Australian Open draw

The Aussie Open tennis draw was done a short while ago.

Murray has now been in Nadal's half of the draw for 11 of the last 12 slams.... In theory a seeded pairing has a 50/50 chance of being on either the top or bottom half of a draw. Nadal fans probably crying conspiracy (again) for putting one of the best hard-court players on his side.

Nadal's half of the draw (by seedings): Soderling, Murray, Ferrer, Youzhny, Meltzer, Tsonga, Cilic, Nalbandian...
Potential joker: Del Potro (could meet Murray in 4th round), Hewitt (could meet Nadal in quarters), Clement

Federer's half of the draw: Djokovic, Berdych, Verdasko, Roddick, Monfils, Fish...
Potential joker: Tipsaravic (giant killer on his day), Wawrinka (giant killer - beat Murray at US Open)

SIf Nadal fans care, he will kill this tournament.

Tsonga to win it!

Actually, today has one interesting match: Grigor Dimitrov vs Andrey Golubev. Unfortunately wont be on TV as it's on a back-court.

Dimitrov is a 19 year qualifier old touted as a mini-Federer as he plays quite similar to him. He's a one-in-a-million genius sort of player and could turn out to be a major player in the coming years - assuming he sorts his head out. He's been in trouble a number of times for abusing officials (even assaulted one too). His coach is Peter Lundgren who coached Federer early in his career.

He's ranked 109 at the moment - ironic that it's considered a *nothing* rank for these guys when it's hundreds of places higher than the best NZ can manage.

When was the last time Federer was pushed to 5 sets in the second round of a Grand Slam? Then again Simon is much better than most players Federer would normally meet in the secodn round. He beat him last year didn't he?

Yeah has Simon been injured or something? He wasn't even seeded??

So glad Kim Clijsters has come back to the women's game. Without her and Henin the women's game definitely lacked an element of class that it seems to be regaining. Will be interesting to see if Wozniacki can take it out or if she'll just be another nobody in a long line of "number 1s" that are unable to win Grand Slams.



gc.

Fed was pushed to the 5th set many times early in slams - including some which ended up being quite memorable titles. Wimbledon last year he got taken to the 5th in the 1st round, then a hard 4 setter in the 2nd round. Nadal also had 5-set matches in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

Worth nothing that Federer is now 161 and 0 in slam matches when he has a lead of 2 sets to love.

Simon is a fantastic player - one of the most tricky guys to play because most shots hit to the normally weaker wing (to right-handers) or difficult to take advantage of with Simon those are his favourites.. down the line forehand especially. I've read some places that Federer choked but he didn't - not even. Choking is when you play apprehensively because of pressure... Federer was still hitting out fully and going for anything that was on - he was just missing the mark. It's such a weird talent he's got - when he's missing he still has so much faith that he keeps going for shots when most people, top players included, would play a little safer and grind it out. Against Simon it got him in trouble a little too often.

Simon is a class player and only out of the top 10 because of injuries in the past 18 months or so. Playing the way he did he would likely have beaten anyone but Nadal and a very in-form Djokovic.

nada v tomic, what a game

Really? Was just straight sets to Nadal yeah?? Was there some tension or something?



gc.

Yeah, it looked like a match which couldn't be won by anyone other than the match favourite - so much so he threw in a 15 min concentration lapse because it's been working so well for Federer in his matches.

#4 Soderling dumped out of the open by, Alex Dolgopolov, the #46 ranked player who looks like a cross between Leyton Hewitt and Martina Hingis.

To put it in perspective, Nadal's loss to Ferrer basically ended his chance of ever holding all 4 majors at the same time. He simply wont have another chance in his career where a few of the close contenders are injured or so off-form at once.

With that it probably also ends his chance to be considered greater than Federer. At least when Federer was holder of 3 slams and going for his 4th he made the final... (i.e. 2 more matches than Nadal)... and he did it on TWO occasions.

Dude what a load of fucken dribble, there is a fair few years left in Nadal. geeeez fuck.

SHAME RAFA YOU WEIRD LITTLE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LONG LIVE THE FED EXPRESS!!!!!!!



gc.

Few player have ever had the chance of completing 4 in a row. Not Sampras, not Lendl, not Wilander etc etc etc. Federer came close only in the best 2 years of tennis played in the past 30 years until Nadal's run last year. Both times Federer came closer than Nadal did (27 wins compared to 25).

2010 had Federer playing poorly for 6 months (or 2 of those slams), Murray playing poorly for 2 of them and who's never a contender at the French, Djokovic playing poorly at 2 of them and also not a contender at the French, Simon and Tsonga injured half the time.... US Open champ Del Potro out all year with injury etc. He literally had the wonder year.

Granted, you still have to win who you play but he was getting cakewalks way more than normal and it's extremely unlikely he'll ever get such an opportunity again - no matter how well he plays. The odds decrease ever year as he ages and a few more players either mature or new ones step on the scene (Dolgopolov, Soderling, Berdych, Wawrinka etc) - all of whom will have had years to focus on Nadal and how to beat him.

Ferrer played possibly the smartest tactics against Nadal I've seen. Playing the coss-court waiting game until he could back Nadal into his backhand corner far enough that he wasn't able to hit an inside out forehand and then bam! down the line to Nadal's forehand. It was the smart play and one which people will take notice of. Even an on-form Nadal was going to have to do a hell of a lot of running in that match to win.

SHAME FED THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUT SIT AND EAT PIES WITH YOUR WIFE ALL DAY.

VOLEMTE NOLI!!!

Ha ha ha.. The consolation here is at least Nadal didn't win either.