Australian Open: Day One

Since no one else has put up such a thread here goes.

Well into Day One and already all British interest in the women's singles is over with Robson thrashed and Watson going down fighting in three sets. Tommy Haas withdraws trailing a set and a break down with an injury and at present Australian youngster Jordan Thompson is leading Jan wins 6-1 1-1. Reigning champion Djokovic begins his campaign in the evening session.

Discuss.....

This Thompson kid looks very talented, although Jerzy is all over the place.

Very poor from Robson earlier. I know she has had injury problems but she seemed completely lacking in any structure or gameplan. Very frustrating to watch.

Yes Thompson looks to have a very good all-round game. Janowicz though has been pretty poor so far, raining unforced errors, obsessed with the drop shot even though it isn't working. Going with serve in the second set and you feel sooner or later Jerzy must find his game. Thommo you feel has to win this in straight sets or else his fitness will be fully tested. On a side note he looks the spitting image of Rory McIlroy

Thompson remaining very solid and very quick around the court. Janowicz has had the trainer out on a number of occasions and it is looking bleak for the Pole as he struggles badly for consistency. Thompson leads 6-1 6-4 2-2.

Janowicz now competitive. Wins the third set and a break up in the fourth. Surely, Thommo's energy levels will be depleted and momentum is with the Pole.

He is still fighting though.

Djokovic takes the first set 6-3 and looks set for a comfortable evening.

An early break in the fifth set for Janowicz and Thommo looks drained whilst Jerzy looks rejuvenated.

Did he win?

yeah JJ through in five

Baggy making a hash of his match against Istomin.

Baggy bagged in three.

Only Haas knocked out of the seeded men I think. A couple of promising displays from Vesely and Thompson though against seeds before being overhauled in 5.

Good on Jerzy fighting back after dropping two sets he really needs to whip players like that without expending that kind of energy in the first match. Novak looked a bit rusty in the first couple of sets he was throwing errors all over the place and missing so many routine second serve returns. Really played beautifully in that final set. His serve has still been very high quality, I don't know if this is a trend but he seems a bit more aggressive under Becker, although it is just one match.

Hey SoCal, good to see you back!

Pretty good start for Novak. As you say, a few returns missed, a few BH errors at the start too but it just looked like rust. Once he hit his stride in the 2nd set tie break, I thought he liked very good. The forehand in particular looked excellent, hit with good depth and some penetrating angles.

Early days yet but I like what I've seen so far.

I agree Murdoch, he looks bigger as well like he has put on a couple of pounds. At times last year he looked too skinny. Yes he seemed eager to look for an opportunity to flatten it out and his serve was pretty good with a lot of free points. If he wants to make an early season push for the one spot he has to hold serve at the AO. He has lost too many grandslam finals by just a couple of big points here and there maybe Becker will give him the confidence to do it in those big moments.

PS murdoch i have not been anywhere just over at the football forum torturing them with my conspiracy theories and flowering language.

Importantly, he seems to be enjoying his time with Becker. If he's relaxed and focused, he'll play well. I really think it's as simple as that!

Yes, I've seen you over on the footie forum. I'm glad you've found on outlet for those metaphors, there haven't been as many Fed fans in here for you to use then on!

HM Murdoch wrote:Importantly, he seems to be enjoying his time with Becker. If he's relaxed and focused, he'll play well. I really think it's as simple as that!

Yes, I've seen you over on the footie forum. I'm glad you've found on outlet for those metaphors, there haven't been as many Fed fans in here for you to use then on!

I told everyone that most fed fans were fed fans and not tennis fans and when they couldn't lord it over the rest of us from their perch they would go away. Some of them stayed involved like Silver and JHM and that was not their attitude so to be fair I don't want to broadbrush.

socal1976 wrote:Some of them stayed involved like Silver and JHM and that was not their attitude so to be fair I don't want to broadbrush.

Flowery language, etc.

socal1976 wrote:Some of them stayed involved like Silver and JHM and that was not their attitude so to be fair I don't want to broadbrush.

In my case it's probably because I've always wanted Murray to beat him every time they play - same with Henman and Agassi before that. There has never been a time when Fed was my favourite player. I'm not even as big a fan of Murray as I was with Henman and Agassi (and Connors before that).

You don't want to broadbrush, but do you want to bogbrush?

socal1976 wrote:

HM Murdoch wrote:...Yes, I've seen you over on the footie forum. I'm glad you've found on outlet for those metaphors, there haven't been as many Fed fans in here for you to use then on!

I told everyone that most fed fans were fed fans and not tennis fans and when they couldn't lord it over the rest of us from their perch they would go away. Some of them stayed involved like Silver and JHM and that was not their attitude so to be fair I don't want to broadbrush.

Most fans are fed fans but the well fed fans have difficulty reaching their perch.

Nore Staat wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

HM Murdoch wrote:...Yes, I've seen you over on the footie forum. I'm glad you've found on outlet for those metaphors, there haven't been as many Fed fans in here for you to use then on!

I told everyone that most fed fans were fed fans and not tennis fans and when they couldn't lord it over the rest of us from their perch they would go away. Some of them stayed involved like Silver and JHM and that was not their attitude so to be fair I don't want to broadbrush.

Most fans are fed fans but the well fed fans have difficulty reaching their perch.

Superb   

Thanks for the kind words socal, being a Federer fan nowadays is a bit tougher than during the halcyon days! More interesting though, I do like some of the debates on here