Where Is The Wildcard For Awesome?

Dear Tennis Australia and all ye in charge of giving out wildcards -

I get it, OK? You want to give your discretionary wildcards to Australians. You want to support homegrown tennis and build a Davis Cup team and whatever. I totally understand.

But it doesn't mean I have to like it. And while you may have done a service to Australian tennis (such as it can be said to be), you have done a disservice to tennis overall. Because - as you have heard very loudly over the last few days - the tennis community has been pushing hard for one thing. One wildcard.

We wanted a wildcard for Nicolas Mahut.

I know he's not Australian. I know he's not exactly an up-and-comer. I know he's not going to play Davis Cup for you. But what he is is PURE 100% AWESOME. And we wanted him to have a chance.

Tennis is gladiatorial. Mahut is a gladiator. He played an eleven hour match - how many of your other wildcard contenders could claim to have the legs to do that?

Tennis is entertainment. Um, were you watching the Hopman Cup? Mahut put on a dress and walked out there and entertained his heart out. You want tennis to be watched? You want tennis to be popular? You want to encourage kids to pick up a racquet? You want to entertain them. You need a showman. In short, you need someone like Mahut.

Wildcards are for those who might do something with them. Two words: Hopman Cup. Mahut beat Potito Starace, ranked almost a hundred places higher than him, and pushed Andy Murray very, VERY hard. You want someone who might actually win a match or two? How about Mahut?

Wildcards are for those who deserve to catch a break, who deserve a shot. Look at Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. Clijsters got a wildcard to the US Open in 2009, Henin to the Australian Open in 2010. Both players who needed a chance. And look how that turned out. Now, I'm not saying that Mahut would have gone on and won the Open if he'd been given a wildcard. But honestly, what more does he need to do? This one is on his own tennis federation as well - Rufin in the US, Paire here... why does Mahut get NO recognition?

There is a reciprocal wildcard arrangement with France and with the US. A wildcard is given to Asia, in the spirit of the Australian Open being the Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific. One is given to the winner of the Australian Open playoff. And four are discretionary. Paire. Harrison. Devvarman. Matosevic. Ebden. Luczak. And, as of yesterday, Ball and Tomic.

It would be very, very easy for me to take potshots at Ball and Tomic - Tomic in particular. But it's been done and it's been done eloquently, and so I will refrain. (Except to say that, REALLY, Tennis Australia, you thought it would be a better idea to give a wildcard to a kid who complained that his centre court match went on past his bedtime than to a man that played eleven hours without complaining?) Instead, I have an alternative proposal.

I propose that every year, one of the discretionary wildcards is set aside to be the Wildcard For Awesome.

This is the wildcard that does not care about some kind of Davis Cup developlement ideal, that's not dangled above the head of misbehaving youngsters like some kind of delicious biscuit. This is the wildcard for someone who has proved, time and time again, that they are awesome. Maybe they... I don't know, have been injured and don't qualify for protected ranking. Maybe they've had a bad season and are on their way back. Maybe they're just very entertaining and obvious fan favourites. Maybe they played a GODDAMN ELEVEN HOUR TENNIS MATCH and survived.

There is only one criterion - that the recipient of this wildcard be AWESOME.

I have very much enjoyed being the captain of the Good Ship #wildcardformahut - which has now become #supportmahut. As I write this, Mahut has just won his first qualifying match - a 6-0 6-1 win in about 45 minutes. He is well on his way to the main draw - one down, two to go. I'd much rather he didn't have to go through this qualifying rigmarole, but now that he has to, he has started off his campaign with style.

I am sad that #wildcardformahut didn't work, but one thing it did do was draw the attention of the tennis community to a player who really is genuinely 100% awesome - as a player, as an entertainer, and as an all round cool dude. Nicolas Mahut, there is a whole bunch of people out here who think you are basically the Lord of Awesome. And even though we didn't succeed in getting you a wildcard into the main draw, I hope some ripple of the #wildcardformahut campaign reaches you - because we want you to know just how awesome we think you are.

The Woes Of Being Feli

WILDCARD FOR MAHUT WILDCARD FOR MAHUT WILDCARD FOR MAHUT #wildcardformahut. Yep, that's still happening. Wildcards are due to be announced Tuesday, so get aboard the bandwagon for one last push!

The bandwagon was largely pushed by other people yesterday, as I was incommunicado while taking my younger brother to the Medibank International. It was his first time at an international tennis tournament - though he is, like his sister, a big fan (and unlike his sister, an excellent player) - and the tournament did not disappoint. We were lucky enough to be treated to the entire three hours and twenty minutes of the epic clash between Juan Martin del Potro and Feliciano Lopez.

I really, really feel for Feli Lopez. You come into a tournament, you're seeded, you hope to start off easy, with a qualifier maybe, and hey - you get drawn against a guy ranked #259! Awesome! But oh... hey. You look at his name. Juan Martin del Potro.

Bugger.

And then you play really well! I'm serious, you play REALLY well. The crowd's not especially behind you or anything - there's not many of them anyway, and most of them are supporting your opponent - so this one is all you. Your opponent is directing a few wide into the tramlines - he doesn't seem to have his timing quite right yet - and you are pouncing. You are playing awesome stuff.

But he is a world class player, even if he is a bit down on his luck, and he's sticking with you. All right, you think, I'll just hang on and do it in the tie break. And you do it! You take that first set breaker and then - guess what? You keep playing awesome! But he keeps sticking with you, so you're like, fine, another breaker, I've done this before.

And you bring up match point! ...and he saves it. And you two play an absolutely electrifying tie break. And he gets it.

And then you get to the breaker AGAIN. No one can pick a winner. But he gets you. After a long, LONG time, he gets you. He gets the glory. And what do you get? Upset in the first round. A seeded player, beaten by #259 in the world.

It must suck to be Feli right now.

But seriously, this was an awesome match. You will be hard pressed to watch a better tie break than the one that was played in the second set. It was a small crowd on Ken Rosewall Arena, but I think everyone was pretty fully engaged in that match. It was exciting stuff!

My brother and I also caught the twenty seconds it took for Li Na to beat Anastasia Rodionova (seriously, that was... quick), Stosur/Wickmayer, and some of Ebden and Luczak playing doubles, and all in all, it was a fantastic day - and I was very glad there was no movement on the #wildcardformahut front while I was away! But seriously, it was worth it just for that second set tie break between Lopez and del Potro. That was some tennis right there.

Surprise Party

Wow. WOW. I did not expect this coming - and neither, I think, did anyone ekse vaguely interested in the December Showdown for the AO Wildcard. Olivia Rogowska and Marinko Matosevic have won the wildcards, leaving their higher ranked and better known opponents to hope and pray for a discretionary one.

Let's start with Olivia. What a stellar effort. It would have had something of the fairy tale about it to see Dokic win, but can a spirited comeback like the one Rogowska pulled off be denied? She came back from a crushing in the first set and two match points down to win the second and then the third sets of this match. And she has served notice now - she will take on anyone.

I think Rogowska is best known for the time that she took on then-#1 Dinara Safina in the first round of the US Open and very nearly won. Although she's had some good results - like that one - she never seems to have really captured the imagination of the Australian public. For her sake, I hope she manages to go a few rounds at the Open, because as Casey Dellacqua and Jelena Dokic have shown us, there is no surer way to become a national darling than a win a couple of matches in Melbourne in January.

As for the defeated Dokic? She'll be okay. You'd get long odds if you bet she wouldn't get a discretionary wildcard. (Double neg for the win!)

Now. Dudes. Marinko Matosevic, how about you? Five set long haul and you came out on top, beating Peter Luczak (who is no slouch). This is a big, big win, and will see Matosevic going straight into the main draw. My hopes for him are pretty much identical to my hopes for Rogowska - win a match or two, raise your profile. Profile can almost be as important a weapon as a forehand sometimes - if you can get a crowd behind you, create a little fear in an opponent's mind... that can work wonders. Matosevic doesn't have that yet - but, as Luczak would surely know, he's well on his way to earning it.

The Jelena Smackdown

It does not take a stretch of the imagination to see that Jelena Dokic is looking dangerous.

Oh, I don't mean that she's going to make some fairy tale comeback and win the Australian Open or anything, but... well, we all remember 2009. You just never know what is possible with Jelena - she's out injured or sick or whatever so often that there is no real sense of what she can do. We just haven't seen it yet.

I don't think anyone was expecting Dokic to steamroll Molik the way she did - least of all Molik. I saw a little of this match on the livestream - not much, but enough to tell that Molik was looking seriously shellshocked. Dokic took her and smacked her down like the hand of God, and there was absolutely nothing Molik could do about it.

She'll face Olivia Rogowska, who overcame a vaguely injured seeming Sophie Ferguson, and you have to put your money on Dokic here. Sure, she might suffer a bit of a slump, but what we do know about Jelena is that she is determined like whoa. You'd have to wake up very early in the morning to out grit Ms Dokic.

Over in the dudes, Peter Luczak overcame Matt Ebden and Marinko Matosevic beat Adam Feeney, and now these two will final it up. I really like Luczak - he seems like a nice bloke - and I don't know very much about Matosevic... which is why, I think, I'm going for him. Luczak has an awesome shot at a wildcard. Matosevic could get swept under the rug pretty easily.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Wow! Suddenly it's the semis of the December Showdown! That happened with a speed I was not prepared for!

The blockbuster semi is, of course, Dokic vs Molik. It's a shame that they're not on opposite sides of the draw, or this could be a final, but sadly it hasn't played out that way. Nonetheless, this match should be an awesome one. I can't remember the last time these two girls played, and I think it's going to be very interesting to see which one comes out on top. I fully expect them both to get carded into the Open anyway, but that does not make this match any less interesting.

This is not to say, though, that whoever wins this match wins the wildcard. Both Dokic and Molik went three sets in their last matches, so clearly neither is in OMG DOMINATION mode right now... though those cylinders could fire up at any moment! Whichever one gets to the final will have their work cut out against Sophie Ferguson or Olivia Rogowska.

In the dudes, James Duckworth is out, which makes me sad, because he's a bit cool. He was knocked out by Marinko Matosevic, who will face Ball-conquering Adam Feeney. You'd like Matosevic to win this one - he is the second seed - but you never know. This said, Matosevic has been coming through the tournament quietly... I kind of really hope he gets the card here, actually, because he doesn't seem to have made the name for himself that some of the other players have. Peter Luczak and Matt Ebden will face off in the other semi. You can pretty much bet Luczak will get carded in, and Ebden will have a pretty good shot, but Matosevic seems to be under-the-radar man. This could be his best shot.

A Kind Of Magic

The December Showdown has begun! It seems a little strange to get so involved in what is just a playoff for one of the 128 spots on offer in the Australian Open draw... but then the showdown is wonderful fun.

The real question seems to be whether Jelena Dokic or Alicia Molik will be the one to get the wildcard. I think you can probably bet your bottom dollar that both would be carded in anyway - they are big names - so I certainly won't be unhappy if one of the many other girls in the draw pulls through. But Dokic and Molik did both have good wins yesterday and looking hot. That would be a bit of a drawcard final!

If I had to pick, I think I'd throw my cap into the Dokic corner, purely for emotional reasons. When she won the playoff a couple of years ago she went into the Open and won her way into the quarters - wasn't that a story? I don't expect we'll ever see the like of that again but it would be lovely to see the circumstances mirrored, so to speak. There might be a kind of magic in that.

Meanwhile, I'm a little surprised at the names in action in the men's draw. Peter Luczak? I suppose with his ranking he doesn't qualify for direct entry - which is an enormous shame, because he managed to get it up so high there for a while. And Marinko Matosevic and Carsten Ball as well... I suppose it's just indicative of the fact that there is only one player for whom entry is a guarantee that is Hewitt. Everyone has to throw their cards in. Everyone has to play. We've been so spoiled on the women's side with Stosur and Groth and whatnot that we forget this a bit.

Anyway, I wish I could say something about the actual tennis, but not having seen any of it, I can't. I will say this, however - fourteen year old Ashleigh Barty, I hope you play some awesome stuff out there. I always have a soft spot for the young 'uns!

One Step Short... Again

I would really, really be lying if I didn't say that I was disappointed.

Belgium was an eminently beatable opponent for Australia. But once again, we proved that we just really don't have the depth. Rochus, Darcis and Bemelmans really does not make a worldbeating Davis Cup team - nowhere close. But apparently Hewitt, Luczak and Ball... well, that's even worse.

It really highlights the dependency of the Australian team on Lleyton Hewitt, which is incredibly dangerous. Even if he'd been able to play, I don't think he would have had much success - he came so close to losing to Bemelmans that I really didn't see him coming through Rochus. But Luczak should have been able to make things happen. And Ball... well, I think people just expect a lot more of him than he's capable of, to tell the truth. He and Guccione make a great doubles team, but I just don't know if he's ever going to be any more than that.

Australia really can't rely on Lleyton. He's been so good for so long, but come on, the dude's been on his way down for years. We can't manufacture talent out of nowhere, but we need to stop pinning all our hopes on one guy so much - it's not fair to him. This is exactly what is going to happen to Bernard Tomic and Jason Kubler, if they ever make good on their respective immense talents - reliance, to the detriment of the squad. And then we're going to end up like the UK, losing to Lithuania.

I suppose there's nothing really you can do. If you don't have the players, you just don't have the players. And I think the venue decision was as smart as it possibly could have been - the hot, steamy conditions of Cairns should really have benefited the Australians. But it just didn't happen. Story of Davis Cup in Australia for a long time now.

Better Than Great Britain

Let's do a tennis feelgood story. Specifically, let's talk about the Australian Davis Cup team. I'm not normally extraordinarily nationalistic when it comes to tennis, but watching the progress of both our national teams this year has made me happy.

Sure, we may only be second tier, but the Australian Davis Cup team has not lost a rubber this year. Sure, we've been facing Chinese Taipei and Japan respectively, who are not exactly known to be tennis powerhouses, but not one single rubber. That seems to me to be pretty impressive. We have had the added advantage of playing at home, but nonetheless. Not one. That's awesome.

And it's not as if we've been a one man show, either. We've had Lleyton Hewitt do some heroics, we've had some from Carsten Ball, Peter Luczak, Bernard Tomic... for the first time in a long time, the Davis Cup team is beginning to attain something that almost looks like depth. And with players like Greg Jones and Nick Lindahl waiting in the wings and players like Jason Kubler and Luke Saville on the rise... the future is looking bright.

Not that I expect the Aussies to win Davis Cup anytime soon or anything. We have a ways to go before we're even in contention - if we get an unfriendly draw, then we'll have zero hopes of being the grown up group next year. But we're edging our way towards something a bit good - and certainly we're doing very respectably.

We're not going the way of Great Britain, that's for sure. Well done, boys, on a fabulous tie over the weekend. And if the world group playoff is in Australia, you can bet I will be there with bells on.

Sam Slams It In Charleston

I hear there is tennis going on in the world that is not in Monte Carlo and does not involve anyone named Rafa or Nole or Daveeeeeeeeeed. You might have heard of it, though I really don't give it as much screen time as I ought. It's called 'women's tennis'.

In all the excitement of Rafa on clay and Murray failing miserably, I just about forgot the ladies existed this week. And this meant that - as she is often wont to do when no one is watching - Sam Stosur is through to the semis in Charleston.

It's very popular to go on and on and on about how Australian tennis players are rubbish on clay, but I don't think the sitch is as dire as it is often made out to be. Our #2 dude, Peter Luczak, is essentially a claycourt specialist, and Sam Stosur? Well, there was that whole bit where she made the semis at Roland Garros last year. And oh look, here we are in Charleston on the red stuff, and Slammin' Sammy has slammed her way into the semis again.

I think a lot of Sam's weapons, particularly her serve, are accentuated on clay. It's not un-Rafalike, the monstrous kick she can get on her kick serve when she serves it right on the clay. And that serve is hard enough to play at the best of times.

I would not be at all surprised if Sam went on to win this tournament - though I'm not going to go and predict it or anything, because we all know Sam does her best work when no one's looking. She looked great in her quarter final match against Shuai Peng and I'm really excited to see how Sam slams it this year on the clay.

Dudes' Hot or Not in Miami

I hot-or-notted the ladies of Miami yesterday - surprise, surprise, today it's time of the dudes. (Sidebar - I know I was all like 'Alicia Molik is crushing her opponents' the other day and today she got double bagelled. I still think she's cool).

Okay. Dudes.

Hot: Yen-hsun Lu. He's back inside the top hundred and he's going up. He's had some injury problems but when Rendy plays well, he's awesome. Love this kid.

Not: Nicolas Lapentti. I know he and his brother did that big Davis Cup thing last year, but I think it's heading towards lacy, gently wafting curtains for Nico.

Hot: Marsel Ilhan. He's a Turkish sensation and he's screaming up the rankings. What an exciting new face (and new nationality, for tennis) in the game!

Not: Juan Ignacio Chela. I'm pretty sure the defining moments of his career will be his spats with Lleyton Hewitt. He hasn't been very impressive for a while now.

Hot: Philipp Petzschner. The more I see of this guy the more I like him. He's got some real fire in his tennis and I think there are bright things ahead.

Not: Mardy Fish. I'm just not feeling it. I know he sometimes comes through as a surprise in tournaments and ends up really deep, but he just doesn't do it for me.

Hot: Peter Luczak. No secrets about how much I dig Mr Milkshake. Really excited about his future as we head into the clay season.

Not: Stephane Robert. This may seem a little unfair, but he's suddenly turned up in the top hundred and I have no idea where he's come from. Judgment reserved until I actually see him do something.

Anyone I've missed?

That Time Again

It's that time again... Davis Cup. And why yes, since you asked, it is a really stupid idea to put it right before Indian Wells! What top notch participation that encourages. How clever, scheduling-wise! I bet everyone is so freaking thrilled.

Ahem.

Anyway, we might not be in the world group, but the Australia/Chinese Taipei tie is one I will follow with interest... and if Australia loses, I don't know what words there could possibly be to describe the embarrassment. Australia is without Hewitt - no shocks there - but Chinese Taipei is without its spearhead player also, with Yen-hsun Lu not playing.

Thus, if Australia does not win = humiliation for all!

Our singles players are Peter Luczak and Bernard Tomic, which is pretty respectable... though I can't help thinking that, with Luczak being our big gun, it might have been a good idea to hold the tournament on red clay rather than at Margaret Court Arena. I don't know that any of the players from Chinese Taipei are especially great claycourters and Luczak definitely is. But if you asked me to name even a single clay court in Australia, I would be coming up blank. Melbourne Park is definitely a better venue in that respect.

I do believe that one of the Chinese Taipei-an players is the dude that lost to Tomic in the final of the boys' AO a few years back. Now that could be an interesting grudge match. I don't know anything about him other than that, but Bernard should probably watch his step...

Jodi's Epic Tennis Adventure 2.4 - Rain, Rain, Go Away

There are few things more miserable and frustrating than being on a grounds pass on a rainy day at a tennis tournament - particularly when you've packed for blistering heat. Today was a soggy start to the Australian Open, and I was right there in the middle of it, getting soaked. Both Hisense and Rod Laver arenas had their lids on... but outside, there was nowhere to go. Suffice to say that I am pretty sure I am wet through to the bone and would not be surprised if I started developing mildew.

This said, a lot of tennis still happened and it was all very exciting - the upset of the day being the epic takedown of MaSha by MariKiri. I saw bits and pieces of this match on the big screen (read - hiding under the nearest umbrella) and I think it really was a mercy killing by MariKiri. Sharapova's dress looked like a peacock had spewed all over it. No one needs that kind of fashion disaster in their life.

I'm sure the organisers had their hearts in their throats after that match went for, like, several centuries... having flashbacks to the night they finished at 4am! But no, everything else on Rod Laver Arena was very straightforward - straight sets, in fact. Clijsters polished off Random Canadian Whose Name I Can't Remember, Murray completely humiliated Kevin Anderson and, in the night session (f0r which I was inside) Rafa Nadal scored a straight sets win over a competitive Peter Luczak and Jelena Dokic fell to Alisa Kleybanova.

Let's talk night sesh, actually, given as I was, you know, inside for it. First off, men's match first = BEST IDEA EVER. I loved it. The scoreline of the first match might look like it was all Rafa, but I think Luczak has a lot to be proud of in this match. He really troubled Rafa, particularly in the first set, and he returned like a demon. He didn't let Rafa pin him in the corner (to paraphrase Roger, he didn't let him 'go to my backhand, and then with the forehand, forehand, forehand, and when I'm all the way back here, he goes down the line'.) His game matches up relatively well with Rafa's, I think... it's just that Rafa's - well, he's Rafa.

I've always nursed some Rafa love, but after the Hit For Haiti - 'you serve this one - I have no confidence!' - I'm having a Rafa renaissance. And he took his shirt off a lot. Rafa Nadal: break me off a piece of that.

On that subject, Jelena Dokic totally picked the wrong Bikic brother. The coach, Borna? Smokin' like a steam train. That's all I'm saying.

Dokic herself seemed to be a little out of spirits tonight - she had pretty negative looking body language right from the start of the match and Kleybanova came out all guns blazing. There was a glimpse of the Dokic from last year towards the end of the second set, and she hit some sweet winners, but I can't help feeling her heart wasn't in it. Oh well. Next year, Jelena.

I did actually catch some tennis round the grounds during the day as well, in the four seconds it wasn't raining. Watch out for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - I saw a fair bit of her match against Sevastova, and she was looking awesome. Big kudos also to Ivo Karlovic, for toughing out an epic against Radek Stepanek, and to Yanina Wickmayer, for doing the same over Alexandra Dulgheru. Bernard Tomic also had a good win, though sixteen year old Jason Kubler lost - but it was his first ATP match ever, so whatevs. And my favourite around-the-grounds result today - a match so fun to watch that I stood there for a set, transfixed? Andrey Golubev over Mardy Fish in four.

This is a big win for Golubev, who is rising up through my 'favourite players' list like a rocket. He's in Rafa's little section of the draw - I think they could potentially meet third round - and given the insane goodness of Andrey right now, Rafa could be in for a fight. Just as he was in Perth, Golubev was ripping winners like a crazy person. He started slow after the first rain delay, leading to him losing the second set, but when he found his range... bam. BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM. Watch this guy. He has 'I will upset big name players' written all over him.

But the grounds pass is really all about the practice courts. Everyone knows this. And who somehow managed to book the 1 o'clock slot, the one slot where it miraculously did not rain a drop? Why, that would be Roger Federer. And who had an excellent spot, right up against the rail on the baseline? Why, that would be me.

Soderling was due to practice after Federer, and as Roger was finishing up, I could see the Yoker warming up behind the fence - his little Soderhead bobbing up and down as he ran. He has a weird, weird warmup. There was skipping. That's all I'm saying. And then the second he stepped on court... bam. Heavens opened. No practice for Robin.

Just for Batman. (Sorry, I had to).

More from the hopefully less wet Aussie Open tomorrow!

Mr Milkshake Brings All His Game To The Yard

Honestly, if any of the blokes on the ATP tour served like the girls on the WTA, they would be laughed out of the game. Honestly, how is it possible to serve at 40%ish with 97378409238 double faults and still win matches?

Urgh. But no more whinging about the WTA for today. I have done that time and time again over the past few days. (It is bad, bad, bad. Just in case you hadn't gathered my views on this by now. I am declaring myself Belgian when it comes to women's tennis).

Instead, let's talk about Peter Luczak.

I watched him fall down the rankings last year. When he fell down to #160ish, I gave up following him... and thus did not notice when he crept back up again, higher than ever. And let me tell you, I think it's going to climb higher, even if he takes a bunch of first round losses, because he's going to get into main draw tour events and get points points points. Not that I think he's going to take a bunch of first round losses. Because Mr Milkshake has GAME.

I was there in Brisbane last Saturday when Berdych absolutely pummelled Roddick for a set. I watched that match where he had his foot on Federer's neck last year. I know he's a headcase, but I also know he's extraordinarily talented and can play amazing stuff. This makes him kind of tricky to play, because if he's on fire there's not much a guy can do about it but wait it out, keep your calm and hope the storm breaks.

And that's exactly what Peter Luczak did today. I'm putting him on my official 2010 Late Bloomer list with Andrey Golubev - though in Mr Milkshake's case, it's a little later! Golubev is 22, but Luczak is 30. But seriously, Pete has never played better. He got killed in the first set because Berdych caught alight. But he didn't lose his head, steadied himself in the second and then ran off with the third.

Berdych is ranked fifty-odd places higher than Luczak, so even with the home court advantage and Berdych's headcaseness, you'd pick him to win. But Luczak's age is, I think, one of his strongest points. He is mature on court now. He plays calm tennis now, and that calmness, that serenity, that knowledge that he is at his best, has done him so much good. I wouldn't be surprised to see Mr Milkshake did what Chris Guccione did a few years back and make a surprise run to the final. If he can beat Berdych - the highest ranked player in the draw - I think he can beat anyone in the draw.

One Step Away From The Worst

How, I ask you, how, is it possible to stage an epic comeback from 5-0 down when you are playing as badly as Dinara Safina was today?

I've made no secret of the fact that I just can't quit my Dinara fanhood. But she deserved to lose that match today with the way she was playing, especially in the first set. If you're 5-0 down then you pretty much deserve to lose a set. This is not troll logic.

I guess it only happens if your opponent suddenly starts playing worse than you do. Which Agnieszka Radwanska did.

Honestly, it was completely embarrassing for the WTA - especially coming a day after the match where Li Na beat Caroline Wozniacki, #4 in the world, by hitting 70-odd errors. She shouldn't be allowed to make that many errors. She should be beaten before she's had the opportunity. Just like Dinara really should have been beaten today - though Aggie Rad obviously deserved the loss more. It's one thing to come back from 5-0 down, it's entirely another to be serving for a bagel and end up losing a set 7-5.

I think everything I don't like about the WTA has been crystallised in Sydney this week, especially coming on the heels of that amazing Clijsters/Henin match (I WAS THERE! I WAS THERE!) It shouldn't be possible to win matches playing that badly. Half of the seeds should not be out of the tournament within the first three days. (Seriously, we've only got Serena, Dinara, Elena and Vika left now - and only Serena has looked anything like convincing). The Belgians would never have tolerated this in their former heyday and I sure as hell hope they don't tolerate it now.

I can't imagine what the ATP would look like if its top ten were all such headcases. Berdych, Grosjean and Gasquet would probably be the top three. (Who else is a notorious tennis headcase? I'm sure I've left out a few). The strength of the ATP also shows up the poor form of the WTA - we're definitely in a Golden Age in the men, but there's only assorted Belgians and Williamses saving us from the official Worst Era Ever in the women.

Sigh.

On a happier note, how great was Peter Luczak's win tonight? He really turned the screws on Jose Acasuso, who's ranked a good twenty places above him. Mr Milkshake has a career high ranking right now and I reckon he can get higher, if he keeps playing like this...

Queen Justine, Where Have You Been?

I never used to think of myself as an Henin fan. I liked her game, sure, but I think it had something to do with the day she retired in the final of the Aussie Open against Mauresmo. Henin the player was great, but I was never a fan of Henin the sportswoman.

This extended to me not believing she was going to come back right up until the day before her press conference, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Why? I just didn't think she had it in her.

So you can imagine that I watched her comeback with some trepidation - mixed in with excitement, because, hello, the women's game needs whatever it can get right now. I was at work, so I didn't see the first part of the match. I arrived home midway through the first set. I had groceries with me, including ice cream, but they would have to wait until a convenient change of ends. I needed to see how this would play out.

I turned on the TV. And there was a different Justine Henin waiting there.

Sure, at this point it was even stevens with Nadia Petrova - Justine didn't pull out the big break until the end of the set. But her game was there, not especially rusty. The backhand was back, and the speed, and some new serve I'm not too sure about but which I'm sure will work itself out.

But something else was back too. For the first time in a long time, it looked like Justine was enjoying herself on the court. Finally, after years and years and years, I found myself able to like Justine the sportswoman.

Apparently in Belgium they're already talking about the possibility of an all Belgian final for Brisbane. I am certainly right behind that in wishing, if not in believing, being as I will be there, and I can think of few things I would like better than to see the two Belgian comeback queens battle it out. This could be a reignition of the Clijsters/Henin rivalry - and heaven knows women's tennis needs it!

In other news, big props go out to John Millman and Peter Luczak, who put up fighting efforts against their higher ranked opponents in Brisbane last night. Luczak looked better than I've seen him for a LONG time, and Millman just seems like a really cool dude with a pretty solid game which I would like to see more of. Yay for these two.

Yay also for my favourite WTA player, Sabine Lisicki, for a fantastic win over Elena Dementieva at the Hopman Cup. Russia went on to win the tie, but this win is an individual serving-of-notice from Sabine. This girl is going to be huge.


Today's Results

Hopman Cup (Perth)

Russia 2, Germany 1

Sabine Lisicki def. Elena Dementieva, 6-4 6-1
Igor Andreev def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 3-6 6-7 (3-7) 6-3
Dementieva/Andreev def. Lisicki/Kohlschreiber, 6-4 7-6 (9-7)


Great Britain 2, Kazakhstan 1

Yaroslava Shvedova def. Laura Robson, 4-6 6-3 6-0
Andy Murray def. Andrey Golubev, 6-2 6-2
Robson/Murray def. Shvedova/Golubev, 6-3 5-7 12-10 (match tie break)


Brisbane International (Brisbane)

Men's Draw

Andy Roddick def. Peter Luczak, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2
Richard Gasquet def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-3 4-6 6-3
Harel Levy def. Michael Llodra, 6-2 6-0
Thomaz Bellucci def. Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-3 3-6 6-1
Marc Gicquel def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-3 6-1
Alejandro Falla def. Jeremy Chardy, 6-4 6-4
Wayne Odesnik def. Arnaud Clement, 6-4 7-6 (7-2)
Radek Stepanek def. John Millman, 6-4 6-0


Women's Draw

Lucie Safarova def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-1
Aleksandra Wozniak def. Galina Voskoboeva, 6-2 6-2
Daniela Hantuchova def. Ekaterina Ivanova, 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-1
Agnes Szavay def. Shuai Peng, 5-7 6-4 6-2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-4 2-6 6-2
Roberta Vinci def. Sara Errani, 6-4 2-6 6-2
Timea Bacsinszky def. Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-4 7-6 (7-3)
Ana Ivanovic def. Jelena Dokic, 7-5 1-6 6-3
Sesil Karantcheva def. Casey Dellacqua, 6-2 0-6 7-6 (7-1)
Justine Henin def. Nadia Petrova, 7-5 7-5


Qatar ExxonMobil Open (Doha)

Ernests Gulbis def. Albert Montanes, 6-2 7-5
Marco Chiudineilli def. Paolo Lorenzi, 7-5 6-3
Ivo Karlovic def. Fabio Fognini, 6-4 6-4
Viktor Troicki def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 6-1 7-5
Oliver Rochus def. Abdulla Hajji, 6-1 6-0
Sergiy Stakhovsky def. Mikhail Youzhny, 7-6 (13-11) 6-2
Potito Starace def. Frederico Gil, 6-2 6-0


Chennai Open (Chennai)

Thiemo de Bakker def. Rajeev Ram, 6-1 6-1
Janko Tipsarevic def. Carlos Moya, 6-3 7-6 (7-2)
Jan Hajek def. Simon Greul, 3-6 6-2 6-4
Santiago Giraldo def. Bjorn Phau, 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3
Marin Cilic def. Igor Kunitsyn, 6-2 6-4


ASB Auckland Classic (Auckland)

Flavia Pennetta def. Jill Craybas, 6-2 6-4
Dominika Cibulkova def. Alexandra Dulgheru, 6-0 6-3
Kimiko Date Krumm def. Anna Chakvetadze, 6-1 6-2
Yanina Wickmayer def. Julia Goerges, 6-3 7-5
Magdalena Rybarikova def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2 6-3

Mantilla Comes Down Under

I was reading Australian Tennis Magazine yesterday and I was reading an article about Jason Kubler, who, as we know, has been given a wildcard into the Australian Open, despite the fact he is only sixteen. I knew that he was a junior Davis Cup hero for Australia, but what I didn't know was that he was a claycourt specialist - apparently he's being called a right-handed Rafa.

How about that?

And then I was reading another article about Peter Luczak, currently Australia's second ranked man, and his favourite surface is clay too. This one I did know, but had completely forgotten, due to Luczak not really being on my radar.

And now Tennis Australia has gone and hired Felix Mantilla to help bring all our young talent to Slam glory in the future - specifically on clay.

And I said... awesome!

There's this notion that Aussies are totally crap on clay, and, sure, we don't have the bestest group of claycourters ever, but we so don't suck. Not only is there Luczak, but Stosur was the best performing Aussie at the Slams this year with her semi finish in Roland Garros. And we have a great group of youngsters coming up, kids like Kubler - actually, I read a really interesting fact which I did not know: Australia has the top 17 year old, 16 year old and 15 year old in the world (Bernard Tomic, Jason Kubler and Luke Saville). So hiring Mantilla is really a great idea, I think - it will maximise the potential of these youngsters, who might have clay talent but not the opportunity to play on it so much.

So great move, Tennis Australia. Applause everywhere from me!

The Looch is Loose

Victory!

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Sorry, this is a bit of an overreaction, but Peter Luczak won a tour level match - something I can't remember him doing all year! Victory!

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I really like Peter. He's a genuine nice guy and I think he's had a bit of bad luck with injuries and stuff. He's never going to be a top ten player - he doesn't have that level of talent - but he works hard, and it shows. He's a total trooper, and I have cred for that. And he gets results on clay - how rare is that for an Aussie?

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He may not be a worldbeater, but he's a genuinely lovely guy, and I think it's great for tennis in Australia that we have him. You can never have too many nice guys in sport, and with the badness of rugby league seemingly infecting Aussie tennis via Brydan Klein and his racial sledging case, I think we need people like Peter.

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He beat Alberto Martin in his match, and beat him handily as well - and Martin is a wily old fox, which makes the win even better. And after coming up through qualies - I'm very pleased. The Looch is loose - how far can he go in this tournament? Good on you, Mr Milkshake. Good on you.

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Today's Results

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Catella Swedish Open (Bastad)

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Juan Monaco def. Maximo Gonzalez, 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-1

Kristof Vliegen def. Marcel Granollers, 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Guillermo Canas def. Grigor Dimitrov, 6-3 7-6 (7-2)

Daniel Koellerer def. Steve Darcis, 1-6 6-3 6-4

Potito Starace def. Julien Benneteau, 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Peter Luczak def. Alberto Martin, 6-2 6-2

Bjorn Phau def. Daniel Berta, 6-3 6-2

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Mercedes Cup (Stuttgart)

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Gilles Simon def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-3 6-4

Nicolas Kiefer def. Tomas Berdych, 6-3 6-3

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Diego Junqueira, 6-3 6-2

Fabio Fognini def. Fabrice Santoro, 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-1

Jeremy Chardy def. Jose Acasuso, 6-2 7-6 (7-4)

Alexandre Sidorenko def. Daniel Munoz-De La Nava, 7-6 (7-3) 1-6 6-2

Rainer Schuettler def. Ivo Minar, 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Simon Greul def. Andreas Beck, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5)

Oscar Hernandez def. Janko Tipsarevic, 6-4 6-4

Mischa Zverev def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-2 6-4

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ECM Prague Open (Prague)

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Iveta Benesova def. Karolina Pliskova, 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-3

Kateryna Bondarenko def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-1 6-3

Timea Bacsinszky def. Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-2 7-6 (7-5)

Lucie Hradecka def. Ksenia Pervak, 6-3 6-2

Petra Kvitova def. Anna Lapushchenkova, 6-1 6-0

Kristina Barrois def. Ioana Raluca Olaru, 5-6 6-1 7-5

Monica Niculescu def. Katie O'Brien, 6-3 6-2

Polona Hercog def. Klara Zakopalova, 7-5 6-4

Stefanie Voegele def. Petra Martic, 3-6 6-4 6-3

Alla Kudryavtseva def. Nicole Vaidisova, 7-5 6-2

Karolina Sprem def. Tatjana Malek, 6-3 6-2

Zarina Diyas def. Kristina Mladenovic, 6-4 6-1

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Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo (Palermo)

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Flavia Pennetta def. Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-2 6-3

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez def. Alize Cornet, 6-2 6-2

Sara Errani def. Mariya Koryttseva, 6-4 6-4

Ekaterina Makarova def. Jill Craybas, 6-3 6-1

Anna-Lena Groenefeld def. Gisela Dulko, 6-4 6-1

Yaroslava Shvedova def. Nathalie Vierin, 6-3 6-2

Tathiana Garbin def. Edina Gallovits, 6-4 7-5

Patricia Mayr def. Olga Savchuk, 6-4 6-4

Nuria Llagostera Vives def. Masa Zec Peskiric, 3-6 6-4 6-2

Arantxa Rus def. Anna Floris, 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Snubbing Mr Milkshake

The Aussie Davis Cup team for the first round this year has just been announced, and we're looking at something pretty different to what we saw last time. Remember Chile, where we had that awesome young team, and we had a good seven people on the squad? Looks like they're not repeating that one this year. Our team is Lleyton Hewitt, Chris Guccione, Carsten Ball and Brydan Klein.

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Not a bad team, as far as they go, but I think there's one major snub in there - the guy that's been forgotten all year, ever since he lost in he play-off at the December Showdown. And it is such a shame, because he has played fabulously in Davis Cup just about every time he played. Where is Peter Luczak? I would have put you in, Mr Milkshake. I don't know if I would have played you, but you'd have been in the squad.

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And Bernard Tomic would have been in the squad as well. He's proven he can pull the upset on the senior scene - Potito Starace, anyone? - so why not give him another shot? Carsten Ball is, in my mind, a bit expendable - he's there for doubles, surely? Actually, that's a thought - where are our doubles specialists? Why is Paul Hanley not on the squad?

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And who is going to be the new coach? Darren 'Killer' Cahill has just stood down. I'm sad. I'm certainly not as impressed as I was with the awesome young squad last time... but then I am not the Davis Cup captain. I am impressed with the decision to put Brydan Klein in, however - with his recent results, he deserves it!

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Today's Results

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Regions Morgan Keenans Championships (Memphis)

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Men's Draw

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Mardy Fish def. Yen-Hsun Lu, 6-1 7-5

Robby Ginepri def. Simon Greul, 6-4 6-4

Philipp Petzschner def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-3 6-4

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Women's Draw

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Lucie Safarova def. Vania King, 7-6 (7-1) 6-3

Sabine Lisicki def. Stéphanie Foretz, 6-2 6-4

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Copa Telmex (Buenos Aires)

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Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Marcel Granollers, 6-7 (7-8) 6-0 6-3

Franco Ferreiro def. Pablo Cuevas, 6-2 6-4

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Open 13 (Marseilles)

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Feliciano Lopez def. Dmitry Tursunov, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1)

Mikhail Youzhny def. Andreas Seppi, 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Novak Djokovic def. Jeremy Chardy, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Gael Monfils, 4-6 6-4 7-5

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Andrey Golubev, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

Michael Llodra def. Rik de Voest, 7-6 (7-2) 6-1

Georg Bastl def. Marc Gicquel, 6-4 6-3

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Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai)

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Serena Williams def. Zheng Jie, 6-4 6-2

Kaia Kanepi def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-2 7-5

Elena Dementieva def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-1 6-3

Vera Zvonareva def. Marion Bartoli, 5-2 retired

Venus Williams def. Alizé Cornet, 6-3 6-2

Ana Ivanovic def. Camille Pin, 6-2 7-6 (7-5)

Elena Vesnina def. Dominika Cibulkova, 4-6 6-1 4-0 retired

Virginie Razzano def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-2 1-6 6-2

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Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas (Bogota)

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Edina Gallovits def. Klara Zakopalova, 6-3 6-4

Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Maret Ani, 6-4 6-2

Swiss Misters

Anyone who was in doubt, doubt no more. Roger Federer is here in Australia, and he means business.

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I only caught the last four games of the Kooyong final yesterday (damn gainful employment!) but that was all I needed to catch to catch the message. He played absolutely beautiful tennis against Stan Wawrinka yesterday - no quarter was asked, no quarter given - and I fail to see how anyone could doubt his ability, or call him washed up and on the way out. Has anyone ever played tennis like he has? He played some shots that were absolutely INSANE - did anyone see that hooking crosscourt forehand winner he made off a Stan serve? He put such work on the ball that it kicked up into about Row F. Stan had no hope of touching it. It was beautiful.

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I know I'm biased - I am a massive Roger fan, after all, and I'm hardly shy about admitting it! - but seriously, he's the best that ever lived. I think people realise that as well - the very fact that they call him finished after a year in which he won four titles, reached three Grand Slam finals and a semi and won Olympic gold shows that. For anyone else, that would be a career year of insane proportions. For Roger, substandard. We are already judging him against a different yardstick than we judge anyone else of the era.

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But we can't leave Stan out either - even though the scoreline belies it, he didn't play bad tennis. He's got some lovely shots, does Little Brother. I love the way he plays into the corners - he can get some real whip. He simply got outplayed yesterday. I very much look forward to seeing another match up between the two Swiss Misters in the fourth round at the Open! It's a bit sad that Stan (and Marat!) are in that section of the draw... normally, I'd be gunning for them to go real deep, but I never pull against the inexorable Federer!

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The schedule of the first day of the Open just came out. Months ago, I bought my tickets - a five day ground pass for the first five days and Rod Laver Arena tickets for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Guess who is on Rod Laver on Monday night? The opener is Casey Dellacqua against Daniela Hantuchova (which, with the way Casey is playing currently, should take about four seconds... sorry, Casey, but it's true!) followed by Andreas Seppi versus the Great Man. And I'll be there, cheering the Fed Express on!

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Onto another final - one about which I can probably talk more sanely, due to the lack of gushing! The Medibank final was a really good match. The last time Nalbandian and Nieminen met, Dave walked all over Jarkko (2 and 1, I think.) But this one was much tighter - the breaker in the second set was positively nailbiting! Nieminen is in the best form I have seen him in for some time. He could potentially meet Djokovic a few rounds in at the Open, and I would love to see another upset!

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And Nalbandian... look, you can what you like about his personality (though he was very effusive and quite funny in his champion's speech) but the guy is a seriously classy tennis player. You know how some tennis players are good, but not classy? (Federer probably being the epitome of class, if you want a standard to measure it against.) Nalbandian has serious class. He is very interesting to watch play, and he played some lovely balls last night... it's going to be interesting to see how he goes at the Open!

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Oh, and Juan Martin del Potro beat Sam Querrey in Auckland. Quel surprise. And both Peter Luczak and Marija Mirkovic lost in the final round of qualifying... which is actually really sad. This is the first Open Mr Milkshake has missed in seven or eight years. We'll miss you, Pete!

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Today's Results

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AAMI Classic (Kooyong)

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Roger Federer def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-1 6-3

Fernando Verdasco def. Fernando Gonzalez, 6-4 6-3

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Medibank International (Sydney)

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David Nalbandian def. Jarkko Nieminen, 6-3 6-7 (9-11) 6-2

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Heineken Open (Auckland)

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Juan Martin del Potro def. Sam Querrey, 6-4 6-4

Not Forgetting Richou

Wow. What a terrible day for Australia in the qualies for the Open. Only one Aussie got through (one, out of both men and women!) and that was Peter Luczak. Here's hoping Mr Milkshake can win through to the actual tournament, because otherwise that's just a bit ridiculous for Australian tennis! We have some great players in through the discretionary wildcard system, but you'd hope for at least one qualifier!

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Kooyong yesterday was an absolute nailbiter - the Federer/Verdasco match, I mean. Federer was clearly playing well within himself, experimenting, trying a few things out, etc, etc, but Nando played a great match after beign 5-0 down in the first to take it to a third set breaker. You'd have to say that Roger never looked like losing, but the scoreline belies it, and so kudos to Nando on a great match. It's going to be interesting to watch his progress at the Open... and I'd back him over whomever he faces in the playoff for third here at Kooyong, whether it's Wawrinka or Gonzo. And obviously you've got to back the Fed over either of those guys, so it's going to be an interesting final... which I probably won't be able to watch because I'll be at work. Le sigh. At least I'll see them all in the flesh next week at the Open!

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Sydney, and man did Serena lie down for Elena Dementieva! It always amazes me that Dementieva is ranked as high as she is with that serve of hers (which, granted, is improved, but is still a joke compared to most of the other serves on tour) but Serena totally failed to capitalise and Dementieva smashed her like a guitar. It's going to be interesting - Dinara Safina had a bit of trouble against the wily veteran Ai Sugiyama, but brought it in the major points. So who do you back? Elegant Elena or Dinara the freight train? They split big matches last year - Dinara had her number at the French Open, but Elena won the gold medal. I'm backing Dinara on this one, but I think it's on her racquet. If she gets in a rut like Serena did, Elena will sail away with the title. But I don't think Dinara will do that. She's a bit too determined, even if she can be scatty at times.

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And I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Richard Gasquet is going to come away with the title this week in the men's at Sydney. Tsonga is out with injury (man, I hope he's okay for the Open!) and the three remaining out contenders are Djokovic, Nalbandian and Nieminen. I think Gasquet, if he plays the way he has been, can take all three of them, particularly with Djokovic's racquet change and ensuing discomfort. The one to watch will be Nalbandian, but even though he beat Hewitt, I wasn't especially impressed with his play... so I'm backing Richou. Even though he fell out of favour last year what with his tanties and his headcaseness, it would be nice to see him climb back up the rankings some... strange to think, isn't it, that he usedto be France's #1? Tsonga and Simon both catapulted past him last year, and everyone pretty much forgot about Richou. Maybe he's not ready to be forgotten just yet...

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Today's Results

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AAMI Classic (Kooyong)

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Marcos Baghdatis def. Ivan Ljubicic, 7-6 (7-3) 6-4

Roger Federer def. Fernando Verdasco, 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5)

Marin Cilic def. Carlos Moya, 6-3 7-6 (7-1)

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Medibank International (Sydney)

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Men's Draw

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Novak Djokovic def. Mario Ancic, 6-3 6-4

Jarkko Nieminen def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, walkover

David Nalbandian def. Lleyton Hewitt, 7-6 (7-3) 7-5

Richard Gasquet def. Jeremy Chardy, 6-2 7-6 (7-4)

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Women's Draw

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Elena Dementieva def. Serena Williams, 6-3 6-1

Dinara Safina def. Ai Sugiyama, 6-4 7-6 (7-3)

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Heineken Open (Auckland)

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Juan Martin del Potro def. Viktor Troicki, 6-3 6-2

David Ferrer def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, walkover

Sam Querrey def. Nicolas Almagro, 6-3 6-2

Robin Soderling def. John Isner, 6-4 6-4

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Moorilla Hobart International (Hobart)

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Iveta Benesova def. Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-1 6-3

Petra Kvitova def. Virginie Razzano, 6-4 6-2