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Australian Open Men’s final preview
Stan will certainly be stretched to the limits versus Nadal in the Australian Open final (Thanks to http://www.nytimes.com) Stanislas Wawrinka comes up against the greatest possible challenge in his first Major final: Rafael Nadal. Does he have what it takes to tear up the odds and take his first Major trophy in Melbourne? The tennis review does its best to predict what will happen come tonight’s final.
History: Nadal is a former champion, winning the title in 2009, and a former runner up, losing the epic 2012 final 7-5 in the fifth. Wawrinka, in contrast, will make his debut in a Major final. Mind you, Melbourne is where Nadal has had some of his worst Slam defeats-to Tsonga in ’08 and Murray in ’10- and if he is vulnerable anywhere, it is here.
Advantage: NadalForm: Nadal has had to battle two of the game’s most promising up and coming players in Nishikori and Dimitrov. Against the former, the Spaniard really had to show some grit to get through in four. Then came his confidence boosting domination of old foe Federer. Still, as impressive as those Nadal wins have been, Wawrinka has outdone him in this category. The Swiss scored a career best victory over Djokovic, proving he has what it takes to beat the very best, and they don’t get better in Melbourne than Djokovic, on the big stage. That win was followed by a most impressive victory over Berdych in what has been the tournament’s most high quality encounter.
Advantage: WawrinkaMatch up: It does not look good for the Swiss. Not at all. Nadal leads the head to head 12-0. And it gets worse- Stan has not even won a set. Their last encounter at the London WTF was more positive for Stan though. He had chances to take both sets, his aggressive tennis getting the better of Nadal, but they were chance he still failed to take. As Nadal does to everyone on the tour, the Spaniard just got one more ball back and Wawrinka had to hit the lines to win the points. And Nadal is not just about defense. When he is not running side to side and hitting angles, he is taking on that forehand with all the aggression in the world and blasting it for winners. It is this ability, to play both defense and offense as well as the other, which has made Nadal a 13 time Major winner and what gives him the edge against the competition. For Stan to win, he is going to have to be at his absolute aggressive peak, and return at his best, too. The faster courts might help him. But more help than anything is going to be the knowledge that his best game can compete with Nadal’s and that history and head to heads can be turned on their heads when the better player wins on the day.
Advantage: Nadal, due to the 12-0 head to head, but in Stan’s form he has a chance.Mentality: Who is mentally stronger than Nadal in men’s tennis? For a brief while Djokovic had his number but Nadal’s comeback in that rivalry has just established him as even more of a mental giant. Nadal has won 13 Majors and been runner up five times, and it has taken his opponent’s absolute best to get the better of him in those title matches. Nadal also plays very much in the moment and gives his utmost intensity to every point which no other player is able to do as consistently as he does. Wawrinka, however, has not had that many big matches in which to show his mental toughness. But he did do so in his last eight victory over Djokovic where he held it together beautifully against the four time champion.
Advantage: Nadal, but if anyone is in the mood to trump him this Australian Open, it is Wawrinka.Prediction: Nadal will win this in four. A close first set, an easier second, a dropped third set as Wawrinka gets going and then a close fourth in which Nadal edges the Swiss out to take his 14th Major trophy.
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Li Na wins the Australian Open
Li Na relishes finally getting her hands on the Australian Open trophy on her third attempt (Thanks to http://www.newindianexpress.com )
Li Na has beaten Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (3), 6-0 to win the Australian Open.The match started off as nervously as the Major finals do. With $2.3 million in prize money alone and a place in the record books on the line, both women could be excused for missing the lines as the match got underway. It was Li Na, the experienced Roland Garros 2011 Champion, who moved ahead 3-0 by virtue of making less errors than her debutante finalist opponent, and hitting the only two winners of the first twenty minutes, two backhand down the lines, the Chinese’s most effective shot.
Fears that another Major final beatdown was imminent were soon beat down themselves as Cibulkova worked her way into the match. Cutting down on her errors, she clocked into her timing and began to swing with the fearless aggression that had taken her to the final, leveling the match at 3-3.
Cibulkova’s improved game raised Li Na’s level, too. Both women struck the ball hard and free from inhibition, moving each other side to side and stepping into the court whenever the short ball invited them. The fierceness of the rallies was Slam-final worthy, with Li Na hitting 22 errors to her opponents 7. 10 of those were on the return, a shot Li Na struck with venom off some of Cibulkova’s slower serves. Her form on her return game paid off when at 5-5, 30-40, Li Na whacked a forehand return and then teed off again on a short ball to draw an error to take the beak and lead 6-5.
Li Na served for the set but Cibulkova was feeling the return, too, and took the game to deuce. A missed forehand cross court gave Li Na a set point but she could not convert, her favored back down the line missing its mark. Cibulkova kept fighting, hitting a forehand winner off a short ball to earn break point. Cibulkova took control of the rally, taking ball on the rise and hitting deep, getting Ni la on the run and forcing her into error to get the break and the set was to be both deservedly and unfairly decided on the lottery that is the tie-breaker.
And it was Li La who had the winning ticket. The ups and downs of the previous games were banished to experience and she took the mini-break at the first chance, hitting a forehand down the line return for a winner. A backhand down the line winner and she led 2-0. Cibulkova broke back with a forehand down the line winner but surrendered another mini-break as Li Na relentlessly pounded her own forehand until she got the short ball and hit a forehand drive volley winner to lead 3-1. Li Na did not look back, front running to 6-3 where she hit out on her backhand cross-court, getting Cibulkova out of position and forcing an error to take the tiebreaker 7-3.
The momentum her way, Li Na then went on to have her way in the most ruthless possible manner. Winner after winner from inside the court flew from her racket as she soared heights we knew she could reach but which she rarely did on the big stage. Well, tonight the stage was hers and she was only to keen to burst into song, the song of a two time Grand Slam champion. 12 winners and 6 games later, leading 5-0 and returning, she had two championship points.
Cibulkova, overwhelmed but far from over, controlled the first point from inside the baseline, forcing Li Na to hit a forehand long. But saving a second championship point against a woman at the top of her game, proved to be too much for the Slovakian. Li Na meanwhile did the least with the ball she had done all match. Hitting to the center of the court, Li Na set out to play herself into one of the biggest points of her career, an improvement in her game that had had as much to with bringing her to within a point of her second slam as her winning ground-strokes. A recent development that paid off. The Slovakian went for too much, too early, going for a big forehand on her third stroke. The ball missed the line and Li Na was the 2014 Australian Open women’s Champion.
The title was hers but her performance did not stop there. Cracking jokes in the trophy presentation about how nice her husband was and how lucky he was to meet her, Li Na was as much the stand up comedienne as the Grand Slam winner. Should she go about a career change, tennis fans would be as lucky to have an audience with her as they were to be there the night she finally brought the Rod Laver Arena down and the Australian Open trophy home.
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What Rafa did, not what Roger didn’t
Nadal did all the right things versus Roger to get the win (Thanks to sportsmole.co.uk) Rafael Nadal has beaten Roger Federer 7-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
While much of the pre-match talk was about what Federer had to do -be aggressive- to beat Nadal at a slam for the first time since Wimbledon 2007, one important thing got forgotten. A very important thing, too.
Rafael Nadal knows exactly what he has to do to beat Federer.
And Nadal got on with doing what he has always done. He went for the backhand, especially on the serve. It was such an effective ploy, Nadal faced only 2 break points the whole match. Federer faced plenty though, and early in the first set, too, as Nadal ran him side to side, forcing him wider out the court and further back until the error came, or the short ball for the winner. Federer fought him off, doing what he said he had to do, being aggressive, but his first set stat of 24 errors to 15 winners, showed that his intentions were stronger than his execution.
Federer held his nemesis at bay until the tiebreak. That was as far as he would go as Nadal thrived under the pressure and broke Federer in. His wide angled forehand was the weapon, forcing errors from Federer on the run. Nadal got the early minibreak and then another one as Federer missed a volley. Victim to Nadal’s stratgey and his own inability to execute his plan of attack, Federer fell behind 1-4. He fought back to 4-6 but Nadal’s depth was too much and the final point of the set ended as so many of their battles have, on a deep spinning Nadal strike to the Federer backhand and the Swiss, helplessly almost, sending it long.
Leading 1-0 on serve in the second, Nadal took a medical time out for the blistered hand. The hand was treated and matters resumed exactly where they had left off, the blister nothing more than any old war wound. Nadal kept threatening Federer on the serve, holding several break points, Federer continued to attack and staved them off. Nadal though was having no problems on the serve, racing through his service games, and the Federer serve was confronted with the Nadal onslaught before it had had time to even catch its breath. Finally the pressure told on Federer. Leading 3-2, Nadal held break point, and pounced. He mixed it up: short balls, deep ones, down the line, cross court, until the court was opened up for a forehand winner. Leading 4-2, Nadal kept the pressure up, holding his service games and then serving out for a 6-3 second set scoreline.
In the third, Nadal did not let up doing his thing. He broke Federer at 1-1 and though Federer had the crowd going as he broke back, Nadal quickly silenced them, breaking again as if it had been nothing less than a slip up on his behalf and it was now time to get back to the business of beating Roger Federer in slams.
At 5-3 Nadal served for his third victory over Federer at the Australian Open, his first one in straight sets. At 40-15, he held two match points. Federer saved the first, attacking the net and forcing a backhand error from Nadal, going down the only way he could have won. And then, finally, it sunk him, the thing he had to do. On the second match point, Federer went for too much, his forehand going long, and Nadal won his 6th consecutive victory over Federer at a Major.
And he did it simply by doing what he does and not letting Federer do what he has to. That is how Nadal beats Federer. A very important thing we should not forget come their next meeting. And, if somewhat disrespectfully to Nadal, we do, the Spaniard will only be too ready to remind us.
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Australian Open women’s final preview: Li Na versus Cibulkova
Can Cibulkova aka Pome win her first Major tomorrow?(Thanks to http://www.channelnewsasia.com ) The 2014 Australian Open women’s final will be contested by an old hand in Li Na and a debutante in Dominika Cibulkova. The tennis review looks ahead and takes a guess at who will be the likely winner.
History: Li Na is in her third Australian Open final in ten attempts. She was a set up in both her final appearance but her relentless ball-striking was undone by her most consistent opponents. Cibulkova, in contrast, has made it past the third round in Melbourne twice in seven tries. And this will be her first ever Major final.
Advantage: Li Na by a long way. She goes into the final believing after all her hard work in Melbourne over the years she deserves the title.Form: Li Na has faced the more in form opponents this Open. Safarova had match points against her but Li Na fought back to win the kind of match she is prone to losing in Slams. The Chinese used her narrow escape as a spring board to thrash Makarova, a two time quarter-finalist, and then Pennetta, a big match player if ever there was one. Her semi-final opponent Bouchard was in the form of her young career and pushed her all the way in the second set with the kind of attacking tennis that can do serious damage on this surface. Li held firm though, showing off her consistency as well as her punishing backcourt game.
Cibulkova’s form has been excellent. She took care of her first three opponents to the loss of just 9 games with her out and out aggression. Then she beat Sharapova who though rusty and tired from her epic victory over Knapp is still quite the scalp. Next up was a nervous Halep and then a dead on her feet Radwanska. But whether her opponent is rusty, nervous or tired, it makes no difference to Cibulkova who just gets on with her own game irrespective of what is going on across the net.
Advantage: Li Na just edges it.Match up: The two both have formidable ground strokes and will both look to be aggressive and end points inside the baseline. If both women have a high first serve percentage and can control the point from the first ball, expect sets to be close. The two also have big return games and if a chance comes their way both will go for it. Both risk takers and both confidence players, this will come down to whoever can execute best on the day.
Advantage: The 4-0 head to head says Li Na has the edge, but only just.Mentality: Li has won a slam, which is as mentally demanding as it gets in tennis. She has also been runner up twice, having been a set up each time, so she does blow big leads in matches. And she has a tendency to implode if she starts to miss her shots. Still, she has proven herself to be mentally tougher than Cibulkova, coming though more big matches in her career, but Dominika is probably at her toughest right now and will be no pushover in her first final
Advantage: Li Na. She has proven she can cross the finishing line while Cibulkova is still an unknown quantity in big-time Championship matches.Prediction: Li Na will take the first set as the occasion gets to her first time Major finalist opponent. Then as it dawns on Li Na that her second Major is a set away, expect some kind of implosion and for Cibulkova to take the set. In the third, Li Na will just edge Cibulkova as her experience proves to be decisive.
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Li and Cibulkova belt their way into the finals
The effort of making her third Australian Open final is written all over Li Na’s face (Thanks to indianexpress.com) Both Li Na and Dominika Cibulkova played exceptionally well to make it to the Australian Open women’s final. The tennis review reflects on their belting victories.
L.Na beats E. Bouchard 6-2, 6-4.
Who was not afraid of Li Na as she raced into a 5-0 lead in her semi-final versus 19 year old first time last fourer Eugenie Bouchard? Belting winners from her forehand, backhand, serve and volley, and punishing Bouchard’s second serve with thumping returns, Li Na did not put a foot wrong for the first 20 minutes. The fans and the Bouchard camp must have been fearful that the whitewash might drown Bouchard in her Major semi-final debut.But Bouchard proved herself to be quite the debutante. The very instant that the very bright Li Na purple patch began to fade, Bouchard stepped into the court and began to assert herself. Painting the lines like her and Ni La were mirroring each other lovingly, Bouchard moved in and struck winners into the open court. She reduced the first set deficit to 2-5, edging Li Na in tight deuce games, and did all she could to stop Li Na taking it 6-2. The Chinese, however, stood firm, Grand slam champion that she is, and served out for the set.
Bouchard started the second set off where she left the first. Putting pressure on the Li Na serve, she broke her to lead 2-0. It was a short-lived lead though as Li Na broke back. The two continued to go at one another, Bouchard growing in spirit as her winners mounted, Li Na the very picture of inconsistency as she both painted the lines and missed them by wide margins. Li broke, then Bouchard broke again, and the battle went on to 4-4.
Li Na, two games away from her third Australian Open final, sensed the timing was right, as right as her timing of her return was. She took on Bouchard’s second serves and sent them flying past the Canadian. Breaking Bouchard to lead 5-4, Li Na stepped up and served for the match. A service winner earned her match point and a backhand cross court passing shot sent her into the title match once again.
The final will be her third. And if she wins, there will be nothing lucky about it. Nothing less than hard work has seen Li Na cut down on her errors and make the most of her attacking game. It is a game that few will bet against her executing to trophy winning standard come Saturday.
D. Cibulkobv beat A. Radwanska 6-1, 6-2
Dominika Cibulkova raced through her semi-final meeting with Radwanska with such alarming speed, many of us were still dreaming of Radwanska’s beautiful display versus Azarenka by the time Cibulkova led by a set and two breaks. Unfortunately for Radwanska, that note perfect performance had only happened the day before, and if the emotional and physical energy had not taken it out of her, then her Slovakian opponent was certainly going to.The very picture of energy, desire and confidence, Cibulkova struck the ball with so much pace and depth that short balls came her way aplenty. The speed with which she stepped up to them and hit them away for winners was a sight to marvel at. In a flurry of winners, 21 of them, Dominika moved through to her first Major final. There she will have to overcome the nerves that come with the territory but if anyone is in the mood to take on nervy first times and win, it is the Slovakian.
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Wawrinka beats Berdych to make first Major final
Stan and Tomas at the net after Stan’s semi-final victory. (Thanks to espn.go.com) Stanislas Wawrinka has beaten Tomas Berdych to make his first Major final, and, from the smile on Berdych’s face at the net as the two shook hands, the Czech was as pleased to see the Swiss advance as the Swiss and his fans. Berdych will have appreciated just how well played the Swiss played in their contest, and should have felt some satisfaction somewhere in the deep pain of defeat that he played close to his best, too.
The Swiss started out the better of the two. Wawrinka edged the first set when at 4-3 he broke the Czech, his angles and defence getting the better of the Czech whose missed overhead on breakpoint meant Wawrinka served for the set. The Swiss earned set point with a service winner. Another service winner and he had a one set to love lead.
Berdych kept a tighter rein on things in the second, staying with Wawrinka to the tiebreak. The Czech got the early mini-break, hitting flat and hard to the Swiss’s weapon, the backhand, and forcing an error. It was a sound strategy. The backhand was getting less of a workout in the match as Berdych went to the forehand more often than not, a forehand that was holding up brilliantly, but playing to Wawrinka’s untested strength in the big moment and forcing it into error worked a treat for the Czech. He then gleaned another mini break, his forehand down the line, his own strength, drawing another error on the Swiss’s backhand side, to lead 6-1. The Czech boomed down a big second serve, Wawrinka’s attempt at a chip return was dumped into the net and the match was at a set all.
The third set also went with serve, both men doing their thing, keeping matters clean and pretty. Berdych was hitting as flat and deep as he likes, moving the Swiss around and hitting into the open court. The Swiss attacked and hit his forehand angled and pacey, unleashing the backhand when he had the chance. It was almost exhibition like yet the tension was very much there, too; the tension that comes when you are playing for a place in a Major final. It seemed to get to the Swiss more when at 5-5, 30-30, he lost a 20 shot rally, Berdych’s forehand down the line forcing him once more into error on the backhand. But a service winner got Wawrinka out of trouble and he held it together to lead 6-5. Berdych then held serve and we were in a tiebreaker.
It was there that the tension took its toll on both men as they traded mini breaks early on. Then Berdych faltered again. His usually steady second serve broke down as he went for too much , double faulting to go 1-4 down. In a way it was understandable. Breakers are swung on the slightest of margins and the serve could have gone in for a winner, as they so often do with the 6ft 5″ Czech. Or the service, if anything less than exceptional, could have been struck back for a return winner. As it was the risk did not pay off and Wawrinka was a minibreak up. Berdych continued to take risks, over hitting a return on a second serve that sat up, begging to be manhandled, at 3-4. But while Berdych was struggling, Wawrinka was holding firm. A Wawrinka service winner helped him along to 6-3. Three set points for a two sets to one lead, a set away from his first first Major final. His first chance would come with a look at a Berdych second serve. But he did not have to look at all. The Czech double faulted again, determined to go down his own way and not Wawrinka’s.
The unpaid risks of Berdych in the breaker seemed to bother him in the opening game of the fourth in which the two men battled for 12 minutes. The Czech fortunately finally found his consistency to hold serve and the set moved along entertainingly as Berdych brushed the disappointment of the third aside and Wawrinka played in as relaxed a manner as a man can just games away from his dream coming true. A set marked by both men playing to win and not lose flowed into a tiebreaker, the most fitting and yet unfair way to decide such an even contest.
Wawrinka forged ahead on the opening point, earning a mini break as his passing shot forced an error on the Czech’s forehand volley side. The Swiss held his nerve and serve to stay in the lead. A double fault from Berdych handed the Swiss another mini-break. The Czech did not go into his shell after his errors and continued to go for his shots. But the moment was too much. Another Berdych error, a forehand long, and Wawrinka was 6-3 up with two serves for the final.
This was it. This was what Wawrinka’s learning curve had been escalating towards. The defeat to Djokovic here last year. The defeat of Murray in New York and his first semi-final at a Major. The loss that followed, again to Djokovic. The placing in the last 8 at the World Tour finals. The season opening win in Chennai; impressive as so many men follow a breakthrough season with a lull. All of that had led to this. And this could only be achieved with a risk. Wawrinka missed the first serve. And then double faulted. It was a risk worth taking, the Swiss having another service at his disposal.
This was the one. Another risk. Another service winner. Wawrinka was through to his first final.
The warm embrace at the net, the smile on both men’s face, told us both competitors knew they had fought in a quality match, a match that saw 117 winners from the two of them to 98 errors. Such stats will come as small compensation for the pain Berdych must have felt, but the rush of a match well played could not be denied by either. Wawrinka said in his post match interview how ‘very, very, very happy’ he felt. Feelings felt all over the stadium, and in Switzerland, no doubt, too. A country that may feel over the moon should their two finest tennis players meet in the final Sunday. A day when, if Wawrinka is the A star student he seems to be, that learning curve could very well peak.
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Australian Open Semi-finals preview
Will we be saluting Stan’s first Major final today?
(Thanks to sports.nationalpost.com )The last four of the year’s first Major is upon us. This is it. The fight to be a player in the business of what this professional lark is all about, the Grand Slams. The line up is a mix of the vets and the next gen, the guys on the verge of a nervous breakthrough and the legends of the game. The tennis review does its best to predict what will go down in what is one of the most exciting and intriguing bunch of last fours in a while.
Women’s:
Ni La vs E. Bouchard
Li Na is looking like an Australian champion in the making. She has had the tough early round test champions have to overcome on their way to the title, her comeback from match point down against Safarova satisying that criteria. She has played some outstanding the challenge to wipe the floor with strong opponents in Makarova and Pennetta. She has also been to two finals here and must feel with the draw as open as it is that she is the player most prepared to win it. Bouchard will have a few things to say about that, of course. Like many a prodigy before her, Eugenie’s uninhibited and bold play has seen her make her first semi-final on her fourth attempt. The semi-final should not scare her either. Bouchard believes she belongs and she does. Expect both women to move into the court, go for their shots and take risks but for Li Na’s experience and great form to prevail.
Prediction: Li Na to win a tight two setterA.Radwanska versus D.Cilbulkova
These two have had very different matches the last 3 times they have played. A year back in Sydney, Radwanska double bagelled Cikbukova in the final. Then in Stanford, Cibulkova beat Radwanska in three tough sets. A few months later in Tokyo, Radwanska straight setted the Slovakian. So this match could go anyway. Based on their form this tournament, both women are playing very well. Both have beaten tough opponents in Sharapova and Aazarenka. Radwanska may have the mental edge though. Her defeat of Azarenka came after a string of losses at Vika’s hands and the way she played in the third set, as good a set as any woman has played on Rod Laver arena, will have given her no end of confidence. She also has the experience of making it through a slam semi in Wimbledon 2012. And her experience of losing to Lisicki in last year’s Wimbledon semi might be the demon to drive her past the finish line.
Prediction: Radwanska to win in three.Men’s
S.Wawrinka versus T.Berdych
Stan has gotten the better of Tomas in their last 3 meetings, including one at the US Open. The Swiss is also coming off the back of a career best win over Djokovic. But Berdych is playing very well and will be confident he can win. He certainly has all the tools with his flat groundies and aggressive game. Both men will go for broke and believe in themselves which, added to both men being in great form, should make for a great contest. What will make the difference is that Berdych has been to a slam semi before and made it through, against Djokovic no less, at Wimbledon. Tomas will also be less tired both physically and emotionally, and slightly pumped too after dealing with Ferrer so convincingly, another player against whom he has a negative head to head.
Prediction: Berdych to win in four sets.R. Federer versus R. Nadal
It is no secret that for Federer to win this he must attack the net as he did against Tsonga and against Murray for the first two sets. And it is also no secret that if he lets up, or freezes might be a better word, Nadal is going to toy with him. The Federer-Nadal rivalry is ripe with examples of Federer coming out firing away aggressively, see the French Open 2006 final for one, only to, dumbfoundingly, think twice and play into Nadal’s hands, being fed high spinning groundies and shanking backhands at the baselines. So which way is it going to go? What we do know is that Federer has been playing at the net for the majority of this Open. We also know that after his third set horror choke against Murray he and Edberg will have had a serious talk about that not happening again. If Federer can come out with his recently and successfully acquired aggressive mindset, and stick to it, he should make the Australian Open final. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? If only, Federer must think over and over, against Nadal, it were.
Prediction: Federer to win in four sets. Two very pretty ones, two cover-your-eyes-and-pray-it’s-all-over-soon ones. -
Quarter-final day 2 wrap up
Roger Federer celebrates making the Australian Open quarter-finals (thanks to washingtonpost.com) The quarter-finals of the Australian Open are history. And some players made their own history during them. Radwanska made her first semi-final in Melbourne, Federer made his 11th consecutive one, Cibulkova made her second slam semi and Rafael Nadal ended the efforts of the first Bulgarian to make a Major last eight. The tennis review rounds up a day of dominance, brilliance, beauty and at times the downright ugly. But it was never less than fascinating. Never.
Roger Federer beats A. Murray 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3
For two sets Roger Federer played his very best tennis and then some. Stefan Edberg looking on must have felt at times he was watching an artist imitating him on the stage as Federer won 20 of 28 points played at the net. And then in the third set, Federer just stopped. And Murray started up, no doubt pleased to see Federer hanging at the back of the court, rallying balls back, even when serving for the match at 5-4 and holding match points in the third set breaker. Murray took full advantage. Until then he had been struggling with his game, forced into errors as he tried to match Federer’s aggression, but now, with a passive Federer to toy with, he hit deep, hit short, changed direction and found the open courts. Free to grind, he did, and he worked his way back into the match, cutting the deficit from 0-2 in sets to 1-2. The effort tired him out through. As did the 20 minutes service game he won at the start of the fourth. Federer pounced on the sudden drop in Murray energy levels, not pouncing like the cat who had taken up home at the net for the first two sets, but coming in now and then, just enough to push Murray over and take control of the match. Federer broke and held serve and won the match. It was a match that started out in absolute brilliance and ended in a horror show of the kind faster courts have been brought in to stamp out. And stamped out is what Federer will be by Nadal if he brings anything less than his play of the two sets to their semi-final on Friday.D. Cibulkova beats S.Halep 6-3, 6-0
Dominika Cibulkova did herself the best favor she could have in dismissing Simona Halep in an hour: conserving valuable energy for her next round against Radwanska. Getting 77% of her first serves in and hitting 17 winners to 16 errors certainly helped her cause. Halep tried to find answers in the first set but Cibulkova was too much for her. One sniff of a short ball and Cibulkova was all over it. Clearly energized by her fine play and the occasion, Cibulkova showed us all why she has made the quarters of every slam.Nadal beats Dimitrov 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7), 6-2
It took Nadal a while to shake off the young Bulgarian in this tight four setter. The Bulgarian took Nadal by surprise, breaking him early in the first set, and then holding serve to take a 1-0 lead. The Bulgarian’s aggressive minded play and strong serve helped him stand up to Nadal’s forehand and speed all the way to the second set breaker. There, the Bulgarian faltered while Nadal just got stronger and dominated the breaker. Nadal went on to break Dimitrov in the third but the Bulgarian broke back and took Nadal all the way to the breaker. A set point soon belonged to Dimitrov, and a sitting forehand begged him to take a 2 sets to 1 lead, but, the occasion getting to his inexperience, he missed it. That was all Nadal needed to make his move, taking the breaker and a 2-1 lead and then breaking Dimitrov early in the fourth. The pressure off a little, Nadal’s tore through the set, breaking Dimitrov in the final game to win the match. Another challenge from the next generation withstood, Nadal goes into his semi-final tried and tested and full of confidence.A. Radwanska beats V. Azarenka 6-1, 5-7, 6-0
The third set Radwanska played in this quarter-final match is perhaps one of the best sets any woman has ever played on Rod Laver. And Rod would have been only to happy to have been danced upon, to have had volleys punched by a ballerina mid court, to have lobs and drop shots floated around all over him. Vika Azarenka, however, was anything less than pleased to be on the receiving end of such brilliance. Her frequent screams were of a woman not used to not getting her way at a slam she has an 18 match winning streak at. Radwanska though could not have cared less. She had twenty years of tennis experience to put to use and the way she took Azarenka apart with such precision, guile and heart will linger in the memories of tennis fans the world over for a while. Check out this video of one point to get the idea. And, if you have time, go down a Radwanska rabbit hole to get to her very unique wonderland. -
Radwanska turns tables on Azarenka
Agnieszka Radwanska, conqueror of Azarenka in the Melbourne last eight (Thanks to sports.ndtv.com) Agnieszka Radwanska has beaten number two seeded defending champion Vika Azarenka 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
A five time quarter-finalist, Radwanska had obviously decided she had had enough of bowing out in the last eight. And enough of losing to Azarenka who had beaten her the last 7 times, and 12 of 15 times in total.
Radwanska got off to a quick start against an out of sorts Azarenka. The Pole was doing what she does best, mixing up the pace and the balls and throwing Azarenka off her rhythm. The Azarenka errors piled up to the tune of 17 while the Pole’s stayed low, 3 in total, and before you knew it, Radwanska took the first five games. It was an ambush of an opening, one which got the better of Vika who had a shouting fit 0-5 down. The outburst did her some good-she won the next game-but Radwanska was not thrown off. On a mission, she served out for the set to take it 6-1.
Azarenka, experienced pro that she is, cleaned up her act in the second set, winning the opening game with a drive volley winner. She put Radwanska under pressure, too, at 1-0, but Radwanska fought off break points with her drop shots and lobs, and some attack thrown in. It was this drive to force the issue rather than react which saw Radwanska break in the next game, a down the line backhand winner doing the deed and sending her 2-1 up. Vika though broke straight back for 2-2 and the set went all the way to the business end as Azarenka’s level improved and Radwanska’s remained high.
At 5-6 though, Radwanska’s weakest link let her down. With Azarenka returning well again, the Belorussian teed off on Radwanska’s second serve for a forehand winner on the return to take the second set 7-5.
The writing looked to be on the wall. Azarenka was back in the match and when these two meet and she plays well, quite simply she wins. And with Radwanska having dropped her serve so tamely, it was hard to imagine her doing anything but slipping away. The Pole had other ideas, though. Some of them quite brilliant. At 0-0, after a long game lasting 10 minutes, Radwanska got break point. She chased down a drop shot and drop volleyed it to the other side of the net, forcing Azarenka into error. Furious, Azarenka smashed a ball over the net.
The fury was to mount for Azarenka as the Pole’s play peaked. Radwanska held and then, hitting deep, forced an error from Azarenka’s forehand to break again. At 3-0, a perfectly placed cross court forehand and a 167kmph ace, the first of the match, aced her into a 4-0 lead.
Then matters became ridiculous as Radwanska gave a lesson in how to turn denfense into attack. Running from side to side retrieving every ball thrown at her, Radwanska then moved forward to hit a mid court volley winner. The crowd could not believe it. Neither could Radwanska. And we don’t even want to think about what Azarenka made of it all as she stared another break point in the face. Her face after a double fault to go down 0-5 told us all we needed to know. This was a horror show for the defending champion. But her horror show was Radwanska’s cinematic masterpiece.
The masterpiece was finished with the perfect shots. A serve out wide then a backhand winner into the open court for 15-0. A big serve and a winner on the short ball to get match point. Radwanska missed the first serve and was left with her second one, her weakest shot. She puffed it in, leaving it to the fates, and they were kind to her. Or Azarenka was. The defending champion took on the forehand return with all her might and blew it long. Game set and match Radwanska.
The crowd stood on their feet. It was the ultimate taking apart of a champion they had never really taken to. The underdog had made use of all her tools and found something extra to grab a famous win and leave the draw wide open, as wide open as Radwanska likes to have the court, ready for her perfectly placed shots.
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Australian Open Quarter-final previews
Can Halep follow up on her defeat of Jankovic and make the Semis in Melbourne? (thanks to the-slice.com) Roger Federer versus Andy Murray
Let’s kick serve with the blockbuster. This is, and fittingly so, the night match. Federer’s pairing with Edberg plus the faster courts seems to be quite the dream match. Hitting 34 net winners in his beautiful display against Tsonga, Federer is thriving in Melbourne. His opponent Murray has had something of a nothing draw, not to discredit his competition, but Robert in the last sixteen is no Tsonga when it comes to prepping you for the business end of a Major. Murray’s loss of a set to Robert suggests that he has not yet found his best form and having not played anyone in the top ten since Wawrinka in New York, a match he lost, it could turn out that a revived Federer will be too much for him.
Prediction: Federer to win in 4 sets.Rafael Nadal versus Grigor Dimitrov.
This is Dimitrov’s first Major quarter final and he has reached it in great form, playing confidently and with a clear head, his point construction and variety a real marvel. Nadal though is a match too much for him though. Pushed to the absolute limit by one member of the next generation in Nishikori in the previous round, Nadal is match tough and playing some of his best tennis. While Dimitrov has the tools to trouble him, it is hard to see Nadal’s power, desire and experience not overwhelming the Bulgarian.
Prediction: Nadal to win in 3 sets, 2 easy ones, 1 tough.Vika Azarenka versus Agnieszka Radwanska.
Radwanska is not the player she was a year back while Azarenka is even better. Vika has proven herself to be the second best hard courter on the tour, the second best player and the very best of her generation. Radwanska has not posed her any problems in recent years and is unlikely to do so in the last eight here in Melbourne.
Prediction: A straight forward straight setter for Vika.Halep versus Cibulkova
Cibulkova leads the head to head 2-1 and beat Halep in straights last Indian Wells but Halep has come a long way since then. Both women are in great form, both of them know they have a great opportunity to make the last four here and both will throw everything at each other.
Prediction: Expect a great encounter and for Cibulkova, the more experienced at this level, to come though in 3 sets.
Tennis from a fan's point of view
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