TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN – (Almost) everything according to the script for the seeded players. Serena show an outfit which brings out “a powerful and beautiful woman”, Rusty (Hewitt) is all but rusty. The gossip of the day though is the engagement of Berdych From Melbourne Robbie Cappuccio
After an über-exciting day 1, with Aussie young guns taking over the stage, everything (almost) according to the script today in Melbourne. It was a cloudy and dry day with temperature just shy of 30C in the early afternoon, ideal for the colourful crowd (attendance of 64,801 today) to take advantage of the ice cooling fans at Melbourne Park.
The main news is perhaps not strictly related to the game itself. LOVE is in the air and Thomas Berdych announces he is marrying his model girlfriend Ester Satorova. Given the size of the engagement ring Satorova will probably soon hire a physio to get the hand back in shape.
In the men’s singles Djoker disposed of the Slovenian Bedene in less than 2 hours. It took a little bit more, 1:08, and 31 aces, for American John Isner to win over Wang 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4. One minute less and one ace less for a philosophical Raonic (“it was what it needed to be”) who wins 7-6 7-6 3-6 over Marchenko. We are all looking forward to an ace competition between them and Aussie Sam Groth (24 aces yesterday).
Just a few notes out of tune, starting – alas – with Italian [18] Fognini who is the second seeded player – after Gulbis last night – to be kicked out of the men’s singles tournament in the opening round by the Colombian Alejandro Gonzalez (107). Other seeded players to pack up are the French [25] Benneteau by the German Becker (41), [27] Cuevas by another German Bachinger (142) and [21] Alexandr Dolgopolov by the Italian Lorenzi (64).
The evening brings more cheering and happiness to a young and not so young Aussie crowd: Lleyton “Rusty” Hewitt – at his 19th consecutive Australian Open which sets a new record – gets through to second round, with the Fanatics giving their best in choreography and chanting.
After round one, the women’s singles shows a record of 11 seeded players out of the tournament, as three more are blown away today: [13] Petkovic loses against Brengle (64), but does not lose her smile. Former number one [15] Jankovic defeated by Bacsinszky (41) and Italian [12] Pennetta by compatriot Giorgi (33). In the all-Italian women’s singles derby, Pennetta and Giorgi bash each other from baseline for 2 hours in a match characterised by unforced errors and double faults. In the end Giorgi prevails in 3 sets, and is still compete for the most original outfit.
Wozniacki, who now plays “connected” with the new Babolat Play, appears in good shape and dismisses and concern on her wrist injury; she will now face Vika Azarenka in a blockbuster for round 2. Serena Williams shows a bright yellow and pink-trimmed outfit with a cut-out back, which “brings out a beautiful and powerful woman and focuses on the beauty of the shape of the back”. Today’s opponent Van Uytvank will definitely agree on the “powerful” part.
Ups and downs for the Aussies: after the performance of her compatriots in the opening day, great expectations for Sam Stosur, who does not betray her fans and herself and wins smoothly with Niculescu 6-4 6-1. Dellacqua is a copycat: 6-4 6-0 to Meusburger, whereas Rogowska reads the script upside down and loses 4-6 1-6 to Gibbs. Tomljanovic is still fighting with Rogers.
My final note is for Schiavone (record holder for longest grand slam women’s singles match ever played when she defeated Kuznetsova in 2011 in 4:44), who collects only a couple of games per set to the US Coco Vandeweghe. Bounce back Francesca, tennis still needs you!
