AUSSIE OPEN, DAY 9

Aussies crash: Hewitt, Scud torched by Federer, Arazi
Roger has Nalbandian again, Clijsters gets hot Myskina

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Siggi Bucher

Federer didn't fizzle late against Lleyton.

As The Australian’s Patrick Miles wrote, "Great expectations turned to dust on Australia Day as the fine craftsmanship of Hicham Arazi chiseled away at the might of Mark Philippoussis, leaving the home-town hero attempting to pick up the pieces of another disappointing campaign."

The crystal ball that saw Lleyton Hewitt racing to his first Aussie Open title also shattered and left jagged edges all over Rod Laver Arena, when he was completely embarrassed by Roger Federer 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-4.

There have been notable Aussie flameouts Down Under before, but this is the first time in recent history that both Hewitt and Philippoussis came into the tournament with legitimate hopes of winning the title. That they crashed with the force of a space shuttle hitting the atmosphere must have left their nation in dark mourning.

tennisreporters.net tagged Hewitt as the man to beat in this tournament, figuring that his amazing autumn wins over Federer and JC Ferrero in Davis Cup would be enough to propel him to victory at home. He was fit, well-rested, super-motivated and confident. But the fact of the matter is despite playing in front of his adoring fans and owning an 8-2 record against the Swiss coming into the match, he doesn't have Federer’s weaponry when Roger is clicking on all cylinders. Hewitt can’t come close to matching him from the forehand side, in the serving department and doesn’t volley as well, either. Add to that some amazing, inhuman shots that Federer produced when on the run or pushed deep into a corner.

In the past, what he had was more desire. But on Monday, Federer was on a mission to avenge his Davis Cup semifinal loss, when he allowed Hewitt to come from behind and pull out a five-set victory. He simply wanted to prove that he is just as mentally tough as Hewitt.

"I'm very, very happy to have taken my revenge on him because it hurt me big time that match at the Davis Cup," Federer said.

Now Roger has arguably a bigger task ahead, taking down his Nem-bandian nemesis David, who is playing tremendously well and who upset him at the ’03 Aussie and US Opens.

Here’s what the Sydney Morning Herald’s Richard Hines had to say about what lies ahead for Lleyton:
"Hewitt leaves with an enormous challenge ahead. Throughout the summer, his supporters have claimed he had not merely begun to recapture his best form after last year's slump, he was already there. If that is true, it seems he will have to find yet more improvement to challenge the young such as Federer and Andy Roddick who have themselves reached a new level in the year since the Australian was the world No. 1."

SCUD loses fire against Moroccan magician

Siggi Bucher

The Scud had no answers for Arazi.

Like many others, we love to watch Hicham Arazi play – when he’s motivated. He’s not nicknamed the "Moroccan Magician" for nothing. The small lefty has deft touch, can hit his one-handed backhand any which way, can roll his forehands to every angle and has a baby’s hands around the net. But Arazi is a notorious tanker and the 30-year-old was coming off one of his worst seasons ever, so no one expected him to school the Scud 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Philippoussis said that Arazi played flawlessly, but the 27-year-old should have imposed himself more and, instead, looked lost most of the match. He served just eight aces and clanged five double-faults, while committing 38 unforced errors to 10 for Arazi.
"I want more," Arazi said. "Now I know that everything is possible. I believe more in myself." That’s not true of the Scud, who has to be doubting his future.

Arazi will have an entirely different kind a match against Ferrero, who is much faster than Philippoussis and won’t give him a target. Hicham will be running all day long. The Moroccan has the wizardry to win this contest, but whether he has the stamina is another question entirely.

Clijsters gets hot Myskina
Maybe Kim Clijsters should waste her other ankle in May, that way she can go into Roland Garros, not drop a set and have the draw open up for her like the Sydney Harbor did when Hewitt proposed to her.

Clijsters routined Silvia Farina Elia and now looks to finally have a difficult contest when she takes on Anastasia Myskina, who’s playing the more consistently aggressive tennis of her career. The temperamental Myskina torched Chanda Rubin in the last two sets of their encounter and if the Russian doesn’t start dropping F-bombs too early against Kimmy, she has a good shot at an upset.

I somewhat expected Lisa Raymond to have a letdown against 16-year-old French wildcard Tatiana Golovin, but she gave her a lesson. Now Raymond will have to step up in a big way against another revived veteran, Patty Schnyder who eliminated another Frenchwoman, Nathalie Dechy.