Now THERE is a day of tennis the likes of which we have not seen for a while.
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There were five matches on Rod Laver Arena, and every single one of them was a classic. It's hard to know where to start, so I guess we'll have to start at the beginning, with Jankovic against Bartoli. Who would ever have picked that Marion Bartoli, who would probably serve two handed if she could (and I bet she's tried!) would bounce the world number #1 so comprehensively? Of course, Jankovic is one of those weird #1s that hasn't won a major, but you still have to accumulate a lot of wins to get into the penthouse, and Bartoli has never come close to competing for that prize. I never, ever would have picked this one. I thought Bartoli was pretty much doomed to be a bottom-feeder, lurking in the top twenty but never doing that much after her run to the final at Wimbledon. But she's proving me wrong. There is more to Marion than meets the eye, apparently.
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True, Jankovic certainly did not play anything resembling well. She didn't even turn up, really. But the sign of a real champion, the one who has the guts and the heart and the cojones to stay at the top, is one that fights through bad play and LOOKS FOR A WAY TO WIN. I didn't see any hint of that from Jankovic at all. Sure, she picked it up a bit after dropping the first set so comprehensively (Bartoli hit seven winners, Jankovic none) but she never, ever looked like winning - unlike another top player, who was in a situation just as dire, but who somehow never quite looked like losing. But we'll come to that.
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This part of the draw really opens up now that Jankovic is gone - and you have to like Safina to get through to the final (though you can't count out Dokic - but more on that in a mo.) But she had a real fight on her hands against Alize Cornet today - but she picked it up and sorted it out (not that you'd know that if you read her press conference.) I liked what I saw from Dinara a whole lot more than what I saw from Jankovic today. She may berate herself all she likes and criticise herself and have screaming matches with her coach - I'm still convinced that there is something very strange about the Zeljko Krajan/Dinara Safina relationship, considering all either of them seem to do is criticise her, but it obviously works - but she stepped it up and pulled it out. Jankovic is lacking the determination that Safina has in bucketloads. Of course, Cornet played a few loose points when she had match points, allowing Dinara back in, but you can't blame it all on Alize. Dinara's a fighter - and I'm glad, in a way, she had this tough match, because it's all good signs...
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...but look who she's playing next.
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I'm going to skip over Federer, who was the next match up, for a sec - though we'll obviously come back to him. (Come on, it's me!) Jelena Dokic. Jelena bloody Dokic. That was one of the best women's tennis matches I have seen in a long time - and has to be one of the best stories to come out of tennis in years. First she has a shaky victory over up-and-comer Tamira Paszek. Then she takes out Chakvetadze, who is admittedly sketchy but still ranked about nine million places higher than Jelena (I was there! I was there!) Then there was the massive victory over Caroline Wozniacki, which I doubt anyone in their right mind would have predicted, because Wozniacki is not only a major new talent, she's just about top #10, and it's been a while since Jelena's been anywhere near there. And now another up-and-comer, her practice partner, big-hitting Alisa Kleybanova, the conqueror of Ana Ivanovic. All this on a court which she was booed off the last time she played. But she is resilient. She is tough. She is as determined as she come. And it is so sweet to see the Bikic brothers supporting her, cheering their hearts out in her box, She's shaken off the shackles of Damir, and she is BACK.
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Normally, I wouldn't cheer against Dinara Safina for anyone. But for this fairytale, I think I'm going to have to. Because if Jelena Dokic can come through Safina, then she can come through anyone in this tournament. And wouldn't that be something.
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Because that match was such an epic, the match between Djokovic and Baghdatis didn't start till late - not as late as the Baghdatis/Hewitt epic last year, but late enough that it didn't finish till nearly three in the morning. Man, this was an intriguing match - and Baghdatis was never quite out of it. If he had been coming in with more matches under his belt, I would not have liked Djokovic's chances one little bit. When he was on - for example, when he went up 4-1 in the second - Marcos was very impressive. When he was off - for example, the entire first set - it wasn't pretty. It's not injuries still bothering him, I think - just a lack of matchplay. He's rusty. But give him some time and he'll sort that out. Marcos is coming back.
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You can't deny that Djokovic played pretty well - he certainly lifted - but my personal bias aside, I'm not sure he has a big chance of defending the title. Let's say he did get to the final - which means he'd have to get through Federer, which I would doubt. But let's say the unthinkable happened and he did. He'd meet either Blake, Tsonga, Murray or Nadal. I could maybe see him taking Blake, but the other three? No way. Monfils or Simon are other possibilities, and I could definitely see him losing to them. Verdasco he could maybe take. But he'd have to take Federer in the first place, and I don't see that happening.
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But Jodi, I hear you say, Roger nearly got bounced by Berdych yesterday! You speak the crazy speak! But listen, my friends, listen - what is it makes a champion? (What is it that Jelena Jankovic so comprehensively lacked?) Sure, it's nice when the Fed is on cruise control, but when he's between a rock and a hard place and he can play his way out - that is when he reveals his true quality. He looked for a way to win. He wore Berdych down. He said he could have played another three sets if he had to, and I believe him. I don't think this match is going to hurt him at all. I think he underestimated Berdych a bit coming into the match - who wouldn't, if you'd beaten him seven times in a row? - and that hurt him. As well as the fact that Berdych absolutely redlined his game. But he worked it out. He never gave up. And that is what makes him great.
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And remember AO '06? Smooth sailing in the first three rounds, then boom! five sets against Tommy Haas. Two more tough matches against Davydenko and Kiefer, and a really tough final against Baghdatis. But he found a way to win. This has precedent. And this is Roger Federer we're dealing with. And in the end, that's something everyone in the draw needs to remember. One of the commentators was saying yesterday that Steffi Graf's coach told her that, if ever she was losing a match, she should remember that she was Steffi Graf. I bet you Roger Federer can do just the same thing. Because there are some things that man does not do - and one of them is give up without a fight!
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Today's Results
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Australian Open
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Men's Draw
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Roger Federer def. Tomas Berdych, 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-4 6-2
Novak Djokovic def. Marcos Baghdatis, 6-1 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (5-7) 6-2
Andy Roddick def. Tommy Robredo, 7-5 6-1 6-3
Juan Martin del Potro def. Marin Cilic, 5-7 6-4 6-4 6-2
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Women's Draw
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Marion Bartoli def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-1 6-4
Dinara Safina def. Alizé Cornet, 6-2 2-6 7-5
Vera Zvonareva def. Nadia Petrova, 7-5 6-4
Jelena Dokic def. Alisa Kleybanova, 7-5 5-7 8-6
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