*Official* Tennis Thread

[Simon]

I guess thats why Chardy is still hovering around 30-40 in the world and not in the top 15 where he should be and will eventually be, doesnt look a good summer for him.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Maybe Zverev a chance of surprising?

Admittedly losing to Ball is not all that inspiring, but a good draw could help him along.

 

[Simon]

Naa not seeing it, also as usual its probably going to rely on a good draw, someone drawing Federer in the third round isnt much hope of going anywhere.
Another guy I like is Victor Troicki, but I'm just not seeing recent results that are good enough.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Hopefully Gulbis pushes on this year after an absolute horror 2009. Went OK in Qatar.

 

[Simon]

Yeh hes another talented guy that seems a bit stuck at the moment. Some of these players like the aforementioned Sam Querrey, Jerome Chardy etc... just need to have that one big tournament or result and they might become something. It's also hard for them in that they are seeded so they meet a Murray, Djokovic, Davydenko or Roddick right when they are about to make a run and they get beaten.

 

[_Ed_]

Good on the NZer, ranked outside the top 300, for pushing the world number 31 to a tiebreak in the first set.

Got smashed in the second though.

 

[NUFAN]

Janko Tipsarevic will be the surprise.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

It's also hard for them in that they are seeded so they meet a Murray, Djokovic, Davydenko or Roddick right when they are about to make a run and they get beaten.

True, but those guys have been unseeded once and managed to get up

But yeah, it's much easier to make a run from the top 16 than from the 32...I'd almost say being a 17-32 seed is equal to being unseeded, you get first-week matches against a big name anyway.

Some interesting qualifying results

James Ward (GB) bt Matt Reid (AUS) 64 64 - presume Reid is a wild card as Ward wouldn't beat many
Joe Sirianni (AUS) bt Josselin Ouanna (FRA) 63 36 62 - fair play
Somdev Devvarman (IND) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 61 62
Rui Machado (POR) bt Brydan Klein (AUS) 75 62 - losing to a Portuguese clay courter at home in straight sets, well done
Roberto Bautista (ESP) bt Harel Levy (ISR) 64 64 - clearly the Davis Cup magic is gone
Robert Kendrick (USA) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 76 36 63 - Kendrick 2-12 in unforced errors, dunno how much you can trust qualifying scoring though
Simon Stadler (GER) bt Oleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 62 36 86
Conor Niland (IRL) bt Henri Kontinen (FIN) 64 64 - so much for Northern Europe's hope...
Michael Yani (USA) bt Serhiy Bubka (UKR) 63 26 13/11 - start pole vaulting
Marsel Ilhan (TUR) bt Peter Polansky (CAN) 61 62 - annihilation

 

[Simon]

Disappointing result for Grigor, not sure on the qualifying seedings but Kendrick is a pretty good player. I'm surprised he's ranked that low that he has to qualify, on talent I think hes a top 75 player.

 

[Jono]

Tomas Berdych is such a waste of talent. Hate him. Genuinely do.

What's with Dementieva always playing we;; at Sydney? She looked pretty **** at the Hopman Cup.

Won't beat Serena this year though. Lightning won't strike twice IMO.

 

[Jono]

Baghdatis beats Lleyton

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Baghdatis beats Lleyton

You're such a **** bloke.

 

[Jono]

By "you're" I assume you were supposed to refer to Lleyton

More than happy to cheer on Luczak though

 

[Hit_Wicket]

Tomas Berdych is such a waste of talent. Hate him. Genuinely do.

What's with Dementieva always playing we;; at Sydney? She looked pretty **** at the Hopman Cup.

Won't beat Serena this year though. Lightning won't strike twice IMO.

Beat Azarenka with the same scoreline as Serena in last years' semi.

She always seems to play well at the beginning of the year but when it counts in the slams she's mediocrity personified. I'm not surprised frankly.

Though I would be if she can beat Serena again, considering her obvious inability when it comes to defending a title. Unless of couse Serena decides to tank the final.

On the men's side, I'm hoping Gasquet gets to the final and wins (don't really mind the opponent). On Hewitt, it's amazes me how my opinion of him has depricated over the years. Felt strangely indifferent after his loss to Baghdatis.

 

[Jono]

Serena came back from the dead against Razai, no one is better at doing that in world tennis... not even Rafa.

Dementieva shouldn't beat Serena unless Williams loses the first set and can't be arsed, but she seems like she wants to head into the Aust Open with good form.

Plus Serena is paying 1.83. Haven't had awesome odds like that on a Serena vs. Dementieva match since the Aust Open semi last year, when Serena was the outsider at 2.2!!!

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Well the draw is out. Hewitt yet again gets himself an absolute stinker - I reckon he'll lose in the third round, but he's ****ed by the fourth with Federer. Tomic gets a qualifier first up and is probably the best chance of any other Aussie making it past the round of 128. Poor old Luczak gets Nadal first up.

Reckon Gasquet can go far in the draw; in good touch and is lucky enough to have Youzhny and Robredo as the seeds he can face before Novak in the fourth. Verdasco and Davydenko looms as an exciting fourth round match, too. Despite Djokovic getting thrashed in Kooyong, I think he'll win here. Should not be troubled until the quarters for mine.

In the girls, Stosur finds herself in Serena's section which is a bummer but she's in such **** form at the moment she'll probably get rolled by Lisicki in the third (though she has a fairly decent record against her). Molik I think actually has a fairly decent chance of surprising her. She's not in Clijster's class, but she's the type of player who will lift for this occasion and I don't think Coin and Schiavone/Cornet are too far beyond her. Dokic, however, is unlucky enough to draw a seed but hopefully she's good enough to beat Kleybanova again this year and build up some form in the first week.

 

[Jono]

Gasquet will want to win today though, hasn't been entirely convincing so far for me.

Should beat Benneteau still, but if Julien can beat Federer he can beat Gasquet

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Sixth time in a row Hewitt's been drawn in section one at a Slam. FMD.

 

[Jono]

Anyone felt like the Kooyong Classic has been even more of a hit and giggle then in previous years?

Could barely watch this year to be honest.

 

[Simon]

Yeh pretty ordinary tournament, shouldnt read anything into the form is someone lost three straight matches