Anyone keeping track? Have a favorite to win? Upcoming youngsters to watch out for? I'm watching the first round match between Federer and Kudryavstev. So far it's pretty even 5-5 in the first set. He's held his game pretty well against Federer's in the first set so far. I really hope Federer gets back to winning ways and gets his 17th grand slam!
How about Aussie Kim? They keep on calling her Aussie so much so that it is imperative for her to win!
I haven't kept much track on the women's side but the biggest factor so far this tournament is that Serena is back in the mix where as she wasn't last year. Of course everyone's been hoping Wozniacki to finally get her maiden grand slam because she hasn't won one even though she's been #1 for awhile now. As for Clijsters she could have a potential round of 16 meeting rematch with Li Na if they both make it that far. She's been out of the spot light for awhile so her ranking has dropped, but this is her time to make a good showing and possibly win another slam if she's up to the task.
Since Kim announced this is her last year on tour with no more comebacks, she'll probably try her very best to secure the first Slam of the year. Once she bags Slam number one in 2012, she may take it just a little bit easier in Roland Garros and Wimbledon before cranking up the dial again for the final Slam of the year/her career. A change of coach probably is gonna help Caroline. In the men's with Lendl on Murray's side, I am quite intrigue how this year will be different from all those years past?
Wozniacki is the LCW of WS tennis. Great at hanging on to #1 in the world, winning lesser tournaments but always comes up empty at the majors. In fact, I give LCW a better chance of capturing a major. But there's always an upside to Wozniacki...
Oh good puns haha. The main player I'm looking at to have a good showing is Kei Nishikori. Currently he's the top asian player on the men's side and is coming off the best year he's had so far, beating big players like Djokovic (Current #1, though he was injured), and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (world #6), Thomas Berdych (world #7). His grand slam results weren't good but he performed well at many of the smaller and medium sized tournaments. He's currently now world #26, and seeded #24 in the Australian open. Since asian men aren't nearly as good as the asian women on the tennis tour, this is big news for Asia! The last good player in the last 15 years from Asia was Paradorn Srichaphan, who looks VERY much like LCW except more muscular. http://www.advantage-tennis.com/srichaphan/501_8948.jpg He's not very consistent, but he's working at it and he's had many good runs at tournaments. Although I want Federer to win the tournament I would like to see Nishikori reach the 4th round or possibly even the quarters, though he'll have to beat some pretty good people along to way. He's the symbol for Asian men's tennis right now =).
Nishikori has got a good draw this slam. If he wins the 2nd round he will possibly face the 12th seed in the 3rd round. Obviously being seeded helps him get through the first couple rounds a lot easier than previous slams. Pretty solid first round match for him, though in the 2nd set he got pushed pretty hard by the French player who then ran out of fight in the 3rd set. Anyways, Djokovic is playing right now as well, with most people expecting him to breeze through probably the first 3-4 rounds. Same goes for the other 3 in the top 4, Nadal, Federer, Murray. He'll get through with ease as his score shows him dominating right now. Sharapova is playing now as well, 3-0 against her opponent in the first set. Edit: If you enjoy seeing a powerful one handed backhand, watch Gasquet and Wawrinka. Gasquet is playing right now
The best ohbh imo is that of Gustavo Kuerten, probably Federer and Gasquet fashion their backhands from Kuerten with a little tweaking. Djokovic started really great but then the weather is cooperating, (his physical fitness has dramatically improved; last year was a breakout year for him, no doubt) however, why do I sense he's gonna sizzle in Melbourne Park again and retire mid-stream? Tsonga and Del Potro is my wild card. Evergreen Kimiko Date was ousted in the first round again.
Hehe no doubt Hingis was a beauty queen as well then eh? A lot of people seem to think she (Woz) is "eye candy"?? Probably distracted too much by the twins ... Don't let the watch distract you here: Of course if that is eye candy in your parts, remind me not to move there .
A quick shout out to our boy Milos Raonic who breezed by Filippo Volandri 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 with "only" 13 aces. A potential meeting with Roddick awaits in R3. But first, a R2 match v Philipp Petzscner.
After comprehensive sun exposure under ozone leaked skies then doing the interview...don't we all look like that?
Don't think Roddick has a better h2h with Hewitt (thinking R3 already?) in the Slams! Raonic and Tomic may need 2 more years. Clijsters and Li had an easy match. Hopefully, no roid rage this year from Serena.
Mardy Fish is having a terrible match. 2 sets down and in the tie breaker for the third set and he's tied 4-4. He'll be the first big upset possibly unless Fish has some luck or comes up with great serves. edit: And Fish is out of the tournament! According to the commentators, he had bad mental attitude and played badly. He is the biggest seed out of the tournament and lost it in straight sets.
When I watch Fish play it's just not very convincing that he's the world #8. He just don't seem to have a very big weapon that the other guys have though he's usually much more consistent and can produce power when he needs to. Well it really opens up the draw for Del Potro who was in the same portion of the draw. I'm really looking forward for Del Po to break the top 10 again and stay in there where he belongs.
Agreed, he could work on his mental game though we all know how good it was when he won the U.S. open. But he needs to get it back since he's been out so long after his wrist injury. He also needs a way to maintain his attacking style because it's quite taxing on his body. One particular match I remember watching was in the US open 2011 when Gilles Simon outlasted Del Potro's game and tired him out completely with superior counter punching and retrieving. Same goes for the Davis cup matches he had versus Ferrer and Nadal in 2011.
