Federer’s serve in the first set and broke him to 2-1 when he forced
him into a forehand error. While Murray was in command of numerous
baseline rallies as he played deep and with precision, Federer had
trouble breaking down the Scot’s defensive wall, even with his ferocious
forehand.
Murray won the first set when he crushed a forehand
that Federer could only push back into the net, and then he hit a serve
down the T that the Swiss couldn’t handle.
Both men upped their
levels in the second set and engaged in a number of long and intriguing
rallies from inside the baseline. The Swiss tried to break down Murray’s
weaker forehand side, while the Scot went at Federer’s backhand. They
traded speeds and spins, charged forward on and off, and defended
stoutly.
However, the 25-year-old Murray still seemed to have a
slight edge in rallies until they went into the tiebreaker. Murray
inexplicably blew three straight forehands to go down 1-3, but then he
managed to claw back to 5-5. However, while approaching the net, Murray
had to leap high in the air to hit a forehand volley and he bounced it
short, which allowed Federer to paste a backhand crosscourt winner. He
then committed a forehand error, and the Swiss grabbed the set.
Six
months ago in the Wimbledon final, Murray had won the first set and was
ahead in the second before Federer grabbed it 7-5 and then blitzed him
in the next two sets. But the Australian Open is not played on grass,
and Murray is more secure on outdoor hard courts. Once again, he was the
player consistently controlling the action.
He broke Federer to
3-2 and never looked back, winning the third set by stepping to his left
and crushing a forehand down the line and then booming an ace.
But
Federer hasn’t managed to win a record 17 Grand Slams for nothing, and
with his back against the wall, the 31-year-old showed all of his
champion’s mettle.
Murray won a very tense 10-minute game to tie the set 4-4, and he was clearly pumped up, bellowing at the top of his lungs.
At
5-5, he broke the Swiss to love with a forehand crosscourt winner and
looked to be in the driver’s seat when, trying to serve the match out at
6-5, he hit a gorgeous forehand down the line and smiled in delight,
appearing to believe that he was well on his way to victory.
Federer did not take kindly to the grin and his game rose in response. He yelled something Murray’s way.
“Stuff like that happens daily in tennis matches,” Murray said.
“In
sport, the stuff that some people say on football pitches and in
basketball and all sorts of sports … it was very, very mild in
comparison to what happens in other sports. It’s just one of those
things.”
Down 15-30, Federer nailed an overhead at Murray’s body
and then walloped a one-handed backhand down the line winner behind
Murray that kissed the outside of the line to gain a break point. A
shaky Murray then blew an easy forehand crosscourt, and a second
tiebreaker was on.
Brimming with confidence, Federer flew through
the breaker, nailing a series of winners and then watching Murray miss
two returns he would normally handle.
But Murray is no longer the
same player who broke down in tears after Federer beat him in straight
sets in the 2010 Melbourne final, and he quickly broke Federer to 2-0
when the Swiss framed a backhand long.
While waiting for Federer
to come back on court between sets, he tried to think what he had done
in a positive fashion to get to that point and focused on doing it
immediately.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
“The
only thing you can do is play the right way, go for your shots when the
opportunity’s there, and hope that it pays off. At any stage he can
increase his level and your level can dip, especially in a four-hour
match. You just need to try and be focused for as much of the match as
possible. The beginning of the fifth set was the part of the match that I
was most pleased with.”
From that point on, Federer looked like
he had lost a bit of speed off the ground, and he couldn’t touch Murray
on his service games.
Serving at 2-5,15-30, the four-time
Australian Open champion saw Murray blast a forehand return winner that
he didn’t even bother to chase down. He managed to fight off one match
point with a serve winner, but then he missed an easy groundstroke to
hand the Scot the match.
“I did a good job tonight,” Murray said.
“I think I did all the things I needed to do. I did them well. Even
after the second and fourth sets, which were tough to lose, because I
wasn’t comfortable, but I was in good positions in both sets. To lose
them was tough. I was just happy with the way I responded after both
those sets.”
Murray will play two-time defending champion Djokovic
in the final. The Serbian bested him in five sets in the 2012
Australian semis, but Murray got revenge in the same number of sets at
the US Open.
It promises to be a classic.
“I hope it’s a painful match,” said Murray, who finished the match with 62 winners to 43 from Federer.
“That means it’ll be a good one.”
SOURCE
No regrets for Federer
Friday, 25 January, 2013
It
was always a little strange that Roger Federer came to his post-match
press conference so late following his quarterfinal victory over
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday night. That five-set battle finished at
roughly 11.30pm, and when it was announced that the second seed would
not be conducting his media conference until 12.15am, murmurs arose in
the press room – why so late after an already late match?
Those
murmurs intensified when Federer delayed his press conference until 1am.
“He’s injured,” one journalist rationalised. And when the Swiss did
finally emerge to face the media, he entered the theatrette stiffly and
laboriously.
Federer insisted that physically he felt fine, and
his movement was perfectly in order. But after Friday night’s 6-4 6-7(5)
6-3 6-7(2) 6-2 loss to No.3 seed Andy Murray – notable for his fadeout
in the final set after snaring the fourth – it’s hard not to believe
that conditioning played a part in the result.
That’s not to take
anything away from Murray, who, it must be said, displayed exemplary
form on Rod Laver Arena. He had arrived at the semifinal stage having
not relinquished a set all fortnight, and was coming off a career-best
2012 season highlighted by an Olympic gold medal and first Grand Slam
title at the US Open. Tellingly, when Murray served for the match late
in the fourth set before Federer roared back and steamrolled through the
ensuing tiebreak, the Scot didn’t wilt, instead wresting back control
of the match.
Yet so many times, Federer played shots out of
position, tangled up, a step slow. Tugged about the court by his more
aggressive opponent, the Swiss’ usually exquisite footwork and cat-like
movement simply weren’t as evident. There were times during a limp fifth
set – which spanned just 30 minutes – that Federer didn’t even attempt
to run down balls. It was a similar story at the Olympics, when after
defeating Juan Martin del Potro 19-17 in an epic third set, he came out
flat for the gold medal match – against Murray – and was summarily
beaten.
Sportingly, the Swiss wasn’t buying into suggestions that
fatigue played a part in his demise, despite never before in his career
having played back-to-back five-set matches at a major.
“I was
hoping to do a bit better, but overall obviously I'm pretty pleased with
the tournament. I played good tennis. I'm moving well and was fit in
the 10 sets I played, the last two matches,” he said.
“(The Tsonga
match tired me) a little bit, but it's not an excuse for me tonight to
say that I lost because of that. But obviously I wish I could have come
in (fresh) like Andy, as well. Then again, he beat me fair and square
tonight. No regrets from me.”
So if he generally felt fine, what
was behind such a lacklustre start, and an uncharacteristically
error-strewn performance? He finished the four-hour battle with 60
unforced errors (13 more than the Scot) to 43 winners, almost 20 less
than Murray’s tally. Some of that was undoubtedly the pressure being
heaped on him by the third seed, who smacked 21 aces to five and who was
especially damaging on the move, striking several jaw-dropping passing
shots and running winners.
“I think overall he probably created
more chances than I did. I had difficulties … getting into his service
games time and time again (un)like I usually do against him,” Federer
reflected.
“It's normal that with time and with age you learn, you
become more experienced, become physically better … obviously with
(Murray’s) win I think at the Olympics and the US Open, maybe there's
just a little bit more belief or he's a bit more calm overall.
“It seems like he has more peace when he plays out there, and in the process he has better results, I guess.”
It’s
never pleasant to sound like you’re writing somebody off, but at 31
years old, one wonders just how much age now plays a factor in Federer’s
physical health. The world No.2 has enjoyed a remarkably injury-free
run throughout his career, and reportedly puts special emphasis on his
recovery. But in the past three years at Melbourne Park, younger foes
have gotten the better of him, all at the semifinal stage. In 2011 it
was Novak Djokovic, 2012 it was Rafael Nadal, and now Murray. All are
lauded for their movement, power and endurance, and all are roughly five
years his junior.
Yet the Swiss has stated he intends to play on
until the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. A truncated schedule –
beginning this year – is designed to ensure he reaches that goal.
Despite tonight’s setback, he has no plans of changing that plan, or how
he approaches his matches.
“I’ve played these guys, what, 60
times, the three guys around me in the rankings. So we know each other
really well. We play each other very close very often. Keep on trading
wins and losses … I enjoy the matches with Rafa, Novak, and also Andy
again tonight. It's nice playing five sets against him. It was tough
tennis. I enjoy that,” he said.
“So I go from here with a good
feeling for the year. I didn't play a tournament leading in, so now
obviously I know where my level is at. Also knowing I have even more
time to work on my game, work on my fitness this year.
“It's something I'm excited about.”
SOURCE
No worries for Novak
Thursday, 24 January, 2013
Following
his defeat of Kei Nishikori in the fourth round, David Ferrer was asked
if he felt he belonged among the top group of players on the men’s
tour, commonly known as the Big Four.
“No, no. I think the top four, they are better,” he answered immediately.
Pressed further, given his status as the No.4 seed at Australian Open 2013, he simply responded: “It's my opinion.”
It
turns out that Ferrer was right. Opinion became fact at Rod Laver Arena
on Thursday night as a packed crowd witnessed one of the more
comprehensive Grand Slam semifinal drubbings in the game’s history.
Ferrer
was outgunned – or destroyed, humiliated, eviscerated, whichever term
you prefer – 6-2 6-2 6-1 by top seed and defending champion Novak
Djokovic, a result that sends the world No.1 into his fourth final at
Melbourne Park in six years. At one hour and 29 minutes, it was shorter
than the two women’s semifinals that preceded it, both themselves
decided in straight sets yet in a shorter, best-of-three set format.
Some
suggested that Ferrer’s torrid five-set quarterfinal defeat of
compatriot Nicolas Almagro may have affected his performance. Yet that
was played more than two days ago in pleasant temperatures, and Ferrer
is lauded for his physical fitness.
No, this was more a case of
Djokovic being at the peak of his powers, and the Spaniard completely
lacking the weapons to contend. Djokovic struck 30 winners and just 16
errors while Ferrer finished with the unfortunately-inverted tally of 11
and 32.
“It (the result) can only do positive things to my
confidence. Definitely at this stage of a tournament, playing semifinals
against the world No. 4, somebody that I have respect for, great
competitor, and being able to perform as well as I did, it's
incredible,” Djokovic said.
“I have a great feeling about myself
on the court at this moment. Now I have two days off before the finals
which gives me enough time to get ready, and recover for the finals.”
After
a couple of games were required to settle in to the semifinal, Djokovic
soon found his rhythm and was expertly manoeuvring the ball around the
court. Whereas Ferrer is notable for his metronomic stroke production,
Djokovic was the more creative, looping balls, chipping slices,
venturing to the net and working the angles.
He broke in the fifth
game and consolidated to love for a 4-2 lead, then played a trademark
open-stance backhand on the full stretch and skid to create another
break-point opportunity in the next game, which he converted after
Ferrer double-faulted.
The Serb snared the opening set in 29
minutes with an ace, and continued to demoralise his hapless opponent in
the second set when he broke serve in the third game. Not even problems
with his contact lenses – which saw him widening his eyes and later
inserting eye drops at a change of ends – could stop him seeing the ball
like a football, and promptly clocking it for winner after winner.
There
were both traditional and drive volley winners, clean off-backhands,
wrong-footing forehands and the odd serve cranked up the T for a timely
ace. Djokovic deployed all his weapons to devastating effect, and was
quickly up two-sets-to-love.
The most competitive rally of the
match came in the opening game in the third, yet after that 32-stroke
exchange, Ferrer erred, handing Djokovic yet another break point. The
Serb converted, taking his break point conversion tally to a sparkling
five-from-five.
The winners continued to flow, and a linesman’s
“out” call simply delayed the inevitable in the fourth game – Djokovic
challenged, and Hawkeye deemed another of his shots to have skimmed the
sideline for a winner. Ferrer was now down 4-0, but, mercifully, managed
to hold with some forceful serving. The sympathetic cheers didn’t last
long - Djokovic silenced them with another pair of winners followed by a
perfectly-weighted drop shot/lob volley combination.
Leading 5-1
in the next game, Djokovic further embarrassed the No.4 seed with two
winning drop shots. Almost as if wanting to end the misery, Ferrer then
produced three consecutive errors to hand the Serb the most
comprehensive of victories, and a championship match date with either
No.2 seed Roger Federer or third seed Andy Murray on Sunday.
Djokovic was asked if he would watch Friday’s second semifinal.
“Of course. I love tennis. Tennis is my life,” he answered.
“I'm
not just a player, I'm also a fan of this sport. I love to see these
big matches. When Federer and Murray and Nadal are playing, those are
the special kind of matches in Grand Slams.”
Earlier in the
evening, a journalist in the press room noted that it was roughly
2,200km between Belgrade – Djokovic’s birthplace – and the Spanish town
of Javea, where Ferrer was born. The gulf between the Serb and the
Spaniard’s level on Thursday night was similarly wide.
Thankfully,
for everyone concerned, the gap in the players’ respective playing
standards will be significantly narrower come Sunday’s final.
SOURCE
Vika soldiers on
Thursday, 24 January, 2013
It would seem that even champions get nervous. Very nervous.
As
Victoria Azarenka homed in on a place in the women’s singles final,
sploshing Sloane Stephens for a set and a bit with power and panache,
everything suddenly went horribly wrong both on and off the court. On
court, the world No.1 went off the boil, started to panic and ended up
being prodded and poked by the medics who discovered that one of her
ribs had “locked”.
Off the court, the Twitterati went ballistic,
accusing Azarenka of gamesmanship for taking a nine-minute medical time
out just as Stephens was about to serve to stay in the match. This was
going to take some sorting out. The only incontrovertible fact on offer
was that Azarenka won, 6-1 6-4.
She had rattled through the first
set in just 33 minutes and had taught the 19-year-old American a
valuable lesson: it is all very well to be a scrambler and a retriever,
but if you are going to get the ball back, make sure you get it back
into a place far away from your opponent’s racquet. Azarenka had been
doing just that happily and it was working a treat.
But by the
second set, Stephens was making a better fist of things. She got a break
of serve. She may have dropped her serve a couple of games later, but
she was not going to go quietly. And then Azarenka started to wobble.
Two double faults in a row cost her her serve and she screamed in fury.
This, it transpired, was a key moment and we will return to it later, but on with the story.
Stephens
immediately dropped her serve, leaving the defending champion four
points away from the final. Serve it out, Vika, and you are home and
hosed. But she couldn’t. Five match points came and went until finally,
Stephens broke again. Gulp. It was now 5-4 and the American teenager had
the chance to serve to stay in the match. At which point, Azarenka
called for the trainer and after a brief assessment, left the court for
treatment.
Nine minutes later, she was back and as Stephens’ serve
faltered again, Azarenka was through to the final on her sixth match
point.
And that is when all hell broke loose.
Asked in her on-court interview why she had left the court and how she was feeling now, Azarenka opened a can of worms.
“I
almost did the choke of the year right now,” she said. “At 5-3, having
so many chances and I couldn't close it out. I was a bit overwhelmed
realising I was one step away from the final. Nerves got into me, for
sure."
That was when the Twitterers, the Facebookers and the
bloggers went wild. Surely this was blatant gamesmanship? Leaving the
court because you are choking?
As it turned out, Azarenka claimed that she was
literally choking.
She could not breathe. A rib and back problem had been bothering her
for a couple for days and suddenly got worse during the second set,
round about the time when she dropped her serve in the seventh game.
“I'm telling you what happened right now honestly, that my back was bothering me,” she said in her post-match press conference.
“It
took me too long of a time to call the trainer, which was my mistake. I
took it to the point where I couldn't breathe, which was causing from
my back problem, and I couldn't really figure out what was going on on
the court. When the trainer told me that was the rib that was blocking
that, my back, that's what happened.
“When you cannot breathe you
start to panic. I was really panicking, not because I couldn't convert
my match point. That's not the case. I mean, I'm experienced enough to
go over those emotions. But when you cannot breathe, when something's
really blocking you, the stress, that was the stress I was talking
about. I just couldn't realise what was going on with me.”
As for her response to the on-court interview question by Channel 7’s Sam Smith, she felt that was a simple misunderstanding.
“I
think I just really misunderstood what she asked me because the
question was I had few difficulties and why I went off,” Azarenka
explained.
“I completely thought of a different thing, why I
couldn't close out of match, you know, that I had few difficulties. So I
understand the whole situation right now, but it just really simple
misunderstanding of a question.”
So Azarenka lives to fight
another day, and Stephens is heading for the airport. But the American
will be back. Her ranking ought to move up to No.17 in the world, and
with the confidence and experience she has gained from her run here, she
will head for Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows with a new
spring in her step. In the meantime, Azarenka has Li Na to face on
Saturday.
SOURCE
Li Na shatters Sharapova
Thursday, 24 January, 2013
In perhaps the best match she’s played in a year and a half, China’s Li Na crushed No. 2 Maria Sharapova 6-2 6-2 on Thursday to move into the Australian Open final for the second time in her career.
In an
astonishing display of all-round power and know how, Li never allowed
the free-swinging Russian to gain a toehold in the match, consistently
attacking her taller foe with well-placed serves, huge returns and
lethal groundstrokes.
The 30-year-old said it was as perfectly as she has ever played.
“After 20 years, first time in my life,” she said.
“Beginning
of the match, I was nervous. I was happy I come back to semis again,
but for some reason I really want to win the match. I don't know what
happened today. Just come to the court, feeling like, ‘Okay, just do
it’.”
Li finished the one hour and 33 minute contest with 21 winners to 18 unforced errors, and she forced Sharapova into 21 errors.
For
her part, 2012 finalist Sharapova could never find her rhythm and
finished with just 17 winners and 32 unforced errors, while forcing Li
into 23 errors.
Given that Sharapova had only lost nine games in
five matches coming into the contest, she was considered a heavy
favorite by some, but Li has been playing extremely well since the
summer began, winning the title in Shenzhen, reaching the semis in
Sydney and, in Melbourne, taking out three successive seeded players
without losing a set: Sorana Cirstea, Julia Goerges and Agnieszka
Radwanska, who was undefeated on the season entering their quarterfinal.
Li
had lost her last three matches to Sharapova entering Thursday’s
semifinal, but with new coach Carlos Rodriguez, the former coach of
Justine Henin, in her corner, she played a very smart match. The Chinese
frequently hit behind Sharapova, stretching her way out on her forehand
side so that she couldn’t generate enough power, and feasting on every
second serve that she could.
Li, who reached the Australian Open final two years ago, won 18 of the Russian’s 24 second serve points.
“Maybe like before I was angry or something,” Li said.
“Start
this year, I try to cool down on the court. Like Hollywood. You don't
have to show opponent what are you thinking. A little bit like
Hollywood, but not real.”
Irrespective of whether she had the
proper strategy or not, Li had to execute on the big points, and that
she did, breaking Sharapova five times, and defending six of the seven
break points on her own serve.
Sharapova fought gamely in the
second set in trying to turn the match around, but the sixth seed broke
her to 3-2 when Sharapova erred on a backhand, and then she failed to
break Li in the next game when holding a break point when her foe ripped
a backhand winner.
Li broke Sharapova to 5-2 when the Australian
Open 2008 champion committed three straight unforced errors. She then
efficiently closed the contest out with a 160km/h ace before Sharapova
committed an unforced backhand error.
The 2011 Roland Garros winner will play the defending champion Victoria Azarenka in the final.
“I mean, 2011, first time to the Grand Slam final, I was a little bit shocked because I didn't know what I should do,” Li said.
“Also, no one tell me what I should do on the court. But this time I got more experience, so I think should be better.”
SOURCE
Quarter Final:
MS_QF: Roger Federer vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(4) 3-6 6-3)
magnificent match (2 dvd)
Fed's perfect 10
Wednesday, 23 January, 2013
Roger Federer has progressed to the semifinals of the Australian Open for the 10
th
consecutive year, the No.2 seed outlasting Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(4) 3-6 6-3 in their quarterfinal on Wednesday night.
The
four-time Australian champion advanced to meet world No.3 Andy Murray, a
straight-sets winner over Jeremy Chardy earlier on Wednesday.
The
free-swinging Tsonga came alive in the fourth set after Federer had won
two of the first three sets in tense tiebreaks, breaking the No.2 seed
twice and blasting 17 winners to set up a decider.
Games went on
serve in the final set until the fourth game, when an unforced Tsonga
backhand error handed Federer a break and a 3-1 lead.
The Swiss
didn’t look back after that as Tsonga’s unforced error count
skyrocketed, holding for 5-2 with a deft forehand volley. Tsonga saved
four match points on serve in the eighth game, but that only delayed the
inevitable, Federer needing just one chance on serve to close it out.
He finished in style with a smash to end the contest in three hours and
34 minutes.
It was Federer’s first five-set match in Melbourne
since the second round of the 2011 tournament, when he defeated another
Frenchman, Gilles Simon.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion has
fallen in the semifinals in Melbourne for the last two years. The
31-year-old last won the tournament in 2010, defeating Tsonga in the
semifinals along the way.
SOURCE
Novak survives steely Stan
Monday, 21 January, 2013
Leave it to Novak Djokovic to be involved in another dramatic
spectacle. In one of the most thrilling contests played at Melbourne
Park in the past decade, the two-time defending champion edged an
inspired Stanislas Wawrinka 1-6 7-5 6-4 6-7(5) 12-10 in a five hour and
two minute marathon to move into the quarterfinals.
It was a
heroic effort by both men in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena that
ended at 1.41am on Monday morning. The top seed managed to repel the
pumped-up Swiss, who dictated play for much of the match with brilliant
shot-making.
But while Wawrinka wowed the spectators with his
wondrous one-handed backhand, booming serves and rolling topspin
forehands, it was Djokovic who once again dug deep on the court where he
has had the most success.
“Well, I'm just pleased to be part of
that era, just pleased to be part of those matches where you push
yourself up to the last drop of your energy,” Djokovic said.
“I'm very glad to be a winner of another marathon.”
In
winning his third Australian Open last year, the strong-legged Serbian
won back-to-back five-setters in the semifinals over Andy Murray and in
the final over Rafael Nadal. But those were against two of his primary
rivals in the sport, and not against a man who has tried so hard to
transform himself into an elite player.
On Sunday night and Monday
morning in Melbourne, Wawrinka was that elite player, and deserved just
as much attention as his more famous countryman, Roger Federer.
“I always knew he has a quality,” Djokovic said.
“He
has ability to beat the best players in the world, and he has proven
that on several occasions on different surfaces. He's using that power
and the serve. He's really moving well over the court. He's reading the
game. So he came up with great tactics today.”
Even though he
played a brilliant first set, Wawrinka could not consolidate a 5-2 lead
in the second set and keep his foot on Djokovic’s throat. But he did not
collapse after losing five straight games to drop the second set and
then when he lost the third.
Wawrinka, who held a 2-11 record
against the Serbian entering the match, punched his way into the fourth
set tiebreaker, and even though Djokovic came hard when down 3-6 by
ripping two forehand winners, Wawrinka stood tall and won it with a
whipping forehand of his own down the line.
The two knew going
into the fifth set that they would have to push their bodies to the
limits and beyond, and they did so. Wawrinka cramped on and off
throughout the set and had an opportunity when he was ahead 4-3 and held
four break points, but Djokovic pulled off a sweet drop shot, Wawrinka
made two groundstroke errors and the Serbian then put away a backhand
volley.
There would be no more break points after that until the
16-point final game, when Wawrinka fought off two match points, the
first with a 200km/h ace and the second with an incredible backhand down
the line when it looked like he was barely moving. But on the final
point, Wawrinka pushed Djokovic all over the court and looked like he
was going to win the point when he forced Djokovic to stab back two
backhands, but after he hit a low slice approach shot, Djokovic somehow
scooped it up and flipped a backhand crosscourt pass to win the contest.
The final set alone lasted an hour and 44 minutes.
“I think it's by far my best match I ever play, especially in five sets against the No. 1 player,” said the 15
th-seeded Wawrinka.
“Especially
I was dealing with myself all the five hours, trying to always find
solutions, trying to always fight against me and against him to stay
with him. At the end I was really, really close. For sure I'm really
sad. But I think there is more positive than negative.”
The two
warmly embraced at the net before Djokovic tore his shirt off and roared
to his box, just like he did when he bested Nadal last year in their
five hour and 53 minute classic.
“I just had flashback of 2012 in
the finals,” Djokovic said. “It was maybe 45 minutes less this match
than the one 12 months ago, but still it was still as exciting. I tried
to perform my best, enjoy the moment, be in the present, and couldn't
ask for more. What a match point. Unbelievable.”
Djokovic will
play fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, and believes
he’s in good enough shape to make another title run.
“I’ve been in those situations before,” he said.
“I
remember when I won against Murray in the semis after five hours, and
then played against Rafa almost six hours. I know I can recover. I know I
have it in me.”
SOURCE
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