Nothing we haven't seen before. (Photo: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

View full size photo »

Sorry for the delay, folks.  Weather has not been kind to my internet access here in Washington...

Here's what we learned at the Australian Open about the top eight in the ATP (using their new post-Aussie rankings), as well as a few other notables.

#1 Roger Federer (Champion - Stays at #1) -- There were some hiccups against Russians along the way, but in the end it was yet another routine, straight sets victory in a slam final for Roger Federer, winning his sweet sixteenth.  He didn't look unbeatable, but he didn't get beaten.  The killer instinct that was questionable in New York against del Potro was definitely there against Murray, almost certainly because he just doesn't seem to like the Scot at all.  If he can muster that same disdain in the rest of his slam finals, no reason he can't reach 20.  Here's a stat that I don't think anyone else has come up with yet: With this Australian Open title, his first since Melbourne Park switched over to the blue stuff in 2008, Federer becomes the first player to win slams on five different surfaces (grass, clay, Rebound Ace, DecoTurf, Plexicushion).

#2 Novak Djokovic (lost in quarterfinals to Tsonga - Was #3) -- Congrats to Djokovic on making it to a career high ranking of #2, but man, did he ever fail to get any style points in the process.  After running through one of the softest slam draws in recent memory (Gimeno-Traver, Chiudinelli, Istomin, Kubot), Djokovic flamed out against the first tough opponent he faced, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.  He outplayed Tsonga for the first three sets, but then physically broke down with a mess of nausea and exhaustion, losing the fourth and fifth sets in short order.    While draws at major tournaments will feature a "Djokovic half" for the first time, he's hardly a lock for the finals with these questions still lingering about his conditioning when the going gets tough.

#3 Andy Murray (lost in final to Federer - Was #4) -- Definitely a strong run for Murray, but like Djokovic his bump in the rankings comes with more questions attached than answers.  And while the British media does deserve just about all the flak they're getting for wondering aloud if Murray will ever win a slam, they do have a point.  He may be "only" 22, but the last player to win a first career slam at an older age was Gaston Gaudio back in 2004.  Djokovic, Nadal, and del Potro (and Federer and Roddick just before Gaudio) were all younger when they struck paydirt for the first time.

#4 Rafael Nadal (lost to Murray in quarterfinal - Was #2) -- Nadal's lowest ranking since 2005 is all about not being able to complete his title defense due to injury on the surface, but in reality he was never going to be competitive against Murray in his quarterfinal loss.  Nadal lost bulky muscle up top in an announced attempt to keep his lower body healthier, but he's now less powerful and still perpetually injury prone.  I think it's about time to stick a fork in this career, sadly.  Many say he still has a shot on the clay, but from where I sit I can't imagine that long, grinding matches are the cure for what ails him.

#5 Juan Martin del Potro (lost to Cilic in fourth round - Stays at #5) -- del Potro didn't do much with having a quarter to his name for the first time at a grand slam, but he never really looked 100% with his arm, either.  There was a real nice gut-check win in the second round vs. James Blake for him, but also a real bizarre bageling at the hands of Florian Mayer before he finally went down in a battle of attrition against Cilic in the fourth round.  Cilic was impossible to get any rhythm against the entire tournament, so it is a pretty excusable, explicable loss as far as I'm concerned.

#6 Nikolay Davydenko (lost to Federer in quarterfinal - Stays at #6) -- Hard to really grade Davydenko's run at this tournament.  He largely failed to live up to the darkhorse label that had been bestowed upon him by the fawning Mary Carillo, but he did show that he has the potential to beat the best in the world when at his best.  He looked absolutely untouchable for his first three matches, losing a combined seventeen games in those three straight sets wins.  But then he absolutely stunk up the joint halfway through his fourth round match against Fernando Verdasco, and then stunk up the joint again halfway through his quarterfinal vs. Federer, playing so listlessly as to not win a single game for an hour.  I think the French Open still represents his best shot to make a grand slam final, as it always has, but it's clear that he's going to need to learn not to peak too early if that's going to happen.

#7 Andy Roddick (lost to Cilic in quarterfinal - Stays at #7) -- He comes away having not defended his semifinal points from a year ago, but it was a real impressive run for Roddick.  That five-set win against Gonzalez is exactly the type of match he would have routinely lost from 2004-2008.  His comeback effort against Cilic was also pretty valiant, but in the end the result is probably a sign that he doesn't have what it takes to beat these big, young guns on a consistent basis.

#8 Robin Soderling (lost to Granollers in the first round - Stays at #8) -- A bizarre early exit for Soderling, who looked to be cruising against the weaponless Granollers early on then totally fell apart as the match wore on, losing his two-set lead on the way to a first round exit.  The surface in Melbourne is probably too slow for him to have made much noise.  I'm more interested to see what he'll do in Dubai, Miami, and Wimbledon.  I still don't understand how his best ever run at a major was on clay, and I refuse to believe it could happen again.

Will fan favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga make his second career grand slam semifinal tonight against Novak Djokovic? A definite maybe. (Photo by: Getty Images/Scott Barbour)

View full size photo »

In all three singles quarterfinals Tuesday that involved seeds, the higher seed lost.  Will upsets remain the M.O. on the second day of quarterfinal action?

Women's Top Half Quarterfinals:

Li Na (CHN)[16] v. Venus Williams (USA) [6] -- I have a real tough time getting any sort of read whatsoever on what will happen in this one.  Li won the only matchup between the two, in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics, which was the biggest event of her life.  But on paper this isn't the type of player who should trouble Venus, as she usually has a tougher time against backboard types than erratic, go-for-broke shotmakers.  Venus really seemed to have reached a new gear late in her match against Schiavone, so I'll go with her because I have to pick somebody.  But really, I have no clue.  Prediction: Venus in 3.

Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7] -- If you've seen Serena play during this tournament, you'll pick her to win every match she has left.  Azarenka does come off an emotional comeback victory over Zvonareva in the fourth round, and she was the player who pushed Serena to the brink of defeat in last year's tournament before falling ill.  Azarenka will make the second set interesting, I think, but I don't think she'll win it.  Prediction: Serena in 2.

Men's Top Half Quarterfinals:

Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6] -- As I said in my Day 8 recap, this matchup was a whole lot more interesting before Davydenko stunk up the joint against Verdasco.  Davydenko has won two in a row against Federer, but Grand Slam Federer is another beast altogether.  I think Roger will be making it an unbelievable 23 straight grand slam semifinals tonight. Prediction: Federer in 3.

Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10] -- This one will be exciting, but I can't imagine it will be pretty.  Novak Djokovic has not been perfect against his cupcake draw of Gimeno-Traver - Chiudinelli - Istomin - Kubot, but he hasn't needed to be.  Tsonga has been tested, but in matches where he probably shouldn't have been.  These two played in the only Federerless Grand Slam final of the last eighteen, and it was a pretty good match.  With no real usable sample of recent play from either, I'll go with Djokovic because he's the better player.  Crazy, I know.  Prediction: Djokovic in 4.

Venus Williams may be on her way out in the fourth round against Francesca Schiavone. (Photo: PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images)

View full size photo »

Women's Fourth Round Singles:

Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[13] -- This is a tricky matchup for Serena, who lost rather convincingly to Stosur in the quarterfinals Stanford last year.   Stosur hits the ball with an incredible amount of power, and combined it with an amount of kick and spin on both her serve and groundstrokes that no other female player has ever achieved.  So how does she ever lose? Because her mental toughness also tends to spin wildly.  Stosur has hardly been convincing so far, so I give Serena the nod.  Prediction: Serena in 2.

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[4] v. Li Na (CHN)[16] -- Wozniacki plays some of the best backboard tennis in the game today, which should be enough against the streaky Li.  If Li gets on fire, though, her best is better than Wozniacki's best.  But I don't think that will happen.  Prediction: Wozniacki in 2.

Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Venus Williams (USA)[6] -- My upset special of the day.  Schiavone has been absolutely cruising, winning with ease over some quality opponents like Alize Cornet and Agnieszka Radwanska.  Venus, on the other hand, struggled mightily against the weaponless Casey Dellacqua.  On the bright side, the fourth round is further than Venus made it last year. Prediction: Schiavone in 2.

Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[9] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7] -- A fan of meltdowns? Then this is the match for you! Azarenka should be able to get through this one by hitting through Zvonareva, who hasn't been the same since an injury during last year's green clay mini-season.   This one won't be easy, though--it's almost a law of nature that when these two hook up, drama will abound.  Prediction: Azarenka in 3.

Men's Fourth Round Singles:


Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[22] -- If not for Federer's infallibility in the early and middle stages of slams, I would give Hewitt a real shot here.  But since Federer can't lose, I'll just make it a nailbiter.  Prediction: Federer in 5.

Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] v. Lukasz Kubot (POL) -- What the hell is Lukasz Kubot doing in the fourth round of a slam? Calling Djokovic's draw thus far a joke would be putting it lightly.  Prediction: Djokovic in 3.

Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[9] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6] -- This one should be a doozy.  As you've heard if you've listened to anything Mary Carillo has said all week, Davydenko has been hot.  Verdasco won't go down easy in his defense of last year's semifinal run, but he'll go down.  Prediction: Davydenko in 4.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10] v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[26] -- A pretty easy draw for Tsonga.  Almagro got a very nice draw on his way here, but his luck has run out.  Prediction: Tsonga in 3.

This will be Juan Martin del Potro's last match in Melbourne this year, I reckon. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

View full size photo »

From here on in the tournament, since the number of matches per day is way more manageable, I'll be doing predictions as to all the singles winners:

Men's Fourth Round:

Andy Murray (GBR)[5] v. John Isner (USA)[33] -- This one should be the match of the day.  Isner is 9-0 on the year, and Murray has been absolutely cruising through his (fairly weak) draw thus far.  If Isner can jump out in front with first strikes, the way Cilic did at the US Open vs. Murray, he'll win this match.  Prediction: Isner in 4.

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2] -- Nadal really did not look sharp in his third round match against Kohlschreiber, and this will be a tough match for him to regain any rhythm in.  I think Nadal will take this one in two tight sets and a lopsided third.  Prediction: Nadal in 3.

Andy Roddick (USA)[7] v. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)[11] -- This is the closest match in terms of seeds, but I think Roddick will get through fairly easily.  The last time Roddick met Gonzalez in a slam, at the 2008 US Open, he crushed him.  This will be a big chance for Roddick to send a message to the rest of the field.  Prediction: Roddick in 3.

Marin Cilic (CRO)[14] v. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)[4] -- Of the top four seeds, Juan Martin del Potro has looked by far the weakest in the first week of this event.  Cilic is a dangerous player who is playing well, and the match is surprisingly his to lose in my mind.  I like his chances here a lot.  Prediction: Cilic in 4.

Women's Singles Fourth Round:

Alona Bondarenko (UKR)[31] v. Jie Zheng (CHN) -- Not a match many expected to see.  The elder Bondarenko has had a phenomenal 2010 so far, so I'll take her to knock out the always tricky Zheng on account of her superior steadiness, if nothing else. Prediction: Bondarenko in 3.

Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19] v. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)[3] -- As much as Clijsters' ousting was a result of an epic collapse like nothing I had ever seen before, it was also because Nadia Petrova played some really phenomenal tennis.  Kuznetsova, who got taken to 6-4 in the third against a qualifier in the last round, hasn't been nearly so phenomenal.  So I'll take the taller one here.  Prediction: Petrova in 3.

Justine Henin (BEL) v. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) -- Henin really did not look sharp against Kleybanova at all, but Wickmayer's way of spraying the ball all over the place isn't enough to beat a player of Henin's caliber on this stage.  Prediction: Henin in 2.

Maria Kirilenko (RUS) v. Dinara Safina (RUS)[2] -- This is a tricky one.  Safina has been playing better than she has since the French Open (not saying much), but Kirilenko is playing the best tennis of her career.  Probably going with heart over head here, but who cares? Prediction: Kirilenko in 3.

Most everyone knows about the three sets of sisters who got direct entry into the main draw at the Australian Open: the Williamses (Venus and Serena), the Radwanskas (Agnieszka and Urszula) and the Bondarenkos (Alona and Kateryna).

But off the radar of most fans are the Kucovas (Zuzana and Kristina), the former of whom joined her younger sister in the main draw by making it through the qualifying draw.  The Slovak Sisters Kucova are known to their legions of diehard fans as "The Coochies" (from the pronounciation of their last name -- KOOCH-ova). 

Here's a quick rundown of what you need to know about The Coochies as you embark on a lifetime of being ardent supporters of everything they do:

Name	Zuzana Kucova	Kristina Kucova
Age	27	19
Ranking	#138	#108
Australian Open Entry	Qualifying Draw	Direct Entry
Hairstyle	Subdued Ponytail	Um...Other
Career Wins on Pro Tour vs. Sister	One - 6-0, 6-2 -Jounieh 2007	One - 6-4, 6-4 - Charleston 2009
First Round Opponent at Australian Open	Gisela Dulko (ARG)	#9 Vera Zvonareva (RUS)

Odds are Dinara Safina won't have the chance to hold that plate upside down again in 2010. Photo via img.skysports.com

View full size photo »

I'll have a big, in-depth breakdown of each sixteenth of the draw once the qualifiers are placed, but for now here's an overview of the draw on a bigger scale:

Women's Draw

Potential Quarterfinal Match-ups (if seeds hold):

#1 Serena Williams vs. #7 Victoria Azarenka

#4 Caroline Wozniacki vs. #6 Venus Williams

#5 Elena Dementieva vs. #3 Svetlana Kuznetsova

#8 Jelena Jankovic vs. #2 Dinara Safina

Toughest Potential Roadblock Before the Quarterfinals:

#1 Serena Williams -- #23 Carla Suarez Navarro (Third Round) (I would've said Stosur, but she's been buckling under the pressure of expectations lately)

#7 Victoria Azarenka -- Kimiko Date Krumm (Third Round ) (Based on their tight, 7-5 in the third match in Sydney this week)

#4 Caroline Wozniacki -- #16 Na Li (Fourth Round) (I would be pretty surprised to see Wozniacki make the quarterfinals).

#6 Venus Williams -- Melanie Oudin (Fourth Round) (Since Venus has never had much trouble with A. Radwanska)

#5 Elena Dementieva -- Justine Henin (Second Round)

#3 Svetlana Kuznetsova -- #15 Kim Clijsters (Fourth Round)

#8 Jelena Jankovic -- #11 Marion Bartoli / #21 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (Fourth Round)

#2 Dinara Safina -- #14 Maria Sharapova (Fourth Round) (I'd be surprised if Safina makes it this far)

An Unseeded Darkhorse in Each Quarter:

Serena/Azarenka: The aforementioned Kimiko Date Krumm.

Wozniacki/Venus: Melanie Oudin, with a nod as well to Alize Cornet, who is defending quarterfinal points here.

Dementieva/Kuznetsova: Clearly Justine Henin, but Jelena Dokic  would be the darkhorse if she were anywhere else.

Jankovic/Safina: Timea Bacsinszky, even though she faces Sharapova in the second round.

Early Final Prediction:

Serena over Sharapova

Still to Come:

Where will Wickmayer land?

I'll have a big, in-depth breakdown of each sixteenth of each draw once the qualifiers are placed, but for now here's an overview of each draw on a bigger scale:

Men's Draw

Potential Quarterfinal Match-ups (if seeds hold):

#1 Roger Federer vs. #6 Nikolay Davydenko

#3 Novak Djokovic vs. #8 Robin Soderling

#7 Andy Roddick vs. #4 Juan Martin del Potro

#5 Andy Murray vs. #2 Rafael Nadal

Toughest Potential Roadblock Before the Quarterfinals:

#1 Roger Federer -- #22 Lleyton Hewitt (Fourth Round)

#6 Nikolay Davydenko -- #9 Fernando Verdasco (Fourth Round)

#3 Novak Djokovic -- Richard Gasquet? (Fourth Round) (It's a pretty easy eighth for Djokovic)

#8 Robin Soderling -- #10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga / #18 Tommy Haas (Fourth Round)

#7 Andy Roddick -- #25 Sam Querrey (Third Round)

#4 Juan Martin del Potro -- #14 Marin Cilic (Fourth Round)

#5 Andy Murray -- #12 Gael Monfils (Fourth Round) (That would be an awesome match)

#2 Rafael Nadal -- #13 Radek Stepanek (Fourth Round)

An Unseeded Darkhorse in Each Quarter:

Federer/Davydenko: Ernests Gulbis, always an unknown quantity.  Took a set off Federer in Doha.

Djokovic/Soderling: Robby Ginepri has a real workable draw.  Decent shot at the fourth round.

Roddick/del Potro: I really can't pick James Blake, so I'll go with Jose Acasuso

Murray/Nadal: Either John Isner or Ivo Karlovic

Early Final Prediction:

Roddick over Djokovic

Photo via taheny.com

View full size photo »

"@DailyForehand bravely predicted the 16 qualifiers at http://bit.ly/7stFgL - 10 went out in QR1! They'll need to sharpen up b4 BOTB!" -botb1, via Twitter.

With that illustrious performance before us, here are our much awaited predictions for the women's side of things:

(Also be sure to check out Jamie's predictions and thoughts on the same event.)

2010 Australian Open Women's Singles Qualifying Draw:

Yanina Wickmayer BEL (1) v Yurika Sema JPN
Alexandra Panova RUS v Naomi Cavaday GBR
Marija Mirkovic AUS v Arina Rodionova RUS
Eva Hrdinova CZE v Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP (22)

My Pick: Yanina Wickmayer BEL (1) Considering she just won Auckland and is in the top 20, it's hard to see Wickmayer losing here.  But if she does, watch out for lots of whining.

Regina Kulikova RUS (2) v Lindsay Lee-Waters USA
Ksenia Palkina KGZ v Ryoko Fuda JPN
Lenka Wienerova SVK v Kurumi Nara JPN
Aniko Kapros HUN v Ksenia Pervak RUS (17)

My Pick: Ksenia Pervak RUS (17) Two Ksenias in one section is almost too much to dream of! I'm going with Pervak in this one, though I'm guessing Palkina will win a couple matches as well.

Shenay Perry USA (3) v Melanie South GBR
Ivana Lisjak CRO v Elena Chalova RUS
Misaki Doi JPN v Carly Gullickson USA
Shannon Golds AUS v Vesna Manasieva RUS (20)

My Pick: Shenay Perry USA (3) Shenay Perry has been off the radar for quite a while with injury, but if she's back to full strength she's good enough to be somewhere around the 50-60 range.  Hopefully she can start off a big 2010 in Melbourne.

Michelle Larcher De Brito POR (4)v Ekaterina Dzehalevich BLR
Jessica Moore AUS v Xinyun Han CHN
Margalita Chakhnashvili GEO v Oksana Kalashnikova GEO
Anastasia Pivovarova RUS v Chanelle Scheepers RSA (16)

My pick: Anastasia Pivovarova RUS A deceptively starstudded section.  de Brito is loud and obnoxious, so I can't pick her in good conscious.  I'll go with Pivovarova, because it takes three W's to get into the main draw, and she's got three V's.

Maria Elena Camerin ITA (5) v Zuzana Ondraskova CZE
Anna Lapushchenkova RUS v Heidi El Tabakh CAN
Nuria Llagostera Vives ESPv Madison Brengle USA
Viktorija Rajicic AUS v Renata Voracova CZE (14)

My pick: Maria Elena Camerin ITA (5) A horrible draw for my girl Zuzana Ondraskova.  Camerin is a real capable fast court player, and not making it through here would be no good.  In other news, sad to see so little progress for Brengle.

Arantxa Rus NED (6) v Kristina Antoniychuk UKR
Anna Floris ITA v Ashling Sumner AUS
Eloisa Compostizo De Andres ESP v Katalin Marosi HUN
Sofia Arvidsson SWE v Marta Domachowska POL (24)

My pick: Sofia Arvidsson SWE  Arantxa Rus really should make it through on talent here, but that's never been enough for her before at the WTA level.  Arvidsson's my pick.

Angelique Kerber GER (7) v Rebecca Marino CAN
Alexandra Stevenson USA v Andrea Hlavackova CZE
Laura Robson GBR v Sophie Ferguson AUS
Claire Feuerstein FRA v Michaella Krajicek NED (18)

My Pick: Laura Robson GBR After her solid doubles play and one nice singles match in Perth during Hopman Cup, how could I not pick Laura Robson?  Krajicek has the power to hit through Robson, but Laura's consistency should get her in.

Yvonne Meusburger AUT (8) v Julia Cohen USA
Neuza Silva POR v Eleni Daniilidou GRE
Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA v Julia Vakulenko UKR
Severine Beltrame FRA v Sharon Fichman CAN (13)

My Pick: Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA Mattek-Sands has been playing a real light schedule ever since she got married.  If she's at all sharp, she should cruise through this surprisingly tough section.  Daniilidou, Vakulenko, Beltrame, and Mattek-Sands have all made it to the second week of a slam, and they're not even the seeds.

Mariya Koryttseva UKR (9)v Olga Savchuk UKR
Yuliana Fedak UKR v Silvia Soler Espinosa ESP
Corinna Dentoni ITA v Yulia Fedossova FRA
Kristina Mladenovic FRA v Mathilde Johansson FRA (15)

My Pick: Olga Savchuk UKR Mathilde Johansson should make it on talent, and Mariya Koryttseva should make it on consistency, so of course neither will.  Savchuk is my horse in this race.

Darya Kustova BLR (10)v Zuzana Kucova SVK
Nina Bratchikova RUS v Tomoko Yonemura JPN
Elena Bovina RUS v Sally Peers AUS
Shuai Zhang CHN v Julia Schruff GER (19)

My Pick: Zuzana Kucova SVK Zuzana the Lesser, as she's affectionately known around these parts, has really picked up her play in the challengers lately.  It's about time for her to make it to the next level.

Masa Zec Peskiric SLO (11) v Rika Fujiwara JPN
Junri Namigata JPN v Ekaterina Ivanova RUS
Nikola Hofmanova AUT v Monique Adamczak AUS
Camille Pin FRA v Valerie Tetreault CAN (21)

My Pick: Camille Pin FRA Pin's comeback has been slow, but she's had great success in Australia before.  Or at least she's come close, especially in that first round epic in 2007 vs. Sharapova.  She's got a fun game, so hopefully she can find a hot streak in the friendly confines of Melbourne Park.

Kathrin Woerle GER (12) v Anna Tatishvili GEO
Stephanie Foretz FRA v Simona Halep ROU
Monika Wejnert AUS v Bojana Jovanovski SRB
Lauren Albanese USA v Lilia Osterloh USA (23)


My Pick: Simona Halep ROU Simona Halep has a real nice junior career behind her, and a real nice, erm, future in front of her.  She's better on clay, but I'd like to watch her do well in the Australian summer first.