Australian Open: Day Four - 2014

First topic message reminder :

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/schedule9.html

Kokkinakis v Nadal, with the assumption that the second AUS will put up a better match than Tomic.

JwT can get in trouble against Bellucci.

Kavcic has more experience than Duckworth and may take a set of the Old Man.

Kyrgios Sock v Monfils should be entertaining (IMO).

Paire v Krygios. Would love to see Krygios go further.

MoTD - Verdasco v Gabashvili (anyone recall his [Gabashvili, not Nando's 2009 AO] match against Nadal @ USO?)

Kavcic leads 3:0 in TB, down to 3:3 now. Fed on 50% power, swiss chocolate energy has gone down on this third set.

Cilic a set up, Federer wins 6-2 6-1 7-6 and Donald Young about to serve for the match at 6-5 in the fifth set against Seppi.

Fed takes it in TB.

Two diving volleys did not save Kavcic at MP. The DF in the TB was

Federer needs to tighten his game a bit and cut down on his UEs.

Nadal also looks set for a straight sets win over Kokkinakis.

Young takes the win in five sets in just over three and a a half hours. He plays Nishikori next round. Have to fancy the fresher Nishikori to win that.

Donald Young takes the match. Good match in 5 sets. I guess he's toast for Japanese samurai.

Rafa wins 6-2 6-4 6-2. Workmanlike I will say no more than that.

Seppi loses his second five-setter to Young. Young in 2011 reached R16 @USO to lose to Murray. Nishikori may prove too much for him though.

Thunderstorms supposedly heading Melbourne Park's way. That could leave quite a backlog if play is interrupted again.

Some one should get a kick out of this headline…

Moonballing Indian launches book

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/news/articles/2014-01-16/201401121389573739195.html

Del Potro about to start his match on an outside court as is Deliciano Lopez. Raonic wins a tight first set tie-break against Hanescu as thunder rumbles around Melbourne Park but for now play continues.

Nadal waiting in line to have a signed copy   

@CC… Agut v Del Potro looking at the heavens.

PS: Lightning and players walk off the court.

At least Kavcic got to a 3rd set tie-break - so he went out in a Blaz of glory!

^

Roof going over the Hotsense arena.

Play has been suspended on the outdoor courts - rain.

Come on Monfils, give us a show.

On Hisense, Monfils wins a first set tie-break against Jack Sock. Meanwhile, on the outside courts we may yet get more play as rain has stopped and the courts are being dried.

Monfils a set and a break up leading Jack Sock 7-6 3-2. Should he win here he will face Rafa in the next round.

6-1 first set to Azarenka. If she can keep that up it shouldn't be too long until Andy's match.

Monfils now a set and a break up.

Tough day for the players. I think though that all the players who were suspended for heat earlier managed to finish before the rain delay.

Azarenka wins the first set 6-1 against Strycova on Rod Laver. Next up will be Andy Murray against the qualifier Vincent Millot.

Yes Born Slippy but many will want to get back out there such as Del Potro, Raonic, Lopez, Klizan (who was delayed by the heat and now the rain) and Cilic otherwise they could be facing games on back-to-back days. That is why I don't understand when they restarted after the heat they put doubles matches on first.    Why? Coincidentally, one of those women's doubles matches had an all Australian team.

Monfils(after a stutter) seals the second set and leads 7-6 7-5. Meanwhile, it is apparently raining again so further play on the outside courts now seems highly unlikely.

Wawrinka through to the 4th Round of the Australian Open. His 3rd Round opponent tomorrow Vazek Pospisil has withdrawn from the tournament with a back injury.

A pleasant surprise as play resumes again on the outside courts. Hopefully, a lot of the matches can get completed.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Wawrinka through to the 4th Round of the Australian Open. His 3rd Round opponent tomorrow Vazek Pospisil has withdrawn from the tournament with a back injury.

Pospisiiiiiillllll!!

Dimitrov is leading two sets to love... Seeing my money flow away right now... Tempted to now put a heinous amount on Dimi to reimburse my losses (with another bookie, of course.)

I wonder if they will put another match on Hisense after this Monfils/Sock match? Makes sense to try to minimise a backlog of matches.

Azarenka about to serve for the match. After that it is Murray time. Monfils labouring (or is he injured>) against Sock but still in command leading 7-6 7-5 4-2.

Azarenka wins through 6-1 6-4. Monfils also wins through 7-6 7-5 6-2. Dimitrov closing in on a straight sets win over Lu.

Murray up next. An easy enough looking game on paper but Andy tends to take time to work new opponents out. Apparently, the Frenchman is a complete unknown to the Murray team. It wouldn't surprise me if the score doesn't end up something like 6-4 6-3 6-2. He will definitely be after a straight sets win - anything else and it will be a disappointment.

Robert (France) beats Przysiezny in four sets.

Uh Craig: how did LaMonf win the final set 6-2, if he was up 4-3 in your previous post? Did sock get a violation or something?

From the BBC site - "She (Azarenka) is then asked about a dance routine she is working on with Gael Monflis, but declines to give the crowd a taste of the moves the pair have been working on, protesting that she needs a partner. The routine involves a coat, apparently, and a trick. Sounds intriguing."

kingraf wrote:Uh Craig: how did LaMonf win the final set 6-2, if he was up 4-3 in your previous post? Did sock get a violation or something?

It is called fatigue on my behalf.

I know LaMonf is a break dancer extraordinaire, but the little I have seen from Vika does not leave me excited with bated breath.

Millot playing very much like a player ranked in the 200's. Has very little to hurt Murray with and making too many basic errors. 2-0 down already.

Del Potro a set up, Lopez a set up but 3-0 down in second set, Dimitrov through in straight sets and Cilic on the brink of going two sets up as is Raonic.

Klizan through to the 3rd Round winning in four sets against a qualifier.

woot woot, Simon battles back to level at one set all

Allez Gillou!   

Hoping that back isn't bothering him again. Murray leads 4-1 but has not got into his stride yet.

Murray wins the first set 6-2 but he doesn't look comfortable. Unforced errors galore and first serve not firing and shot choice all over the place. This kind of play is normally symptomatic when he has something on his mind. His back perhaps??

Murray eventually takes the first set 6-2, but it was very patchy in places. I'm not too fussed, as it's to be expected. Rhythm on serve looks a bit off, but Millot's serve just isn't good enough to compete here IMO.

Elsewhere Delboy looks like losing the second set.

Gabashvili a set up on Verdasco - the winner of that match plays Roger Federer.

Lopez two sets up against Berrer, the winner of that to face (in all likelihood) Andy Murray in R3.

Sort it out Delpo! Now a break down in set 3!

elsewhere:

Del Potro in a spot of bother as he slips a break down in the third to Bautista Augut. Paire and Kyrgios locked at 5-5 in the first after Paire failed to serve it out. Verdasco level at one set all against Gabashvili. Simon mounting an epic comeback in the third set against Cilic: from 5-0 down he's leveled up at 5-5!! Allez Gillou   

Del boy is in a match now. Agut has levelled at one set all and has got an early break in the third set. Raonic through in straight sets. Good to see many matches getting completed.

trainer on for Millot who rather looks like his race is run out there. Started to swing at everything, and while it did bring him that last game, you can't see it lasting. Berrer has broken in the third to give himself a glimmer of hope against Lopez. Del Potro claims a vital break to level at 3-3 in the third, expect him to pull away now. Paire and Kyrgios still in a right dingdong battle as it's Paire's turn to save set points to force a tie-break.