Australian Open 2013: Matches of the day : Day 1 14-Jan-2013

Hello everyone,
A new year in tennis and the first Grand Slam of the year starts in less than 24 hours. The build up tournaments (as historically) haven't given much indication of form and the favorite for this year's title. The draw is out, the players practicing and its scorching heat in Melbourne. The new time rule won't apply to the Slams for now, so we can expect some marathon matches. The 2 time defending champion Novak Djokovic opens up his title defense against PHM, could get interesting.

We will have our our daily MOTD thread + the prediction game. I hope to see maximum participation to have maximum fun. For everyone information, the defending champion is one and only nitb who clean swept when last time we had our prediction game at Wimbledon. Good luck to everyone.

For the new players: rules are easy. Just make the prediction for who will be the winner of the given matches.
Rest can look at some of the of thread like : https://ourtennisforum.forumotion.co.uk/t76-motd-and-daily-predictions-game-rules and https://ourtennisforum.forumotion.co.uk/t144-atp-matches-of-the-day-shanghai-2012-monday-day-2

Good luck to everyone and may the best player win ( Both AO title and our prediction game ).

Tomorrow's matches:

1. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) [33]

vJanko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]


2. David Goffin (BEL) [33]

vFernando Verdasco (ESP) [22]

3. Julien Benneteau (FRA) [32]
vGrigor Dimitrov (BUL) [33]

4.
Viktor Troicki (SRB) [33]

vRadek Stepanek (CZE) [31]

5.
Fabio Fognini (ITA) [33]

vRoberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [33]

6. Simone Bolelli (ITA) [33]

vJerzy Janowicz (POL) [24]

My picks:

1. Hewitt
2. Verdasco
3. Dimitrov
4. Stepanek
5. Fognini
6. JJ

Bravo rotla!!!!!!

I can't believe it, but I'm really excited about this game. I just hope I don't end up last, and if I do that at least I share it with somebody

Very tough choices, and I still don't know how point are done in order to be smart with my picking, so all the choices are given with full conviction!

Hewitt (difficult choice)
Verdasco
Dimitrov (very tough this one)
Troicki
Fognini
JJ

Let the games begin

hewitt
verdasco
benneateau
steapenk
fognini
JJ

If I remember correctly, you score more points here for lower ranked wins, right? With that, my selection will be:

Hewitt

Verdasco

Dimi

Troicki

Fognini

Janowicz

1. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) [33]

2. David Goffin (BEL) [33]

3. Julien Benneteau (FRA) [32]



vRadek Stepanek (CZE) [31]

vRoberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [33]

vJerzy Janowicz (POL) [24]

And the party has started, yipeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Does anyone have a link for Dimitrov Benneteau match?

Dimitrov already 3:0 up. No stream

No I could not find one! I just subscribed to Eurosport player where I have about 8 courts....but no court 13!

Hanescu....what a talent! ANother completely underestimated player. He will lose early, but shot making wise he is easily top 10.

Tenez wrote:No I could not find one! I just subscribed to Eurosport player where I have about 8 courts....but no court 13!

Hanescu....what a talent! ANother completely underestimated player. He will lose early, but shot making wise he is easily top 10.

I can also see all other matches, hate it when WTA get all the show-courts. And 99% of them are massive, ugly and can't play
The only good thing about it their matches are best of 3!

yep.

Are teh courts playing faster this year? looks so.

Benneteau comes back from 0:3 to 4:3 AND serving

Nishikori is such an irritating grinder.

Benneteau takes the first set 6:4. And breaks in the second. And takes the second 6:2.
Sharapova wins her match with double bagel!

Well, I'm off for a power-kip, hope to wake up in two hours, my alarm clock isn't showing signs of life

dimi serving to stay in the match

and hes out

some mens updates b4 i hit the hay.

verdasco up a break in the first set vs goffin
nishikori with a 2nd break in the 3rd set looking to go 2-1 up.
wawrinka a break up in the first against stebe.
giraldo a break up in the first against harrison.
malisse 3 points from victory over andujar.
almagro 2-1 up in sets over johnson, night!

Kei through to the 2nd round. I kind of like him. I do not really have him down as a grinder either. I would be quite happy if he makes it to the QF (or further).

Dimi loses in st. sets. Oh . Clearly the build-up tournament are no indication towards any kind of form or confidence among players. Slams are a different beast.

Has anyone seen Strosur - 2013 version? She has really bulked up with massive arms and shoulders.

noleisthebest wrote:Nishikori is such an irritating grinder.

Its only natural that the new players will go the direction the tennis itself in moving to wards. See the 90s, so many huge servers on the circuit. Thats how tennis was back then.

Nole starting soon. Want to see at least some of his match before I call it a night.

He breaks right away, without having to do much.

Managed to wake up without the alarm clock
Packed Rod Laver arena looking gloriously blue and bright at 3 pm local time! Nole a set and a break up plus he is playing a nice player.
The "new" racquet producing some heavy hit serves, not bad at all

Very nice,more natural looking service motion for Nole, in fact.Lovely ball striking, everything clean and sharp.
Shame JPM has to go out so early.

R Laver definitely not playing slow.

JPM serving and hitting the ball very well, too. Although over 30, reminds me of younger Nole for some reason. Nole serving for the second set.
Would be great if I could go to go back to dreamland by 5 AM

Nole breaks and serves for the match

And he does it!!!!!! Looks pretty happy.

THE CHAMPION IS BACK

This happy fan can now go and catch a few more hours of sleep

...but just before I go...
NOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Bolleli using gamesmanship moaning about JJ's ace (no hawkeye on court 8), JJ sends the next one long.
5 all in the first set. GO JJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And he breaks!!!!!(was a break down originally) Serving for the set now, Still playing with amazing heart .

And he wins the first set

Some battle in the CC. Tipsy 3 set points.

JJ two sets up

Andhe breaks in the third,so pumped and emotioinally into it, you've got to love him!!!!!!

And JJ wins ins straight sets with a return winner
Looks so, soooo happy and salutes the tiny crowd that supported him faithfully, soon you'll be given a bigger clap in Laver Arena, where you belong JJ

tipsy all square in the 2nd with hewitt

Nole in the post-match interview:

"Q. Talking about the possible Aussie Open hat trick, what do such historical achievements mean to you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Any achievement, especially if it's part of history, would mean a lot to me. I love this sport. This sport is my life since I was four years old. I try to generate this great desire to play this sport from that love. You know, it's not about winning or losing; it's about being passionate about what you do.I guess as long as it's like that I'll be happy to play, with lots of commitment, lots of motivation. We'll see how far I can go.I think it's too early, again, to speak eventually about the title because there are many contenders to win this title."

Tipsarvic playing some stunning passes. Hewitt doesn't have much answers.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Tipsarvic playing some stunning passes. Hewitt doesn't have much answers.

I'll have to watch it then

fognini out, hewitt 2 down, 5th set stepanek, baggy set down

luvsports! wrote:fognini out, hewitt 2 down, 5th set stepanek, baggy set down

ouch, ouch ouch !!!!

An interesting extract from Novak's interview today:

"Q. Are you conscious on the physical preparation side of what your rivals are doing? Do you know the details of what Andy Murray, for instance, is doing?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, no. I mean, I don't know details, details. I know generally what I've been seeing, and my team, obviously we are trying to be as informed as possible about everybody, you know, especially about their game.
At the start of the season you want to see how everybody's playing, how everybody's feeling, you know, how everybody confident is on the court or not.
It's the start of the season, so it still takes time to kind of get into that rhythm that you have to maintain throughout the whole year. But we try to mostly focus on ourselves and then, you know,I guess the results will follow.

Q. Has it become a competition within the competition? This guy is doing this much, I have to do this much?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: There is an obvious evolution of the game in last five to ten years. When I came on the tour first time, I remember there was not as much commitment and professionalism between the players, especially the ones that were a bit lower ranked, top 50, top 100.Nowadays, competition is so strong and everybody is dedicated on a day to day basis what they do, what they eat on and off the court, it makes the sport, the makes the players improve every single day."

DJOKOVIC: There is an obvious evolution of the game in last five to
ten years. When I came on the tour first time, I remember there was not
as much commitment and professionalism between the players, especially
the ones that were a bit lower ranked, top 50, top 100.
Nowadays,
competition is so strong and everybody is dedicated on a day to day
basis what they do, what they eat on and off the court, it makes the
sport, the makes the players improve every single day."

That's what players have been saying for the last 40 years....and I am sure they will keep talking so about the past when soon everybody will run as fast and as long as Nadal, Djoko and Murray but a new breed will make them look "unprofessional".

I wouldn't be so harsh. Not all players can afford to have a physio and a coach and they can make a huge difference in this physical era.

JJ was sleeping in his van playing challengers this time last year and as soon as he earnt a bit of cash in Bercy, he invested it in his tennis development, I'm sure it wasn't just the socks and new racquets he bought.

Drugs can be cheap and they do more wonder than a physio.

Tenez wrote:Drugs can be cheap and they do more wonder than a physio.

Not as un-detectable though