Australian Open 2013: Matches of the day : Day 9 22-Jan-2013

Schedule for tomorrow. Expecting fireworks? Lets see

1. Na Li (CHN) {30}
v
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) {28}

Since both player seeded within 8, their values have been increased by 24

My pick: Li Na

2. David Ferrer (ESP) {20}
v
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) {30}

My pick: Ferrer

3. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [19]
v
Maria Sharapova (RUS) [2]

My pick: Let me go with Makarova as none would.

4. Novak Djokovic (SRB) {25}
v
Tomas Berdych (CZE) {29}

My pick: Djokovic

Radwanska, Ferrer, Sharapova, Djokovic

Li Na, Ferrer, Sharapova, Berdych

1. Na Li (CHN) {30}

2. David Ferrer (ESP) {20}

Maria Sharapova (RUS) [2]

4. Novak Djokovic (SRB) (Ferrer will make him run the extra and final mile).

radwanska, ferrer, sharapova, djoko

Radwanska

Ferrer

Shrieker

Djokovic

It's 40 all first game between Li and Rad but I realise already I picked up the wrong one.

Watching Rad move is like watching an old movie with fast and swift movement.....or like the DVR is on fast forward.

Now at 3 all first set...my money is back on Li.

Why do you guys think Berdych has such a horrible record against Nole? I would expect it to be quite poor obviously but why so horrendous? He has much better record against Andy and Roger. Is it just a coincidence or is there more to it?

Mugro gets the first break. Can he build on it? I am guessing not.

Lovely BHs from Mugro

Almagro takes the first set in about 35 minutes.

Almagro up a break in the second set! Can he make it? Surely not... ...or maybe?... ...nah....

2BPs for Ferrer...

ace and a service winner from Mugro

lovely BH down the line, game point Mugro.

...and he holds. 5:3 second set.

Two set lead for Mugro. Wow. can he perhaps.....? He is 0-12 lifetime against Ferrer. One more set please.

Stan almost topples Nole, Almagro 2-0 up against Ferrer, Chardy in QF... maybe, just maybe it is the change in court speed contributing to this.

Of course, we may still end up with 6+ hours of Nole vs Andy in the final. I have nothing against either of the two, but if only they were forced to play a bit more aggressively.

Oh my what a lame overhead from Ferrer - he smacked it somewhere to the bottom of the net.

3 BPs for Mugro!

He takes the first! 4:3 with a break in the third. I think I might be willing to take an even money bet on Almagro now.

Can he serve it out?

oh no, 2 BPs for Ferrer

ace

another BP.

he gets broken for the first time tonight while serving for the match ...all Ferrer from here?

As expected, he gets broken to love and loses the set 5:7. What was I thinking, even money bet? It was good while it lasted but I expect this will be painful the rest of the way.

Have a good night ladies and gentlemen, I will see the results tomorrow when I wake up.

summerblues wrote:As expected, he gets broken to love and loses the set 5:7. What was I thinking, even money bet? It was good while it lasted but I expect this will be painful the rest of the way.

Have a good night ladies and gentlemen, I will see the results tomorrow when I wake up.

I did wake up and it's Ferrer in 5 sets. The Grinder at his best.

But remember, the man Djokovic beat in his third-round match in three sets, Radek Stepanek, revealed the key to beating the Serb: "I think to beat him the way to play is to serve really well, hold your service games and distract his game from the back. Play something different." That will be Berdych's challenge, then.

Interesting

summerblues wrote:Why do you guys think Berdych has such a horrible record against Nole? I would expect it to be quite poor obviously but why so horrendous? He has much better record against Andy and Roger. Is it just a coincidence or is there more to it?

Berd's serve is like an open book to Nole. He reads him really well and makes him nervous. No serve- no A game for Bird, H2H - 11:1

Turning into a massacre already!

can bird get 6 games in the match?

or maybe just another 2011 match, where he won 8 games!

luvsports! wrote:or maybe just another 2011 match, where he won 8 games!

Berd is a happy chappy and not overly ambitious. He knows his limits and plays within them. I think he's done well with his career. If he lost a little bit of weight and as a result moved faster - then he could be more dangerous.

summerblues wrote:Can he serve it out?

Almagro is a known choker!

summerblues wrote:Why do you guys think Berdych has such a horrible record against Nole? I would expect it to be quite poor obviously but why so horrendous? He has much better record against Andy and Roger. Is it just a coincidence or is there more to it?

Very simple. To have a chance v Djoko you need to move him around. Versus Nole...it's Berdych doing the moving!

Hmmm Berd up in the set. Let's see how long that lasts.

bird needs to take every bp he can! needs a double break imo

yes cause.....we know he is going to choke on his serve!...when he will have to serve it out.

well i'll be damned

Ouahh...I jinx it!

he did have to save like 3-4 Bp's so credit to him

Djoko throwing a couple of long rallies...he may lose the point but in the long run it will pay off.

bird has to fight like hell to win 1 set and then throws away two

I notice that everytime Nole plays...NITB disappears behind that sofa...more so if he is in trouble.

luvsports! wrote:bird has to fight like hell to win 1 set and then throws away two

It's unrealistic to expect Berd to beat Nole. He only won that set because Nole's brain was switched off in that first service game.

luvsports! wrote:bird has to fight like hell to win 1 set and then throws away two

Yes...if at least he coudl make Djoko run a bit...but his ground shots are certainly over rated imo.

Q. Struggling physically from the fever?

MILOS RAONIC: No. Well, long story short, until probably 45 minutes to an hour before the match, I wasn't even sure I'd play. I rushed over to get a quick MRI on my foot. I was having issues walking. I got the clear to play after that.

I just had an anesthesia injection into my foot. I was given the go to play.

Q. How did it feel to you in the match?

MILOS RAONIC: It felt numb. The job was done by the anesthesia. A few times it would hurt on some awkward steps.

It was more how much it weighs on you mentally throughout the day when somebody is saying there might be a stress fracture, four to six weeks out, whatever. You hear these things. You think about it non stop. I took a nap during the day. It wasn't a good quality nap. All the time I was thinking about these things. It really sort of weighs on you throughout a day.

I was able to actually clear it out of my mind pretty well before the match and just sort of go along with everything and just play as well as I could.



Q. What was the final diagnosis?

MILOS RAONIC: Just inflammation in the joints.

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This explains that. I thought Rao was particularly sluggish.