Australian Open Day 8 Open Thread

by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 8:04 PM EST in Match Threads

Sorry for the delay, folks. Living on Melbourne time for this past week has finally caught up to me so I'm a little under the weather.

The weather the players in the fourth round Down Under is far more pleasant, so hopefully it will be a great day of tennis, and one in which the top halves of the draws can finally get some intrigue going.

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 Start Time

1. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Venus Williams (USA)[6]
2. Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[9] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6]
3. Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[13]
19:30 Start Time
1. Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[22]
2. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[9] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7]

Hisense Arena (After an Opening Doubles Match)

2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[4] v. Na Li (CHN)[16]
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] v. Lukasz Kubot (POL)
4. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10] v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[26]

Go Saints, btw...

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Predictions are up in the post below. I swear I had already written my Venus-going-down prediction before I saw these scores.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 8:04 PM EST reply actions

Venus needs to keep following her forehand forward, it’s the only way she’s gonna win this.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 8:16 PM EST reply actions

And Djokovic has had the easiest 4 matches humanly possible.

I mean seriously. Getting to the quarter has never been easier.

by Jsz on Jan 24, 2010 8:21 PM EST reply actions

It really has been ridiculous. Can’t help in the long run though—he hasn’t been forced to play anywhere near his best.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 8:26 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah he’s about to play the fourth player in a row that I’ve never heard of. He’s starting to give me a complex. Who are these people?

by hornbone on Jan 24, 2010 9:16 PM EST up reply actions

I know. I am practically obsessed with tennis and I’ve never heard of them.

by Jsz on Jan 24, 2010 9:18 PM EST up reply actions

Venus keeping the ball in the court has helped, shockingly. Up 5-2 in the second.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 8:29 PM EST reply actions

Surprised Venus dropped the 1st game in the 3rd

Rick Limpert

by Rick Limpert on Jan 24, 2010 8:45 PM EST reply actions

This has not been a pretty one.

But Venus breaks right back.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 8:47 PM EST up reply actions

That’s some real nice stickwithitness from Venus. 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 9:13 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, Venus looked a lot more impressive in that final set. I’ve actually been pretty impressed with Venus this tournament compared with how she usually does. Obviously this isn’t her vest surface.

by hornbone on Jan 24, 2010 9:15 PM EST reply actions

Meanwhile, Li up 6-4 on Wozniacki.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 9:20 PM EST reply actions

Verdasco and Davydenko have started off at a really high level. This should be a great match.

by hornbone on Jan 24, 2010 9:42 PM EST reply actions

Definitely. And by the looks of it, a long one, too.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 9:50 PM EST up reply actions

A little bit off topic...

Davydenko didn’t play the Australian last year, so he doesn’t have those points to defend. With how well he’s been playing, I wonder how high he could get his ranking this year.

by hornbone on Jan 24, 2010 9:56 PM EST reply actions

That’s a huge question for 2010. If he can stay healthy, he certainly has the game to be in the top four. The only question is who makes room for him. Ton of depth at the top right now.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 10:08 PM EST up reply actions

It seems hard to believe he could be ranked ahead of guys like Del Potro and Murray. And it already is amazing that he’s ahead of guys like Roddick and Tsonga.

by hornbone on Jan 24, 2010 10:17 PM EST up reply actions

Li def. Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3

Faces Venus next.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 24, 2010 10:06 PM EST reply actions

Wow, Serena only drops two points on serve in the first set— 6-4.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 25, 2010 2:22 AM EST reply actions

Early call for Li Na to upset Venus. She leads the h2h 1-0, after beating her in straights at Beijing in 2008.

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by Jamie R. Belyea on Jan 25, 2010 2:33 AM EST reply actions

Oh definitely. When Venus was talking about that match up in the ESPN studio, I couldn’t figure out why she didn’t sound more scared.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 25, 2010 2:46 AM EST up reply actions

Wow, Tsonga had a first serve called in at 5-5 in the tiebreak, but Almagro successfully challenged . Then Tsonga cracked a ridiculously hard serve that was also long, almost certainly not realizing it was a second serve. That DF helped give Almagro the fourth.

Tsonga now in his first ever five-setter.

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by Ben Rothenberg on Jan 25, 2010 3:27 AM EST reply actions