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?)

Jahu wrote:

Haddie-nuff wrote:The Spanish women here cannot believe that we English women drop our maiden name and take our husbands name for the rest of our lives.. they think that is soooooooooooo wrong.

\

Thats why the Spanish Economy is dead, because of stubborn women, unyielding to men   

So what do you blame the British economy on then  

So Potro again falls early in Australia. Odd that his record is noticeably poorer here than at any other slam. Anyone got any thoughts why that might be the case or is it just a case of running into inspired opponents?

I think the tournament needed that sort of result though. It had all been looking very processional for the top seeds. As it is, I think the first 4 days have worked out alright.

Just heard about Delpo losing. Wow that's a surprise. Anyone watch it?

And Murray, 5-1 and set point down in the third set and then doesn't lose another point. Wonder if anyone has ever won more than 23 points in a row at a slam?

Agassi was something like 15-40 and 1-2 down against Sampras (might have been the AO or a Masters, not sure) and won the next 20 points to win the set.
Which isn't 23 points, but it was against Sampras.

If you win a golden bagel that's 24 and a few have done that.

Haddie-nuff wrote:

Jahu wrote:

Haddie-nuff wrote:The Spanish women here cannot believe that we English women drop our maiden name and take our husbands name for the rest of our lives.. they think that is soooooooooooo wrong.

\

Thats why the Spanish Economy is dead, because of stubborn women, unyielding to men   

So what do you blame the British economy on then  

Romanian wine imports and Bulgarian cheap rice

17:42:13

LuvSports! wrote:If you win a golden bagel that's 24 and a few have done that.

I remember someone on the Women's side having a perfect set at a slam recently, might have been Wimbledon, but I can't think of any men who've done it at slams.

Danny_1982 wrote:17:42:13

LuvSports! wrote:If you win a golden bagel that's 24 and a few have done that.

I remember someone on the Women's side having a perfect set at a slam recently, might have been Wimbledon, but I can't think of any men who've done it at slams.

That would be the same match where the other woman had a really, really imperfect set!

^^
Yes, one would suspect she has had better sets.

Danny_1982 wrote:17:42:13

LuvSports! wrote:If you win a golden bagel that's 24 and a few have done that.

I remember someone on the Women's side having a perfect set at a slam recently, might have been Wimbledon, but I can't think of any men who've done it at slams.

Shevdova was the lady. I think she was playing Sara Errani. I would be surprised if there has been a perfect set in mens tennis in the open era.

Born Slippy wrote:

Danny_1982 wrote:17:42:13

LuvSports! wrote:If you win a golden bagel that's 24 and a few have done that.

I remember someone on the Women's side having a perfect set at a slam recently, might have been Wimbledon, but I can't think of any men who've done it at slams.

Shevdova was the lady. I think she was playing Sara Errani. I would be surprised if there has been a perfect set in mens tennis in the open era.

It was indeed Shevdova against Errani at Wimbledon. It'd be a lot harder in the male game purely due to the (relative) dominance of serve. Most players can fire down a bomb or an acutely angled serve every now and again, and that's all it would take to scupper the most golden of baked goods.

I love it Paire one my favorites gets through and should be favored against Agut. But Benoit is completely unpredictable him and Gulbis are in stiff competition for worst forehand in the top 50. Although both guys can really crank the odd forehand winner that side just breaks down so regularly. But Benoit has so much flaire and the most explosive BH out there, yes include murray and Djoko. Those guys Bhs are more versatile and consistent but in terms of just blasting through the court with a two hander you will be hard pressed to find a BH like Benoit's. I like what I am seeing from the two young aussies at 17 and 18, the Aussies are back producing good talent. And Donald Young of all people beating Seppi to get in the third round, have to feel like seppi was gassed after that war with Hewitt to again be in such a dog fight against young. Seppi like Hewitt just doesn't have big weapons and has to grind it out in every match.

Danny_1982 wrote:Just heard about Delpo losing. Wow that's a surprise. Anyone watch it?

And Murray, 5-1 and set point down in the third set and then doesn't lose another point. Wonder if anyone has ever won more than 23 points in a row at a slam?

The Bautista Agut/Del Potro match was a classic. Bautista thoroughly deserved the win as he was hitting some big winners at key moments really finding real depth with his shots. Del Potro didn't play too badly at all in fact I thought he played well. Deep into that last set and Juan had only made three errors in that set. Bautista just played the match of his life and if he can repeat that I'd see im beating Paire.

As for Murray a mystifying performance. Like I said earlier I think he came into the match super confident he would win and didn't want to do anymore than he had to and then he seemed to get a twinge in his back and he went even more into his shell. He wasn't hitting through the ball (like he was holding back) and unforced errors were unusually plentiful but he still had too much for Millot. However, the third set saw Millot raise his game and it wasn't until Millot led 5-1 and was egging on the crowd to cheer louder for him that this seem to rile Murray. All of a sudden he seemed interested again, knuckled down and began to up his game and turned it around whilst Millot caved in. I am hoping it was merely paranoia from Andy that he felt a twinge and thought his back problem was back when it was not related to his old problem. That is my hope - if not it could be a big step backwards for Andy.

Hmm I must be one of the last to hear of Del Potro losing - but it seems he was just beaten by the better player:

"But Roberto Bautista shocked fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro in five sets.  ...The match lasted three hours and 35 minutes, finishing at 01:20 local time with the Spaniard winning 4-6 6-3 5-7 6-4 7-5.  ... Del Potro ... sent down 28 aces and had 18 fewer unforced errors than his Spanish opponent but his tally of 53 winners was 19 adrift of Bautista."

Del Potro was supposed to be a hurdle in Nadal's path to glory.  But what are they doing playing at 1.20 am in the morning?  Crazy!

Del Potro is much like Tsonga. No questioning their talent but they are far more vulnerable in the early rounds than the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Murray and even Ferrer. I have lost count the amount of times they are touted for big things but don't make the second week of a slam.

CaledonianCraig wrote:... Millot led 5-1 and was egging on the crowd to cheer louder for him that this seem to rile Murray. ...

Psychologically those types of turnarounds can be very good.  When you are behind in a set and the pressure is on - he can switch to this memory - and get that feeling of being able to turn it around.  Anyway at face value Murray seems to be doing fine.

ps his brother Jamie Murray was diagnosed with heatstroke after his doubles match.

Russell Fuller  BBC tennis correspondent
"Jamie Murray still looked very out of sorts when I saw him trying to take some food on board six hours after his match finished.  He was treated for heatstroke for a couple of hours after coming off court but has until at least Saturday to recover in time for the second round."

Craig - Andy in his press conference reiterated that he is feeling better day by day and feels a lot less pain, so I don't think there's much to worry about with the back. I've seen the highlights and the twinge, but it's very brief and I suspect he'll still get those from time to time. As Greg said after, he seems to be rotating more on the forehand and hitting DTL on the backhand a bit more, which were the two most affected shots apparently.

Lopez should be an entertaining match. He really pushed him in that US open match 18 months ago. Temperatures are supposed to be cooler which is good.

If he plays like he did against Millot he will be in big trouble and will lose. If he plays like he did against Soeda then Andy will win. It really is all about what mindset he brings to court.

Well that match is the only real time he's troubled him, so I'm glad it will be played in much cooler conditions as Lopez likes the heat. He was the better player that day. Won 8 more points than Murray but lost.

In all other matches Murray has exploited his average backhand, nullified his serve, passed him at the net... He's a very good match up for Murray. If he plays well of course.

Yeah I don't see lopez doing much against Murray. How tall is Millot he looks really short it looked like Murray was playing a little kid except for Millot's tattoos I suppose. I feel for Del Po he has had so many injury issues. Although with the equipment he uses I am not surprised he has hand problems. My understanding is that he uses all poly strings strung to 66 pounds. With those stiff strings, strung to that tension and the action on his bludgeoning forehand I am surprised he hasn't torn his arm right off.

JuliusHMarx wrote:In Taiwan, they often choose an English name as their first name. But they don't really differentiate between our first and last names, so you'd get Jones Chen and Johnson Chang etc.

Jimmy Wang.

Nore Staat wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:... Millot led 5-1 and was egging on the crowd to cheer louder for him that this seem to rile Murray. ...

Psychologically those types of turnarounds can be very good.  When you are behind in a set and the pressure is on - he can switch to this memory - and get that feeling of being able to turn it around.  Anyway at face value Murray seems to be doing fine.

ps his brother Jamie Murray was diagnosed with heatstroke after his doubles match.

Russell Fuller  BBC tennis correspondent
"Jamie Murray still looked very out of sorts when I saw him trying to take some food on board six hours after his match finished.  He was treated for heatstroke for a couple of hours after coming off court but has until at least Saturday to recover in time for the second round."

Surely that's an exaggeration from Fuller? It'll be heat exhaustion probably as heat stroke can be fatal.