Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray Dominate Aussie Open

25 January 2009

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The end of the first week at the 200 Australian Open may be over but the tournament’s big four still find themselves very much in contention to scoop the first Grand Slam of the new season.

The third round was brought to a close by world number one and top seed Rafael Nadal as he swept past Germany’s Tommy Haas 6-4 6-2 6-2 with another impressive victory that sees him yet to drop a set.

2008 was a great year for the Spaniard as he secured his fourth consecutive French Open title and a first Wimbledon crown as well as gold at the Beijing Olympics and toppling Federer from the number one spot.

However the year ended on a low for the twenty two year old as he was forced to miss the Davis Cup final due to injury. However the extra time off seems to have worked in his favour as Nadal has possibly been the most impressive of the top four players as he hopes to reach the Australian Open final for the first time.

Also looking in fine four is Great Britain’s Andy Murray but, despite being many’s favourite to win the title after his US Open final last year, he finds himself seeded only fourth. Behind Nadal Federer and defending champion Djokovic.

Murray’s third round encounter saw him take on Austrian Jurgen Melzer, that man that almost beat him at last year’s US Open and it was expected to be the first test for the Briton.

However Murray cruised to en emphatic victory 7-5 6-0 6-3 to set up a fourth round tie with up and coming Spaniard and number fourteenth seed Fernando Verdasco.

And while Murray may have a winning record against Verdasco since the twenty five year old clinched the decisive rubber for Spain in the Davis Cup his confidence has soared and overcame Stepanek 6-4 6-0 6-0.

2008 was a below par year for Roger Federer, by his own very high standards, despite winning the US Open and being a runner up at the French Open and Wimbledon. As well as losing his number one ranking to Rafael Nadal Federer began the tournament with a point to prove.

Despite opening the tournament in fine style, which included a second round straight sets win over Marat Safin, Federer face a five set thriller against Tomas Berdych which saw him lose the first two sets.

But the number two seed fought back to eventually beat the twenty three year old Czech 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-4 6-2 and he was the first of the big four to make it through to the quarter final stage.

After venting his anger at Murray being named favourite over himself number three seed and defending champion Novak Djokovich also hasn’t had it all his own way.

Despite joining Federer in the quarter finals the world number three had to fight off a spirited challenge from Marcus Baghdatis, a match that went into the small hours of the morning.

After a dominate start the popular Baghdatis fought back and at times Djokovic looked weak and fatigued but he eventually won the match 6-1 7-6 6-7 6-2.

2009 looks like it might possibly one of the closest fought tournaments with many of the maybe men also finding form at the right time. Despite the winner looking like it will come from the top four the likes of Andy Roddick, Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, James Blake and Verdasco all look in great shape.

While the top guys have been finding the going good in Melbourne over the last weeks the seeds in the women’s matches have been falling like dominoes.

The biggest shock of the early rounds came as Venus Williams crashed out of the competition at the hands of unknown Spanish player Suarez-Navarro.

Despite losing the opening set to the current ladies Wimbledon champion Suarez-Navarro, who found herself on the Rod Laver arena for the first time, kept her composure to overcome the in form American.

Following Williams out of the competition was Ana Ivanovich who made a shock third round exit to Russian teenager Kleybanova.

However the big shock came in the fourth round as number one seed, and possible favourite for the tournament, Jelena Jankovic was dumped out of the competition by 16th seed Marion Bartoli from France.

Third seed Darina Dafina over came two match points to see of another talent French player Cornet coming through the three set encounter 6-2 2-6 7-5.

But on the women’s side of the draw all the talk, especially in Australia, has been about home girl Jelena Dokic who has returned to top flight tennis after a six year absence.

Dokic reached a career high of world number four in 2002 but has seen her ranking slip after family issues took her away from the tennis court.

Dokic, originally from Serbia and Montenegro now playing for Australia, was a wild card into the tournament and is now the only Aussie woman left standing.

Last night she was the main attraction on the Rod laver Arena as fifteen thousand people willed their girl over the finish line as she took on Ivanovich’s conquer Alisa Kleybanova.

The match went all the way as she took the first set 7-5 only to lose the second 5-7. In the third set both women held their nerve but Dokic had the edge with the crown on her side she took the final set 8-6.

In the other half of the draw fourth seed Dementieva will play Cibulkova while her fellow Russian Kuznetsova will play twenty second seed Zheng.

Serena Williams, who is now the highest ranked seed left in the tournament at number two will take on Azarenka and is now possibly favourite to win the title.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

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