FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, SATUDAY, JAN. 23–
Is it possible that Nikolay Davydenko spent the Christmas holidays
at the riotous Safin household? Just where did he get this new sense of
humor, this love of gab?
After the sixth-seed smacked Juan Monaco 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 in sterling fashion,
he once again showed off his new, more extroverted personality.
When asked whether he would hypothetically like to marry another Russian
tennis player, and who would it be, he replied with a laugh: "If
I married another tennis player? "Man or woman? I have already wife.
I have my beautiful wife. I don't want to have any..” and then he
was cut off by his wife, Irina, who was sitting in the audience. She said,
“I hear you,” as her husband buried his head in his hands
and roared.
The Russian hasn’t dropped a set in Melbourne and has won 12 matches
dating back to the ATP Final and Doha. He’s playing by far the best
tennis of his career. He super quick, has deceptive weapons, is an excellent
all court player and deep thinker. And now he has a huge amount of confidence,
which will make him a great danger to Fernando Verdasco, who advanced
when Stefan Koubek retired after a set, and of course to Roger Federer
should they meet in the quarters.
“ Maybe it's depends how many matches you did and against who you
play and against who you win,” he said. “Last year I beat
so many good guys: Federer, Nadal, Del Potro, Djokovic. Very tough matches.
I have very good confidence. Maybe my tennis a little bit change. Maybe
I start to play a bit faster and do not so many mistakes.”
Davydenko still has a long way to go before he holds the trophy, but he’s
sure having a blast. He says he’s more known in Russia now, but
he doesn’t expect traffic to stop if he wins his first major. Men
and women have to put their hard hats on, just like he’s been doing
for past decade.
"I don't think so. It's not like football. In soccer, yes, everybody
go in the street drinking. But I don't think so if I win grand slam everybody
start to drink, all Russia It (will) be Monday next day and everybody
need work."
Federer made quick work of Spain's Albert Montanes 6-3. 6-4, 6-4 and will
face Lleyton Hewitt, a man he absolutely owns. Hewitt advanced when Baghdatis
retired down 6-0, 4-2 with apparent shoulder injury. It’s hard to
see Hewitt getting more than a set.
Novak Djokovic bested the error-ridden Denis Istomin 6-1, 6-1 6-2 and
will play Poland’s Lukasz Kubot, who received a walkover following
Mikhail Youzny's withdrawal with a wrist injury. "I think at some
stage in the tournament you want to have a straight sets win, an easy
win, so you can get fast off the court and try to save all the energy
as much as you can for the upcoming challenges, which are obviously gonna
be more difficult,” 2008 AO champ Djokovic said.
Federer was asked whether there are more men now seriously contending
for the title and he hedged a little, but the top seven are still alive
and the threatening Jo Tsonga might be too if he survives Tommy Haas.
“We have guys now as they get older they’re gonna win bigger
tournaments and have more experience,” Fed said. “ Before,
the group was Del Potro, Murray, Djokovic. They were just coming out of
their teens. You can't expect them right away to win slams. Now they're
all in a good age where normally you either make your move or you definitely
have a chance. A few guys have already won Slams. That's not an easy thing
to do, because Rafa and myself are still around and making it extremely
hard for guys to take home any Slams. Because over five sets in two weeks,
I think we know best how it works. But I think it's an interesting draw
again. There's no easy ways to a final or to a victory here. So you definitely
gotta probably beat some of the best players in the world.”
Nicolas Almagro bested Alejandro Falla 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and will await the
winner of Tsonga-Haas. There have been few surprises in the draw, which
is now almost down to 16 men. Kubot is certainly a shocker just to be
there, but he has yet to beat a seed. All the big guns are still in save
for Robin Soderling, and Almagro, a very good player seeded No. 26 who
has underachieved a bit, has taken his spot.
Sunday’s schedule on Laver is outstanding: Andy Murray v. John Isner,
Rafa Nadal v. Ivo Karlovic, followed at night by Justine Henin v. Yanina
Wickmayer (who pulled out her doubles) and Andy Roddick v. Fernando Gonzalez.
Hisense Arena features Alona Bondarenko v. Zheng Jie, Svetlana Kuznetsova
v. Nadia Petrova, Juan Martin del Potro v. Marin Cilic (a USO rematch)
and Dinara Safina v. Maria Kirilenko. We are into the business end of
the tournament now.
Hewitt v. Bagman Revisited, Venus to Face Dellacqua
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, THURSDAY, JAN. 21–
This time, they may start their match at dawn. Lleyton Hewitt
survived the flashy young American Donald Young 7-6, 6-4, 6-1, setting
up rematch of his 2008 marathon match with Marcos Baghdatis,
who overcame David Ferrer 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-1. Hewitt and Baghdatis'
last meeting at the Aussie Open finished at 4:34 a.m. -- the tournament's
latest ever finish. But this third round encounter will be played on Saturday
so it’s possible that it will be played in the daytime. It's also
possible that Aussie Channel 7 will want it at night AND the tournament
might face the same dilemma it did two years ago as guess what: Venus
Williams will face Aussie Casey Dellacqua (who overcame Karolina Sprem
in two tiebrakers) the same day and that's a highly desired night match
too. Two years ago, Venus played Sania Mirza in a fairly long contest
prior to the Hewitt-Baggie marathon. Questions abound, bu ther's little
doubt tha Hewitt will want a day match.
"We've played each other three times. It's not quite like Nadal-Federer
just yet," said Hewitt.
There are only four Americans left in the singles draw,
pretty uncommon in Australia. Serena and Venus both won easily, and Andy
Roddick and John Isner have matches on Friday. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bested
Taylor Dent 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, who is on the next plane back
to L.A. because his wife, former player Jenny Hopkins, is about to give
birth to their first child.
Serena crushed Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-1, smoking 23 winners to 15 from her
foe, and only committing 21 unforced errors to 34 from Kvitova. Serena
will face Carla Suarez-Navarro in the third round, the same woman who
knocked her sister, Venus, out of the competition last year. “She's
really good,” Serena said. “She has so much talent. I know
she took out Venus around this time last year. I would hate to see it
become a habit for her, taking out a sister this time every year. So I
have to be ready.” Serena then went to meet Britain’s Prince
William, who was in the house watching Roger Federer best Victor Hanescu
in straight sets and part of the Casey Dellacqua-Karolina Sprem match.
Baghdatis was out watching Sprem, so you have to wonder… Venus Williams
played quite solid in besting Sybille Bammer 6-2, 7-5, pocketing 34 winners
to only four from her foe. She’s got a great shot at the semis…
Aussie teen Bernard Tomic criticized officials for putting him on at night
in his five-set loss to Croatian Marin Cilic, which did not finish until
after 2am the next day. I requested to play during the day, and it didn't
happen, I think it's ridiculous," Tomic said ,Name me any sport you
play at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. Especially me, at my age, it's difficult.
I'm not trying to make any excuses, but I go to sleep at like 9:00, 10:00
normally. It's way past my bedtime." "I have no excuses but
I think if I'd have played during the day, which I requested, it could
have been all changed."
Australian Open TD Craig Tiley responded, “If there doesn't become
a change in his behavior, it becomes extremely hard for him to excel at
the top echelons of the sport. At some point, and I've said this to Bernard,
he needs to be responsible for who he has around him and the decision
he makes and what he says. He's the one who has to be hauled to task for
what he says and what he does."
Nikolay Davydenko says he wants to have kids now but his wife, Irina,
wants him to stay focused on his tennis. "Really, I would like (to)
have kids now, like Federer already (has) two, or Hewitt," Davydenko
said. But my wife don't want to stay at home. She travel with me now.
Now I'm top 10. She scared about if I start to, with kids, lose tennis
and go down, stray. That's was because I start to miss and I want to go
home, (not) want to practice. That's what is different, She think always
I can win everything. She can coaching me already."
The women’s third round is set. Winners on the top half who will
face off in attractive matches are Zvonareva and Dulko, Wozniacki and
Peer, Hantuchova and Li and Schiavone and Radwanska.
The third round on the top half on the guy’s side is also set. Thursday
winners who will face each other include Federer and Montanes, Verdasco
and Koubek, Haas and Tsonga and Monaco.
Fridays must see matches include Roddick v. Feliciano Lopez, Philipp Kohlschreiber
v. Rafa Nadal, Jelena Jankovic v Alona Bondarenko, Justine Henin v. Alisa
Kleybanova, Kim Clijsters v. Nadia Petrova, Ivo Karlovic v. Ivan Ljubicic,
John Isner v. Gael Monfils and Marin Cilic v. Stanislas Wawrinka.
