Time flies when the balls are fast and day 3 of the Australian Open is already history. Thetennisreview takes a look at the high and low points.
Match of the day: D. Hantuchova beats K. Plischkova 6-3, 3-6, 12-10
An epic which saw some clean stats-Hantuchova had a +8 winner/error ratio, Plischkova had -3- and the tension you only get when matches go past 6-6 in the third.
That-that-for-a-performance of the day: S. Stosur beats T. Pironkova 6-2, 6-0
Pironkova, the recent Sydney champion, looked to be the worst possible match up for Stosur. The good form of her opponent and the pressure of playing on Rod Laver at night had many people wondering how many games she would even win. But she hit 23 winners to 15 errors against an opponent who struggled, hitting 19 errors to 5 winners, against the occassion and her opponent.
Upset of the day: M. Niculescu beats S. Lisicki 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
10 aces and 43 winners could not save Lisicki from her own inconsistency as she threw in 6 double faults and 56 unforced errors. Nor could she save herself from her opponent who broke her seven times and just got the ball back in court, which against players like Lisicki on days like this is often the simplest and smartest option.
Most beautiful match of the day: T.Robredo beats J. Benneteau 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-6 (6)
Few players play with the court smarts of Robredo. Add the brilliance of his backcourt game, which produced 66 winners to only 25 errors to Benneteau’s flairsome aggression which won him 42 of 65 plays at the net and you have a sight to get excited about.
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