Australian Open Thread

[Geddy Lee]

It's everyone's favourite time of year again, and Tommy Haas has a bung shoulder and King Roger has a stomach bug.

Most interesting thing for me so far is that the players seeded 13-16 are the 'Nadal killers' - Berdych, Blake, Youzhny and Bagdahtis (not really the latter obviously). This is interesting because the way the seeds work, Nadal will have to play one of these guys in the 4th round, and has a 9-10 record against those aforementioned players, and that H2H would look alot worse if Youzhny hadn't had a back injury when up 2 sets to love against Nadal at Wimbledon last year.

But if I've learnt one thing in tennis the last 5 years, it is to never ever underestimate Rafael Nadal.

Favourites: Federer, Djokovic, Nadal

Dark horses: Murray, Nalbandian

The only other guys I could see making the final maybe are players who can get extremely hot, and it won't be Gonzalez again: Berdych, Gasquet, maybe Safin.

Slim chances of going far: Ferrer, Roddick, Blake, Baghdatis, Hewitt.

Young guns to watch: Murray, del Potro, Cilic, Gulbis especially (this kid is going to be something)

So, it's like every other GS of the past few years, Federer with a small pack chasing.

 

[Scruff83]

Be interesting to see how Federer goes, having pulled out of Kooyong he won't have played a match since the Masters back in November. Hard to go past tho, hot favorite. Would love to see a Federer/Nadal final.

 

[red+black]

I think Federer is in danger having pulled out of Kooyong.

New surface and he will not have played one competetive match on it.

I think he's shaky.

 

[Rick18]

I think Federer is in danger having pulled out of Kooyong.

New surface and he will not have played one competetive match on it.

I think he's shaky.

He can always get through to the second week with his eyes closed, and by then he'll have the match practice.

 

[red+black]

Yeah true.

But it'd be a shame if the chance at a Golden Slam was over before it began.

 

[Geddy Lee]

Haas has pulled out of the AO I think .

 

[roostersgal4eva]

may not make it to the final buy Moya, Santoro(sp?) and Blake will provide nuciance value

I think Djokovic would of learnt heaps from the US final and will use that experiance to win his first GS

 

[Professor Frink]

Be interesting to see how Federer goes, having pulled out of Kooyong he won't have played a match since the Masters back in November. Hard to go past tho, hot favorite. Would love to see a Federer/Nadal final.

nadal will loose early to a big hitting aussie...federer will dominate the whole tornement like he does in most. If Djokovic is on nadals side, he will cruise through to the final and then get rolled by federer in 4.

 

[Scruff83]

nadal will loose early to a big hitting aussie...federer will dominate the whole tornement like he does in most. If Djokovic is on nadals side, he will cruise through to the final and then get rolled by federer in 4.

Well I guess u won't have to tune in then, seen as you already know whats going to happen.

 

[gaelictiogar]

nadal will loose early to a big hitting aussie...federer will dominate the whole tornement like he does in most. If Djokovic is on nadals side, he will cruise through to the final and then get rolled by federer in 4.

That's close to the most likely scenario. Federer V Djokovic is by far the most likely final with Murray a dark horse.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

defintely federer and if anyone else wins I will be very surprised. Otheres with chances are
djokovic - already made a GS final
nadal - now the courts are slower will be in with a better shot
nalbandian - beat roger twice late last year
I really can't see lleyton hewitt doing much

for the womens if its not serena or venus will be henin, with the possibility of sharapova.
I can't see Molik doing much either she's just way too inconsistent, if she was back to her old self she may have even won a GS by now, but thats life.

 

[stmookeyj]

Worried though that Nadal struggled in Chennai in the final and hasn't played on the new surface either, plus with predicted conditions notwithstanding heat rules and policys. I think he's a massive risk. Plus there's always someone unexpected that comes up and makes a semi or a final like a young Moya, T.Johannsson, Scheuttler, Ferreira, Baghdatis and Gonzalez have in the last 10 years or so.

 

[Professor Frink]

Worried though that Nadal struggled in Chennai in the final and hasn't played on the new surface either, plus with predicted conditions notwithstanding heat rules and policys. I think he's a massive risk. Plus there's always someone unexpected that comes up and makes a semi or a final like a young Moya, T.Johannsson, Scheuttler, Ferreira, Baghdatis and Gonzalez have in the last 10 years or so.

chennai was a 1 off 4 nadal. started training later then usual and then just beat moya in the semis and was playing a guy who had cruised through the tournement. the slower courts will work against him imo as, in the past he has played worse in the aus open (on a slower surface) then on the faster us hardcourt. 2nd round vs guccione, rod lava arena...tune in to see the guuch role nadal in 3

 

[stmookeyj]

Some Qualifying news amongst the Aussies

- Brydan Klein has got the last Wildcard
- Samuel Groth (ranking 341) has beaten Wesley Moodie in 3 to advance to Q2 where he'll meet another South African in Kevin Anderson
- Andrew Thomas (845) is out losing love and 1 against German Dominik Meffert.
- Matthew Ebden (????) lost to Flavio Cipolla (Italian ranked 116 and 5th quallie seed) in 3 sets.
- Rameez Junaid also out losing to American Kevin Kim
- Bernard Tomic advances to 2nd rd after knocking off Yeu-Tzuoo Wang (ranked 147 from Chinese Taipei, Davis Cup implications) in 3 with the 2nd set breaker going to the young Aussie 15-13
- Adam Feeney also through beating Benedikt Dorsch 6 and 2
- Nathan Healey still to play against Spainiard Gabriel Trujillo-Soler
- Colin Ebilthite is out having lost to Anthony Dupuis 8-6 in the 3rd
- Andrew Coelho, Greg Jones, Carsten Ball (who meets Dane Kristian Pless seeded 15 in Quallies), and Miles Armstrong all still to play
- No Women's quallies played yet, but Dokic meets a Kiwi first up if she recovers from the ankle problem that put her out of Hobart in the 2nd round (she would have probably defaulted from Hobart anyway).

 

[stmookeyj]

Ball and Jones have won their 1st qualifying match.

 

[Geddy Lee]

I can't ****ing believe that Nalbandian is having injury problems.

Congrats Roger.

 

[ashley12]

Does anyone have a list of all the wildcard receipents??

 

[stmookeyj]

Does anyone have a list of all the wildcard receipents??

Coelho and Armstrong lost their 1st qualifying matches.

WILDCARDS

MEN

- Jesse LEVINE (US Open reciprocal)
- Matthieu MONTCORT (French Open reciprocal)
- Denis ISTOMIN (Asian WC)
- Joe SIRIANNI (Play-Off Winner)
- Robert SMEETS
- Alun JONES
- Nick LINDAHL
- Brydan KLIEN

WOMEN

- Mathilde JOHANNSSON (French Open Reciprocal)
- Madison BRENGLE (US Open Reciprocal)
- Asian Wildcard (Already allocated)
- Christina WHEELER (Play-Off Winner)
- Jessica MOORE
- Monique ADAMCZAK
- Sophie FERGUSON
- Jarmila GADJASOVA

 

[red+black]

Ridiculous that TA can choose 8 Aussies to get wildcards

 

[Geddy Lee]

Ridiculous that TA can choose 8 Aussies to get wildcards

It's not as bad as the USTA having heaps of shitty small tournaments during the year to keep their player's rankings high so that they can have a slew of wildcards AND undeserved direct entry.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

Coelho and Armstrong lost their 1st qualifying matches.

WILDCARDS

MEN

- Jesse LEVINE (US Open reciprocal)
- Matthieu MONTCORT (French Open reciprocal)
- Denis ISTOMIN (Asian WC)
- Joe SIRIANNI (Play-Off Winner)
- Robert SMEETS
- Alun JONES
- Nick LINDAHL
- Brydan KLIEN

WOMEN

- Mathilde JOHANNSSON (French Open Reciprocal)
- Madison BRENGLE (US Open Reciprocal)
- Asian Wildcard (Already allocated)
- Christina WHEELER (Play-Off Winner)
- Jessica MOORE
- Monique ADAMCZAK
- Sophie FERGUSON
- Jarmila GADJASOVA

fcuk that hope he gets belted

 

[ashley12]

cheers stmookeyj

I dont mind Bryden Klein. I know he is a bit of a w***er and whatever else but that isnt a super lot different about some of the press at the time of Hewitt, when he was sticking it up Enqvist and the others when he won the Adelaide event aged 16.

Im worried by Australia's lack of producing junior champiosn and THEN converting them into senior champions. Todd Reid was one who won junior Wimbledon but now where has he gone (though I do remember him pushing Federer for a set and a bit in the Aus Open 3rd rnd one year.

I know things change from juniors to seniors (Nalbandian led Federer 7-1 in juniors IIRC) but Australia realy needs another Aussie to do well asap consistantly, not just for Davis Cup but to keep tennis in the forefront of peoples minds in Australia

Go Jessica Moore too, went to my high school and is from the same town as Brad Hogg. I wish her and the other Aussies in the draw all the best

 

[gopies1981]

Main Contenders:

Men:- Rodger Federer, Rafeal Nadal, Novak Djokovic.

Dark Horses:- Andy Murry, David Nalbandian. Andy Roddick

Woman Main Contenders:

Women:- Justin Henin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, MAria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic

Dark Horses:- Lindsay Davenport, Amerlie Mauresmo, Nichole Viadosova

 

[Geddy Lee]

I think Safin is looking good and Murray not looking too good at Kooyong.

Ljubo sucks as always.

 

[X_box_X]

Any news on Bernard Tommich? How did he go through the qualifying stages?