Through the Fire-Day 7 of the Australian Open

by Savannah

The second week of the Australian Open is underway and the seeds have begun to fall. There were three marquee matches Sunday and a few on the under card that tennisheads were keeping their eyes on. To their credit ESPN managed to do the best they could since a college football All Star Game was their main attraction and led into their tennis coverage which began at 10p EST in the United States. ESPN is usually the villain when it comes to coverage but they stayed with tennis until 6a on the East Coast. Kudos' ESPN.

The Marquee Matches
By the time ESPN began their coverage Amélie Mauresmo had already finished her run at the Australian Open. She came in as defending champion and was given what I call a tiptoe through the tulips draw. The problem with that kind of draw is that you're winning without having to play your best tennis. The person you find yourself across the net from on the other hand has been tested and is coming in feeling he/she deserves to be there and is coming to add your scalp to their belt.

Lucie Safarova was considered just one of the many "ova's" playing in Australia. No one paid much attention to her since her record coming in was not the best and she had done nothing to warrant special scrutiny. She is now going to play Nicole Vaidisova while Amélie goes home without making it to the semis where everyone thought she'd be. Beware those cupcake draws. They come back and bite you in the ass.

I expected ESPN to join Andy Roddick's match in progress. Instead they used a tape delay and started at the beginning. His opponent was Mario Ancic, a player who has been on the bubble for quite some time now. Andy had never lost to him but when you reach this round a lot can happen that has never happened before.

I've been a critic of Roddick for a couple of years now. Andy can't think on court. Andy can't construct a point. He's a mindless ball basher. He panics at the first sign of his opponent showing some backbone. He's stubborn and hard-headed.

The Andy Roddick on the court last night won a thrilling five-set match. He was patient. He imposed his will without being a brat about it. He constructed points. His serve was a vital part of his game instead of being his entire game. His coach Jimmy Connors bounced between being a coach and a tennis fan during the match. He was coaching Andy through out the match à la Yuri Sharapov. Nothing was said by the commentators about this but that is a subject to be discussed during quieter tennis times. It was a good match for Roddick who now goes on to face his old friend and roommate Mardy Fish. Fish has been working with Todd Martin and from the snippets of his play I've seen looks to be on a mission. We'll see how the old friends handle this match.

Immediately after Roddick's match we saw Serena Williams walking through the tunnel, her purse on her arm and her racquets on her back. No. 81 looked ready. The woman across the net, Jelena Jankovic, owned a 2-1 record in her favor over Serena. Despite what we saw the other night, negative thoughts crept in – was Serena fit enough to go a possible three sets with the Serbian diva? Hearing that she had been sick made me wonder if she had had enough prep time for this match.

Both women are known for their fiery personalities and this viewer expected a throw down. Instead it was a quiet, methodical beat down by a seven-time Grand Slam winner over a woman who has not made it to a Grand Slam final. Both displayed great shotmaking, but in between those shots they played tennis. Good tennis. Jelena came in with severe blisters on her feet and it was obvious that the body could not do what the will wanted. Still Jelena fought the best she could but the outcome was a foregone conclusion. All of the tennis Jelena had played caught up with her in that second set and like Petrova before her, Jelena fell to the ground in symbolic submission before the woman who was her better this match.

Jelena has been quoted as saying Serena's intensity took her by surprise. I don't expect Jelena to admit mental and physical fatigue. That's so not her. I think this is as close as she'll get. I didn't realize it, but Jelena watched herself after every point on the big screen à la Roger. Too funny. And that is so her.

Serena goes on to play Shahar Peer, another overachiever who no one expected to still be playing.

It can't be said enough. When they're healthy and focused, Serena and Venus raise the level of women's tennis. Someone said that last night. The women's tour needs them both. The fact that the US Open tournament director was sitting with Oracene Price spoke volumes.

In her interview with Pammy-poo right after the match, Serena looked at the names of the other three players in her part of the draw and said she knew all of their games. No. 81 is definitely back in the house.

The third marquee match shown by ESPN was Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic. Djokovic has foot-in-mouth disease and I think that after having the shit kicked out of him by Raja last night his people will talk to him about it. Roger usually smiles and behaves when questioned by the press about his potential opponents. His comments about Novak before this match were the equivalent of those made at a boxing weigh in.

Here's the thing. If you're going to talk shit you'd better be able to back it up. Novak tried. But Federer was ruthless in shooting down any idea Novak had of standing toe-to-toe with him. The man from Switzerland looked like one of his nicknames, a Ninja, as he mentally destroyed the young man from Serbia.



Usually, beatdowns of this magnitude are given in alleys by guys with metal-toed shoes on their feet and menacing blunt objects in their hands. This beating was delivered on worldwide television in front of millions by a man wielding a tennis racquet. Mirka never once had to chew a nail or lean forward with concern. Novak looked to his coach for guidance and you didn't have to see Badja's face to know he had no answers for his young charge. The man called "Djoke" by some fans needs to hear the adage about sleeping dogs. Maybe he can talk to Nadia Petrova about it the next time he sees her.

The Other Matches
Tomas Berdych looked like Kal-El during his match against Tursunov. It wasn't that Dmitry played badly. Berdych just came to take names and that is what he did. Berdych plays Davydenko Monday. Like several players, he has to play back-to-back days due to the rain delays.

Mardy Fish won a crucial four-set match over David Ferrer. Ferrer is one of those guys that no one wants to see across the net. He is a solid player and more versatile than you'd believe him to be. Whatever Todd Martin has Mardy doing, it's working.

Tommy Robredo, the Rodney Dangerfield of men's tennis won another one last night. He made Shanghai as part of the main field and no one even tried to hide their surprise at his being there. Yet he does well whenever he plays and is now through to the quarterfinals Down Under for the first time.

Li Na has also made it through to the quarters. She's the only Chinese woman still standing. Her husband is coaching her. Whatever he's doing will make both of them extremely happy. She will play Martina Hingis in what will be one of the matches to watch on Monday.

Shahar Peer is an Israeli teenager who ended last year on the rise and is picking up where she left off. She faces No. 81 next.

Svetlana Kuznetsova's new Goth look didn't stop her from being one of the falling seeds. She lost to the above mentioned Shahar Peer in what has to be an upset. Sveta can beat anyone. She can also lose to anyone. She'd better stop rapping and start working on that gray matter between her ears or this will be a very long year for her.

Anna Chakvetadze will play Patty Schnyder in the quarters. I hope I get to see some of this since I'm still totally underwhelmed by Anna C.

Daniela Hantuchova continues to surprise me. For a woman with no movement she managed a win over a very frustrated Ashely Harkelroad. Daniela plays Kim next.

Miscellaneous
I agree with whichever one of the Talking Heads asked why, if the powers that be know rain is coming the roof isn't closed on both Laver and Vodafone? Cahill said something about a rule that says the match has to be underway. I'm sure that when the tournament director gets a chance to breathe after the Open is over that "rule" will no longer exist.

I'll end with this quote from No. 81. "I had a long talk with my body, and we agreed that if you get through these tournaments I'll give them surprises. Dresses or something, shoes."

Spoken like a true champion.