Wawrinka makes Australian Open Final
Stanislas Wawrinka reached his first Grand Slam final after defeating Tomas Berdych in four sets. It was Wawrinka who started the match stronger, breaking the Berdych serve to take the opening set 6-3. However, the next three sets all went to tie breaks. Berdych levelled the match at one set apiece after winning the second set tie break but it was Wawrinka who took the next set, winning it 7-6 to take a two sets to one lead. It was a nervous affair in the fourth set tie break but eventually Wawrinka wrapped things up to seal his place in the final.
Fourth seed Na Li sealed her place in the women's Australian Open final after straight sets victory over Bouchard. A very impressive run from the young Canadian ended in the semi finals as Na Li proved too strong this time. Two breaks of serve were enough for Na Li to take the first set 6-2 before one break in the second set saw the fourth seed win the second set 6-4 and claim her place in the final. Na Li will play Cibulkova for the title after the Russian defeated fifth seed Radwanska in straight sets in the other semi final. It was a disappointing match for Radwanska who was blown off the court by Cibulkova, losing 6-1,6-2.
My Opinion:
A thrilling match between Stan and Tomas but what an achievement for Wawrinka. An amazing run sees him in the Australian Open final where he will either play Nadal or Federer. Wawrinka was the favourite going into the match after knocking out Djokovic and he didn't disappoint. He started strongly and took the first set but was pegged back to one set all. It took incredible nerve to seal the next two sets in the tie breaks but with the form he's in, anything seems possible.
The women's final will be Na Li against Cibulkova and I for one would never have predicted that. Na Li proved too strong for the highly impressive Bouchard with a straight sets win but I predict a huge season ahead for Bouchard. A great shame to see Radwanska knocked out in the semi's. She would have fancied her chances to win when the top three seeds were knocked out but she was just simply blown off the court by Cibulkova, who is playing the tennis of her life. It was a dominant display from the Russian and deservedly claimed her place in the final. It will be an interesting final to see who holds their nerve better. I would expect Na Li to win as she has experience winning a Slam at the French Open but Cibulkova may pull off a major scalp.
Men's Semi Final Singles Result:
(8) Wawrinka beat (7) Berdych 6-3,6-7,7-6,7-6
Women's Semi Final Singles Results:
(4) Na Li beat (30) Bouchard 6-2,6-4
(20) Cibulkova beat (5) Radwanska 6-1,6-2
Men's Doubles Semi Finals Results:
Butorac/Klaasen beat (8) Nestor/Zimonjic 6-2,6-4
(14) Kubot/Lindstedt beat (13) Llodra/Mahut 6-4,6-7,6-3
Mixed Doubles Quarter Finals Results:
(6) Mirza/Tecau beat Georges/Qureshi 6-3,6-4
Mladenovic/Nestor beat Hantuchova/Paes 6-3,6-4
Boys' Quarter Finals Singles Results:
(1) Zverev beat (11) Chung 6-2,6-4
(2) Kozlov beat (10) Rublev 6-2,6-1
(7) Halys beat Chryochas 6-3,6-4
Mousley beat (9) Majchrzak 6-3,6-4
Girls' Quarter Finals Singles Results:
(7) Sun beat (2) Jorovic 6-3,7-5
(4) Kulichkova beat (6) Ostapenko 6-1,1-6,6-4
Birrell beat (10) Komardina 6-7,6-1,6-3
Fett beat Hauger 6-2,3-6,6-3
Boys' Semi Finals Doubles Results:
(3) Halys/Tatlot beat (7) Jarsika/Majchrzak 6-2,7-6
(5) Meidler/Mousley beat Portero/Munar Clar 6-7,6-3,(10-8)
Girls' Semi Finals Doubles Results:
(1) Kalinina/Kulichkova beat (4) Komardina/Stojanovic 7-5,7-6
(2) Boulter/Jorovic beat Bains/Tjandramulia 6-4,3-6,(10-5)
Match of the Day: Wawrinka defeating Berdych after four sets
Federer defeats Murray, Azarenka out
Roger Federer overcame Andy Murray after four sets to reach the Australian Open semi finals. It was the Swiss player who looked in control from the start and after breaking the Murray serve, held out to claim the first set 6-3. The second set continued in similar fashion to the first and it was once again Federer broke the Murray serve to take the second set 6-4. A tie break was needed to finish the third set as both players held serve but Murray pounced to take the match into a fourth set. Federer played against the momentum of the match to seal his place in the semi finals after taking the fourth set 6-3. Rafael Nadal will face Roger Federer in the semi finals after the Spaniard sealed a four set victory over Grigor Dimitrov. It was the Bulgarian who started the match in strong fashion and took the opening set 6-3. The match could have swung either way after the second set but it was Nadal who claimed it in the tie break whilst the number one seed took the third set tie break to take a 2-1 sets lead. With the momentum in favour of Nadal, the Spaniard stormed to victory and took the fourth set 6-2.
In the women's draw, fifth seed Radwanska defeated second seed Victoria Azarenka after three sets. It was the Pole who raced away with the first set, taking it 6-1. Azarenka came back in the second set and broke serve to level the match at one set apiece. However, only one player turned up for the third set as Azarenka suffered a bagel to Radwanska. It will be Cibulkova who faces Radwanska in the semis after the 22nd seed defeated 11th seed Halep in straight sets. In a very one way match, Cilbulkova thrashed Halep and only conceded three games during the entire match.
My Opinion:
A great shame to see Andy go out in the quarters but Federer was simply too good today. It was a decent tournament for Andy considering he only just came back from injury to play. Federer has looked back to his best so far and did not disappoint today and deservedly won the match. The momentum seemed to going in Murray's favour heading into the fourth set but Federer dug deep to churn out the win. It should be a great semi final against Nadal who himself came through a tough match. Dimitrov played really well and it could have been a completely different story had he taken one of the tie breaks. I'm hoping it will be a classic between Roger and Rafa and it should be really interesting to see who comes out on top.
Azarenka and Radwanska both knew that they could win the tournament now that Serena is out but it was Radwanska who took the semi final place with a dominating win. Azarenka struggled in the first set but did well to take it into a third. However, Radwanska just proved too strong and obliterated Azarenka from the back of the court. She will be favourite in the semis against Cibulkova but the 22nd seed easily dismissed of Halep so it may not be such an easy match.
Men's Quarter Final Singles Results:
(1) Nadal beat (22) Dimitrov 3-6,7-6,7-6,6-2
(6) Federer beat (4) Murray 6-3,6-4,6-7,6-3
Women's Quarter Final Singles Results:
(5) Radwanska beat (2) Azarenka 6-1,5-7,6-0
(22) Cibulkova beat (11) Halep 6-3,6-0
Men's Doubles Quarter Finals Selected Results:
(13) Llodra/Mahut beat (5) Paes/Stepanek 6-2,7-6
(14) Kubot/Lindstedt beat Mirnyi/Youzhny 6-4,5-7,6-2
Women's Doubles Semi Finals Results:
(1) Errani/Vinci beat (4) Peschke/Srebotnik 6-1,6-4
(3) Makarova/Vesnina beat (8) Koops-Jones/Spears7-5,3-6,6-3
Mixed Doubles Quarter Finals Results:
Gajdosova/Edben beat (2) Srebotnik/Bopanna 7-5,6-3
Zheng/Lipsky beat (5) Garrigues/Soares 3-6,6-4,(10-7)
Boys' Third Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Zverev beat (15) Zormanda Silva 6-2,6-3
(2) Kozlov beat Pokotilov 6-1,6-2
(7) Halys beat (12) Lee 7-6,6-2
(11) Chung beat (8) Medvedev 6-3,3-6,6-1
(9) Majchrzak beat Polmans 6-3,6-3
(10) Rublev beat Bourchier 7-5,6-7,(14-12)
Girls' Third Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Jorovic beat Paolini 6-2,6-2
(4) Kulichkova beat Aiava 7-6,6-0
(6) Ostapenko beat Bains 3-6,7-5,6-1
(7) Sun beat (9) Boulter 6-2,6-4
(10) Komardina beat Haltingh 6-4,6-4
Fett beat Wallace 3-6,6-1,6-1
Boys' Quarter Finals Doubles Results:
(7) Jasika/Majchrzak beat (1) Kozlov/Mmoh 6-2,5-7,(10-8)
(5) Meidler/Mosley beat (2) Rublev/Zverev 6-4,7-6
(3) Halys/Tatlot beat Shakhnubaryan/Vasilyov 6-3,6-4
Portero/Clar beat (4) Medvedev/Safiullin 7-5,6-1
Girls' Quarter Finals Doubles Results:
(1) Kalinina/Kulichkova beat Christie/Ostapenko 3-6,6-1,(10-8)
(2) Boulter/Jorovic beat Cabrera/Hives 7-6,7-5
(4) Komardina/Stojanovic beat (5) Stollar/Wallace 6-3,6-3
Bains/Ijandramulia beat (8) Hon/Teichmann 6-1,6-4
Match of the Day: Federer triumphing over Murray after four sets
Wawrinka beats Djokovic in five set thriller
Stanislas Wawrinka produced some of the best tennis of his career to defeat second seed Novak Djokovic in a five set epic Australian Open quarter final. It was Djokovic who hit the ground running in the first set, breaking the Wawrinka serve twice to take it 6-2. However, Wawrinka hit back in the second set and broke the Djokovic serve to level the match at one set apiece. Incredibly, it was Wawrinka who took the third set after storming past Djokovic 6-2. The second seed then took the match into a deciding set after claiming a break of serve to level the match at two sets all. The fifth set was both entertaining and thrilling as both players refused to lose their lose their serve. However, at 7-7 it was Wawrinka who broke first and served the match out to claim his place in the semi finals. Tomas Berdych will play Wawrinka in the semi's after defeating third seed David Ferrer in four sets. It was a fast start from Berdych who raced his way into a one set lead after winning the opening set 6-1. That was followed up by Berdych taking the second 6-4 before Ferrer struck back, taking the third set 6-2. However, it was Berdych who claimed victory after winning the third set 6-4.
Na Li progressed into the semi finals after a comfortable straight sets victory over Flavia Pennetta. Both sets saw Na Li brake the Pennetta serve twice to claim each set 6-2. Bouchard will be Na Li's semi final opponent after the young Canadian player defeated Ana Ivanovic in three sets. The first set saw Ivanovic break serve at 5-5 before holding serve to win the first set. Bouchard struck back in the second to take the match into a deciding set where the momentum saw Bouchard through to victory.
My Opinion:
Some great matches today in the quarter finals but one clearly stands out above the others. Stan Wawrinka has improved over the last year but took his tennis to a new level today after defeating a warrior in Djokovic. The match started off strongly for Novak and it looked like he was going to complete a routine win. However, Stan claimed the next two sets, putting himself in the lead whilst amazing the crowd at the same time. Novak levelled the match at 2-2 and it really could have gone either way. It turned out to be a real epic contest but Stan prevailed 9-7 in the fifth to claim the victory of his career. He will be a strong favourite in the semi's against Berdych. Tomas overcame Ferrer in his quarter final and that was to be expected on a hard court.
No surprises that Na Li defeated Pennetta and it was a pretty straightforward affair. She will be favourite to win the semi and the final now. Incredible performance from young prodigy Bouchard who has made the semi's. It was a really tough and competitive match against the favourite Ivanovic but Bouchard upset all the odds and came out on top in the third set. It should be a great match against Na Li and to see if she can make the final.
Men's Quarter Final Singles Results:
(8) Wawrinka beat (2) Djokovic 2-6,6-4,6-2,3-6,9-7
(7) Berdych beat (3) Ferrer 6-1,6-4,2-6,6-4
Women's Quarter Final Singles Results:
(4) Na Li beat (28) Pennetta 6-2,6-2
(30) Bouchard beat (14) Ivanovic 5-7,7-5,6-2
Men's Doubles Quarter Finals Selected Results:
(8) Nestor/Zimonjic beat Bolt/Whittington 6-2,7-6
Butorac/Klaasen beat (12) Huey/Inglot 6-7,7-6,6-4
Women's Doubles Quarter Finals Results:
(1) Errani/Vinci beat (6) Black/Mirza 6-2,3-6,6-4
(3) Makarova/Vesnina beat (7) Hantuchova/Safarova 6-2,2-6,7-6
(4) Peschke/Srebotnik beat Gajodosova/Tomljanovic 7-5,4-6,6-4
(8) Koops-Jones/Spears beat Peer/Soler-Espinosa 6-4,6-0
Women's Doubles Quarter Finals Results:
Zheng/Lipsky beat (1) Groenfeld/Peya 2-6,7-6,(10-5)
Georges/Qureshi beat (4) Hlavackova/Mirnyi 6-3,6-4
Boys' Second Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Zverev beat Matsumura 4-6,6-2,9-7
(7) Halys beat Anderson 7-5,6-1
(8) Medvedev beat Sun 6-4,6-0
Girls' Second Round Singles Selected Results:
Hauger beat (1) Flink 6-4,6-3
(4) Kulichkova beat Cabrera 6-1,6-3
Fett beat (5) Xu 3-6,6-4,7-5
(6) Ostapenko beat Yerolymos 7-6,6-2
Wallace beat Novotna 6-2,6-1
Boys' Second Round Doubles Selected Results:
(1) Kozlov/Mmoh beat Onishi/Santillan 6-3,6-4
(2) Rublev/Zverev beat Anderson/Klintcharov 6-4,6-2
(3) Halys/Tatlot beat Qui/Zheng 6-3,6-4
Hong/Oh beat (4) Medvedev/Safivllin 6-3,5-7,(16-14)
Girls' Second Round Doubles Selected Results:
(1) Kalinina/Kulichkova beat Reddy/Venugopal 6-1,6-2
(2) Boulter/Jorovic beat Huang/Mcphee 2-6,6-1,(10-4)
Bains/Ijandramulia beat (3) Xu/You 6-7,6-3,(12-10)
(4) Komardina/Stojanovic beat Cao/Zheng 6-2,4-6,(10-7)
(5) Stollar/Wallace beat Fett/Yerolymos 3-6,6-3,(12-10)
Christie/Ostapenko beat (6) Buayam/Tomic 6-4,6-2
Match of the Day: Stanislas Wawrinka defeating Novak Djokovic in a five set epic
Murray and Nadal through, Sharapova out
Andy Murray fought his way into the Australian Open quarter finals after defeating Robert with a four set victory. The first two sets saw Murray dominate the match, taking a two set lead after only dropping three games. However, Robert took the third set tie break to force the match into a fourth set. Murray wasted no time in the fourth set, taking it 6-2 to make the quarters. Rafael Nadal overcame a tough encounter with Kei Nishikori. Each set was very competitive but it was Nadal who prevailed each time to claim a straight sets victory. Roger Federer continues his fine run of form with an impressive straight sets win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Grigor Dimitrov knocked out Del Potro's conqueror with a four set win over Bautista-Agut.
Victoria Azarenka made it through to the quarters with a solid win over the dangerous Sloane Stephens. One break was enough to take the first set whilst Azarenka took the second set after breaking serve twice. It was the end of the road for third seed Maria Sharapova who crashed out to Cibulkova. It was Sharapova who took the opening set but was taken into a third after losing the second set 6-4. However, it was Cibulkova who stormed to victory, winning the third set 6-1. Fifth seed Radwanska booked her place in the quarters with a straight sets win over Muguruzu whilst Halep produced a bagel in the third set to knock out eighth seed Jankovic.
My Opinion:
Great to see Murray progress into the quarters although he did concede the third set to Robert. It will be a great match next for Murray who will play Roger Federer after the Swiss player looked very impressive to breeze past Tsonga. Nishikori gave Nadal a really tough match and was unfortunate not to have taken a set off him. Nadal just proved too strong in both the tie breaks and claims his place in the quarters. It was a superb performance from Dimitrov, who carries a lot of expectation on his shoulders, to knock out the dangerous Bautista-Agut. Meanwhile, in the woman's draw Azarenka played well to defeat a strong baseline player in Stephens rather comfortably. Very shocked that Sharapova lost to Cibulkova. It was a really close match going into the third set but surprisingly it was Cibulkova who stormed to victory. Sharapova has struggled in recent slams and still doesn't look back to her best. Radwanska progresses nicely into the quarters with an expected win over Muguruzu whilst it was a good battle between Halep and Jankovic with Halep proving way too strong for Jankovic in the third set.
Men's Fourth Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Nadal beat (16) Nishikori 7-6,7-5,7-6
(4) Murray beat Robert 6-1,6-2,6-7,6-2
(6) Federer beat (10) Tsonga 6-3,7-5,6-4
(22) Dimitrov beat Bautista-Agut 6-3,3-6,6-2,6-4
Women's Fourth Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Azarenka beat (13) Stephens 6-3,6-2
(20) Cibulkova beat (3) Sharapova 3-6,6-4,6-1
(5) Radwanska beat Muguruzu 6-1,6-3
(11) Halep beat (8) Jankovic 6-4,2-6,6-0
Men's Doubles Third Round Selected Results:
(3) Butorac/Klaasen beat (1) Bryan/Bryan 7-6,6-4
(14) Kubot/Lindstedt beat (4) Dodig/Melo 5-7,6-4,6-4
Women's Doubles Third Round Selected Results:
(3) Makarova/Vesnina beat (15) Hantuchova/Raymond 6-4,6-7,6-2
(6) Black/Mirza beat Bouchard/Dushevina 6-4,6-3
Mixed Doubles First Round Selected Results:
(4) Hlavackova/Mirnyi beat Dellacqua/Hutchins 6-4,6-4
Mixed Doubles Second Round Selected Results:
(2) Srebotnik/Bopanna beat Barty/Peers 7-6,7-5
(5) Garrigues/Soares beat Spears/Inglot 6-7,7-5,(10-8)
(6) Mirza/Tecau beat Rodionova/Fleming 6-2,6-2
Boys' Second Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Kozlov beat Soendergaard 6-7,7-5,6-0
Girls' Second Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Jorovic beat Teichmann 6-2,6-3
Birrell beat (3) Kalinina 2-6,6-4,6-4
(9) Boulter beat Vikhyatseva 6-4,6-3
Boys' First Round Doubles Selected Results:
(2) Rublev/Zverev beat De Minaut/Hobart 6-2,6-4
(3) Halys/Tatlot beat Fukvola/Nakagawa 4-6,6-3,(10-3)
(4) Medvedev/Safiullin beat Berettini/Cutuli 7-6,6-4
Girls' First Round Doubles Selected Results:
(2) Boulter/Jorovic beat Arakawa/Ye 7-5,6-4
(3) Xu/You beat Francati/Mihalikova 6-3,6-1
(4) Komardina/Stojanovic beat Aiava/Mendez 6-2,6-4
Christie/Ostapenko beat McIntyre/Pits 6-2,6-2
Match of the Day: Federer defeating Tsonga in straight sets
Upset of the Day: Cibulkova beat third seed Maria Sharapova after three sets
Ivanovic knocks Serena out of Australian Open
There was a major upset in the women's fourth round singles as Ana Ivanovic defeated Serena Williams in a three set thriller. The first set was closely competitive but it was Serena who broke serve to win 6-4. Ivanovic struck back to level the match at one set all after taking it 6-3. The crowd were left shocked as Ivanovic outplayed Serena from the back of the court to claim a major scalp and knock the number one seed out. Na Li cruised into the quarter finals after thrashing Makarova 6-2,6-0. Flavia Pennetta caused another upset after beating ninth seed Angelique Kerber in the third set. Rising star Bouchard overcame a tough encounter with Casey Dellacqua but prevailed in the third set with a bagel.
Novak Djokovic sealed his place in the quarter finals after tearing apart Fabio Fognini. The second seed dominated the match, losing only five games along the way. David Ferrer defeated Mayer but needed four sets to do so. Tomas Berdych prevailed over the big serving Kevin Anderson with a straight sets victory. Stanislas Wawrinka battled his way past a stern opponent in Tommy Robredo after grinding his way to victory through three hard fought sets.
My Opinion:
Totally shocked that Serena lost a set, never mind lost the match. An incredible effort from Ana Ivanovic to defeat Serena. To come from a set down and beat Serena takes real guts and spirit but that was hugely impressive from Ivanovic who surely becomes favourite to win the title. Na Li made life easy for herself after a crushing win over Makarova. The fourth seed will fancy her chances amongst the others still in it to win now that Serena has gone. Kerber fails once again in a slam after being knocked out by the hard hitting Pennetta. The more I see of the young Bouchard, the more I'm impressed. Widely tipped to be a star in the future and from what I've seen from her game and results, nobody wants to play her. Fognini was simply given a lesson by Djokovic who strolled past the Italian. Ferrer was made to work for his quarter final place but made it there safely enough. No surprise to see Berdych come out on top of the battle of the big servers. Tomas has much more to his game than just a big serve and demonstrated that well today. Stan Wawrinka played well in both the tie breaks during his win over Robredo and deserves some credit for doing so.
Men's Fourth Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Djokovic beat (15) Fognini 6-3,6-0,6-2
(3) Ferrer beat Mayer 6-7,7-5,6-2,6-1
(7) Berdych beat (19) Anderson 6-2,6-2,6-3
(8) Wawrinka beat (17) Robredo 6-3,7-6,7-6
Women's Fourth Round Singles Selected Results:
(14) Ivanovic beat (1) S.Williams 4-6,6-3,6-3
(4) Na Li beat (22) Makarova 6-2,6-0
(28) Pennetta beat (9) Kerber 6-1,4-6,7-5
(30) Bouchard beat Dellacqua 6-7,6-2,6-0
Men's Doubles Third Round Selected Results:
(13) Llodra/Mahut beat (2) Peya/Soares 7-6,6-4
(12) Huey/Inglot beat (7) Bopanna/Qureshi 6-4,7-6
Women's Doubles Third Round Selected Results:
(1) Errani/Vinci beat Adamczak/Rogowska 6-2,6-2
(4) Peschke/Srebotnik beat (13) Chan/Huber 6-2,6-7,6-4
Mixed Doubles First Round Selected Results:
Raymond/Fyrstenberg beat (3) Huber/Melo 6-2,6-2
Rodionova/Fleming beat Kuznetsova/Zimonjic 6-4,6-4
Spears/Inglot beat Hradecka/Emmrich 6-1,7-6
Boys' First Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Zverev beat Serdarusic 6-3,6-4
(2) Kozlov beat Molt 7-6,4-6,7-5
Molcan beat (4) Safiullin 3-6,7-6,6-4
Girls' First Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Flink beat Ye 7-5,6-4
(9) Boulter beat Venugopal 6-3,6-3
Wallace beat (12) Han 6-3,5-7,12-10
Boys' First Round Doubles Selected Results:
(1) Kozlov/Mmoh beat Chung/Kang 6-2,6-0
Girls' First Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Kalinina/Kulichkova beat Birrell/Dokic 6-1,6-4
(5) Stollar/Wallace beat Dikosavlevic/Hoang 7-5,6-4
Cabrera/Hives beat Arbuthnott/Hauger 6-3,6-2
Match of the Day: Ivanovic defeating Serena Williams in a three set thriller
Upset of the Day: Number one seed Serena Williams knocked out by Ivanovic
Murray, Nadal and Azarenka make Fourth Round
Andy Murray continues his good run at the Australian Open with a straight sets win over Feliciano Lopez. The first set went to a tie break but it was Murray who prevailed. It was comfortable stuff from then on for Murray who took the next two sets 6-4 and 6-2. Rafael Nadal had no problems in overcoming the dangerous Gael Monfils with a straight sets victory. Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga both booked their places in the fourth round with straight sets victories over Gabashvili and Simon respectively. Grigor Dimitrov continues to impress after defeating 11th seed Milos Raonic in four competitive sets.
Victoria Azarenka thrashed Meusburger 6-1,6-0 to reach the fourth round whilst Maria Sharapova had an easier ride of it today with a more comfortable win over Alize Cornet. Radwanska had to claw her way back into the match against Pavlyuchenkova after losing the first set but managed to prevail after winning the next two. Jankovic and Halep are going strongly in the competition so far and eased their way into the fourth round. There was an upset today and it came as 10th seed Wozniacki was sent crashing out after losing a closely fought three set match to Muguruza.
My Opinion:
Good to see Murray coming through his match in relatively easy style. The first set was close but the other two really weren't. Nadal looks in imperious form and dismissed of a very dangerous player in Monfils in crushing fashion. Federer and Tsonga both cruised past their opponents as expected but it was interesting to see that Dimitrov overcame Raonic in four closely contested sets. Azarenka only lost one game to her opponent today and looks like she means business. Sharapova will be glad she wasn't required to work as hard to win today and moves nicely into the fourth round. Radwanska is losing sets in the early stages of the tournament and looks beatable. Will be interesting to see how far she goes. Jankovic and Halep progress as expected but just as it looked like Wozniacki had found some form, she crashes out in the third round.
Men's Third Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Nadal beat (25) Monfils 6-1,6-2,6-3
(4) Murray beat (26) Lopez 7-6,6-4,6-2
(6) Federer beat Gabasvili 6-2,6-2,6-3
(10) Tsonga beat (18) Simon 7-6,6-4,6-2
(22) Dimitrov beat (11) Raonic 6-3,3-6,6-4,7-6
(16) Nishikori beat Young 7-5,6-1,6-0
Women's Third Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Azarenka beat Meusburger 6-1,6-0
(3) Sharapova beat (25) Cornet 6-1,7-6
(5) Radwanska beat (29) Pavlyuchenkova 5-7,6-2,6-2
(8) Jankovic beat Nara 6-4,7-5
Muguruza beat (10) Wozniacki 4-6,7-5,6-3
(11) Halep beat Diyas 6-1,6-4
(13) Stephens beat Svitolina 7-5,6-4
(20) Cibulkova beat (16) Suarez-Navarro 6-1,6-0
Men's Doubles Second Round Selected Results:
(1) Bryan/Bryan beat Haase/Kas 6-3,6-2
(2) Soares/Peya beat Bhupathi/Ram 6-4,7-6
Bolt/Whittington beat (3) Marrero/Verdasco 7-6,6-3
(4) Dodig/Melo beat Bolelli/Fognini 2-6,6-1,6-4
(7) Bopanna/Quereshi beat Fleming/Hutchins 4-6,6-3,6-2
(12) Huey/Inglot beat Seppi/Starace 6-3,6-7,6-1
Butorac/Klaasen beat (15) Murray/Peers 6-4,6-4
Women's Doubles Second Round Selected Results:
(5) Makarova/Vesnina beat Sankovic/Knapp 6-4,6-3
Mixed Doubles First Round Selected Results:
(1) Groenefeld/Peya beat Dushevina/Rojer 6-3,7-6
(2) Srebotnik/Bopanna beat Kops-Jones/Huey 6-2,6-3
(5) Garrigues/Soares beat Black/Murray 6-2,6-4
Junior Boys' First Round Singles Selected Results:
Blasko beat (3) Tatlot 6-4,0-6,6-4
Junior Girls' First Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Jorovic beat Pits 6-2,6-3
(3) Kalinina beat Cao 6-3,7-6
(4) Kulichkova beat Zheng 6-2,6-0
Birrell beat Arbuthnott 3-6,7-6,6-3
Cabrera beat Christie 7-5,6-3
Match of the Day: Dimitrov defeating Raonic in four sets
Upset of the Day: Muguruzu defeating tenth seed Wozinacki in three sets
Wins for Djokovic and Serena
Novak Djokovic booked his place in the fourth round after a comfortable victory over Denis Istomin. A break of serve in each set enabled Djokovic to seal the win in straight sets. David Ferrer will join Novak in the next round after defeating Jeremy Chardy in three sets. A double break of serve saw the third seed take the opening set before Ferrer won an important second set tie break. From there, Ferrer took victory after winning the third set 6-2. Berdych and Fognini sealed straight sets victories but there were a couple of upsets today. Tommy Robredo defeated ninth seed Richard Gasquet in a tough four set encounter whilst Mayer managed to overcome Jerzy Janowicz in straight sets.
Serena Williams had no problems in booking her place in the fourth round, defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-3,6-3. Na Li recovered from a slow start, winning the second set tie break to level the match before winning the third set 6-3. Kerber eased herself into the next round with victory over Riske but the match of the day saw Ana Ivanovic defeat Australia's Sam Stosur in a three set epic. It was Stosur who claimed the first set after a hard fought tie break but Ivanovic dug deep to come back and win the next two sets.
My Opinion:
No surprises to see Novak and Ferrer move into the fourth round along with Berdych. However, I was a little shocked to see Gasquet knocked out by Robredo. You can never write Tommy off as he never gives up but Gasquet looked in control after winning the first set. However, the Frenchman went off the boil and failed to reproduce the level of tennis that he played in the first set. As for Janowicz being knocked out, it was on the cards. He was lucky to have got this far after some tough matches prior to this one but it puts him back on the road to recovery. Serena is safely through but she did lose six games. Na Li found herself in a scrap but did really well to get herself out of a sticky situation. It was a great game between Ivanovic and Stosur and well fought out. In the end, the match went with the seedings but it really could have gone either way.
Men's Third Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Djokovic beat Istomin 6-3,6-3,7-5
(3) Ferrer beat (29) Chardy 6-2,7-6,6-2
(7) Berdych beat Dzumhur 6-4,6-2,6-2
(17) Robredo beat (9) Gasquet 2-6,7-5,6-4,7-6
(15) Fognini beat Querrey 7-5,6-4,6-4
(19) Anderson beat Roger-Vasselin 3-6,4-6,6-3,7-6,7-5
Mayer beat (20) Janowicz 7-5,6-2,6-2
Women's Third Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) S.Williams beat (31) Hantuchova 6-3,6-3
(4) Na Li beat (26) Safarova 1-6,7-6,6-3
(9) Kerber beat Riske 6-3,6-4
(14) Ivanovic beat (17) Stosur 6-7,6-4,6-2
Men's Doubles First Round Selected Results:
(1) Bryan/Bryan beat Hanley/Marray 6-4,7-6
(3) Marrero/Verdasco beat Duckworth/Ebden 6-3,6-2
(4) Dodig/Melo beat Guccione/Kokkinakis 7-5,7-6
Women's Doubles Second Round Selected Results:
(1) Errani/Vinci beat Kapnepi/Voracova 1-6,6-1,6-1
Peer/Soler-Espinosa beat (2) Hsieh/Peng 7-5,3-6,6-4
(3) Makarova/Vesnina beat Davis/Dominguez-Lino 6-3,6-2
(4) Peschke/Srebotnik beat Piter/Rosolska 7-6,6-4
Match of the Day: Ivanovic defeating Stosur in three sets
Upset of the Day: Ninth seed Gasquet being knocked out by Robredo
Murray marches on, Sharapova survives scare
Andy Murray eased into the third round with a straight sets victory over Millot. Two breaks of serve in each of the first two sets was enough for Murray to take a 2-0 set lead but was made to work harder for the third set, eventually taking it 7-5. Rafael Nadal defeated young Australian hopeful Kokkinakis in straightforward fashion, taking the match two, four and two. There were wins for Federer, Tsonga and Raonic but Baustista-Agut caused a major upset after defeating fifth seed Del Potro in a five set thriller.
Victoria Azarenka made it safely into the third round after beating Strycova 6-1,6-4 whilst Radwanska stormed her way to victory with a 6-0,7-5 win over Govortsova. Maria Sharapova avoided a major scare with a three set epic win over Knapp. Sharapova won the first set with a single break but was drawn level after losing the second set 6-5. In a very closely contested third set, it was Sharapova who triumphed 10-8. Jankovic eased into the third round with a dominating win over Morita whilst Wozniacki and Halep were made to fight hard for their places in the third round.
My Opinion:
Good to see Murray progress smoothly into the third round without being tested too much so far. Nadal entertained the crowd by giving Kokkinakis a good game but proved too strong for the young Aussie. No problems for both Federer and Tsonga who look in good form. Amazing performance from Bautista-Agut to knock out Del Potro. Did not see that one coming at all but it was thoroughly deserved. When Del Potro went two sets to one ahead nobody could have seen the comeback that was to come. Simon was involved in another five set epic, coming from two sets to one down to prevail in the fifth set. Standard procedure for Azarenka who looked comfortable in her straight sets win. Sharapova was given a real run for her money but dug deep to come out on top after a long third set. Radwanska and Jankovic both look in good form and will be dangerous opponents in the coming rounds. Wozniacki had to work a little harder than she expected but managed to produce some strong tennis to overcome Mchale.
Men's Second Round Singles Selected Results:
(1) Nadal beat Kokkinakis 6-2,6-4,6-2
(4) Murray beat Millot 6-2,6-2,7-5
Bautista-Agut beat (5) Del Potro 4-6,6-3,5-7,6-4,7-5
(6) Federer beat Kavcic 6-2,6-1,7-6
(10) Tsonga beat Bellucci 7-6,6-4,6-4
(10) Raonic beat Hanescu 7-6,6-4,6-4
(16) Nishikori beat Lajovic 6-1,6-1,7-6
(18) Simon beat Cilic 4-6,7-6,6-7,6-1,6-2
Women's Second Round Singles Selected Results:
(2) Azarenka beat Strycova 6-1,6-4
(3) Sharapova beat Knapp 6-3,4-6,10-8
(5) Radwanska beat Govortsova 6-0,7-5
(8) Jankovic beat Morita 6-2,6-0
(10) Wozniacki beat Mchale 6-0,1-6,6-2
(11) Halep beat Lepchenko 4-6,6-0,6-1
(13) Stephens beat Tomljanovic 3-6,6-2,7-5
(16) Suarez-Navarro beat Voskotoeva 7-6,3-6,8-6
(20) Cibulkova beat Voegele 6-0,6-1
Men's Doubles First Round Selected Results:
(15) Murray/Peers beat Reid/Saville 7-6,7-6
Women's Doubles First Round Selected Results:
(1) Errani/Vinci beat Barthel/Moulton-Levy 7-5,6-2
(2) Hsieh/Peng beat Hrdinova/Ormaechea 6-7,7-6,6-0
Match of the Day: Sharapova defeating Knapp 10-8 in the third set
Upset of the Day: Fifth seed Del Potro crashed out to Bautista-Agut
Australia thrash England to win ODI Series
Australia 244-3 (40) beat England 243-9 (50) by 7 wickets (Australia win Series 3-0)
Australia have now won the ODI Series 3-0 after thrashing England by seven wickets in the third ODI in Sydney. England got off to a strong start as Cook and Bell put on a fifty partnership. However, Cook was dismissed for 35 by Coulter-Nile as England were reduced to 50-1. Bell and Stokes both lost their wickets as England were knocked down to 91-3. Ballance was the next casualty, falling for 26 off the bowling of Coulter-Nile to leave the team 121-4. Morgan and Bopara provided some stability, putting on a fifty partnership before Bopara edged behind for 21. Morgan then passed his fifty before being bowled by Christian for 54 which left England 186-6. It wasn't much longer before Buttler was bowled by Coulter-Nile and Broad edged behind four balls later to leave the team struggling on 198-8. Bresnan and Jordan took England past the 200 run mark but Jordan fell for 10 to Faulkner. Bresnan hit 41 not out off 29 balls to get England up to 243-9 after their 50 overs.
Jordan dismissed Finch at the end of the 7th over to reduce Australia to 43-1 but from then on it was Australia who dominated proceedings. Warner and Marsh put on a fifty partnership before Warner passed fifty for himself. Stokes managed to take the wicket of Warner to leave Australia 121-2. Marsh and Clarke produced a fifty partnership right before Clarke was bowled by Bopara for 34. Marsh and Haddin put on a fifty partnership before taking Australia over the line at 244-3 after only 40 overs. Australia win the Series 3-0.
My Opinion:
Another woeful performance from England allows Australia to dominate once again. England lost the Ashes 5-0 and have now lost the ODI Series 3-0 with two games still to go. It was to be expected after Australia produced a miraculous end to the last game. Although, it was actually a decent start by England to their innings today. Reaching 50-0 was good but being reduced to 91-3 was not so good. It was another case of people getting themselves in but getting out. Cook reached 35, Bell 29 and Stokes 15. The next lot to go were Ballance for 26 and Bopara for 21. Again getting themselves in but out soon after. Morgan made a fifty but failed to go on from there. The bowlers were rattled out quickly but I admire Bresnan for giving it a go and he impressed me by scoring 41 not out off 29 balls at the end of the innings. It turned out that 243-9 was a score way below par as Australia reached the target with ten overs left to spare. Warner and Marsh both scored 71 runs in as many balls which blew England out of the park. Another game, another loss for England. There are still two ODI's left to play and I just hope that England can somehow win one of them.
Match Guide: Key Moments
England win the toss and bat first
England Innings:
(8.2) 50-0, 50 partnership between Cook 35* and Bell 15*.
(8.4) 50-1, Cook 35 (36), 5 fours, 1 six, caught Maxwell, Coulter-Nile.
(14.1) 70-2, Bell 29 (35), 4 fours, run out by Warner.
(22.4) 91-3, Stokes 15 (39), caught Clarke, Doherty.
(26) 113-3, Ballance 21*, Morgan 8*.
(28.3) 121-4, Ballance 26 (42), 2 fours, caught Christian, Coulter-Nile.
(36) 153-4, Morgan 34*, Bopara 11*.
(39) 173-4, 50 partnership between Morgan 43* and Bopara 20*.
(40) 177-5, Bopara 21 (36), caught Haddin, Faulkner.
(41) 185-5, 50 for Morgan.
(41.2) 186-6, Morgan 54 (58), 4 fours, 2 sixes, caught and bowled by Christian.
(43.2) 195-7, Buttler 4 (8), bowled by Christian.
(44.2) 198-8, Broad 1 (4), caught Haddin, Coulter-Nile.
(45) 204-8, Bresnan 10*, Jordan 4*.
(48.3) 225-9, Jordan 10 (12), 1 four, caught Finch, Faulkner.
(50) 243-9, Bresnan 41*(29), 3 fours, 2 sixes and Tredwell 2*(2).
Batsman of the Innings: Morgan 54 (58)
Bowler of the Innings: Coulter-Nile 3-47
Australia Innings:
(7) 43-1, Finch 22 (20), 3 fours, caught Bopara, Jordan.
(8) 50-1, Warner 24*, Marsh 0*.
(17) 93-1, 50 for Warner and the 50 partnership with Marsh.
(18) 100-1, Warner 53*, Marsh 18*.
(20.2) 121-2, Warner 71 (70), 7 fours, 2 sixes, caught Bell, Stokes.
(26) 154-2, Marsh 31*, Clarke 23*.
(28.2) 172-2, 50 partnership between Marsh and Clarke.
(28.4) 172-3, Clarke 34 (28), 4 fours, bowled by Bopara.
(35) 200-3.
(38) 227-3, 50 partnership between Marsh and Haddin.
(40) 244-3, Marsh 71*(89), 7 fours and Haddin 35*(28), 3 fours, 1 six. Australia win by 7 wickets and win the Series 3-0.
Batsman of the Innings: Warner 71 (70)
Bowler of the Innings: Jordan 1-56
Batsman of the Day: Warner 71 (70)
Bowler of the Day: Coulter-Nile 3-47
