Aussie hopes handed nightmare draw at Wimbledon

Tennis

Lleyton Hewitt will have to play beyond the excellent level of tennis he displayed at Queens if he is to make a similar inroads at Wimbledon, after drawing world number 10 Stanislas Wawrinka in the opening round.

Hewitt's Swiss opponent is having the year of his life, having played in four finals in tournaments this year and winning one of them.

Hewitt drew praise from all circles for his run at the Wimbledon lead-up tournament last week, which saw him make easy work of Juan Martin del Potro in a deciding set, before bowing out in the semis.

The defensive style of Hewitt will be in contrast to the offensive style of Wawrinka, and the Aussie's best hopes of winning will be in forcing the errors rather than making the winners.

Although Wawrinka doesn't possess the grass court records that Hewitt does, preferring red as opposed to green under his feet, he made his first ATP grass court final overnight and will be hungry for further success during the short-lived grass season.

Sam Stosur returns once again to her least favoured Slam with the odds again stacked against her.

Her first round matchup will be against 18-year old qualifier Anna Karolína Schmiedlová, who snatched a place in the main draw as a lucky loser. The young Slovak was a runner-up in last year's French Open girls singles final and caused an upset at Roland Garros by taking out Belgian Yanina Wickmayer in the opening round.

Lleyton Hewitt in action last week at Queens

Though Stosur sits 105 places higher in the world rankings, an unknown quantity will make the first round an uneasy affair, with an opponent still climbing in the rankings and with nothing to lose.

The really bad news for the sole Australian representative in the women's singles is that a potential fourth round meeting is world number one Serena Williams.

Williams is arguably the most in-form player in the world right now, in either the men's or women's game. She has taken her opponents apart in recent months to look even more dominant than she did before her life-threatening injury several years ago.

If Stosur manages to make it so far to take on the American superstar, she will be starting five Wimbledon titles and a favoured surface behind. To set up the dreaded meeting, Stosur will have to make it past the third round at SW19, something she has not achieved in ten attempts.

The run-in with grass court specialists continues for other Australian mens hope Bernard Tomic, facing 21st seed Sam Querrey. The American's powerful serve will only be accentuated further on the fresh grass of round one, and Tomic will lose if he doesn't take control of the points.

Querrey will look to simply outpace a slower and more variable game that Tomic possesses, and if the Tomic keeps a level head and makes Querrey play defensive, the match is for the Australian's taking. 

Tomic knows what it takes to make it to the quarter-final of Wimbledon, and certainly has one of the easiest eighths of the draw. He could do it again, it's just about getting the tough first round encounter done.

James Duckworth and Matt Reid have both managed to qualify for their first ever Wimbledon. Duckworth has a very winnable match against fellow qualifier Denis Kudla, and it may come down to who has the mental game at a nervous time for both youngsters.

Reid has the rougher end of the stick, facing top 50 player Radek Stephanek. Stephanek crashed out of the opening round at the French Open to fellow Aussie Nick Kyrgios, but just came from a home tournament victory several days ago. Reid has nothing to lose and should play accordingly.

Lastly, Matt Ebden and Marinko Matosevic will have tough times, coming up against Kei Nishikori and Guillaume Rufin respectively. Matosevic can certainly beat his lower ranked opponent, though has had a tough time of late against players ranked lower. Ebden meanwhile may have to look to the next tournament.

No Australian looks a certainty in their first round game, and it could be that all lose and crash out. For some  like Matt Reid, it's a new experience on a stage greater than all previous tournaments played combined. For others like Stosur, it's a chance to put past demons behind.

The draw gods were not kind to many, particularly to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who may meet as early as the quarter finals!

Put 'Fifth Slam' talk to rest: Time for a grass court Masters tournament

Tennis

Now that we've made our way through the American March, we've had to put up with more talk of a "fifth Slam" for another year. For another year, people seek more grandeur and 'top tennis' while the sport they love continues to suffer unbeknownst to many.

It's getting on my nerves to hear talk of people pushing for one of the two American Masters tournaments, Indian Wells and Miami, to be given 'Grand Slam' status. It seems to me like there are far more pressing issues in the tennis world to be discussing, namely the topic that will never go away from the game, court homogenisation.

But lets put that aside just for a moment.

The problem is that the world never seems content to let traditions carry on. People seem to forget that the more you have of something, the less value it will acquire.

The Australian Open is the baby brother of the four Grand Slam siblings at a meager 108 years old. There are very few things left in the world, especially in the world of sport, that can claim such a pattern of consistency and lack of change. It would be nice if we could respect that.

If you make another Grand Slam tournament, it slowly takes the shine off all of the other ones year by year. A new Slam would certainly try to assert its dominance through superior prize money, facilities and promotion at the cost of the others. No thanks.

Last time I checked, didn't the respective ATP and WTA schedules seem crammed and condensed enough as it was? I think the last thing they could use is a more strenuous tournament. The sports faithful may forget that those are human beings on the tennis court.

Let's put the 'fifth Slam' talk to rest, for good.

One of the more pressing issues happening in tennis is the desire for organisers to create tournaments with surfaces promoting 'entertaining' tennis. Entertaining is the super-secret code-word for slow, I've discovered.

This year's Australian Open fourth round match between Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka would have been won comfortably by the latter on a more traditional hard court surface that didn't continually hold the ball for Djokovic to scramble to.

While the match itself was a very high quality affair for the most part, there would be very few opportunities for a man playing a hard-hitting game like Wawrinka to put opponents away due to the court.

Grass was supposed to be the surface that the ball skidded off, not kicked off. Today, Wimbledon is green clay disguised as grass and to deny such an accusation is pointless. I doubt a peak form Pete Sampras would make a final today.

Steffi Graf in the 1995 final. Note the green colour of the court. This is called grass.

The Australian Open is now arguably the slowest of the four majors. The French would have died laughing if you told them that 20 years ago.

In further support to the claims of players that the tour is too grueling and long, did they ever consider the toil and strain slower courts put on their bodies? There's only so much they can be expected to do. But there's a fix waiting right around the corner.

Of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments, six are on hard courts and three are on clay.

I ask a simple question: for the sake of variety, the game itself and players of all builds and sizes, why do we not have a Masters grass court tournament? I'm talking Halle grass, not Wimbledon. The speedy stuff.

Perhaps upgrade one of Wimbledon's lead up tournaments to a 1000 level? There's hardly any space on the calendar, as I've already said, to simply create one. It's either upgrade or pull the plug on a current tournament and replace it.

This era of tennis has drawn in a ton of new tennis followers who have only witnessed the game styles of the top four players and don't have the time for the more make-or-break players who can't get lucky on the current surfaces.

Sport itself is built on variety. Players with different style, height, characteristics, attitudes and aggression. Tennis court variety has always helped bring this to the fore. But our insatiable hunger for longer and more 'exciting' matches push it away.

Take a look at the world's top ten players and note how many of them are defensive baseline players. In five years time you'll be hard pressed to find any that aren't. This is plain wrong.

Aggressive tennis is dying right before our eyes, yet we sit back and do nothing about it. How about changes for the sake of the sport and not for the spectacle. Stop the talk of more big tournaments and put your minds to work at fixing the calendar and the courts. It's common sense.

Underrated Hewitt having a year to remember

Tennis

The 31 year old fighter from Adelaide goes into tonight's third round encounter at the Olympic Games against world number two Novak Djokovic with nothing to prove and even less in the expectations department. He may not have played anywhere near the number of matches the top fifty in the world have this year, but Hewitt has put on a good show when he's been on court.

His tough two set victory over Marin Cilic last night was a typical Hewitt performance, hitting less winners than his opponent, but keeping more serves and shots in the court to see him through.

It's hard to believe that he started his Grand Slam career in 1997, but even fifteen years down the track he still retains that keen eye and sense of composure that saw him become a two-time Slam champion.

I respect Lleyton Hewitt very much as both a person and a tennis player. The bloke has had his fair share of injuries in his time, which continually acts as bait for the media to pressure him into retirement.

But he keeps on keeping on and has improved both his image and his personality into the back end of his career, especially in comparison to his time as world number one. His game and fitness might not be near the same level, but he is still playing sublime tennis at times.

Results this year have been better than the record books suggest. All first round exits have been to highly ranked players (Troicki at Sydney, Tsonga at Wimbledon), players on favourable surfaces (Karlovic at Queens) and included a tough loss on his least favourite surface (Kavcic at Roland Garros).

Perhaps only in his loss to Karlovic did he ever look completely out of a contest this year. His four set battle with Djokovic at this year's Australian Open should go down as one of his best performances in a losing match. Not to mention his straight sets loss to Tsonga being one of the least one-sided three set wins I've seen in a Grand Slam.

After missing last year's French and US Open's due to a foot injury, and missing large chunks of 2010's calendar to rib surgery and and a wrist injury, Hewitt looks like he's found a little performance boost.

He's playing more consistent, inspired tennis and looking about as fit since he upset Roger Federer in the Halle final two years ago. It's fantastic to see.

In his first final since that day in Germany, Hewitt lost to world number 11 John Isner last month on the Newport Grass in anything but a poor showing from the Australian.

Despite having only played six tournaments this year prior to the Olympics, Hewitt's had his share of some unfortunate match-ups. These may have masked the fact that he is playing as clever, defensive tennis as he was back in the middle of last decade.

He remains one of the most mentally sound players the modern game has seen, a trait put on show when he took the third set from a red-hot Djokovic at Melbourne. I wish him the best for his second encounter with the Serb this year, and hope he can find just a fraction of that fighting spirit once more.

I'm of no doubt a loss tonight will spark a retirement question again from all corners of the country, but on the back of the few matches Hewitt has been able to attend this year, performances suggest to me he might just have a little longer left in him.

A red flag for Seven

Tennis

For any Australian who has sat down to watch their home Grand Slam on Channel 7, they are supplied with the usual score interface located in a corner of the screen, which allows them to know who has the advantage in the match. It also serves the purpose of letting them know what corner of the world the players have come from, assuming that corner of the world is Australia.

Yes, for the previous week of the Australian Open we have been confronted by an Australian flag on the scoreboard. That, of course, isn't a problem. But the lack of the foreign one above or below it is concerning. Suddenly, I get the instant impression that there is only one person of significance standing on the Melbourne Plexicushion. We have a local hero, someone we are given a visual cue to support, and a faceless (and nationless) opponent. Something isn't right here.

Some will be quick to defend this one flag policy from Seven, saying that those who do not regularly watch tennis are given a free guide as to where the local hopes lie. It makes some sense, as even those who don't have great sports interest do feel an unnoticed attachment to our sporting culture when a large, international event arrives on our doorstep. But ask yourself this, why then not include the opponent's flag? What is lost from doing so? You'll struggle to find a citizen who doesn't recognise their own flag, so I'm sure when faced with a pair of coloured rectangles they'll know which one belongs to the good guy and which one belongs to the bad guy, yes?

I first felt a real uneasiness about the flagless opponent when young Australian hope Bernard Tomic played Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in what was the first round's most hotly anticipated match. Here is Verdasco, a man who in the 2009 semi-final went down to then world number one Rafael Nadal in one of the most thrilling five-set matches I've watched in my life. Then there's the young boy who we remember made the Wimbledon quarter finals this year. But unlike the Spaniard, he gets a flag. So just like that all non-regular viewers are given a faceless, even homeless, opponent. Where's he from? Doesn't matter, he's not from here. What a way to make regular tennis followers quiver in disgust. The lack of a flag is saying that the past achievements mean nothing, and that you are a lousy pawn in the path of a great home victory.

Seven seems to be so hungry and desperate for ratings that they will happily make us look like nationalistic fools to get there. Some would think I'm being extreme with all this. I mean, the interface is only used for the Australian broadcast, right? So what damage could it do to our image. Well think of all the visitors watching the footage between their time at the ground. "Why does the Aussie have a flag but not our player?" "Seems like blind patriotism, doesn't it?" Yes, made-up tourist, you nailed it.

And then think of the Australian fans who support players who aren't local and also those outside the internationally renowned top four male players. What do they think of it all? Two of my personal favourite players, Alexandr Dolgopolov and Milos Raonic, made out to be another faceless wall in the way of the Australian bandwagon train, whose brakes are only applied when "AUS" no longer appears on the draw.

Get real, Channel 7. Aussies aren't the only people watching your coverage. One-time viewers aren't the only people watching your coverage. Regular fans are watching your coverage, and they are shaking their heads. Barring a miracle Lleyton Hewitt victory tonight over world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic, perhaps the true fans will take some comfort in knowing that no-one gets a flag in the main draw next week, male or female.

Djokovic has breathed life into the ATP Tour

Tennis

The streak may be over, but Novak Djokovic's 43 match unbeaten run was the perfect way to level out the ATP competition. It seemed like the Serb was forever destined to be stuck at number three, watching from the sidelines as one of sports' greatest rivalries was played out. We had become so accustomed to seeing a two man show that the charge of Novak was a welcome surprise. It would be wrong to say that no-one expected it, but to expect it to come in the form of 41 straight wins in 2011 is another thing.

Djokovic's ability this year to simply take apart both Federer and Nadal has not only been a benefit for himself but also the rest of men's tour. Andy Murray looks to have jumped on the form bandwagon by making the semi finals with an injured ankle, a phenomenal effort. Soderling hasn't quite dismantled his opponents at Roland Garros like the two men above him yet he looked much more in control compared to his post-Brisbane performances.

There is that lingering thought at the back of everyone's head that asks where the tipping point will be for Federer, when exactly will he start to lose his focus to the point where he won't be able to take it anymore? I've heard people say things from the end of this year through to five years away. It might seem like a cruel question at times. The man has won sixteen Grand Slams and has shown no signs of slipping out of the top three on his own accord. But because of his dominance and staying ability since 2003, the question will inevitably arise.

Djokovic has made that thought perhaps go away for a while and replaced it with a more exciting prospect: When will the world numbers 3, 4 and 5 (and perhaps more below) mount a serious challenge to Nadal. Djokovic, of course, has already proven he can and is arguably the best player on the planet at present. If the other two could find that extra step, then we will finally reach the next era of men's tennis.

But these are dangerous times. The grass court season is now upon us in the lead-up to Wimbledon. Djokovic has pulled out of Queens with Murray likely to follow - not the ideal lead up. Federer is returning to what is by far his best surface and has now dished out the last two defeats to Djokovic. Nadal has benefited greatly in the recent years from a ridiculously slow Wimbledon grass, almost acting like a fluffy green clay at times. All signs are showing that there is potential here for yet another Nadal/Federer final. If Djokovic wants to show that he really wants to be the number one, then it's time to bring that amazing 2011 game to Britain.

The Serb has never won an ATP grass court tournament in his life, with just two finals (08 l. in 2 to Nadal at Queens, 09 l. in 3 to Haas at Halle) of his 38 being played there. Should he crumble at Wimbledon, and Murray, Soderling, Berdych, Roddick and crew fail to fill his void, then Nadal and Federer reclaim their spotlight. I'm not at any point trying to say that this is a terrible thing for the game. These two men have created one of the greatest rivalries in history and the longer it goes on, the greater their legend becomes.

We still wait for the next era to begin...

Milos Raonic defeats defending champ Verdasco in San Jose

Tennis

Milos Raonic has become the first Canadian since Greg Rusedski in 1995 to win an ATP Tour final after defeating top seed and defending champion Fernando Verdasco in a tight contest 7-6, 7-6 at the SAP Open in San Jose.

The matchup between the two was expected to be decided on Raonic's ability to continue putting down his powerful serves. With the Verdasco rally game looking increasingly dangerous throughout the week, it was a must.

The match was dominated by both the usual strong serves from both men and very short points, brought about by the Canadian's attempts to keep rally length to a minimum.

Even rallies, however, were hard to come by, with Raonic and Verdasco thundering down first serves usually completed with a 1-2 punch. As a result, there was not a single break of serve in the opening set, and a tiebreak was needed.

Verdasco appeared to have Raonic's measure, going up 6-2 in the tiebreak, and looking put his authority over the younger player.

However, a combination of determined serving and confident groundstrokes saw Raonic take the following six points to win what looked to be a lost cause.

The second set was almost a copy of the first, but with a rejuvenated Spaniard holding his service games a touch more comfortably than his opponent. By the end of the match, Verdasco would have won five more points in the match than his opponent.

But resistance didn't break down from Raonic. The Canadian was forced to save the sole break point of the match a four all, with a Verdasco error off yet another strong serve prompting a hint of frustration from the Spaniard.

Raonic only won half of his second serve points (6/12) throughout the set compared to the sole point of Verdasco (10/11), but his first serve percentage held strong.

Once more, no break was found and a tiebreak followed.

At 3-2, with his opponent serving, Raonic defended and defended until he found the right moment to pounce on a short Verdasco ball - taking a mini-break to push ahead 4-2 in the second set tiebreak. He didn't look back.

The match ended on a slightly controversial note with a fan yelling out as Verdasco attempted to return a wide Raonic first serve, but ultimately, the better player had won the match.

Raonic's high-risk style of play, while keeping just a touch more composed than his more experienced opponent, was good enough to see him the title.

A clearly flustered Spaniard put away his anger as he praised the work done by his opponent. "I saw him play in Australia," he said, minutes after putting the final shot into the net, "I saw the potential that he had."

When asked what the difference was in the match, the defending champ cut to the chase: "Serve."

A jubilant Raonic accepted his trophy along with 250 ATP Tour points, already on a run of fantastic form after making the fourth-round of the Australian Open in January.

"It's been a quick month and a half, but it's been a good month and a half. This is what I've always dreamed of. Thank you everybody."

The SAP Open was also the first ATP Tour title for 2011 Australian Open finalist Andy Murray back in 2006. There's a good chance that we could be witnessing the rise of a player with just as much talent, with his potential already on full display along with his great personality.

List: The top 30 people, moments & matches of the 2011 Australian Open

Tennis

#30: Fish vs. Hanescu

Although there were longer five set matches in the first round of the Open, I found this encounter to be one of the most entertaining. This was due, mostly, to the incredible serving power and percentages of both men. Both gave as much as they could in rallies, and both deserved a victory. In the end, Fish walked out on top 2-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3. Could be seen as perhaps another unfortunate match-up so early in a tournament that promised a good run from both players. One heck of an underrated match.

#29: Bryan Brothers Make it Five

Mike and Bob sure know how to win. It's their 5th Australian Open Doubles crown in just six years, and their competition was no pushover, either. Veteran Indian doubles stars Bhupathi and Paes teamed up in a Grand Slam once more, only to be beaten convincingly by their younger counterparts 6-3, 6-4. A little part of me couldn't help but feel sorry, as it's the third finals loss at Melbourne for both halves of the Indian duo, over ten years. They were simply outclassed in every facet, and are still missing that one trophy in the Grand Slam cabinet.

#28: Jarmila Groth Captures our Attention

Born in Bratislava, Groth gained Australian citizenship in 2009, and the following year she achieved third round victories at both the French Open and Wimbledon. However, she faced a huge task in round one of the Australian Open against 21st seed Yanina Wickmayer. Fighting well, but beating herself in the end, Groth fell in three sets, visibly upset with herself. But her efforts moved her up to 31 in the world, and will undoubtedly break her six-year curse in Melbourne Park as a seeded player next year.

#27: Alicia Molik Manages One More Melbourne Second Round

Alicia Molik looked almost 7 years younger playing Italy's Roberta Vinci in the first round. The Australian was playing against a woman only two years younger than herself, but in the best form of her career. From nowhere, Molik pulled out all the stops to win 8-6 in a mammoth third set. Vintage form was on show for the Rod Laver Arena crowd, and they loved every minute of it. It didn't matter than Molik lost her next match to Petrova, she showed that she can still give it to the best well beyond her most memorable years.

#26: The First All-Swiss Quarter-Final

Stanislaus Wawrinka was carrying high expectations coming up against his slightly-more famous countryman, Roger Federer, after wiping Andy Roddick of the court in the previous round. Although Federer was all class in removing a clearly nervous Wawrinka from the tournament, this match earnt its place in this list simply through the expectations and hype it carried from Federer looking vulnerable at times during the tournament and Wawrinka looking flawless. The world number two showed why he'd won the tournament four times already by winning easily in straight sets, but credit to Wawrinka for perhaps making himself known to a wider audience.

#25: Juan Martin Del Potro Returns to Melbourne Park

The 2009 U.S. Open champion saw majority of 2010 from the sidelines, nursing a wrist injury which stopped him from defending his title. Needless to say, there was plenty of support for the giant Argentinian as he made his way to Australia. Although he lost in the second round of the Sydney International to Florian Mayer in the second round, signs looked good that he could trouble in Melbourne. But it wasn't going to happen, as Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis bundled him out in four sets in the second round. He'll be back.

#24: Henin vs. Kuznetsova

If there was anyone that looked as if they were capable of playing well above their seeding at the Open, it was Justine Henin. The eleventh seed was in great touch coming into the tournament, and looked capable of taking out any of the ten above if she continued her solid form. But Svetlana Kuznetsova had something to say about it, and took it to the Belgian, removing her in a close match 6-4, 7-6 - needing ten points to win the second set tiebreaker. The loss was made all the worse by Justine's announcement of her immediate retirement from professional tennis due to an elbow injury.

#23: Venus Williams' Wardrobe

Venus Williams looked more like a giant, gangrene infected honeycomb than a tennis player at this years open. It didn't take long for debates to rage about her new outfit. While Sharapova played it safe with orange & blue and Wozniacki with white and pink, Williams somehow thought that every colour in the visible spectrum sploshed together would not harm anyone's vision. I think even fellow countrywoman Bethanie Mattek-Sands would have walked away from this one.

#22: Wozniacki Gets In a Scuffle With A Roo, Or Perhaps Not

This is kind of painful writing about this one. Caroline Wozniacki decided that the best way to avoid the media labelling her as 'boring' was to conjure up a story about a nasty kangaroo that didn't take kindly to her presence in a park. It certainly worked. Instead, the media focused on how distracted she must have been to come up with an alternative story to real one - that she had a close encounter with a treadmill. No-one let the story drop throughout the tournament. Not the most run-of-the-mill Australian Open for the Dane, sometimes on the court, but mostly off of it.

#21: John Isner on the Losing End of a Marathon Match

In his third round encounter with Marin Cilic, John Isner had lost a fourth set tiebreaker to send the game to a fifth set. Surely somewhere in the back of Isner's head must have been memories of the last time he played a five set match, at Wimbledon last year. That one contained 138 games in the fifth set. That match went for 11 hours. It was the longest match in the history of tennis. As the score went past 6 all in the 5th in Melbourne, you almost hear the mix of pity and laughter from your living room. The result didn't go Isner's way, but the 9-7 5th set scoreline was a fitting finish to a fantastic match. John Isner deserves a holiday. Or two.

#20: The Fun of the Rally for Relief

Queensland suffered its worst floods ever seen in the weeks before the start of the tournament. Thousands of homes were destroyed and communities plunged into grief. Even the Pat Rafter Arena, which had hosted the Brisbane International just the week beforehand, resembled a swimming pool with a net. It didn't take long for suggestions to arise that a charity event be set up in Melbourne Park to raise funds to assist those affected. Much like last year's "Hit for Haiti," the "Rally for Relief" was a quickly organised exhibition match featuring some of the world's top players in the mens and womens game. Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick were the real winners in a chaotic mix of tennis, providing comic relief throughout. Good times for a good cause.

#19: Andy Murray Destroys Jurgen Melzer

Only one match on the mens side of the draw can be considered a true annihilation. Fifth seed Andy Murray smashed eleventh seed Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in a match that stood to reaffirm Murray's Grand Slam credentials. The Austrian never had a chance against a player who was producing possibly the best tennis of his career. Although Murray managed to lose even less games against Spain's Garcia-Lopez, the class of player in Melzer made his fourth round match even more impressive. Murray earnt himself two breadsticks against one of the finest players on the ATP circuit. No easy feat for any player. Impressively, after this match Murray had won 68 games and given up only 22.

#18: Federer vs. Djokovic

No one saw it coming. No-one. Djokovic took the sixteen-time Grand Slam apart in straight sets 7-6, 7-5, 6-4. It wasn't as if Federer was playing dreadful tennis, albeit not his greatest. But when Federer made the mistakes, Djokovic went on the attack. His victory meant that it was the first time since 2003 that Federer had not held one of the Slams in his possession. It's not end for Federer, but it might be the start of the decline. Djokovic was unplayable, sending back anything and forcing a normally perfect Roger backhand in malfunction. Easily the biggest match in 2011 so far, in terms of shaking up the rankings. Djokovic is knocking on Federer's door, again.

#17: Petra Kvitova

She broke the hearts of the home fans by sending out remaining Aussie hope, Sam Stosur in straight sets in the third round. She then proved it was no fluke by coming from a set down to defeat Flavia Pennetta in the following round. The 25th seed eventually bowed out to world number two Vera Zvonareva, but gained a lot of attention along the way. Kvitova, age 20, turned heads before the tournament by winning the Brisbane International final 6-1 6-3 over Andrea Petkovic. Her victory there moved her to number 28 in the world. Scratch that number because she's now 18 after her Open efforts. Watch out.

#16: The One Game Match

Love her or hate her, Venus Williams fought what must be called the most painful victory seen for a while on the WTA Tour. Playing against Russia's Sandra Zahlavova in the second round, she looked sore in the deciding set, moving awkwardly in obvious discomfort. But she managed to find the winners and keep her own movement limited to take an inspired victory. In the following match against Petkovic, however, her pain looked to have increased tenfold. What followed the opening game was a very controversial move. Williams retired 0-1 down in the opening set. Needless to say, the crowd were not appreciative. Debate will likely continue on whether the move was sporting or not for quite some time.

#15: Monfils vs. de Bakker

A lengthy match. A bunch of brain snaps. A great comeback. A mildly controversial post-match press session. It was certainly a match full of everything you could ask for. de Bakker, with match point and two sets advantage, somehow lost the match in five sets - and quite quickly for that matter. So quickly, in fact, that Gael Monfils was quick to accuse the Dutchman of throwing away the fourth set deliberately in order to get set for a clean start in the fifth. Needless to say, the comments did go down well with the opposite camp. What was looking like the biggest upset of the opening round turned out to be a strong revival from the twelfth seed Frenchman.

#14: The Unbeatable Esther Vergeer

If you think Roger Federer is the most successful singles player of all time, then you'd be wrong. Esther Vergeer, from the Netherlands, developed paraplegia after an operation to fix blood hemorrhaging around her spinal cord. Didn't stop her from becoming one of the most dominant sports people on the planet. She hasn't lost a wheelchair singles match since 2003. Yes, thats eight years of being undefeated. Furthermore, she beat Australian Daniela di Toro in the final with double bagels. Once again you read correctly - that's 6-0, 6-0. If you want someone thats both successful and inspirational, look no further.

#13: Rafael Nadal Injury Causes An Unexpected Exit Against David Ferrer

Rafael Nadal suffered a hamstring injury in his quarter-final clash with countryman David Ferrer which saw him bow out in straight sets 4-6, 2-6, 3-6. It was unclear when Nadal started feeling the effects of the injury, but it was relatively early in the match, and that didn't help his cause in the long run. With his defeat went the dream of the 'Rafa Slam,' where Nadal was attempting to hold all four Grand Slams at once. However, nothing should be taken away from the David Ferrer game. Ferrer played his strokes very well, and would go on to challenge a confident Andy Murray, taking him to two tiebreakers, showing his worthiness of holding his world number seven ranking, if not, asking for more.

#12: Andrea Petkovic

Look out, here comes the Petko Dance! One of the biggest breaths of fresh air for the WTA Tour and tennis in general is the bubbly 23 year old German who's post match dancing and humorous online videos are winning her bunch of new fans. Petkovic just fell to an equally exciting Petra Kvitova in the Brisbane International final, and brought both her charm and impressive game down to Melbourne. She wiped out Maria Sharapova in the fourth round 6-2, 6-3 to book a meeting with eventual finalist Li Na, where she was defeated by the in form Na, but leaves the country able to hold her head high. Keep on dancing.

#11: Milos Raonic

He's Canadian, and my word he can serve. He's the qualifier that could. The hard-hitting Raonic played 6 matches to make the fourth round, having played through the three-round qualifying draw to make the main singles draw. He brushed aside 22nd seed Michael Llodra in straight sets in the second round, but that wasn't enough for him, so he beat world number 10 Mikhail Youzhny in four sets. He lost to eventual semi-finalist David Ferrer in the fourth round, but who cares? How much would you have bet that a qualifier would take out two seeded players at this years Open?

#10: Makarova Takes Out Ivanovic and Petrova

I predicted earlier in my blog that the best chance for an upset in the first round was for Makarova to defeat Serbia's Ana Ivanovic. It's nice to pick something right, for once. Ekaterina Makarova looks in great touch since taking her first Premier tournament in the middle of last year. And she knows how to put up a fight. She overcame Ivanovic 10-8 in the decider. The Russian would also remove Nadia Petrova from the tournament with an 8-6 win in the last set. Eventual champion Clijsters didnt have it all her way against her in the fourth round, and Makarova was by far the best female player at the tournament in terms of punching above their weight in the rankings.

#9: Clijsters Doubles Bagels Former Number One Safina

It's hard to see Dinara Safina making any impact on the WTA Tour despite having time to do so. I described her several weeks ago as being like a "yo-yo with the string waiting to be cut." The steely precision on the Clijsters game just might have been the decisive cut. Everyone expected tournament favourite Clijsters to walk away with the goods, but to walk away with two freshly baked Bagels from a former world number one? Hardly. The 6-0, 6-0 scoreline is arguably the most embarassing moment in Safina's professional career. She is the first former or current world number one in the history of tennis to be beaten by the dreaded scoreline in a Grand Slam. The Russian is in crisis mode and I have no idea what will snap her out of it.

#8: Tomic Comes of Age

Bernard Tomic didn't even need to walk on a tennis court to start debates across the Australian tennis community when he was granted a wildcard entry into the tournament, despite his 199 world ranking. The sole teenager in the top 200 managed to earn a spot in the tournament based on his previous form and his strong showing in the Sydney International qualifying draw. Despite the criticisms, Tomic made fantastic use of what he was given, taking it to players well above his ranking, including the man at the top Rafael Nadal. He defeated Chardy and Lopez to book the meeting with the world number one in the third round. He held a 4-0 lead in the 2nd set, but let it slip, giving the set away 7-5. Nonetheless, Tomic has proven he is ready to make a move on the ATP Tour.

#7: Alexandr Dolgopolov

And the winner of best pound-for-pound fighter of the Open goes to Ukranian Alexandr Dolgopolov, the man with the greatest ponytail since Pat Rafter. Here's some big hits for you. Down two sets to one against thirteenth seed and 2008 runner-up Jo Wilfred Tsonga he won the last two sets 6-1, 6-1 in style. In the following fourth round, he pulled off the upset of the tournament to remove Sweden's Robin Soderling - the world number 4 at the time. That's some big scalps for a man ranked 46 in the world. In the final 8, he played four very tight sets against eventual finalist, Britain's Andy Murray, before succumbing to his opponent. It's an amazing achievement for a man that has never won an ATP Tour final.

#6: Murray Falls Short for the Second Year Straight

Never before have I seen such emphasis placed on who didn't win than who did in a Grand Slam final. All talk was on whether Murray could finally break through in his third Slam final. The English media treatment of the situation was almsot comical to the point of being sad, where the angle was whether "Britain's" Andy Murray would win. Well it appears that, once again, "Scotland's" Andy Murray fell at the final hurdle. Novak Djokovic defeated Murray in a sorry excuse for a Grand Slam final, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Djokovic's solid defensive and much better serving percentages kept him on the front foot the entire match. But hey, remember folks, Ivan Lendl lost four finals before talking his first of eight Slams.

#5: Gilles Simon Almost Makes the Upset of the Decade

Oh how close it was. Frenchman and world number 34 Gilles Simon held his serve to make it 2-2 in the final set of the second round clash with Swiss legend Roger Federer. Things were looking good until Federer suddenly remembered who he was and upped the ante on Simon, breaking him at 3-2 and never looking back. Federer has never lost a Grand Slam when two sets ahead. When Simon won the third, not a soul was worried. When Simon won the fourth, people took notice. This was very different to the Alejandro Falla match at Wimbledon last year. It was the other way around, with Federer forced to defend his lead he had built early, a seemingly awkward position for him. Simon had won the Sydney International just the previous week, and it seemed as if his draw against Federer was a cruel injustice to his game, on the rise once more. But he made a game of it, and one to remember at that.

#4: Li Na

Li Na, the ninth seed Chinese, is a figure of fun and a figure hope for the future of the sport in Asia. She is my pick for player of the tournament this year. Na is similar to Germany's Petkovic, in that she carries a positive demeanor about herself, and her post-match interviews were downright funny. We've learnt that she's in it for the prize money and her husband's credit card (finally, someone is being honest). We've also learnt that her husband's snoring keeps her awake at night. But most importantly, we've learnt she can play tennis. She really put her name on the map by bowling over the seed above her, Vcitoria Azarenka, 6-3 6-3 in the fourth round. Then she beat fellow fun-girl Petkovic in straights, before making the comeback of her career against Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-final. Down a match point, Na played incredible tennis to rattle the world number one. When she took the first set of the final against Clijsters, people started to believe that perhaps the first Asian player in a Grand Slam final could go the extra step. Just maybe. In the end, the only thing that beat Li Na was experience. Now she's gained some for next time around, and she'll use it well.

#3: "Aussie" Kim's Victory and Acceptance Speech

On the other side of the net in that final was a Belgian mother looking to take home a slam that would generate massive amounts of joy from the home crowd, whose media had dubbed her 'Aussie' Kim due to her huge Australian support base. Her first words after winning the title were "I feel like you guys can call me Aussie Kim now because I won the title." Somehow I think we haven't heard the last of that 'Aussie' title next to her name. You could almost feel the love of Clijsters towards the crowd through her speech. This was almost like a home victory for her. Kim even thanked a lucky Melbourne dentist in her speech who helped her out with a chipped tooth before the start of the tournament. She has finally added the other hardcourt slam to her name, and might not be done yet. Just wait and see.

#2: Hewitt vs. Nalbandian

The gasps and the "oohs" were all too clear from the crowd during the Australian Open draw when they saw one non-seed/seed match-up that had the promise of dishing out seed vs. seed quality - Lleyton Hewitt vs. David Nalbandian. In the 2002 Wimbledon final rematch, people expected a bitter encounter in one of the greatest, sometimes unspoken of, rivalries in the sport. We got what we expected, and some. 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 9-7. Easily the best mens match of the tournament, and it's a shame it was in the opening round. Blow for blow they went until 1am local time, where Nalbandian broke at 7-all and then served out a thriller. Both men looked equally capable of winning the match, with a solid Hewitt forehand and the reliable Nalbandian backhand on show. An instant classic.

#1: "Schiova"

Move over John Isner and Nicholas Mahut because there is a new marathon duo in town! Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova played what is arguably the greatest women's tennis match in history, with an epic third set battle which result in victory for 2010 French Open champ Schiavone, 16-14. The opening sets were bizarre in the Schiavone took te first 6-4, but bombed the 2nd 6-1. Yet, somehow, she found a way to bring herself into the match, and eventually take it. What makes this match just as impressive, if not more, than the Mahut/Isner epic, is that this match was decided in the late stages with weary, but passionate, baseline rallies - not through first serve percentages. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that if Schiavone had a full tank of energy left in her that she would have gotten past world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter final. The fact that the Italian sixth seed took a set off Wozniacki, despite a turnover well under 48 hours, is a victory in itself. What a phenomenal Open this was for the WTA Tour.

Novak does It again

Tennis

Novak Djokovic has won his second Australian Open title with a dominant straight sets victory over Andy Murray, delivering the Scot his third Grand Slam final defeat from as many matches.

Djokovic, the world number three, was on the front foot the entire match, and was virtually gifted the victory through a combination of amazing defensive play and horrendous errors from a clearly rattled opponent.

The final scoreline of 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 might even be friendly looking to the fifth seed, who clearly did not turn up even with his B-game.

Murray, with runner-up plate in hand, was short on words, but his disappointment was all too clear. "He deserves the win... he did an unbelievable job"

"I Didn't quite do it this time. Hopefully I'll have more chances in the future... I look forward to coming back next year and trying to win again."

On the winners side of the court, Djokovic was possibly being over friendly with his choice of words to an opponent that hardly made a scratch in his game. "We've known each other for such a long time... It was so difficult to play you tonight."

Hardly.

Beyond the formalities of thanking the sponsors and officials, the Serb made clear what he wanted the title to mean for those around him.

"I dedicate this title to my family" he said, before acknowledging his support back home. "It's been a tough period for our people... This is for my country."

Compared to his surprise victory of world number two Roger Federer, Djokovic was a composed man throughout. There was hardly any verbal expressions of anger and joy. There was no chest thumping. Djokovic had his eyes on the prize.

Djokovic looked to have the jump of the Scotsman early, taking the first six points to move within two points of an early break, but Murray appeared to have found his shots, hanging on after a fourteen minute service game.

From the outset, Murray was struggling to find consistency with his game, and especially his serve. It became too much for him, when a strong Djokovic game broke at the crucial 4-all point in the first set.

The Serb would win the next seven games. Easily.

At 0-5 down in the second set, Murray showed some resistance for the first time in the match, breaking Djokovic after saving set point, before throwing away the set once more soon after.

Murray was never at any stage in the match able to make the transistion from being a 'stubborn' player to a 'competitive' one.

It will be no final for the ages. More so, It met the bare minimum requirements to be considered a match - two players walked out with a racquet, but one used it efficiently.

Murray continued to struggle through his service games, and soon Djokovic broke at 4-3 ahead. At 5-3, after a Djokovic consolidation, the Scot soon found himself with a broken racquet and broken dreams, for the second straight year.

It was over all too quickly. Djokovic's victory has sent out a message to the two men above him in the rankings that he intends to leap both of the them by the end of the year. With such defensive skill and counter-attacking he displayed tonight, there is no reason why he couldn't do it.

'Aussie' Kim wins her Aussie Open

Tennis

She's been the darling of Australian tennis fans for many years, and now Kim Clijsters has added the 2011 Australian Open title to her name after defeating China's Li Na, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

"Now I feel like you guys can finally call me Aussie Kim because I won the title," she joked, holding the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy aloft.

It is the fourth Grand Slam title for the Belgian, and the first one outside of the U.S.

The victory was a touching moment for Clijsters, as a return to Melbourne Park next year in front of such a supportive crowd is no certain thing.

"I've come to Melbourne for years," acknowledging the crowd support in her victory speech. "Even when things werent going so good, you supported me."

Clijsters was pushed by Na for the victory, and was quick to thank her for a tense contest.

"Congrats to Li Na... I've Played so many matches with her. She's such a tough competitor."

Na, the first Asian player to make a Grand Slam singles final, had her thoughts, once again, on the support of her husband, with a familiar comical touch.

"Whether you're fat or thin... or ugly... I'll always follow you and always love you," she said, once again to the laughs of the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

The defeated ninth seed finished with a smile, and simple final words: "I tried my best, and I'll see you next year."

Things looked dire early for Na, when Clijsters won the first 8 points of the match to race to a two-love lead.

But Na broke back, and leveled at two all. From there, the underdog in Na continued fighting back to keep Clijsters pegged behind the baseline.

When Na whipped a cross court forehand beside Clijsters to win the opening set, the Melbourne crowd started to believe that the Chinese underdog would pull a repeat of the result seen in the Sydney International final just weeks earlier.

Nothing, however, was certain when the high energy tennis from the first set suddenly turned into a mix of serving errors and inconsistent tennis from both women. The result was four straight breaks of serve.

But the Belgian found her feet and started placing her shots deeper into the court as the set progressed. Clijsters turned the match in her favour, winning three straight games at 3 all to run away with the second set.

The three time U.S. Open champion never looked back, as Li Na strung together more nervous errors under the pressure of an increasingly powerful Clijsters game.

Na put a return into the net to give Clijsters a memorable win, becoming the first mother since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1977 to win the Australian Slam, and giving the home crowd a win for their 'Aussie' Kim.

Murray marches on to final

Tennis

A cool head in tiebreakers and an ability to change playing style mid-match has given Britain's Andy Murray the edge he needed to overcome Spain's David Ferrer and progress to his 2nd consective Australian Open final.

The 5th seed Scot won in four entertaining sets, 4-6 7-6 6-1 7-6, to book a meeting with world number three Novak Djokovic on Sunday.

In what was arguably one of the most entertaining sets of singles in the last two weeks, both men found themselves running from side to side as long, dynamic rallies were being dished out one after the other.

Ferrer broke serve when it mattered most, ahead 5-4 in the first set.

A convincing win in the second set tiebreak and a fresh set of strings, however, saw both a change in scoreline and mentality from the Scotsman.

Not even an injury scare in the early moments of the third set could stop Murray from playing his shots. On the contrary, it forced him to start playing for winners, which suddenly put his opponent on the back foot.

Although Ferrer managed to find his way back into the match in the fourth set, Murray always found an answer and began varying his game shot by shot.

The meeting with Djokovic will be the first time the two have met during a Grand Slam.

Murray described the final match-up as one that could possibly deliver a 'brutal' match, but knows what he is up against. "We're good friends. We trained a lot in Perth (and) practiced four or fives times together over there."

The first set was packed full of thirty-plus rallies, with both players adopting a strong baseline game from the outset.

It made for entertaining tennis, as the players pushed each other side to side the entire set.

The tension increased a touch, even in the literal sense, when Ferrer took a the opening set, forcing Murray to make a change in his racquet strings to find the edge he needed to fight back.

"He was dictating all the points, (so)... I changed racquet tension," he said post-match. "I could hit through the ball much better. In the second set I started playing my shots."

Murray made a potentially match-saving play when he saved a set point when down 5-4 in the second set, but perhaps without even knowing it.

"I thought it was 4-3" he joked after the match. "That probably helped me."

The change in style became even more clear when the Scot appeared to be gripping a sore left quad muscle at the start of the third set. He was clearly in no mood to be run around much longer.

Where the second set Murray was hitting through the ball cleaner, the third set Murray was finding the lines and the winners as well.

A critical point of the match was when Murray finally consolidated a break to go ahead 3-1 in the set. He used the momentum to take the following three games.

Despite a late scare in the form of a Ferrer fightback, the Spaniard again crumbled in the tiebreak situation, gifting Murray the passage through to the last stage.

"It was a pretty physical match. My body was feeling it towards the end," said Murray.

In other matches today, top seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta won their first Grand Slam doubles title with victory in three sets over Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko. The World number 1 and 2 doubles players, respectively, overcame their opponents 2-6, 7-5, 6-1/

Djokovic to meet Federer in Australian Open semi final

Tennis

Novak Djokovic has moved to his first Australian Open semi-final since winning the 2008 edition of the tournament, with a three set victory over sixth seed Tomas Berdych.

Despite some eye issues evident in the second set, the world number three won the match in straight sets, 6-1 7-6 6-1, and will meet world number two Roger Federer in the first semi-final in two days time.

Djokovic came out with a dominant display of serving in the first set, taking 88% of points when his first serve went in, compared to the unusually low score of 64% from his taller, more aggressive, opponent.

The Djokovic serve was the driving force of the match, particularly in the first set. Whenever the first serve went in, the Serbian was in full control of proceedings.

But the dominant on-serve display wasn't to last when a troubled Djokovic began blinking in obvious pain from his contact lenses during the following set.

The '08 champion soon found himself down 4-1, before finally calling to his bench for lens fluid. It worked wonders, helping Djokovic back to a 4-all scoreline.

Although Berdych hit more winners than Djokovic in the second set, his lack of serve control continued to let him down and keep his opponent in the match, eventually leading to a tiebreaker.

Through some tough baseline rallies, the Serbian emerged victorious from the tiebreak, 7-5.

Up 2-1 in the second set, on the Berdych serve, Djokovic pulled off two impressive cross-court forehands to take the break of serve, and used the unexpected momentum to take the match away from Berdych point by point.

He won all the following games to take the last set in the same fashion as the first, 6-1.

Djokovic clearly wasn't pleased with the entirety of his matchplay, but recognised how to find his way past the Czech.

"He hits hard, and serves hard," said Djokovic. "I needed some variety."

On the lens issue? "I sometimes have problems with the lens" he joked. "It gets dry sometimes."

The 3rd seed will need all his sight in check if he is to overcome defending champion Federer in the semi final, who cruised past his fellow countryman, Stanislaus Wawrinka, in straight sets earlier today.

Nadal victory leaves eight men standing

Tennis

World number one Rafael Nadal has defeated Marin Cilic in straight sets to book the last remaining quarter-final spot in the Australian Open.

Nadal beat Cilic in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3, to set up an all-Spanish encounter with seventh seed David Ferrer on Wednesday.

Although the score would suggest otherwise, the match was a close affair, with the difference being the ability of the Spaniard to keep the ball in play in longer points.

The number one didn't have it all his own way, particularly earlier in the match. Nadal missed plenty of break point opportunities and was forced into playing defensive tennis at times through some powerful Cilic forehands.

The two-metre Croatian, normally dominant on serve, struggled to make first serves consistently, sending many games throughout the match to Deuce.

The first set might have been the closest of all, with two back-to-back games running at almost twenty minutes. Cilic winners were constantly being cancelled out by Cilic errors, while Nadal continued to play consistent tennis.

After 56 minutes, Nadal won what could be called the closest 6-2 set ever. From there, he didn't look back.

Although the scores became closer in the following sets, Nadal continued to look more comfortable during lengthier points.

Nadal's time taken between points was again a focal point, with his opponent asking on more than one occassion for an intervention by the umpire.

A clearly rattled fifteenth seed in Cilic was slowly taken apart by the increasingly aggressive Nadal game. Losing his serve at 3-all in the third set virtually secured Nadal his nineteenth straight Grand Slam quarter-final appearance.

The story of Cilic's service game was summed up through the way he concluded the match, with an uncharacteristic double fault.

Nadal called the match his best at the open so far. "Today was the first day I felt perfect physically," he stated post-match.

In tomorrows matches, Roger Federer plays Stanislaus Wawrinka in the first ever all-Swiss Australian Open final tomorrow, while Tomas Berdych will play Novak Djokovic during the night session.

List: Top 8 Australian Open round 1 match-ups to watch

Tennis

The Australian Open draw for 2011 has dished up some tasty matches that are sure to get people talking over the next few days in anticipation. Here's my picks, along with reasons why I'll personally find the match so intriguing.

#8: (Mens) Philipp Petzcshner (GER) vs. [13]Jo Wilfred-Tsonga (FRA)

Petzcshner was embarassed by Florian Mayer in last year's Open when losing a two-set advantage. Looking to fight back. The power of Petzcshner's serve is pitted here against the power baseline play of the Frenchman. Although Tsonga should and probably will come out on top, this promises entertainment.

#7: (Womens) [21]Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) vs. Jarmila Groth (AUS)

Again, the seed needs to be cautious here. Wickmayer is showing promise with a runner-up performance in Auckland last week along with an improved game, but her opponent is both on her home court and has shot up through the rankings to get a look at the top 40. Watch this space.

#6: (Womens) [4]Venus Williams (USA) vs. Sara Errani (ITA)

I wouldn't mark this match as an expectant thriller, but rather as a sign of Williams' form coming out of some disappointing defeats early this year in Hong Kong. Errani has made it to Round 3 of the Australian Open in the last two editions, but she'll be hard pressed to repeat that feat again. Expect Williams to win. By how much? Can't be sure.

#5: (Mens) Dudi Sela (ISR) vs. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)

Despite having more court time than Del Potro last year, Sela must be considered the underdog this match. Del Potro made a disappointing exit from the Sydney International this week and will look to continue the long recovery in the rankings. The opposing playing styles of the two, the speed of Sela and the force of Del Potro, will make this a fun match for those watching.

#4: (Womens) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) vs. [19]Ana Ivanovic (SRB)

Out of all 128 matches occurring in the first round across both the mens and womens draws, this has got to have the most upset potential. Makarova won her first Premier tournament last year and continues to make impressions on the rankings. Ivanovic pulled out the Hopman Cup injured, after getting Serbia into the final. She lost to Henin in Perth, and I fear she still would coming to Melbourne. It will take a bit for Ivanovic to pull through

#3: (Womens) [14]Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA)

Another that ticks the 'interesting' box. Why? They used to be doubles partners last decade! Although it's been a while, they may be able to read each other's games to an extent. Tanasugarn's ability to hang around in the rankings for so long is very admirable. She can still win tournaments as well, winning in Osaka at the back end of last year. The Russian virtually has this won already, but it's sport, anything can happen.

#2: (Mens) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) vs. [27]David Nalbandian (ARG)

Hewitt demonstrates to us the value of being a seeded player. This is a major hurdle for a player who looks to be finding a purple patch of form. I'm going to call Hewitt as favourite, regardless. This is clearly the home country media highlight now, putting added pressure on Hewitt. Easily the men's match to watch simply based on the expectancy of the home crowd.

#1: (Womens) [3]Kim Clijsters (BEL) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS)

Safina is like a yo-yo waiting for the thread to be cut. Her form has been all over the shop and you can't help but feel she'll struggle to ever get close to the 10 again, let alone 1. She showed such promise in her loss to Wickmayer in New Zealand, after an awful 2010 injury and run of poor form, but got crushed by Bartoli in Hobart. Kim Clijsters is just another huge blow to the former world number one. Clijsters, who plays against Li Na in the Sydney International final today, is one top of her game. Expect a Belgian display of dominance to a Russian who can't find her feet at the moment.

Soderling Wins Brisbane International

Robin Soderling has defeated American Andy Roddick to claim his first ATP Tour title for the new year, winning in straight sets 6-3 7-5, after an unexpected rain interruption.

The Swede dominated the match from the outset with strong baseline play, winning almost any rally that ventured beyond the 15-stroke mark.

Roddick was unable to find winners throughout both sets, forced to play majority of points from the back of the court thanks to Soderling's impressive groundstroke play.

Soderling completed in just over 90 minutes, blasting more aces than Roddick, 16 to 12.

The most telling statistic from the match was the percentage of first serves won, with Soderling ahead 90 to 75%. The result was much of the Swede's service games ending quickly, while Roddick constantly found himself pushed to Deuce in almost all of his.

"He served too well today," said Roddick after accepting his trophy. In reference to his normally dominant service game he added, "I'm normally on that side of it."

Roddick acknowledged the discomfort the rain had brought to some of the crowd. "I'll buy umbrella's for you all next year," he joked.

At 4 each and 15-all in the second set, rain began to sweep in through the Pat Rafter Arena. Despite the roof over the court, the open sides led to rain sweeping through and reaching the playing area.

A complaint was soon made by both players about moisture appearing on the court and both took to their seats courtside.

After a delay including a lengthy discussion between Roddick and the umpire about the court conditions, play resumed as it left, with Soderling keeping the American on the back foot, soon finding the break to move ahead 6-5 and eventually close the match out.

Soderling put an ace down the middle to end the game and move himself up to number four in the world rankings ahead of Andy Murray. It will be the final point for both men before attending this year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne.

Australia Wins Opening Tie of Hopman Cup XXIII

The opening tie of the 2011 Hopman Cup saw host nation Australia (Alicia Molik & Lleyton Hewitt) defeat 3rd seeds Belgium (Justine Henin & Ruben Bemelmans), keeping them well in contention in Group A.

With top seeds Serbia in the group, both teams knew that a win tonight was vital for their cup chances.

In the women's singles, Henin defeated Molik in straight sets, 6-4 6-4, to give Belgium the upper hand over the hosts, overcoming the odd spot of pressure from the Australian.

The match began with some troubled serving and shaky ground-strokes from both players, resulting in five straight breaks of serve. Molik was unable to gain an advantage through her normally dominant serve, whilst Henin was not keeping her usually reliant backhands in the court.

At 3-2, both had clearly made more errors than winners, in an uncharacteristic start from both players.

However, Henin soon held her serve to go up 4-2 and never looked back. Greater backhand control from Henin saw Molik forced into hitting shorter shots, setting up easy finishes for the Belgian star.

The first three games of the second set all went to Henin, who appeared to have outclassed Molik in all areas.

But Molik ended Henin's four-game run with an unprecedented three straight games of her own. Molik played her greatest points by far in the sixth game of the set, breaking Henin to love with one backhand winner followed by two forehand winners.

The Australian strung together winner after winner to draw level, finding herself with two break points at 3-all.

Yet Henin pushed ahead with more dynamic play, while punishing the Molik second serve. When Henin stole what looked like a certain Australian game, the pressure got to her opponent, who rapped her racquet hard against her feet in frustration.

Henin continued to keep her cool to finish off the match, her first after an injury spell dating back to last year's French Open.

The men's singles, featuring Australia's top mens player in Lleyton Hewitt against new Belgian talent Ruben Bemelmans, was expected to see the hosts level the tie at 1-all.

Bemelmans, however, put in a strong display - the feature of the match being aggressive rallies and lengthy games.

As with the previous match, both serves started off weakly, with both men losing their opening serves. Serving continued to be a less prominent feature of the match, with low first serve percentages.

But what was lacking in the serving department was made up for with some solid ground-stroke action from both players. Bemelmans played in a league above his 174 world ranking, forcing the former world number one Aussie to play hard.

Hewitt managed to remain one step ahead of the young Belgian, even though he was usually the one on the back foot, with his experience on the court shining through.

In the end, the 6-4 6-3 to Hewitt scoreline didn't do much justice for the tightness of the match, one that both men can take a lot of positive elements from.

The deciding mixed doubles match began in the favour of the Belgian duo after an error-ridden Molik service game gave Henin and Bemelmans a break, putting them ahead 3-1.

From that, Bemelmans made the net his own, cutting off the Australian cross-court attempts. He was joined by a confident serve-volleying Henin at his side. The pair put on a dominant display, forcing the more experienced Australian pairing into error after error.

Belgium quickly raced away to take the set 6-1 in just 21 minutes, demonstrating some unexpected chemistry for a couple that hadn't had much doubles experience - let alone playing together.

But in the second set the host nation fought back with some solid returns on the Bemelmans serve, giving them the break to go 3-1 ahead.

From there, the Aussies kept ahead with far more consistent tennis than was seen in the opening set to take the 2nd 6-3 and send the match into a championship tie-breaker.

The crowd was silenced by a Belgian lead of 4-2 at the first change, with some aggressive tennis being played . But once again Australia came back to make it 6-6 on the next change in the race to 10.

Neither side looked convincing during the tiebreaker, until a magic Alicia Molik backhand return put the Aussies one point from victory at 9-8.

When Bemelmans put the ball into the net on the Hewitt serve, the crowd erupted as Australia completed a comeback to remember.

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Australia's next tie is against favourites Serbia on January 4.

Video: The Hanescu Trick 'Smash'

Remember this gem from the US Open, courtesy of Victor Hanescu?



Credit goes to the creator and uploader of the video