Sunday 31 January 2010

Not got rid of the monkey yet

Sorry Ive been away, but the tennis got boring, all the interesting/nice people went out.
Womens final saturday- Henin against Williams, S and Serena took it. Shame, with Safina, Jankovic, Baltacha, Clijsters, etc out I was hoping Henin could beat horrid Serena (remember the US open, fined for threatening to kill a line judge tut tut), but alas no.  She was out for 20months, never real explained why, but she did a reality show and who can resist thaty temptation anymore? Now back and a wild card into Australia- you have to play 3 tournaments to get a ranking, shes only played 2 so she is unranked.   But will be at least top 40 when she does.
And the Fed (who Ive re warmed too since he made a joke about Murray being under pressure becuase Britain hasnt had a GS winner for 150 thousand years) just beat Murray who I deemed rather pathetic during the match, really really one sided (although you know Henin getting to a final will raise more eyebrows about the state of womens game than Murray capitulating to Fed).  I just temporarally warmed to Murray as he cried a bit during his concession speech but made a joke that he can cry like Federer but not play like him (cos Fed cried so much he couldnt speak, which I found annoying).  He broke up with his girlfriend, Murray that is Fed is babbling about his daughters and the camera is focused on his wife who looks happy with life.  Emotionally, funny, rich and single...hmmmm
No its past (dodgy facial hair is a deal breaker in my book).

Friday 22 January 2010

3rd Round Up

So staying up until 1.30am to watch Britains Elana Baltacha get creamed by Dinara Safina 6-1 6-2 may not be everyones idea of fun, certainly not if youre Baltacha (although actually it was a perfectly sensible time in Melbourne).
Shame for Elana that once you fall behind in a match against someone like Safina (who can be amazingly clinical, with superfast ground strokes when she is not being challeneged, somewhat more nervy and tense when she is) its extremely difficult to get back, and extremely easy to slip further.
Baltacha did get broken in the first game but broke back straight away showing it is possible to take advantage of D's errors.  She spoke of Dinara having some wobbles in her matches (if its not shocks its wobbles).  However, Safina spent most of the off season recovering from a back injury and its not surprising that shes not back at her best (well until last night).  Baltacha suggested she could take advantage of this but failed to recognise that D needs to be pushed before she wobbles (generally).   One point in the second set Baltacha played beautifully and strategically and led to Safina double faulting.  Dinara won that game but it showed that she could be rattled.
Anyhow this is the ist time in the third round of a Grand Slam for Elana and only the second time shes played a top ten player (no I dont know who the other one is).

Nadal agaist Kohlschrieber
Nadal up 2 sets to one
3-3 30-30 in the fourth set, and Nadal does one of his bendy shots which I like to get break point.  Nadal up 4-3
-Nadal serves and Kohly does an awesome little backhand return winner 0-15
-Nadal serves and Kohly hits up and out 15-15
-Nadal faults, second serve- few ups and down the court, few cros court, drop shot from kohl and Rafa cant reach it (well he can obviously hes made of lightning but its too low)15-30
-Ace 30-30
-Kohl tried another volley but Rafa gets around him again 40-30
-Give him credit he keeps going in, Kohl at the net and wins the point 40-40
-fault, challenge, ooooh, in by a mm- another first serve- Kohl hits into corner and Rafa into the net (John Lloyd says it was a passive forehand from Rafa) Ad
-back at the baseline, Nadal hits long and wide- Kohl breaks back
4-4
Kohly holds his serve with new balls (actually), despite one bad volley that John Lloyd suggested we should pretend we didnt see (it made me feel like part of the gang)
on serve at 5-4 John Lloyd says Rafa is breakable- he holds to 5-5

Oh dear Kohl what happened, bad game Rafa breaks 6-5
I dont like Rafa's hair this length but he holds his serve and wins.

Andy Murray won (fairly) comfortably over Serra.  Serra took a medical time out for a scratch on his arm, which made him look quite silly.  Especially as he came back at two break points down and lost his serve.
John Lloyd says Andy Muray has lots of young fans (indeed there are some young men wearing t-shirts with andymurray spelled out on them) apparently playing on his x-box has made andy relatable to the current generation.  John then told an amusing anecdote about Prince William who has been visiting Australia and went to a school in Victoria to hear children sing.  He was asked what kind of music he liked, and youd think hed like some Michael Bolton or Celine Dion but no he like 50 cent and Limp Biscuit.  So all learned something about Prince William and not judging people before we get to know them. (nope I dont know why Prince W would like Celine Dion...or any of them actually...but I thought Id share.)

Jankovic is out, also Clijsters, I hope Safina and Henin do well or itll be all Williams on the womens side again.

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Time is so fleeting

I can not believe it is 2010 already, I still think its 2000, but that may be more my problem. 
Already the first decade of the 21st Century is over, and  (more importatly) already two days into the first Grand Slam of the Year. (Australian Open remember).

Oh yes we have two British playrs through to the third round- a Baltacha and a Murray.
Alas the O'brien lost to Jelena Jankovic- she has been number one in the world.  She also has been the nice tall smiley woman who won Wimbledon mixed doubles with nice tall smiley Jamie Murray.  (still upset at that picture of him with a girl).  Now of course JJ is winning less, smiling less, and just generally a lot less fun.
But she did beat Katie Obrien 6-2 6-2 which is pretty conclusive.
Cheer up though, it is the first time since 1992 French Open that two women have reached the 2nd round of a Grand Slam outside Wimbledon.  Well two British women obviously, otherwise some strange and short womens tournaments...actually...now I think about it...

Scottish Elena Baltacha 'shocked' (again again) world 32 Bonderenko 6-2 7-5.
She'll play Safina next.  We all know I love Dinara but if Elena wins we night actually hear about someone other than Murray, A. My money's on big D though, its not a fnal so she shouold play great.

Round Up:
Wozniacki bt Wozniak
Kuznetsova bt Parlyuchenkova
Azarenka bt Cohen Alaro
Zvonerava bt Kucova
Na bt Erankovic
Kirilenko bt Meusburger (Kirilenko bt Sharapova round one)
Clijsters bt Tanasugarn
Safina bt Strycova
Henin bt Dentieva a match that laster 2sets 7-5 7-6 but an hour longer than the Andy Murray match, so why did they concentrate on him when that match must have been frigging awesome?
(BTW I've only heard of half those players, and could recognise about 6)

Onto the boys- Murray won in straight sets against Marc Gicquel, who;s french so Im sure Im pronouncing his name wrong even when I'm writing it.  Other than that Ive no idea who he is, and he lost 6-1 6-4 6-3, which is as convincing as mens matches get.

Lukas Lacko- a 22 yr old Slovak, number 75 in the world, who like cars and sushi, and has a funny name, took on Rafa- whos also impossibly young and has won a few titles including last years Aussie Open.
BIG SHOCK- ha ha not really, Nadal wins 6-2 6-2 6-2- makes Murray look like his was wasting time in his match.

Roddick won against Bellucci 6-3 6-4 6-4
Irish star Louk Sorenson- I say star because hes the only ROI man to win a round at a Grand Slam, not because you should have heard of him.  Took on crazy tall American John Isner who beat Andy Roddick last year at US Open, when Andy was coming off his Wimbledon awesomeness.  Isner won 6-3 7-6 7-5.

Del Potro (winner of said US Open, ah you thought it was Federer, no no no) also rather tall, and quite softly spoken in interviews, but firely Argentinian on court...actually probably Argentinian everywhere.   Against James Blake who last time I checked was top ten in the world (hmmm 3rd or 4th at Olympics...) but he must have dropped a few places to play JDP so early in the tournament.
6-4 6-7 5-7 6-3 10-8 to Del Potro, sounds like a cracker though (so why did they concentrate on stupid Murray face?)
until tomorrow, or yesterday...time difference

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Disaster strikes

My internet had been out for two weeks, apparently there was snow on the non existent wires or something, but as he snow melted all was fixed and rejoicing was heard al around the viallge.
Until my laptop broke, keeps freezing up. 
So my Aussie Open updates will be few and far between im afraid.
Three britains through to second round (Murray.A, Katie Obrien, and Elena Baltacha)
Sharapova out in first round, but Henin, Clijsters, Safina, Dementieva, Federer through.  Erm probs some other people, cant remember.  Ill have to buy a newspaper or something. ugh.

Sunday 10 January 2010

A correction

I just make it up you know.
Nadal and Federer were through to the semis not the final, and it was Qatar no Abu Dhabi.
But you got the gist and thats the most important part, I think. 
Anyway the 2009 world tour final winner Davydenko beat Nadal in the final. Go Davy go. He lost the first set 0-6, and saved match point against him.  BBC tennis describes it as a 'shock'.  These athletes are easily startled, lucky none of them wear monacles.  Since Davy beat fed in the semi, and got himself into the final, and is always ranked in the top ten, its abviously very astounding that he should win a title...

The Hopman cup, if you were wondering was set up by an Australian tennis player, who was also 4 times squash world champ.  And if you win you get golden tennis balls, encrusted with diamonds- so heavy and ugly.  Lucky for the British pair they lost in the final. To Spain.   Laura Robson finally won a match when she 'shocked' (see) world 26 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, but Murray (currently on the Observer Sport over as the future of sport) was beaten by Robredo.

Andy Roddick sidelined with poorly knee for three months won in Brisbane. And come back number one Clijsters beat come back number two Henin also in Brisbane.  Henin's hurt her leg apparently.  Ill keep you posted.

Friday 8 January 2010

Talking Tennis

Oh me oh my, how long its been.
Yes the tennis season is well under way, matches for this year started even before the end of the last one.
But my internet has been down for over a week- life is really not worth living- and Ive finally made it to the library to go wifi.
Laura Robson and Murray the younger have made it to the final of the Hopman Cup- its a tournament no one cares about where one man and one women from each country play together.  I think shes been losing her matches, but then they only seem to have played two rounds to get into the final. 
Murray has also been on the defensive- defending himself from criticism I wouldnt have known about had he not started defending himself.  Hes not going to play Davis Cup in the next tie- to give younger players the chance to compete says the 22 year old.  Which is absolutely what they should do- see my previous rants, but we all knew he wasnt going to play this tie, its all the commentators at the last tie were talking about. 
Robin Soderling beat Roger Federer for the first time in about 500 tries, shame it was in another tournament no one cares about- where was it at the French Open Rob? Federer's ok though, he and Nadal (still wearing sleeves) are into the final of Abu Dhabi.  Its all middle eastern at the start of the year.
Not long until the Australisn Open though.  January 18th.  Ill be there (be there I mean here obviously, without TV tennis, and chances are without internet too) bringing all the news this side of the time difference.
Bye for now.