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Becker advises Murray to look for help
According to six-times Major winner Boris Becker, Andy Murray needs to tap into the knowledge of some of the "icons of the game" if he is to move from Grand Slam contender to champion. The 42-year-old German, who won the first of his three Wimbledons at age 17, immediately ruled himself out for that particular job.
Murray lost out to Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 7-6(11) in the Australian Open final, his second Grand Slam final defeat after he was swept aside by Federer in the 2008 US Open. Becker said Murray had played the best Slam of his career in Melbourne but needs to work on his aggression. "You need to talk to people like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, someone Andy would listen to and respect," Becker wrote in London's Daily Telegraph. "For Murray, it is now about playing the right shot at the right time, not running or going to the gym."
Becker said Murray needed guidance on a daily basis from an experienced coach, despite the success in his own hammered-together Team Murray staffed mainly by friends and other part-time experts including Spain's two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja.
"Andy will be among the top men's players over the next five years, but if he wants to be above them, not amid them, he needs to have someone in his corner who knows what it is like to win a grand slam, to climb the Mount Everest of tennis," wrote Becker.
"The air is thin up there, and Andy needs to surround himself with people who have been to the summit, who can describe to him how they got there, and how he can as well." Becker gave credit to the Murray camp for making the 22-year-old Scot "the third best player on the planet - but you cannot learn the skills you need out on the centre court from a book, or from hearsay." Becker advised Murray to get to work on developing an even more aggressive game.
Federer hopes to extend 'incredible trip'
Roger Federer once again silenced his critics, who were questioning his hunger for grand slam success after his loss to Juan Martin Del Potro in U.S Open Finals, with an emphatic victory over Andy Murray in Sunday's Australian Open Final. 
Appearing in his 22nd career Grand Slam singles final, the Swiss Ace collected his 16th major title with a 6-3 6-4 7-6(11) win over the fifth seeded Scot. It is his first Grand Slam title won as a father, as his wife Mirka gave birth to twin girls six months ago.
Re-live the moments of brilliance of Federer-Murray final, click here.
"Coming here at the beginning of the year and playing so well, it's a beautiful feeling," said Federer, who moved ahead of Pete Sampras to win a record 15th major at Wimbledon last year.
"I definitely had to play some of my best tennis to come through. That was clearly the case."
Federer became the fifth man to win at least four Australian Open titles. He first won in 2004 and then in 2006, 2007 and re-claimed it in 2010.
Here is Federer's road to the final.
R128 beat Igor Andreev 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-0
R64 beat Victor Hanescu 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
R32 beat Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
R16 beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
QF beat Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5
SF beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
"I always knew I had it in my hand. The question is (did) I have it in my mind and in my legs,"
He added "That's something I had to work extremely hard at. Now I feel like obviously I'm being pushed a great deal by the new generation coming up.
"I think that's also thanks to guys like Murray. They've made me a better player, because I think this has been one of my finest performances, you know, in a long time, or maybe forever."
Federer said that he had no plans of stopping and hoped his twin girls might join his wife Mirka in the players' box next year.
"My game is not as taxing as other players' games. I also think I have a very relaxed mind when it comes to the game of tennis.
"But off the court, it's a matter of relaxing and enjoying it, you know, seeing friends and families. There's more important things than tennis after all.
"I think that's something I've always had a clear vision of how my life is. I think that's also helped me to go through better and tougher phases, because I know this is an incredible trip I'm on.
"We'll see where it ends, you know. I hope not anytime soon."
Federer raises $600, 000 for Haiti charity
At the prize distribution ceremony, President of Tennis Australia Geoff Pollard said that the charity match initiated by Federer to raise money for Haiti earthquake victims had raised more than $600,000.
Federer had organized a mixed-doubles fundraiser on the eve of the Open that featured some of tennis' top stars(Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters and Lleyton Hewitt), wearing microphones on court and providing comedic commentary as they played.
Donations poured in after that: the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour and the International Tennis Federation contributed a combined $265,000; the Grand Slam Committee gave $177,000, Pollard told the crowd on center court after Federer won his 16th Grand Slam final.
Players have also donated rackets that are being auctioned on eBay and have raised almost $40,000. "Haiti is a tragedy that has touched the hearts of the world," Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood said in the statement. "The tennis community just wanted to help."
Australian Open Final - Federer v Murray match stats
Roger Federer and Andy Murray’s third-set tie-breaker in their 2010 
Australian Open men’s final was second-longest tie-breaker ever played in major men’s final – only the epic Bjorn Borg-John McEnroe 32-point “Battle of 18-16” tie-breaker 30 years ago in the 1980 Wimbledon final lasting longer. Federer saved off five set points in the third-set tie-breaker in his 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11) victory.
| Roger Federer (1) | 6 | 6 | 7 | ||
| Andy Murray (5) | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| MATCH STATS | Match | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | |
| R.Federer | A.Murray | ||||
| Aces | 11 | 10 | |||
| 1st serve % | 65.00% | 55.00% | |||
| Double Faults | 2 | 4 | |||
| Win % on 1st serve | 72.00% | 69.00% | |||
| Win % on 2nd serve | 57.00% | 47.00% | |||
| Winners (incl. Service) | 58 | 40 | |||
| Unforced Errors | 42 | 36 | |||
| Receiving points won | 41.00% | 33.00% | |||
| Break Pt. Conversions | 33.00% | 25.00% | |||
| Total Points Won | 116 | 100 | |||
| Net Approaches | 72.00% | 61.00% | |||
Day-14 Update-8 Federer lifts the Australian Open Men's Title 2010
Roger Federer dashed British fans' hopes when he conquered Scottish challenger Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13/11) to win his fourth Australian Open title at Melbourne on Sunday.
Federer lifts his fourth Australian Open Title.
To relive the excitement, click here
King Federer beats Murray, wins Australian Open crown
Top seed and World No.1 Roger Federer overwhelmed Scot Andy Murray in straight sets to win his 16th Grand Slam title at the 2010 Australian Open in the final match played here on the famous Rod Laver Arena.
Re-live the moments of brilliance of Federer-Murray final, click here.
Federer opened the match like a champion and soon grabbed a break to close it by 6 games to 3. As the match progressed, Murray's serve got broken early on in the second set as well and gave Federer a golden chance which he confidently converted into a giant two sets to love lead.
The third set brought slight success for Murray who managed a couple of break point and secured a break for a while till he was broken back by Federer once again. As the set went into a tie-break, Federer took charge of the game and despite down two sets points, bounced back and cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11) victory in a two and a half hour match.
This is Federer's fourth Australian Open title after his wins in 2004, 4006 and 2007. With a win, Federer pocketed a hefty check of AUD 2.0 million and the memorable silverware.
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Day-14 Update-7 Federer equals game score with Murray at 5-5 in the third set
Federer makes no mistakes at such a crucial stage and levels the set at 5-5. Will it be Federer in three? Murray still in the match. the Scot shows nerves of steel and comes through a really close call in the match to stay very much in contention.
Who you think is the favourite in this clash. Cast your vote and tell us the winner of this match.
Day-14 Update-6 Roger Federer claims his second consecutive set at the Finals
A FORMIDABLE LEAD. Three time champion Roger Federer tactfully maintains a single break lead from the third game to clinch the second set by 6 games to 4. Murray seems to have no answer to Federer's brilliance from all corners of the court and loses the second set despite an improved play to see his chances in the third set now.
Day-14 Update-5 Murray draws close to Fedex in the second set
The Swiss maestro keeps building the pressure on Murray and gets three break points immediately. Murray, on the other hand, refuses to lose so easily and fights back with some cruciall winners to level at deuce and then extracts a few errors to hold serve.
Day-14 Update-2 Federer chooses to serve, leads 2-1 in the first set
Federer makes a sluggish start to the match and loses the opening two points. The Swiss then starts making Murray play more balls and extracts errors in long rallies to hold a TOUGH service game. Murray understands the equations in the match, and starts taking control of rallies more with a little bit of added aggression. A beautiful backhand pass then gives Murray a chance to break back which he does and gets on board.
Check out Federer progress to the finals, click here.
Day-14 Update-1 Rain causes roof to close down on Rod Laver Arena
Well, right before the match, weather plays it's part as rains start pouring in and the roof on the Rod Laver Arena is closed. It may come as a good news for all the British fans as Murray has dominated Federer in all their previous encounters on indoors.
Murray, Federer ready for final battle in Melbourne
Andy Murray says he is fully geared up with the arsenal that will require to knock out World No 1 Roger Federer in Sunday's Australian Open final.
"I'm going to need to play my best match ever," said Murray. "I'm totally aware of that going into the match tomorrow."
"That's what I plan on doing. I'll try and play my best. If I do, I've got a good chance of winning."
Murray is trying to become the first British since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a men’s singles title at one of the four major tournaments.
"Roger's record in slams speaks for itself," added Murray. "If I'm going to play against him, it will take a special performance to win against him but I feel like I can do that.
"Physically I'm going to be a lot fresher and just play better."
Click here to enjoy the live commentary of this Final.
Federer replied to Murray's verbal volleys that it will be the Brit who would be under huge pressure and not him.
"I know he'd like to win the first for British tennis in, what is it, like 150,000 years " Federer said.
"I think he really needs it more than I do, so I think the pressure's big on him. But we'll see how he's going to handle it. It's not going to be easy for him, that's for sure."
Cast your vote and tell us who you think will emerge victorious in Sunday's Men's final.
The Swiss Ace has already played in 21 Grand Slam finals, winning 15. He has won the Australian Open three times and will look to reclaim the title which he lost to Rafael Nadal last year in an epic five-set tussle.
" I have won many grand slams prior to that, been able to win here three times, so I know what it takes and how to do it, which is definitely an advantage."
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Bryan twins win their fourth Australian Open Doubles title
The American duo of twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan clinched their fourth Australian Open men's doubles final with a thrilling three sets win over second seeds and current Wimbledon champion Nenad Zimonjic and Daniel Nestor.
Bryans started the match on a good note and soon raced to a 5-3 lead with the help of a break in the seventh game on Zimonjic's serve to eventually win it by 6 games to 4.
The second set began with Zimonjic/Nestor taking an early break lead at 3-1, which Bryan twins soon squandered and levelled the set at 3-3. The set went into a tie-break where despite a 5-2 lead, Bryans failed to close the match.
The deciding third set brought a crucial break of serve in the fourth game which they duly consolidated and never looked back to close the 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory and successfully defend the title they won last year as well.
This is Bob and Mike Bryans eighth Grand slam title and the fourth Aussie Open crown. With the win, Bryans collected the winner's check of AUD 450,000.
Day-13 Update-15 Bryans brothers win the Men's Doubles at the Australian Open
Bryan brothers win the Australian Open Men's Doubles 2010 against Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 here at Melbourne Park. Even though they lost the second set but they came up surging ahead to take the final and winning the title.
Day-13 Update-14 Nenad and Nestor equal the Bryan brothers at 5-5 in the second set
Nenad and Daniel flash some amazing drives in the game and earn the break early in the set. They need to fire with such arsenal if they want to take this match into a deciding third set.
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Let's wait and see who wins this deciding set
Hewitt sidelined because of a injury
Former World No 1 Lleyton Hewitt will miss the action on tennis court until May as he is nursing a hip injury.
Hewitt underwent surgery on his right hip after his fourth round exit at the Australian Open by Roger Federer.
"After the Australian Open, I had to go and have hip surgery," said Hewitt. "It's been causing a few problems since the Hopman Cup at the start of the year,"
"I did one movement at the Hopman Cup in practice the day before my first match, and I felt something straightaway. I knew it wasn't that good.
"Right at that time I wasn't 100 percent sure whether I was going to be able to play any of the Australian summer."
The former Wimbledon and US Open winner said that he had had no thoughts of retirement.
"That never went through my mind". He added "I've worked too hard to come back. I feel like I'm hitting the ball as well as I've nearly ever hit it.
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Day-13 Update-13 Brothers take on the first set at 6-3
Both the teams have contested 11 meetings before - all coming in finals and Nestor and Zimonjic lead the head to head record 8-3.
The Bryan twins are appearing in their sixth Australian Open doubles final in the past seven years. After runner-up finish in 2004-05, they won back-to-back titles in 2006-07 and repossessed the crown last year.
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Day-13 Update-12 The Americans lead 5-2 in the first set
The Bryan brothers perform brilliantly and are about to claim their first set in the Men's Doubles Title at the Australian Open 2010.
Day-13 Update-11 Bryan brothers win the toss and start by serving
Defending champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan add a fresh chapter to their on court rivalry with Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic as they clash for the men's doubles crown at the 2010 Australian Open.
Serena defends Aussie Open crown, creates history
Serena Williams once again proved to the world why she is such a dominant force in women's tennis when she beat comeback Belgian star Justine Henin in three gruelling sets to win her fifth Australian Open crown, a record in the Open era.
Re-live the brilliance of Serena's power performance in the final, click here.
Williams started the match on a high note and broke Henin early on to race to a 4-1 lead in the match. Henin made a mini-comeback but lost her serve once again to give Serena the opener by 6 games to 4.
The second set saw a major shift in momentum when Henin broke Williams twice to level the match at one set a piece. Things looked extremely competitive in the start of the decider when a quick trade of serves saw both players testing each other to limits. But as the match progressed, Williams got an upper hand in the decider and cruised to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory.
With a win, Williams created a record in the open era for most Australian Open wins. She also emulated Billie Jean King's Grand Slam tally of 12 majors which she considers an honour.
Today's victory gave Williams a hefty winner's check of AUD 2.0 million and the beautiul Daphne Akhurst trophy. Soon after her win, Williams raced to the player's box to hug her mother Oracene Price and sister Venus, who cheered her throughout the match.
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Day-13 Update-10 Serena wins the Australian Open
Defending champion Serena Williams showed the world that why she is considered the most dominant force in women's tennis as she edged past former World No 1 Justine Henin 6-4 3-6 6-2 to win the final of Women's Australian Open for the record fifth time.
Click here to view the full commentary of this match.
She grooved in the first set and looked hard to stop but she went off the track in the second set as Henin levelled the match scores at one set all.
However she regained her composure in the third set and closed the deciding set 6-2 to successfully defend the title.
Day-13 Update-9 Serena shines back in the finals set
A Giant lead....! Williams shows why she is the best player in the world with a superb display of power and mental strength to break Henin one more time to now serve for her fifth Australian Open title.
Know more about your favourite tennis star Serena Williams with our interesting article - Understanding Serena Williams..!
Day-13 Update-8 Final set for the two players
Serena makes a bad start to the decider when she loses a series of points to face two break points. But bounces back with an ace and a forehand winner to force a deuce. Three marvellos service winners follow and Serena registers herself on board in the decider.
Serena Breaks.....! Just when it looked that the momentum is swinging in the Belgian's favour, Serena broke Henin back to get a formidable edge in the decider.
In her third round match, Henin overcame the opening set and a break deficit to beat Russian Alisa Kleybanova.
Day-13 Update-7 Henin bounces back, wins the second set 6-3
A WONDERFUL COMEBACK...! Justine Henin broke Serena Williams twice in the second set to level the match one set a piece. With the help of her improved play and minimized unforced errors, Henin looked for opportunities and duly converted them in her favour to level the match.
Will Henin stop the unbeaten streak of Serena Williams at the Australian Open? Take our poll and tell us.
Day-13 Update-6 Second set shows up some fight amongst the two players
Williams makes a super solid start to the second set as she spares only one point to hold a crucial service game against her opponent and Henin saves a couple of break points to avoid any further damage by holding the game. Serena gets alarmed by the service break and snaps back.
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Day-13 Update-5 Serena Williams wins the first set 6-4
Henin tried hard to match upto Serena in the first set but lost out as Serena closed the set at 6-4. Serena exhibits strong determination and is out there clearly to win the match.
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Day-13 Update-4 Serena leads 4-2
Serena leads the first set 4-2 in the first set. She seems to be in good form as she takes on Henin.
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Day-13 Update-3 Match starts under tight competition
Match starts with Serena winning the toss and by choosing to serve. She won the first game, followed by Henin taking the second.
Take our poll and tell us who will win this match?
Day-13 Update-2 Live Henin versus Serena
The 'live coverage' of the Women's Finals match is about to start. Be sure you are around to witness the clash between Henin and Serena.
Serena looked confident and said-"I think it'll be a defining match for both of us. For me, I feel like I have no pressure. You know, I'm still here and I'm still alive, and that's anything less of a miracle. So I feel good."
World No 1 Serena Williams and defending champion Serena Williams sizzled with her serving and heavy ground-strokes to ease past localite Samantha Stosur at Australian Open,2010.
Injured Nadal to skip Rotterdam this year
World No 2 Rafael Nadal will need a month of rest to recover from a knee injury that forced him to quit in the third set of his Australian Open quarterfinal match against Andy Murray.
Nadal's doctors in Barcelona advised has advised him two weeks of rest followed by two weeks of tests and physiotherapy on the knee.
Nadal said he was happy the latest injury setback was not lingering tendinitis that sidelined the six-time Grand Slam singles champion for periods of 2009.
He was unable to defend his Wimbledon title last year because of the injury and has not reached another Grand Slam final since his five-set win over Roger Federer at last year's Australian Open.
"I feel good and I am only thinking now of recovering well" said the Mallorcan." My main goal right now is to get ready again and fit to play the upcoming events once I am able to compete."
"It is a big disappointment for me not to be able to play at Rotterdam this year."
Nadal added "It is not important for me the ranking issue and losing a few spots, that's normal when you are not able to compete,"
"For me it is more important to play well again and to have the good feelings on the court that I had in Abu Dhabi, Doha and also at the Australian Open where I played at the highest level."
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Australian Open Men's Final - Preview
Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray
Head-to-Head
Murray leads series 6-4
Last Meeting - 2009 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals RR
Federer won 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Click here to enjoy the live commentary of this Final.
With a place in his eighth consecutive Grand Slam final, Roger Federer is most certainly in a class of his own. After a tearful runner-up finish in 2009 to Spaniard Rafael Nadal, Federer is all set to make this one a happy memory. With 15 major titles already under his belt, Federer will be gunning to add to his massive tally when the Australian Open final begins tomorrow on the famous Rod LaverAarena at Melbourne Park.
Cast your vote and tell us who you think will emerge victorious in Sunday's Men's final.
His opponent isn't unknown to him either, the man who is carrying a huge burden of British expectations on his shoulders, Andy Murray has made only his second Grand Slam final and interestingly, has tasted his first slam defeat at the hands of Federer himself, back in 2008. So what is it that Murray can do to stop Federer from claiming his 16th major crown? Lets take a look at the equations that have emerged before the final between these two Gladiators.
Why Murray should win - Many describe Murray to be one of the most gifted players of his generation. With a court coverage, that produces remarkable tennis to the sharp net play, Murray has it all. What seemed to lack in the Scot's game was his mental toughness on Grand occasions. Murray's disappointing exit from the yearend championship in London last year raised questions about his ability to perform at such a level in sport. But things changed for good, and the finest example of Murray's mental strength was showcased in his semifinal match against Marin Cilic. Superb footwork, coupled with brilliant shotmaking helped Murray hit some of the most unbelievable shots the sport had witnessed in a long time. By far, Murray's strongest ally is his new improved tenacity and the hunger to win. This may just be the time of crowning glory for Mr. Murray, it seems.
R128 beat Kevin Anderson 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
R64 beat Marc Gicquel 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
R32 beat Florent Serra 7-5, 6-1, 6-4
R16 beat John Isner 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2
QF beat Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-6(2), 3-0 ret.
SF beat Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Why Federer should win - I believe the shorter, much easier explanation would be to cite rea
sons why Federer should not win. Roger Federer is a Genius, an absolute maestro, who loves to do what he does best, win. Federer's capabilities are enormous and his hunger to win, unfathomable. Federer's artful demolition of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals on Friday turned out to be a showcase of Swiss' sheer on-court brilliance. Federer overwhelmed Tsonga, the 2008 finalist, with his high-quality all-court game and registered one of the easiest victories in the draw. The Swiss' supremacy has been unchallenged so far (with the exception of the first round against Igor Andreev). There is only one factor that needs re-vision. Federer has been most bothered by a weak start in matches, and if Murray manages a scintillating start, he can definitely build the pressure over the Swiss, which in turn can produce unexpected results.
R128 beat Igor Andreev 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-0
R64 beat Victor Hanescu 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
R32 beat Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
R16 beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
QF beat Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5
SF beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
TennisEarth's Pick - Federer in four sets.
Click here to know more about your favourite players' progress in the draw.
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Preview - Australian Open Men's Doubles Final
World No 1 and defending champions Bryan brothers will face their arch rivals Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic in the men's doubles final of the Australian Open, 2010.
Click here to view the full commentary of this match
Both the teams have contested 11 meetings before - all coming in finals and Nestor and Zimonjic lead the head to head record 8-3.
Who you think is favourite to win the title ? Take a part in poll here.
Last season, the Canadian-Serbian duo won a career-high nine doubles titles, including a doubles title at The Championships, Wimbledon.
After their shocking first round exit from Doha, Nestor and Zimonjic have now won nine straight matches in 2010 including a title march at Medibank International,Sydney.
They look back in the form and ready to challenge the American pair.
The Bryan twins will be appearing in their sixth Australian Open doubles final in the past seven years. After runner-up finishes in 2004-05, they won back-to-back titles in 2006-07 and repossedded the crown last year.
The Bryan brothers will be looking to win their eight Grand Slam title here in Melbourne Park.
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Australian Open Women's Final - Preview
Serena Williams vs. Justine Henin
Head-to-Head
Williams leads series 7-6
Last Meeting - 2008 Sony Ericsson Open Final
Williams won 6-2, 6-0
Click here to enjoy the Live Commentary of the Women's Final
Saturday's women's final between Serena Williams and Justine Henin is simply a tournament organizers delight, it is a final that every tennis enthusiast had anticipated and it is a final that is by all means, bound to produce some of the best tennis the women's game has ever witnessed. Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams is gunning to be a part of history books by attempting to break the record of most Australian Open title wins in the Open era. Justine Henin, on the other hand is hoping to find solace on a place which she had bid adieu to for almost two years before the competitive edge started kicking in.
Cast your vote and tell us who you think will emerge victorious in Saturday's Women's final.
The two women have dominated the past decade with Henin staying on top of the rankings for more years than any of her contemporaries and Williams becoming the only active player to have won all four Grand Slam events. Interestingly, despite such a fierce rivalry shared between them, the two Tennis-Divas have never contested a Grand Slam final. So let's take a look at stakes of each of these two women in the final of the 2010 Australian Open.
Why Williams should win - There is a reason why Serena Williams has managed to perform so well in Grand Slam events over the past decade. Williams' never-ending hunger to be a part of the history books is what makes her the champion she is today. Where most of her contemporaries struggle to reach the last stages of a major event, Williams' determination gets her the opportunities which can only be fetched when you reach a certain level in sport. Determination and the never-say-die attitude is what makes her a class apart. Serena is the only player in the history to have won three Grand Slam events after saving a match point. Williams' ability to bounce back from the brink of defeat on innumerable moments is what makes her such a fighter. Technically, everything from serve to groundstrokes to net coverage, seems to be supporting Serena. Her only challenge will be the court coverage which isn't that much of a concern, considering her astonishing on-the-run shotmaking brilliance in her last match against Na Li.
When Serena and Venus were rising tennis players in the junior circuit, they both were asked who would they like to become when they grow up? Serena did not waste a single moment and promptly replied - "I want people to be like me."
Williams' road to the Final -
R128 beat Urszula Radwanska (POL) 6-2, 6-1
R64 beat Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6-2, 6-1
R32 beat Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-0, 6-3
R16 beat Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-4, 6-2
QF beat Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2
SF beat Na Li 7-6(4), 7-6(1)
Why Henin should win - When Justine Henin announced her shocking retirement from women
's tennis two years ago, it came as a surprise to many for she became the first player, men or women, to retire while on the pinnacle of the sport. So what was the motivating factor behind Henin's comeback attempt which seems to have found an amazing platform in the form of a place in the Australian Open final. Many people consider her retirement decision to be a hasty one, but according to Henin, leaving the sport removed a huge burden off her shoulders for she no longer enjoyed playing and competing at such a level. A couple of years put into perspective gave her an opportunity to think things over again and the Belgian superstar announced her comeback. Technically, Henin is extremely sound and does not miss a lot of opportunities of on-court sabotage, a mark of a real champion. Henin's swashbuckling movement, coupled with her angled backhand winners put her in a strong position. But despite all these back-ups, Henin's biggest strength is her 'hatred to lose' which is a common factor between her and Serena. And perhaps that's the reason why these women have produced such exhilirating level of tennis in their past encounters.
Henin's approach in the matches is a perfect blend of defensive and offensive game when most needed. Saturday's final may just be a showcase of Henin's one such talent.
Henin's road to the Final -
R128 beat Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-3
R64 beat Elena Dementieva 7-5, 7-6(6)
R32 beat Alisa Kleybanova 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
R16 beat Yanina Wickmayer 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3
QF beat Nadia Petrova 7-6(3), 7-5
SF beat Jie Zheng 6-1, 6-0
TennisEarth's Pick - Serena Williams in three sets of breath-taking tennis.
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Nadal assures knee isn't serious
World No 2 Rafael Nadal is quite optimistic that the knee injury that forced him out of the Australian Open will be fine in a week or less.
"I am not worried," said Nadal "I just have a little tweak and I hope to have recovered in a week or even less "
The defending champion retired miday from his quarterfinal match against Andy Murray.
He was down two sets and 0-3 in the third set, when he decided to retire.
"I didn't have lot of problems for the last six months," Nadal said. "And today is the first time"
Nadal put aside the suggestions he would have to further modify his training and playing style.
"Don't start, guys, with these questions right now," he said. "I think (this) is not the right moment. I think I changed the style to play. If you see my matches 2005 or 2004, 2006, I run a lot compared to now, no? So today I played against one of the best players of the world, and I think I wasn't running more than him.
"Remember, we are playing on hardcourts. Probably in this surface I have to play my best tennis, like today, if I really want to have chances to win."
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Day-12 Update-7 Federer storms into the final
World No 1 Roger Federer comes all guns blazing in the middle and steam rolls against Jo Wilfried Tsonga to reach the final of the 2010 Australian Open. Three time champion Roger Federer successfully reaches the second consecutive final at the Australian Open after overwhelming Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets. Federer now meets Scot Andy Murray, who defied a spirited challenge of the Croat Marin Cilic in the other semifinal yesterday.
Enjoy the point-by-point commentary of this exciting match, click here.
Federer teaches Tsonga a lesson, enters Aus Open Final
World Number One Roger Federer displayed awe-inspiring tennis in his semifinal match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and reached the final of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Watch Federer's dominant performance against Tsonga, click here.
Federer never looked in trouble during the entire match and gave a fine start to it by clinching a break in the fourth game. As the play progressed on the famous Rod Laver Arena, the Swiss star literally humbled Tsonga with his all court game and won the opening set by 6 games to 2.
Things resumed on similar lines in the second set as well when Federer broke Tsonga one more time to race to a 5-2 lead. With no resistance whatsoever by the Frenchman, Federer then pocketed the two sets to love lead to close in on a straight sets win.
The third set witnessed continued domination by the Swiss maestro who looked equally impressive from all corners of the court and broke Tsonga twice to seal the 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win in just over 90 minutes of play.
With a win, Federer set up the championship final clash with British No.1 Andy Murray, who yesterday looked in phenomenal form and beat Marin Cilic in four gruelling sets to reach the final.
This is Federer's 22nd Grand Slam final and his eighth consecutive major final appearance, which is an astonishing record. Federer, who already has 15 Grand slam titles to his name will make an attempt to take the title tally to a whopping 16 on Sunday when the final begins at the Melbourne Park.
Click here to know more about your favourite players progress, click here.
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Day-12 Update-6 Federer makes a perfect start in the SF match
Top seed Roger Federer made a perfect start in today's semifinal match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and broke the Frenchman twice to clinch the opening set by 6 games to 2. Federer swashbuckling groundstrokes played on key points did the trick for him.
Enjoy the live commentary of this match, click here.
Day-12 Update-5 Live Federer vs Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bounced back from 1-5 in the deciding set to beat Roger Federer at Montreal Masters last year. This is what makes Jo-Wilfried Tsonga special in many ways, the ability to turn things around no matter who the opposition is.
Federer has came out a winner everytime he was challenged to limits and in today's semifinal match against Tsonga, he will definitely look to settle scores with the Frenchman.
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
Day-12 Update-4 Men's Semifinal Preview
Both Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are hoping to reach the Australian Open final with a single-minded approach, title glory. Will this be Federer's year again or Tsonga has something in store to offer to the three time champion? Both players have met twice with both of them splitting a win each.
Find out the expert opinion on today's men's semifinal, click here.
Williams sisters successfully defend Australian Open doubles title
Defending champions Venus and Serena Williams continued their Grand Slam winning spree with their 11th Grand Slam doubles title at the 2010 Australian Open. The Williams sisters beat the U.S.-Zimbabwean duo of Liezel Huber and Cara Black in straight sets to clinch the title glory.
Re-live the interesting moments of Williams sisters doubles triumph, click here
Williamses started the match on a usual note and gallantly held serves till
Serena lost her service game to let Black and Huber race to a 3-1 lead. Although things returned to normal soon for the American duo who broke Black's serve right away to love and got back on serve. A service break in the seventh game got Williamses a 4-3 lead which they consolidated to win the opening set 6-4.
The second set did not change the story much for Black and Huber, who lost their serve twice, once in the opening game and the other to end the championhip match and hand the 6-4, 6-3 victory to the Williams sisters.
This is Venus and Serena's 11th Grand Slam doubles title and third in a row, following their victories in Wimbledon and U.S. Open where they beat the same pair of Black and Huber to enjoy title mirth.
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Day-12 Update 3 Williams sisters win women's doubles final in Melbourne
Defending champion and second seeded pair of Williams sisters edged past top seeded pair of Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4 6-3 to win the women's doubles final of Australian Open, 2010.
Click here to view the live commentary of this match.
The Williams sisters earned the lone break of the first set in the eight game and closed the first set 6-4.
They continued to roll with the momentum and struck twice in the second set to down Zimbabwean-American duo 6-2.
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Day-12 Update 2 Williams sisters pocket the first set
Second seeded and defending champion Williams sister now stands one set away from securing their fourth career grand slam title.
Williams sisters have won the first set 6-4.
Click here to view the live commentary of this match.
The elusive break came in the eighth game when Cara Black lost her serve and the Williamses wasted no time in closing the pening set by 6 games to 4.
To view the full draw of Women's doubles Australian Open 2010, click here.
Day-12 Update 1 LIVE Williams sisters vs Black/Huber
Defending champion and second seeded pair of Williams sister will face top seeded Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the women's doubles final of the Australian Open, 2010 on Friday.
To view the commentary of this match, click here.
Both the teams have met twice before and on both the occasions Williams sisters came out in flying colours.
To view the full draw of Women's doubles Australian Open 2010, click here.
Australian Open Men's Semifinal 2 - Preview
Roger Federer vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Head-to-Head
Series tied at 1-1
Last Meeting - 2009 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 QF
Tsonga won 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(3)
It is almost insurmountable a task to beat Roger Federer when you are down 5-1 in the decider. Yet, a certain French Gentleman found the will and the determination to do just that and showed the world that he has arrived. We are talking about ATP star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who last year registered the biggest win of his career at Montreal Masters where despite trailing 1-5 in the decider, he bounced back to beat Swiss Maestro Roger Federer in a gruelling tie-break. This is what makes Jo-Wilfried Tsonga special in many ways, the ability to turn things around no matter who the opposition is.
In Wednesday's quarterfinal match, Tsonga knocked out former champion and World No.3 Novak Djokovic in what can be considered his finest Grand Slam performance to date. The Frenchman's fine serving, coupled with a solid net play gives him an edge over most of his opponents.
Roger Federer, on the other hand, opened his bid for the fourth title here with a sluggish start when he trailed by a set and a break against Igor Andreev. His bad start against Nikolay Davydenko also raised questions about the Swiss' abilities in such big matches. Although, he came out a winner everytime he was challenged to limits and in today's semifinal match against Tsonga, he will definitely look to settle scores with the Frenchman.
All in all, the match up is bound to produce some exhilirating tennis and keeping the current form of both players in mind, we find it safe to place our bet on a more experienced Roger Federer.
TennisEarth's Pick - Roger Federer in four sets.
Enjoy the live commentary of this match, click here.
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Preview -Australian Open Women's Doubles Final
Defending champion and second seeded pair of Williams sister will face top seeded Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the women's doubles final of the Australian Open, 2010 on Friday.
To view the commentary of this match, click here.
Both the teams have met twice before and on both the occasions Williams sisters came out in flying colours.
In 2009 at the Championships, Wimbledon, the American duo surrendered only three game in the entire match and later that year when they again met at Flushing Meadows they lost four games in the final.
Williams sisters look a definite heavyweight in the clash and firm favourites to win their fourth major at Melbourne Park.
So far Williams sisters have captured 10 Grand Slam titles together and their final win-loss record stands at 16-1.
To view the full draw of Women's doubles Australian Open 2010, click here.
Day-11 Update 13 Williams sisters reach Australian Open Doubles final
Williams sisters beat the US-Australian pair of Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 6-3, 7-6(6) to reach the final of the 2010 Australian Open Doubles championship. The Williams sisters are the defending champion here in Melbourne and are pitted against top seeds and World No.1 Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final, who took out Maria Kirilenko and Angieszka Radwanka's pair in the other semifinal with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 scoreline.
To view the full draw of Women's doubles Australian Open 2010, click here.
Day-11 Update 12 Murray reaches Australian Open final
Fifth seed and British No.1 Andy Murray produced flawless tennis to beat a spirited Marin Cilic of Croatia and reach the final of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia. After struggling to win the second and third set, Murray hit awe-inspiring shots on crucial points to close the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 scoreline. With a win, Murray reached the second Grand Slam final of his career after a runner-up finish in New York three years ago.
Re-live the magical moments of Murray-Cilic match, click here.
Murray beats Cilic to reach Aussie Open Final
Fifth seed and British No.1 Andy Murray produced flawless tennis to beat a spirited Marin Cilic of Croatia and reach the final of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the delightful moments of Andy Murray's victory, click here.
Murray started the match on a bad note and lost his serve in the fifth and ninth game to lose it by 6 games to 3. The second set saw a major shift in momentum when the Scot clinched a crucial break in the fifth game and levelled the match at one set a piece.
The third set brought continued success for the British No.1 who displayed extremely high quality of tennis to grab an elusive break in the seventh game and raced to a two sets to one lead. The fourth set turned out to be a lopsided affair as despite Cilic's continuous efforts, Murray hit awe-inspiring shots on crucial points to close the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 scoreline.
With a win, Murray reached the second Grand Slam final of his career after a runner-up finish in New York three years ago. Murray will play the winner of the other semifinal match which will be played tomorrow between top seed and three time champion Roger Federer and 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
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Day-11 Update 11 Murray wins the third set
A formidable lead. Andy Murray breaks Cilic two times in the third set and clinches it by 6 games to 4. Murray is now in a very strong position in the match with a two sets to one lead. Murray's improved play and impressive court coverage got him the edge in this third set. Stay tuned to find out if Cilic makes a comeback in the match like he did in his past two matches.
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Day-11 Update-10 Murray levels the match
Murray strikes back in the match and levels it. With the help of an elusive break in the fifth game, Murray reminds everyone why he has been such a dominant force in the past couple of years and levels the match at one set a piece. Murray's refusal to be a victim of Croat's big serves helped him increase his confidence and get back in the game.
Enjoy the live commentary of this match, click here.
Day-11 Update-9 Cilic surpises Murray to take the opening set
Cilic wins the opening set. Awesome play from all corners of the court gets Marin Cilic the first set in this exciting match featuring Andy Murray on the other side of the court. Cilic broke Murray's serve twice to get away with such a lead. Cilic's swashbuckling net coverage, coupled with his deep and penetrating groundstrokes, helped him get the opening set.
Enjoy the live commentary of this match, click here.
Day-11 Update-8 Live: Andy Murray vs. Marin Cilic
Andy Murray is not only in superb form, he is also on a lookout for score-settlement with Marin Cilic, who beat him in the pair's previous meeting. Stay tuned with TennisEarth.com to find out the outcome of this highly anticipated semifinal clash.
Enjoy the live commentary of this exciting match, click here.
Day-11 Update-7 Australian Open Men's Semifinal 1 - Preview
Both Andy Murray and Marin Cilic know how important today's match is for each one of them. It is a match that will see one of them get an opportunity to embrace Grand Slam glory, and for one in particular, Murray precisely, this match brings a chance to settle scores with the Croat who knocked him out of the U.S. Open last year.
Click here to view the detailed preview of this match.
Day-11 Update-6 Bryans brothers to face Nestor-Zimonjic in doubles final
Defending champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan will renew their rivalry with Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic when the top two teams face off for the men’s doubles crown at the 2010 Australian Open.
To view the full draw of Men's doubles Australian Open 2010, click here.
The Bryans eased past Michael Kohlmann and Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-4 while second seeded Nestor and Zimonjic downed Ivo Karlovic and Dusan Vemic 6-4 6-4.
To view all the results of the day, click here.
Australian Open Men's Semifinal 1 - Preview
Andy Murray vs. Marin Cilic
Head-to-Head
Murray leads series 3-1
Last Meeting - 2009 U.S. Open R16
Cilic won the match 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
Both Andy Murray and Marin Cilic know how important today's match is for each one of them. It is a match that will see one of them get an opportunity to embrace Grand Slam glory, and for one in particular, Murray precisely, this match brings a chance to settle scores with the Croat who knocked him out of the U.S. Open last year.
Andy Murray's progress in this tournament has been near-perfect. The Scot did not lose a single set en route to semifinals and looked in killing form against defending champion Rafael Nadal. His only struggle came in the pre-quarterfi
nals against John Isner, where despite a straight sets win, Murray was taken the distance.
Cilic, on the other hand, has taken out some of the strongest conteders for this year's title. After his swashbuckling five set win over Juan Martin Del Potro, the Croat upset seventh seed Andy Roddick in a marathon struggle.
All in all, this match is bound to produce some high quality tennis. On paper, Murray has a brighter chance of reaching his first ever Australian Open final.
TennisEarth's Pick - Murray in four sets.
Enjoy the Live commentary of this match, click here.
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Day-11 Update-5 Henin races to final in Melbourne
Former World No 1 Justine Henin continued her impressive comeback on the tour with a convincing 6-1 6-0 victory over Jie Zheng of China and raced into the final of Australian Open, 2010.
She next faces defending champion Serena Williams , who took the revenge of her elder sister's defeat from Na Li earlier in the day.
Henin crushes Zheng to set up final clash with Serena
Wild card entrant into this year's championship, Belgian superstar Justine Henin looked in supreme form today and beat Chinese Jie Zheng to reach the final of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the moments of Henin's on-court mastery, click here.
Henin started the match on a confident note and broke Zheng several times to pocket the opening set 6-1. Henin's astonishing court coverage, coupled with her beautiful angled backhand winners did the trick for her as she raced to a double break in the second set as well. Zheng could not match the tenacity of the Henin shotmaking and completely fell apart losing the 6-1, 6-0 match in barely an hour of play.
Henin's win today set up a dream final in Melbourne as Serena Williams fended off the challenge of another Chinese player Na Li to reach the championship match. The two players have never met in a Grand Slam final before and Serena leads the Head-to-Head 7-6.
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Day-11 Update-4 Live: Justine Henin vs. Jie Zheng
Justine Henin is looking stronger than ever at this year's Australian Open, which happens to be only her second event after her return from a long hiatus. She took out some of the finest players in the draw before setting up the semifinal clash with Chinese Jie Zheng.
Enjoy the live commentary of this match, click here.
Day-11 Update-3 Serena overcomes Chinese challenge to reach final
Serena Williams once again showed her tenacity and the will-to-win and stopped Chinese Na Li's giant-killing spree with a gruelling win to reach the final of the Australian Open. This is Williams fifth final and she is a four time champion here. Another win will ensure her place in the history books for winning the most no. of Aussie Open title in the Open Era.
Enjoy the commentary of this exciting semifinal, click here.
Day-11 Update-2 Live: Serena Williams vs. Na Li
Serena Williams is one of the few players on the circuit who takes defeat, any defeat very seriously and no matter what the stage, she brings her best efforts to prove her supremacy over someone who has been 'troublesome' in the past. Similar is the case with her match-up today with Chinese wonder-woman Na Li, who literally pushed her to limits in their previous encounter last year and with a win over Venus Williams, is an opponent with a CONCERN.
Click here to enjoy the live commentary of this match.
Day-11 Update 1 Australian Open WOmen's Semifinal Preview
Both Serena Williams and Justine Henin will enter the semifinals today, hoping to clear the Cinese hurdle effectively and reach the finals of the Australian Open. Na Li and Jie Zheng, on the other hand will hope for an all-Chinese final.
Find out the expert opinion on favourites in today's ladies semifinals, click here.
Australian Open Women's Semifinal - Preview
Serena Williams vs. Na Li
Head-to-Head
Serena leads series 3-1
Last Meeting - 2009 Stanford R32
Serena won 6-3, 7-6(6)
Serena Williams is one of the few players on the circuit who takes defeat, any defeat very seriously and no matter what the stage, she brings her best efforts to prove her supremacy over someone who has been 'troublesome' in the past. Similar is the case with her match-up today with Chinese wonder-woman Na Li, who literally pushed her to limits in their previous encounter last year and with a win over Venus Williams, is an opponent with a CONCERN. On paper, it will be safe to say that Serena will secure a win easily, but Na Li's giant-killing form is capable of causing another upset that previously struck on Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. Serena, on the other hand, looked confident till her pre-quarterfinal match with Samantha Stosur, but survived a real scare in Victoria Azarenka, when she found herself trailing 2-6, 0-4 in the match, just to rebound and win it from there. Above everything else, it's the mental toughness that will see Williams through in today's semifinal.
TennisEarth's Pick - Serena Williams in two tight sets.
Click here to enjoy the live commentary of this match.
Justine Henin vs. Jie Zheng
Head-to-Head
Henin leads series 1-0
Last Meeting - 2005 Toronto R16
Henin won 6-2, 6-4
Justine Henin is looking stronger than ever at this year's Australian Open, which happens to be only her second event after her return from a long hiatus. She took out some of the finest players in the draw before setting up the semifinal clash with Chinese Jie Zheng. Zheng, the second Chinese woman in the last four after Na Li, has been equally destructive in her previous matches including her demolition of Russian Maria Kirilenko in the quarterfinals. Henin, on the other hand, beat an in-form Nadia Petrova to reach the semifinals and looked in control throughout the match. Despite the so-called 'Chinese Revolution' in Grand Slam tennis, a Williams-Henin final looks more of a possibility.
TennisEarth's Pick - Henin in straight sets
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Day-10 Update-12 Tsonga prevails in five sets against Djokovic
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga fought back from two sets to one down to reach his first grand slam semi-final in two years by beating third seed Novak Djokovic 7-6 6-7 1-6 6-3 6-1 at the Australian Open.
Click here to view the full commentary of this match.
The Frenchman next faces World No 1 Roger Federer for a place in the finals.
Federer overcame a first set deficit to beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Tsonga upsets Djokovic to enter Aussie Open Semifinal
Tenth seed and 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga avenged his loss to Novak Djokovic and reached the semifinal of the 2010 Australian Open after a hard fought win over the 2008 champion.
Re-live the magical moments of Tsonga's superb win, click here.
Tsonga made a sluggish start to the match and got his serve broken early on just to fight his way back into the set and win it in a closely contested tie-break. The second set brought Djokovic another quick break which he again failed to consolidate and let Tsonga claw his way back into the set. As the set went into the tie-break again, Djokovic raised the level of his game and levelled the match at one set a piece.
The third set witnessed an astonishing performance by the Serbian who spared only one game to Tsonga to race to a two sets to one lead in the match. As the match progressed, Djokovic again lost his rhythm and made several service errors to let Tsonga race to a 5-0 which he somehow converted into a set win and pushed the matters into the deciding fifth set.
The decider gave Tsonga a dream start as he broke Djokovic in the very first game and consolidated his lead by breaking the Serbian star once again to complete the 7-6(8), 6-7(5),1-6, 6-3, 6-1 marathon win in a match that lasted almost four hours in play.
Tsonga now meets top seed and three time champion Roger Federer in the semifinals, who ended the 13-match winning streak of the Russian Nikolay Davydenko to reach the last four of the event.
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Day-10 Update-11 Tsonga pushes the match into deciding 5th set
Tsonga on a roll...! The 10th seeded Frenchman looks in superb form as he denies Djokovic any chance of a comeback and wins the fourth set 6-3. Djokovic has not been tested to 5 sets in the tournament so far and this will certainly be a real challenge for him. Tsonga's most destructive sot in this match has been his serve that has been faithful to him when it was needed the most.
Enjoy the live commentary of this match, click here.
Day-10 Update-10 Djokovic humbles Tsonga to take the third set
Novak Djokovic finally found the rhythm he was looking for in the entire match and completely outmuscled Tsonga in every department to clinch the third set at a loss of just one game. The two players last met in the Australian Open final back in 2008 and then too, it was Djokovic who prevailed in four sets.
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Day-10 Update-9 Djokovic makes a remarkable comeback in Match winning Set-II
Djokovic survives a spirited challenge by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and levelled the match after another trade of service breaks both in games and the tie-break. Awesome recovery by the Serbian who seems to be having a bad serving day.
Catch the thrill here with our Live commentary
Day-10 Update-8 Tsonga fought back the First Set of Quarter Final
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga literally denies Novak Djokovic any chance and despite being a break down, rallies back and wins a gruelling tie-break to take the headstart into the match.
The opening set saw two trades of breaks and eventually favoured Tsonga who held his nerves on crucial points.
Cast your vote and tell us the winner of this match.
Federer overcomes Russian challenge, reaches Aussie Open SF
Top seed and three time champion Roger Federer made a startling comeback into the match and beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko to reach the 23rd consecutive Grand Slam semifinal at the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-live the exciting moments of the Federer-Davydenko match, click here.
Federer made a bad start to the match and lost the opening set rather handily as Davydenko broke him twice to close it by 6 games to 2. The second set opened favourably for the Russian who broke Federer in the third game to race to a 3-1 lead.
From that moment on, Federer turned the match upside down and reeled off 13 games in a row to get back in the game. With a two sets to one lead in hand, Federer started the fourth set convincingly and after a see-saw battle completed the 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 win to reach the last four of the event.
Federer awaits the winner of the match between Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last four.
Enjoy the live commentary of the Djokovic-Tsonga clash, click here.
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Day-10 Update-7 Federer makes a comeback
Federer makes a super comeback into the match as he reels off nine games in a row to now sit with a double break lead in the third set. Just when it looked that it's all over for the Swiss, Federer raised the level of his game instantly and reminded Davydenko that he still is the best player in the world.
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Day-10 Update-6 Federer loses the opening set against Davydenko
Roger Federer seems to have entered the match under the shadow of the past two results against Davydenko as the Swiss superstar has lost the opening set after being broken twice by the Russian. With a set lead, Davydenko has taken a headstart into the match it seems. The most impressive part about the Russian's game was his swashbuckling groundstrokes that bothered Federer the most.
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Day-10 Update-5 Live: Roger Federer vs. Nikolay Davydenko
A mere look at the head-to-head tells us a lot about the rivalry between Roger Federer and Nikolay Davydenko. Out of the 14 career meetings, Federer has clinched victory in 12 and that makes him a clear favourite. Interesingly, last two match-ups were completely dominated by the Russian Davydenko, who beat Federer in straight sets just weeks ago in Doha.
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Serena stages comeback to reach Semifinals
Top seed and defending champion showed the world and Victoria Azarenka in particular why she is such a great champion by bouncing back from the brink of defeat to reach the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-visit the astonishing moments of Williams' comeback, click here.
Williams started the match on a bad note and lost her serve several times after gruelling tussle and long duration of games. With a set in hand, Azarenka looked unstoppable and raced to a 4-0 lead. From that moment on, Williams started making a comeback in the match as she held both her serves and broke Azarenka twice to reel off 5 games in a row and push the match into the deciding tie-break later on. Once in the tie-break, Williams gallantly hit some of the best winners of the match and levelled it at one set a piece.
The deciding third started well for Azarenka who put the second set nightmare behind to make an attempt for a fresh start. Although as the set progressed, it was all Williams who broke Azarenka for a formidable lead and closed out the 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 encounter for a place in the last four.
Serena next faces Chinese Na Li, who took out Venus Williams in a gruelling three set thriller earlier in the day to make her maiden Grand Slam semifinal.
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Day 10 Update 4 Serena survives a scare
World No 1 and defending champion Serena Williams survived a stern test against Belarussian Victoria Azarenka , as she bounced back from a set and 0-4 down in the second set to win 4-6 7-6 6-2 and stayed on the course of another title.
She next faces Na Li of China, who battled past her elder sister Venus Williams in the other quarterfinal of the day.
China downs America in Melbourne
Na Li had beaten Venus Williams in the pair's only previous meeting and today she proved that her win was not a fluke as she registered a come-from-behind victory over the Seven time major champion to reach the first ever Grand Slam semifinal of her career at the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the tense moments of Na Li's comeback win, click here.
Venus started the match on a usual note and pocketed an early breaks to seal the opener 6-2. The second set brought early success for Williams who got a speedy 2-0 and 4-2 lead but failed to consolidate either one of them. Williams served for the match at 5-4 but lost her service game and the momentum which then shifted in Na Li's favour when she took the second set in a tie-break to level the match.
The decider again saw Williams race to a quick 2-0 lead, but Na Li bounced back immediately to get back on serve. The trade of breaks continued and Williams found herself down 4-5 on Na Li's serve. Victory was still far and away for the Chinese star who could not serve out the match but as the Williams serve got broken once again, Na Li closed the marathon 2-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 victory to hand Williams her second consecutive loss.
Na Li's win created history as this is the first time in the history of the Grand Slam tennis that two Chinese women are contesting the semifinals after Jie Zheng already made it to the last four yesterday. Na Li awaits the winner of the match between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka which is already underway.
Click here to enjoy the commentary of the Williams-Azarenka Quarterfinal.
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Update 10 Update-3 Li Na stuns Venus in Melbourne
Li Na of China came from a set and a break down to upset Venus Williams 2-6 7-6 (4) 7-5 and ensured that two Chinese players would be in the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Venus Williams, who has not reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open since 2003, struggled with serve in the second and third set and committed 53 unforced errors.
Zheng Jie is other Chinese player who reached into the semifinals.
Day-10 Update-2 Preview of the Day
The Quarterfinal day at the 2010 Australian Open brings some of the best players in the world in action against each other. Both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer look to beat arch nemesises in their respective matches whereas Venus and Serena stay on course for an all-Williams semifinal.
Find out the expert opinion on favourites in today's exciting match-ups, click here.
Australian Open QF Day 2 - Preview
Venus Williams vs. Na Li
Head-to-Head
Na Li leads series 1-0
Last Meeting - 2008 Beijing Olympics QF
Na Li won 7-5, 7-5
Venus Williams is on a mission, to win a Grand Slam event other than Wimbledon. In doing so, she came close to title glory at other three slams in 2002-03 but never went all the way. In today's match, Williams takes on Na Li who stopped her Olympic Gold run in Beijing two years ago at the same stage. Williams is in good form and her movement on court is solid enough to get past the Chinese star. Williams began her Australian Open bid with a straight sets win over Lucie Safarova, and continued her impressive run with straight sets victory over local star Casey Dellacqua. Her first challenge came in the previous round where Italian Francesca Schiavone took a set from her just to succumb to defeat in the next two. Na Li, on the other hand, took out some of the most consistent players including Agnes Szavay, Daniela Hantuchova and Caroline Wozniacki. Keeping in perspective the current form, the match seems to provide the crowd with some gruelling rallies.
TennisEarth's Pick - Venus Williams in straight sets
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka
Head-to-Head
Williams leads series 3-1
Last Meeting - 2009 Wimbledon QF
Williams won 6-2, 6-3
Serena Williams loves to make tennis records, and in her native Miami, things become a lo
t more serious. However, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka ignored all the factors and beat the lioness in her own den last year in the Miami final. Williams was looking forward to break Steffi Graf's record of 5 titles, but a spirited Azarenka humbled Williams to hit the headlines everywhere. Their last meeting, as a result, was no less than absolute score settlement when Williams beat Azarenka in straight sets en route to her win in Wimbledon last year. Williams started her Australian Open title defence with a straight sets demolition of Urszula Radwanska, and humbled Samantha Stosur in the previous round. Azarenka looked in crushing form in all her previous rounds, but survived a real scare in Russian Vera Zvonareva to make the quarterfinals.
TennisEarth's Pick - Serena Williams in straight sets
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
Roger Federer vs. Nikolay Davydenko
Head-to-Head
Federer leads series 12-2
Last Meeting - 2010 Doha SF
Davydenko won 6-4, 6-4
A mere look at the head-to-head tells us a lot about the rivalry between Roger Federer and Nikolay Davydenko. Out of the 14 career meetings, Federer has clinched victory in 12 and that makes him a clear favourite. Interesingly, last two match-ups were completely dominated by the Russian Davydenko, who beat Federer in straight sets just weeks ago in Doha. Federer started his Aussie Open quest with an opening round scare - Igor Andreev, but soon found form to beat next few opponents in straight sets. In his previous match, Federer took out home favourite Lleyton Hewitt in what could be considered an absolute destruction. Similar is the story of Nikolay Davydenko who did not drop a set till his last tussle with Fernando Verdasco, who stretched him to 5 sets. After taking everything into consideraton, it seems only fair to see Davydenko with a slight edge going into today's match.
TennisEarth's Pick - Nikolay Davydenko in five sets
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
Novak Djokovic vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Head-to-Head
Tsonga leads series 4-2
Last Meeting - ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami QF
Djokovic won 6-3, 6-4
2008 champion Novak Djokovic ended the 2009 season on a really bright note when he won the Paris Masters event to end the year as the World No.3. Interestingly, these two players contested the 2008 final as well when Djokovic claimed his first and only major title. Where Djokovic is in swashbuckling form with a loss of single set in the entire tournament, Tsonga has registered some of the longest wins of his career in previous rounds. Despite Tsonga's fierce competitiveness, Djokovic seems to have an upper hand in the encounter.
TennisEarth's Pick - Novak Djokovic in four sets
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
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Day-10 Update-1 Live: Venus Williams vs. Na Li
Venus Williams is on a mission, to win a Grand Slam event other than Wimbledon. In doing so, she came close to title glory at other three slams in 2002-03 but never went all the way. In today's match, Williams takes on Na Li who stopped her Olympic Gold run in Beijing two years ago at the same stage.
Click here to view the live commentary of this match.
Day 9 Update 8 - Murray reaches semis at Australian Open
British No 1 Andy Murray reached into the semifinals of the Australian Open, when defending champion Rafael Nadal retired midway because of a knee injury.
Nadal was trailing two sets and 0-3 in the third set when he decided to stop the play.
Murray next faces Marin Cilic of Crotia, who scored a marathon five set victory over American Andy Roddick in the other quarterfinal of the day.
Murray beats an injured Nadal, reaches Aussie Open semis
It was not the perfect way to do it, but Andy Murray somehow humbled Rafael Nadal in the first two sets to reach the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the exciting moments of the Nadal-Murray encounter, click here.
Murray opened the match on a high note and pocketed a break in the sixth game to serve out the set 6-3. The second set brought a much needed break for Nadal who raced to a 4-2 lead, only to watch Murray bounce back with a break of his own. As the set went into a tie-break, Murray dominated Nadal in all aspects of the game and raced to a two sets to love lead. The third set brought an early medical time-out for Nadal, who felt excruciating pain in the right knee due to tendinitis that kept him out of competition for a long time during the 2009 season.
As Nadal found himself with a 0-3 deficit, he decided to discontinue play and moved towards the net to shake hands with Murray when the scorecard read read 6-3, 7-6(2), 3-0 in Murray's favour. The Scot became the first British player in over thirty years to make the semifinal of the year's first Grand Slam.
With a win, Murray set up a semifinal clash with rising Croatian star Marin Cilic, who earlier in the day, toppled seventh seed Andy Roddick to reach the maiden Grand Slam semifinal of his career.
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Day-9 Update-7 Live: Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Murray
In the day's last singles match, defending champion Rafael Nadal takes on Andy Murray for a place in the semifinals. Both players have met nine times with Nadal leading the head-to-head 7-2 includng his last win in Monte Carlo.
Enjoy the live commentary of the match, click here.
Day 9 Update 6 - Cilic wins a marathon against Roddick
Fourteenth seed Marin Cilic has continued his run into the semi-finals of the Australian Open with a five-set win over American Andy Roddick.
Cilic, who knocked out US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in five sets in the fourth round, eliminated seventh seed Roddick 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 3-6 2-6 6-3.
Day-9 Update-5 Live: Andy Roddick vs. Marin Cilic
American Seventh seed Andy Roddick takes on Marin Cilic in the quarterfinal clash today. The two players have met twice in their career meetings with both players splitting a win each. Cilic won the pair's last encounter two years ago in Canada.
Click here to view the commentary of this match.
Zheng's dream run continues with semifinal spot
Unseeded star Jie Zheng created history by becoming the first Chinese woman to reach the semifinal of the Australian Open with a convincing yet dramatic win over Russia's giant-killer Maria Kirilenko.
Re-live the Chinese star's astonishing performance, click here.
Zheng came into the quarterfinal match, backed by some big wins over seeded players like Marion Bartoli and Martinez Sanchez and opened today's tussle with a quick break in the fourth game to close the opening set by 6 games to 1.
The second set saw Zheng race to a 2-0 lead, followed by a marathon sixth game that saw the Chinese wonder-woman save several break points. With the help of a formidable lead, Zheng closed out the 6-1, 6-3 match to secure her place in the last four where she meets Belgian superstar and seven time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin.
In the other quarterfinal matches scheduled to take place tomorrow, World No.1 Serena Williams takes on Belarusian Victoria Azarenka and Sixth seed Venus Williams takes on another Chinese star Na Li.
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Day 9 Update 4- Zheng sets up Henin clash in semis
Jie Zheng of China registered a comfortable 6-1 6-3 victory over Maria Kirilenko of Russia in straight sets to advance into the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Kirilenko, who had her left thigh heavily strapped before the match started, was stretching and rotating her right hip during the first set and had to take an injury time out between sets and also received treatment several times during the second.
For a place in the finals she next faces Former World No 1 Justine Henin, who ousted Nadia Petrova 6-1 6-3 in another quarterfinal of the day.
Comeback Queen Henin reaches Aussie Open semis
Former champion and Wild Card entrant into this year's first Grand Slam, Belgian Justine Henin reached the semifinal of the 2010 Australian Open with a straight sets yet hard fought win over Russian Nadia Petrova on the Rod Laver Arena, here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live Henin's dominant victory over the third top Russian, click here.
Henin started the match on a good note and broke Petrova early on in the fifth game to take a headstart. Petrova instantly raised the level of her play and broke Henin back to push the set into a deciding tie-break. Henin then took the matter into her own hands and won the opener 7-6(3).
The second set opened on a surprising note when Petrova raced to a 3-0 lead, though it turned out to be a shortlived one as Henin first levelled the set and then pocketed an elusive break in the 12th game to complete the 7-6(3), 7-5 victory.
"Well, it wasn't my best, of course. I felt energy in a few games, and then the intensity, I lost it a little bit, especially in the beginning of the second set. Just tried to stay calm. When I had to play well in the tiebreak, and at 5???5 also in the second, that's what I did. So I keep going. I'm happy," said Henin.
Henin will play the winner of the match between Chinese Jie Zheng and Russian Maria Kirilenko, who take courts later today.
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Day-9 Update-3 Henin first to reach Aussie Open semis
Wild card entrant Justine Henin continued her super comeback into the International tennis Arena with a place in the semifinal of the Australian Open. Henin overcame the tough Russian challenge of Nadia Petrova to reach the last four, winning the match with a 7-6(3), 7-5 scoreline.
Click here to view the commentary of the Henin-Petrova encounter, click here.
Day-9 Update-2 Preview of the Day
The Day-9 at the 2010 Australian Open brings some nail-biting clashes between some of the best players in the world. Highlighted by the Murray-Nadal clash, the Order of play kicks off the Henin-Petrova match, followed by first time Aussie Open quarterfinalists Jie Zheng and Maria Kirilenko tie. The day's first men's match features American superstar Andy Roddick up against Giant-Killing Croat Marin Cilic and ofcourse, the last one in the night session featuring Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
Find out the expert opinion on favourites in today's exciting match-ups, click here.
Day-9 Update-1 Live: Justine Henin vs. Nadia Petrova
In the first Ladies Quarterfinal match of the draw, former champion and Wild Card Justine Henin takes on giant-killer Nadia Petrova. The two players have met 14 times in their careers with Henin leading the Head-to-Head 12-2.
Enjoy the live commentary of this exciting match, click here.
Australian Open QF Day 1: Preview
Women's Quarterfinal 1
Justine Henin vs. Nadia Petrova
Head-to-Head
Henin leads series 12-2
Last Meetins, 2010 Brisbane International R32
Henin won 7-5, 7-5
Justine Henin has dominated almost all the meetings with the Russian but the real question is whether she can do that all over again at such a Grand stage or not. All equations change at a slam level and the same holds true for Petrova, who has otherwise been a very strong player, beating the likes of Serena Williams last year. Henin started the campaign here in Melbourne with some delightful wins including her classic tussle with Elena Dementieva. She survived her first scare in the form of Alisa Kleybanova, and successfully fended off the challenge of compatriot Yanina Wickmayer in three gruelling sets. Petrova, on the other hand, took out WTA superstars like Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the quarterfinals. All in all, the match is bound to produce swashbuckling tennis, given the current form of these players.
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
TennisEarth'c Pick - Justine Henin in two tough sets.
Women's Quarterfinal 2
Jie Zheng vs. Maria Kirilenko
Head-to-Head
Zheng leads series 4-1
Last Meeting, 2010 Brisbane International R32
Zheng won 6-4, 6-4
Both Jie Zheng and Maria Kirilenko enter the last eight of the Australian Open as surprise quarterfinalists. Where Zheng took out some of the most consistent players in the circuit including Marion Bartoli, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Alona Bondarenko, Kirilenko started her dream run with a three hour plus marathon win over comptriot and former champion Maria Sharapova. It will be difficult to say who had a tougher run to the quarters of the event but one thing is for sure, it will be a milestone achievement for either one of them to reach the semifinals.
Click here to follow the commentary of this match.
TennisEarth's Pick - Jie-Zheng in straight sets.
Men's Quarterfinal 1
Andy Roddick vs. Marin Cilic
Head-to-Head
Series tied at 1-1
Last Meeting - ATP Masters Series Canada R16
Cilic won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Young Croat Marin Cilic became one of the most consistent players of the 2009 season when he won two titles and registered wins over some of the biggest players including Andy Murray to reach his first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal at U.S. Open. With a win over Juan Martin Del Potro in the fourth round, Cilic is sure to enter the match as a threat to American Andy Roddick, who reached the semifinal last year. The former World No.1 started his title bid here in Melbourne with two strong wins over Thiemo De Bakker and Thomaz Bellucci and survived real scares in the form of Spaniard Feliciano Lopez and Chilean Fernando Gonzalez. Only time will tell whether Roddick will be able to make another Grand Slam final or not, but this one is sure to be remembered as one of the best matches of the 2010 Australian Open.
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
TennisEarth's Pick - Marin Cilic in five sets.
Men's Quarterfinal 2
Andy Murray vs. Rafael Nadal
Head-to-Head
Nadal leads series 7-2
Last Meeting - ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo SF
Nadal won 6-2, 7-6(4)
This is a match-up everyone has been eagerly waiting for. Yes we are talking about the Nadal-Murray QF clash which is easily the most anticipated match of the year's first Grand Slam. Scot Andy Murray is in phenomenal form and is seen by many as the possible champion. Nadal, on the other hand has been less-than-perfect so far. Murray started his quest for maiden Grand Slam title with confident wins over players like Kevin Anderson and Marc Gicquel in straight sets. He strengthened his standing at the Open with a solid win over Florent Serra and reached the quarterfinal with a straight sets demolition of an in-form John Isner. Unlike Murray, Nadal's road to quarterfinal was paved with hurdles with a tough opener in the form of Peter Luczak, followed by a seemingly easy win over Lukas Lacko. Nadal then survived his first four set tussle with Philipp Kohlschreiber and made the quarterfinals with a hard-fought win over Croatian Giant Ivo Karlovic. As far as the on-court dominance in concerned, Murray has had an easier entry into the last eight, but that's OK, 'Rafa' knows his strengths.
Click here to follow the live commentary of this match.
TennisEarth's Pick - Andy Murray in four sets.
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Azarenka beats Zvonareva to secure Aussie Open QF berth
Seventh seeded Belarusian survived a bad start and a set deficit to beat Russian Vera Zvonareva to secure her place in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-visit the moments of the Azarenka-Zvonareva tussle, click here.
Azarenka started the match on a bad note and lost her serve in the tenth game to lose the opening set 6-4. The second set witnessed a much-improved Azarenka, who traded several breaks before clinching an elusive one in the ninth game to level the match at one set a piece.
The decider turned out to be a lopsided affair when Azarenka bagled the Russian to cruise to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.
She now meets top seed and defending champion Serena Williams. The pair met twice last year with Azarenka beating Williams in the Miami final. The second match-up favoured Williams on the green grass of Wimbledon.
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Day-8 Update-11 Live: Vera Zvonareva vs. Victoria Azarenka
In the last match on the Rod Laver Arena, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka takes on the ninth seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, who reached the semifinals last year. The two players have met four times with the Russian winning each one of those meetings.
Enjoy the live commentary of this exciting match, click here.
Federer overwhelms Hewitt to reach Quarterfinals
15 time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer once again confirmed his supremacy over Australian Lleyton Hewitt as he registered a straight sets victory to reach the quarterfinal of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-visit the moments of Federer's on-court brilliance, click here.
Federer was most certainly the clear favourite going into the match but such a lopsided result wasn't expected from a match-up of that calibre. Federer opened the match on a bright note and pocketed a break in the sixth game to then close out the set 6-2.
The second set did not change the trend of the match as Federer wasted little time in pocketing another break of serve to finish the second set 6-3. The decider saw Federer's serve break for the first time in the match. However, the Swiss player was in total cntrol of the situation with a break already in hand. As Federer broke Hewitt one more time, he completed the 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 match in little over two hours of play.
Federer now meets the man who has beaten him in both the previous occasions, Nikolay Davydenko. The Russian is all set to outrun Federer after securing one win already this year in Doha.
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Day-8 Update 10-Federer triumphs against Hewitt
World No 1 Roger Federer advance into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with a 6-2 6-3 6-4 over crowd favourite Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets.
Click here to view the commentary of this match.
Swiss Ace stepped on the accelerator from word 'go' and never looked threatened by the Aussie.
He next faces Nikolay Davydenko for a place in the semifinals.
Day-8 Update-9 Federer on a roll...!
Roger Federer is on a roll today. The Swiss gets a two sets to love lead in the match that was seen by many as a possible classic. What we see now is a display of absolute dominance by the three time champion, who beat Hewitt in the last 14 meetings.
Enjoy the live commentary of this match, click here.
Serena storms into Aussie Open Quarterfinals
Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams dashed Australian hopes when she beat local favourite Samantha Stosur to reach the quarterfinal of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-visit the moments of sheer brilliance of Williams-Stosur match, click here.
Serena started the match on a good note and broke Stosur in the fifth game to capture the opening set 6-4. The second set witnessed several breaks of serve in Williams favour with the help of which she scored the 6-2, 6-2 win over the Australian No.1
As opposed to a huge set of expectations about the high competition in the match, Williams totally overwhelmed the Australian and avenged the loss handed by Stosur in the pair's previous meeting in Stanford.
Serena next faces the winner of the match between Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva who take the court later this evening.
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Day 8 Update 8 - Live Federer vs Hewitt
In the first match of the night session at the Rod Laver Arena, top seed and three time champion Roger Federer takes on local favourite Lleyton Hewitt. Both players have contested 23 matchees with Federer leading the way with 16 wins.
Click here to view the point by point commentary of this match.
Day 8 Update 7 -Serena storms into quarter-finals
World No 1 Serena Williams fired 10 aces in the middle to ease past Samatha Stosur of Australia 6-4 6-2.
Click here to view the commentary of this match.
The American was untouchable on her serve and never gave a real chance to Aussie to sneak her way back into the match. She next plays the winner of match between Vera Zvonareva and Victoria Azarenka.
Day8-Update 6 Davydenko battles past Verdasco
Nikolay Davydenko continued his run at the Australian Open with a tense 6-2 7-5 4-6 6-7(5) 6-3 fourth round victory over ninth seed Fernando Verdasco.
He will next play the winner of match between Roger Federer and LLeyton Hewitt.
Davydenko outruns Verdasco in 5 sets, Djokovic eases through
Sixth seed and one of the strongest contenders for this year's title, Nikolay Davydenko survived the tussle of five gruelling sets to overcome ninth seed and last year's semifinalist Fernando Verdasco and reached the quarterfinals of 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Davydenko made a good start to the match and broke Verdasco several times to race to a two sets to love lead. The Spaniard though refused to go down so easily and bounced back into the match by winning the third set with the help of a crucial break in the tenth game.
As the match progressed, Verdasco found his rhythm and broke Davydenko in the sixth game. Davydenko did show some resistance by forcng the tie-break, but failed to match the Spaniard's tenacity who levelled the match at two sets a piece.
The final set turned out to be a one-sided affair as Davydenko got an early break and completed the 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory.
In the day's other men's match, third seed and 2008 champion Novak Djokovic eased past Pole Lukasz Kubot for a comfortable 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 win.
"I probably had the best possible draw at the moment.But I didn't want to underestimate my opponent absolutely, because I've played him the finals of Belgrade, Serbia Open last year. I knew that he's a tough opponent to play against. So I just went to the court willing to play my best from the start," said Djokovic.
"I think the first two sets I was very dominant on the court, then he lifted up his level of the game a little bit. That's why we had a longer third set. In general, I was very happy with the way I performed today," added the Serbian.
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Day-8 Update-5 Live: Serena Williams vs. Samantha Stosur
In the second ladies match on the Rod Laver Arena, top seed and defending champion Serena Williams takes on Australia's hope Samantha Stosur. The two players have met three times with Williams leading the head-to-head 2-1. However, in the pair's last match-up, Stosur tumbled Williams in three gruelling sets.
Enjoy the live action of this thrilling match-up, click here.
Day 8-Update 4 Djokovic sails into Quarterfinals
Third seeded Novak Djokovic has eased past Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-1 6-2 7-5 to advance into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
The 2008 champion will next meet the winner of match between Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Almagro of Spain.
Match Preview - Federer looks to renew rivalry with Hewitt
Roger Federer vs. Lleyton Hewitt
Head-to-Head
Federer leads the series 16-7
Last Meeting - 2009 U.S. Open R32
Federer won the match 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 6-4
To say that the two players share a rivalry would be an exaggeration as Federer has dominated the last 14 matches played between the two players, however it would be safe to say that everytime they met they set the court on fire by producing swashbuckling tennis.
Local favourite Lleyton Hewitt carries a lot of tenacity and determination into today's match with Federer. Hewitt has never won the home Grand Slam event and has only managed a runner-up finish, back in 2005 (lost to Safin in the final). The crowd is definitely going to be behind their home champion and Federer will have to put aside the distractions to overcame the Australian challenge. Hewitt has been in phenomenal form at this year's championship. His straight sets wins over Ricardo Hocevar and Donald Young gave the Australian a perfect start to the title quest. In the third round, Hewitt literally humbled Baghdatis before the Cypriot decided to retire from the match due to an injury.
Federer, on the other hand, is a three time champion here in Melbourne, and knows what it takes to lift the winner's trophy despite all sorts of obstacles. Their last meeting pretty much says the story well when Hewitt won the first set but failed to avoid the permanent shift in momentum in the match. Federer faced a real challenge in the opening round where Russian Igor Adreev took a set and a break lead from him. But the Swiss maestro bounced back and avoided a major upset. The next two match ups against Victor Hanescu in the second round and Albert Montanes in the third round gave the top seed some relief.
TennisEarth's Pick - Federer in 4 sets.
To follow the live commentary of this match, click here.
Day8- Update 3 Wozniacki crashes out of Australian Open
Caroline Wozniacki has been show the exit door from the Australian Open by Li Na of China.
The Chinese player took full advantage of error marked performance from the Dane and clinched the victory 6-4 6-3.
Li will next Venus Williams for a place in the semi-finals.
Day8 - Update 2 Venus through to the quarterfinals
Venus Williams has reached the last eight of the Australian Open after she bounced back from a set and 0-1 down in the second, to beat the Francesca Schiavone of Italy 3-6 6-2 6-1.
"This is what I practice for 365 days a year for these moments, being down a set, a break. That's what makes it so enjoyable," said Williams afterwards.
She next will play faces the winner of Caroline Wozniacki's match against Na Li of China.
Venus struggles past Schiavone to reach Aussie Open Quarters
Sixth seed and 2003 finalist Venus Williams survived a set and a break deficit to beat Italian Francesca Schiavone to reach the querterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-live the magical moments of Venus' impressive comeback, click here.
Venus made a sluggish start to the match and got broken early on. As Schiavone raced to a 3-1 lead, another break came in Williams favour. However, with an elusive break in the eighth game, Schiavone closed the set 6-3.
The second set started on a bad note for Williams who got broken once again. Although, she immediately raised the level of her game and broke Schiavone several times with her improved net play and levelled the match at one set a piece.
The decider turned out to be a lop-sided affair as Schiavone managed only one service hold and gave way to Williams with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 scoreline.
"This is what I practice for 365 days a year for these moments, being down a set, a break. That's what makes it so enjoyable," said Williams afterwards.
Williams now meets the winner of the match between Chinese Na Li and fourth seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki.
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Day-8 Update-1 Matches to Watch Out For
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Court | |
| Fernando Verdasco | vs. | Nikolay Davydenko | Rod Laver Arena Match 2 |
| Serena Williams | vs. | Samantha Stosur | Rod Laver Arena Match 3 |
| Roger Federer | vs. | Lleyton Hewitt | Rod Laver Arena Match 4 |
| Vera Zvonareva | vs. | Victoria Azarenka | Rod Laver Arena Match 5 |
| Caroline Wozniacki | vs. | Na Li | Hisense Arena Match 2 |
Check out the complete schedule of matches, click here.
Venus gives clarification over Controversial Outfit issue
Sixth seed and fashion label ELEVEN's owner Venus Williams shocked the Aussie Open crowd on her opening round match by sporting a controversial outfit on court. Apparently, Venus' new dress gave a look of her not wearing any undergarments.
Well, to put an end to all the hooplah, the seven time Grand Slam champion later issued a clarification on Twitter page saying she was infact wearing a skin tone matching top and shorts underneath.
"This is completely my design. It was one of my old sketches and kind of got recycled and I kind of sat on it for a while.Finally it came out. The whole idea is just about an illusion," Said Venus who owns a successful fashion label herself.
"Obviously the most effective part of the illusion are the slits. Then the idea was to wear shorts that were like the same colour as my skin, so it works very well apparently," added Williams.
Roddick survives a marathon, Safina retires
Former World Number one Andy Roddick survived a marathon struggle against Chilean Fernando Gonzalez to reach the quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open.
Roddick started the match on a bright note and pocketed the opening set 6-3 with the help of a lone break. As the match progressed, the Chilean star caught hold of the game that saw him work wonders in last year's French Open. Gonzalez soon raced to a two sets to one lead and gave signs of another major upset in the men's draw.
However, Roddick struck back with double the force and clinched an elusive break in the 11th game to level the match at two sets a piece. The decider turned out to be a lopsided affair as after racing to a 4-1 lead, Roddick completed the 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
In the women's draw, second seed and 2009 finalist Dinara Safina retired from her match against Maria Kirilenko with an injured back. Safina was trailing 4-5 and was down a set point when she took the decision to sit by the sidelines.
Re-visit the moments of Kirilenko's triumph and Safina's agony, click here.
"My back again. It suddenly hit me. It was getting worse and worse. I have no idea really how it could happen. It's really, really terrible," said a disappointed Safina.
With a win, Kirilenko set up a quarterfinal clash with Chinese Jie Zheng, who got the better of Ukranian Alona Bondarenko in straight sets to move ahead.
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Henin continues dream run in Melbourne, Del Potro shocked
2004 champion and wild card entry to this year's championship, Justine Henin looked in phenomenal form today as she overcame the challenge of rising Belgian star Yanina Wickmayer to reach the quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-visit the magical moments of Henin's shotmaking brilliance, click here.
Henin made a good start to the match and pocketed a break early on. Wickmayer, though refused to lose so easily and broke Henin back to push the opening set into a deciding tie-break. As the tie-break drew to a close, Henin hit a couple of trademark backhand winners to take the opener 7-6(3).
The second set saw a major shift in momentum when Henin struggled to hold her serves and surrendered in front of Wickmayer's steely display of baseline tennis. However, in the final set, things returned to usual for the Belgian star who broke Wickmayer yet again to first build the lead and then close the match with a 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3 scoreline.
Henin now plays the Giant-killing Russian Nadia Petrova who took out Svetlana Kuznetsova in another fourth round match earlier in the day.
In the men's draw, fourth seed and current U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro suffered a marathon five set defeat at the hands of Croatian Marin Cilic. Del Potro won the opening set with the help of a cushion break, but soon found himself down by two sets to one. The Argentine did make an attempt to come back into the match by winning the fourth set, but lost the momentum in the decider and bowed out of the event with a 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 scoreline.
"Yeah, it was hard. But with lot of joy in the end. I mean, it was really tough match, especially first two, three sets where he played some great tennis, and I didn't even get a chance on his serve to break him till the end of the second set," assessed Cilic.
"It wasn't easy to play him. I had to stay all the time really focused. I think the good thing that kept me in there was my serve. I wasn't going up and down so much. I think that was one key thing that I did well," added Cilic.
Cilic now meets the winner of the match between American Andy Roddick and Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
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Day7 - Update 7 Henin prevails, Safina pulls out
Justine Henin has advanced into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with a hard fought 7-6(4) 1-6 6-3 victory over compatriot Yanina Wickmayer.
She next faces Russian Nadia Petrova, who downed fellow countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova earlier in the day.
The biggest upset of the day was reported when second seeded Dinara Safina was forced to retire against Russian compatriot Kirilenko at the Australian Open.
Safina was trailing 30-40 and 4-5 while serving in the first set when she went to hit a forehand, shook her head and told the umpire she could not continue.
Cilic stuns Del Potro at Australian Open
Croatian Marin Cilic caused a major upset in the men's draw at this year's Australian Open with a win over Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in the fourth round match today. Cilic overcame Del Potro in a marathon 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 match that lasted well over three hours in play.
Cilic next faces the winner of the match between American Andy Roddick and Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
| Player | Country | Round | Score | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 |
| Juan Martin Del Potro | ARG | R16 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| Marin Cilic | CRO | R16 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 2 | |
| Nadia Petrova | RUS | R16 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | ||
| Svetlana Kuznetsova | RUS | R16 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
Check out the complete live scores of Day 7 matches, click here.
Nadal sets up Murray clash in Australian Open Quarterfinal
Second seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal defied a spirited performance by Ace-machine Ivo karlovic to reach the quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the tense moments of Nadal-Karlovic encounter, click here.
Nadal opened the match well and pocketed an early break to clinch the opening set 6-4. The second set saw a major shift in momentum when Karlovic stretched himself to limits and broke Nadal's serve in the tenth game to level the match at one set a piece.
Nadal soon resumed his solid form and got an elusive break in the third game to wrap up the set 6-4 and race to a two sets to one lead. Similar story was repeated in the fourth set as well when Nadal got a decisive break in the third game and completed the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in over two hours of gruelling play.
This is Nadal's second four set match in the event after his hard-fought win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the previous round. The Spaniard next faces Scot Andy Murray who had an easy entry in the last eight of the event with a straight sets win over John Isner.
In a major upset in the women's draw, third seed and current French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova bowed out of the event with a shocking 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 defeat at the hands of compatriot Nadia Petrova.
"Well, instead of giving opportunity for her to put pressure on me and dictating the game, you know, I took everything in my hands. This time, you know, I felt also much fitter. I knew it doesn't really matter how long the match would go for, I still had a lot of energy," said Petrova. "I'm sure sometimes I even surprised her, you know, how well I was chasing the balls."
Petrova has been on a giant-killing spree which includes a surprise win over Kim Clijsters in the third round. Petrova now awaits the winner of the match between Belgian Justine Henin and Yanina Wickmayer, who take the courts later today.
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Day-7 Update-4 Nadal struggles past Karlovic to reach Aussie Open Quarters
Second seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal secured his place in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Ace-machine Ivo Karlovic. Nadal made a good start to the match but lost the momentum and the second set to see his chances in the third and fourth set, which he duly did and won the match to set up a much anticipated clash with fifth seed Andy Murray.
Re-live the tense moments of Nadal-Karlovic encounter, click here.
Murray first to reach Aussie Open Quarterfinal
Fifth seeded Scot Andy Murray became the first player in the men's draw to reach the quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open when he registered a convincing straight sets win over tall American John Isner here at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the moments of sheer dominance of Murray's win, click here.
Murray made a tight start to the match and faced stiff competition from Isner who held all his serves to push the opening set into the deciding tie-break. As Murray picked up a mini-break at 4-3, things became easier for him to seal the opener 7-6(4).
The second set saw Murray clinch an elusive break in the seventh game which helped him race to a two sets to love lead. The third set turned out to be a lopsided affair when Murray broke Isner twice to complete the 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-2 victory.
"Yeah, I'm playing well. No question about that. Uhm, just need to play like I have been, and maybe a bit more if I want to win the tournament," said Murray.
In the women's draw, Chinese star Jie Zheng continued her magical run in the championship with a dominant 7-6(), 6-4 win over rising Ukrainian star Alona Bondarenko. Both Zheng and Na Li have been in pretty good form throughout the tournament.
"Yeah, I think Australia is lucky for me because I win the first Grand Slam doubles title in Australia. So I'm so. how do you say, happy I in quarterfinal of Australia also," said Zheng. "But I think we can go the far way because you can see Li Na in the fourth round. I hope we can be in the semifinal for both Chinese player, yes."
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Day-7 Update-3 Murray breezes past Isner to reach Quarterfinals
British No.1 Andy Murray, who is considered one of the strongest contenders for this year's title, registered a comfortable 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-2 victory over American John Isner to reach the quarter-finals of the 2010 Australian Open. With a win, the Scot became the first player reach the last eight of the years first Grand Slam and now awaits the winner of the Nadal-karlovic encounter in the next round.
Re-live the moments of sheer dominance of Murray's win, click here.
| Player | Country | Round | Score | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 |
| Andy Murray | GBR | R16 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | ||
| John Isner | USA | R16 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Jie Zheng | CHN | R16 | 2 | 7 | 6 | |||
| Alona Bondarenko | UKR | R16 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
Check out the complete live scores of Day 7 matches, click here.
DAY-7 Update-1 Matches to Watch Out For
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Court | |
| Andy Murray | vs. | John Isner | Rod Laver Arena Match 1 |
| Ivo Karlovic | vs. | Rafael Nadal | Rod Laver Arena Match 2 |
| Andy Roddick | vs. | Fernando Gonzalez | Rod Laver Arena Match 4 |
| Nadia Petrova | vs. | Svetlana Kuznetsova | Hisense Arena Match 2 |
| Marin Cilic | vs. | Juan Martin delPotro | Hisense Arena Match 3 |
Check out the complete schedule of matches, click here.
Wozniacki crushes Peer to reach Aussie Open Pre-Quarters
Fourth seed and U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki ended an exciting day with a straight sets win over Israeli Shahar Peer to move to the fourth round of the 2010 Australian Open being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Wozniacki made a sluggish start to the match and lost her serve in the second game. Although, persistent efforts helped the Dane to then reel-off 8 games in a row to complete the 6-4, 6-0 victory.
Other winners of the day included Francesca Schiavone, Na Li, Victoria Azarenka, Samantha Stosur and Vera Zvonareva, who all registered contrasting wins over their respective opponents to move ahead.
In the men's draw, tenth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga survived mid match jitters to beat German Tommy Haas 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to set up a fourth round clash with the Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who took out Columbian Alejandro Falla 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Hewitt sets up Federer clash at Australian Open
Two time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt pleased the home fans with a solid start to his match against arch rival Marcos Baghdtis, but moved ahead rather handily when the Cypriot decided to retire from the match due to an injury.
Re-live the flashes of Hewitt's brilliance amidst all the drama, click here.
Hewitt made a dream start to the match and reeled off seven games in a row to take a head start into the match. As the match progressed, Baghdatis found himself in excruciating pain and after being broken in the sixth game, decided to sit by the sidelines.
"Yeah, I wasn't worried about it at all. I wasn't thinking about it because I wasn't worried. I had a bit of pain, but nothing. I'm usual to pain, having a little bit of pain everywhere. But I didn't think that it would be this painful and this bothering during the match," responded Baghdatis when asked about the occurence of the pain.
In another match from the day, Spaniard Nicolas Almagro continued his impressive run at the Open with a straight sets win over Columbian Alejandro Falla, winning the match with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline.
Other winners of the day included seeded stars Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Fernando Verdasco and Lukasz Kubot, who all secured their places in the fourth round with contrasting wins.
Youzhny withdraws from Australian Open
Russian Mikhail Youzhny has withdrawn from his third-round match at the Australian Open because of a injury in his right hand
Youzhny said he began experiencing problems during the fifth set of his battle against Richard Gasquet in the first round.
On being asked whether is it tendinitis... "Yes, first they say just tired because I play five hours. First match in the season after big rest. First of all, they say just tired the tendons and muscles.
But after like three, four days, it's same situation. I don't do picture or something. I just want to come back to Moscow and start to make..."
"You know, of course it's tough for me now because actually I play well. I ready to play. But this is life sometimes. You have injury and you have to pull out if you cannot play." said Youzhny, when asked how he feels about it.
Djokovic eases into fourth round, Venus struggles
Third seed and 2008 champion Novak Djokovic looked in astonishing form today when he beat Uzbek Denis Istomin in straight sets with a loss of just four games. Djokovic broke Istomin several times in the match and completed the 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 victory in almost 90 minutes of play.
In another swashbuckling performance, Russian Nikolay Davydenko fired past Argentine Juan Monaco 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 to set up a pre-quarterfinal clash with Fernando Verdasco, last year's semifinalist, who comfortably moved ahead in the draw when his opponent Stefan Koubek retired from the match after losing the opening set 6-1. Davydenko is in impressive form and has beaten both Federer and Nadal in all his previous meetings with them.
"Really, it's difficult to say why it's happening. Maybe it's good. I was feeling today was much better my concentration in a match. And beginning start already. I fighting for every point, and that's what maybe it was 6 Love in the first set and 3 Love. Because like say I didn't make it any mistake, you know, like say nine games," said Davydenko about his phenomenal form.
In the women's draw, sixth seed and former finalist Venus Williams struggled past Australian Casey
Dellacqua to reach the fourth round.
Re-visit the tense moments of the Williams-Dellacqua match, click here.
Venus opened the match well and pocketed a break in the fourth and sixth game to close it by 6 games to 1. The second set though brought a lot of resistance from the Australian star who gallantly held serves till Venus managed a break in the fifth game.
Dellacqua bounced back into the match and took full advantage of Williams' unforced errors to level the set at 4-4. As the set went into a tie-break, Williams took the matters in her own hands and completed the 6-1, 7-6(4) victory.
In another exciting match from the day, Chinese star Na Li recorded a three set win over Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova in a tussle that lasted well over two hours in play and ended with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 scoreline.
Djokovic fires past Istomin in Melbourne
Former champion Novak Djokovic looked in awe-inspiring form today when he spared only four games to beat Uzbek Denis Istomin to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open.
Djokovic broke Istomin several times in the match and managed the win in almost 90 minutes of play. The Serbian star won his only Grand Slam title here in Melbourne two years ago when he beat players like Federer and Tsonga to lift the trophy.
Djokovic failed to reach another major final since then and is hopeful of repeating his 2008 success at the year's first Grand Slam.
Federer, Serena storm into Australian Open Pre-Quarters
Top seed and three time champion Roger Federer looked in awe-inspiring form today when he registered a straight sets win over Spaniard Albert Monatanes to reach the fourth round of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-visit the magical moments of Federer's charismatic play, click here.
Federer opened the match well and pocketed a quick break in the second game to close out the set 6-3. The second set brought continued success for Federer who looked phenomenal in his court coverage and precision at the net and broke Montanes in the ninth game to race to a two sets to love lead.
The final set brought more troubles for the Spaniard who got broken in the very first game. Federer then capitalised on the single break and sealed the victory with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline.
"Well, I thought it was dominated from my side with my serve, which allowed me then to take chance on the return. Pretty straightforward match, really. I don't remember him having any breakpoints," assessed Federer.
Earlier in the day, sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko delivered a flawless performance to beat Argentine Juan Monaco 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. Davydenko is yet to drop a set in the championship and is a strong contender for this year's title.
Last year's semifinalist Fernando Verdasco had the easiest entry to the last 16 of the event when his opponent, Austrian Stefan Koubek retired from the match due to an injury. Similar was the story of another third round match where Russian Mikhail Youzhny gave Pole Lukasz Kubot a walk over due to a persistent wrist injury.
In the women's draw, top seed and defending champion Serena Williams registered a convincing 6-0,
6-3 win over Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro to reach the pre-querterfinals.
"I felt like I played okay. I still feel like I can do better. I think my forehand was solid today. I liked it today a lot," said Serena.
In the day's first match, Australian hope Samantha Stosur stayed on course for her maiden Grand Slam win with a 6-4, 6-1 demolition of Italian Alberta Brianti. Although another Italian Francesca Schiavone was fortunate enough to pull an upset win over tenth seed Agnieszka Randwanska with a 6-2, 6-2 scoreline.
Seventh seed and Miami champion Victoria Azarenka also had an easy entry into the next round when she beat the third Italian in the draw, Tathiana Garbin 6-0, 6-2 to move ahead. She was later joined by ninth seed Vera Zvonareva, who took out Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-1, 7-5 to reach the last 16.
Serena crushes Suarez Navarro to reach fourth round
Top seed and World No.1 Serena Williams continued her thrilling form with a straight sets win over Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Suarez Navarro, who toppled Venus Williams in last year's championship, failed to match the power of the younger sibling and lost the match 6-0, 6-3.
Federer cruises into pre-Quarterfinals at Australian Open
Top seed and three time champion Roger Federer looked rock-solid in this third round match against Albert Montanes as the Swiss maestro displayed an all-court game to register a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win to reach the fourth round of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-visit the magical moments of Federer's charismatic play, click here.
Federer will now meet the winner of the thrilling match between local hope Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis.
Nadal survives a thriller to reach 4th round, Clijsters shocked
Second seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal survived mid match jitters against German Philipp Kohlschreiber to secure his place in the pre-quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-live the tense moments of Nadal-Kohlschreiber encounter, click here.
Nadal opened the match well and pocketed a quick break in the fifth game to serve out the set 6-4. The second set turned out to be a familiar affair for the Spaniard who broke the German in the first and the last game to race to a two sets to love lead.
The third set witnessed a major shift in momentum when Nadal got broken in the second game and Kohlschreiber capitalised on the lone lead to push the match into the fourth set. The fourth set was an ultimate test of perseverance for both players as despite Nadal's success in grabbing a break, Kohlschreiber broke the Spaniard right away to get back on level terms. Unfortunately, the eleventh game brought another service break, this time in Nadal's favour and the Mallorcan sealed the three and a half hours plus battle with a 6-4,
6-2, 2-6, 7-5 scoreline.
In another exciting match from the men's draw, Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro secured his place in the fourth round with a hard-fought 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over another German Florian Mayer. He was later joined by tall Croat Ivo Karlovic, who took out 24th seed Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7).
In one of the biggest upsets in the women's section, current U.S. Open champion and a major contendor for the title, Kim Clijsters suffered a shocking 6-0, 6-1 defeat at the hands of Russian Nadia Petrova and bowed out of the championship.
Other winners of the day included Justine Henin, Yanina Wickmayer, Maria Kirlienko, John Isner, Marin Cilic, Fernando Gonzalez and Jie Zheng, who all registered contrasting victories over their respective opponents to move ahead in the draw.
Murray, Roddick reach Pre-Quarterfinals at Australian Open
Fifth seed and Britain's hope Andy Murray gave an astonishing performance in his third round match today against Frenchman Florent Serra to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-visit the magical moments of Murray's on-court brilliance, click here.
Murray, whose best Grand Slam performance so far has been the runner-up finish at the 2007 U.S. Open, looked extremely effective in all aspects of the game and made a good start to the match by breaking Serra in the very first game. Although, after a quick exchange of breaks, Murray eventually pocketed the opening set 7-5.
The second set became a witness to Murray's all court game when he broke Serra several times with the help of his beautiful groundstrokes and passing shots to seal it 6-1. The third set did bring a little resistance from the Frenchman, who broke Murray back to get on level terms, but could not sustain the form for long and lost the 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 match in little under two hours of play.
In another exciting match from the Rod Laver Arena, Seventh seeded American Andy Roddick survived
the opening set deficit to beat the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3) in a tussle that produced some of the best tennis of the day.
"I needed to convert. You know, I had a lot of breakpoints there in that fourth set. And I needed to bear down on one of those. He's such a tough adâcourt server. I wasn't getting a good read. You're dealing with 215 down the T, then 185 wide where it's going outside of the sideline every time. I probably had an opportunity or two where I could have played it a little bit," said Roddick.
"But I was getting pretty frustrated just with the way he was serving on that ad side. But, you know, that's probably the one thing I could have done a little bit better," added the American.
In the women's draw, Belgian Yanina Wickmayer followed in the foot steps of compatriot Justine Henin and survived a three set thriller against Sara Errani, winning the match with a 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3 scoreline.
She was later joined by Russian Maria Kirilenko, who struggled before beating Italian Roberta Vinci 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach the fouth round here.
Earlier in the day, second seed and last year's finalist Dinara Safina recorded an impressive 6-1, 6-2 win over Elena Baltacha of Great Britain to move into the pre-quarterfinals of the year's first Grand Slam.
Henin stages comeback at Australian Open, Jankovic stunned
Unseeded Belgian and 2004 champion Justine Henin staged a huge comeback in her third round match against 27th seeded Russian Alisa Kleybanova and reached the fourth round at the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the excitement of Henin's awesome comeback, click here.
Henin made a bad start to the match and lost her serve in the fourth game of the opening set to lose it 6-3. The second set started on a similar note when Henin lost her serve yet again in the very first game and soon found herself trailing 1-3.
However, just when it looked that WTA's comeback star is all set to bow out of the event, Henin bounced back into the match and broke Kleybanova to first level and then take the second set 6-4.
The third set gave a favourable start to the Seven time major champion who pocketed an early break in the second game and raced to a 3-0 lead. Although, the match was far from over as Kleybanova struck back to break Henin in the fifth game and get back on serve. Unfortunately, the comeback celebration was shortlived as Henin immediately got another break and completed the 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win in well over two hours of tussle.
In a big upset from the women's draw, former world number one Jelena Jankovic lost her third round match to rising Ukrainian star Alona Bondarenko. The Ukrainian had entered the year's first Grand Slam with a confidence-boosting title triumph in Auckland and today's victory confirmed her improved game. Bondarenko registered the 6-2, 6-3 win in just over an hour.
Roddick needs a refresher course in Tennis Rules
American Andy Roddick had a strange incident during his third round match with Spaniard Feliciano Lopez that caused quite a stir at the Rod Laver Arena.
At match point, Roddick hit a heavily spun forehand that bounced on Lopez' court and came back over the net. By that time, Lopez had reached the net and crossed it to put away the ball for a winner. As a result, the point was awarded to the Spaniard which caused Roddick to lose his calm.
Roddick, unaware of the rule, had a heated discussion with the Chair Umpire but the former world number one somehow maintained his composure to finish the match soon afterwards.
Clijsters campaign at Australia Open cut short by Petrova
2009 U.S. Open champion and a major contendor for the title, Kim Clijsters suffered a shocking 6-0 6-1 defeat at the hands of Russian Nadia Petrova and bowed out of the championship.
"I didn't give her chance for her to start playing her game. I really put pressure from the first point, you know. I stayed close to the line. I was really observing her pace." said Petrova.
She added "Also, you know, coming up with the big shots... of course, it is frustrating that you're not able to do things the way you really want them to do. All I can say, you know, I just didn't give her a chance to get into the match. "
Clijsters rued "I was completely off. Just I think tennis???wise, I didn't feel the ball at all.
Jankovic was never in the hunt as Bondarenko matched the eighth-seed’s power and chased down more balls to progress to the fourth round with a 6-2 6-3 win at Hisense Arena.
“Unfortunately today really wasn't my day. You know, I was hitting some balls short, and then some balls I went for maybe a little bit too much. I made a lot of errors that I shouldn't have made,” Jankovic explained after the match.
Safina cruises into fourth round at Australian Open
Second seed and last year's finalist Dinara Safina becme the first player in the draw to reach the fourth round at the 2010 Australian Open with her straight sets demolition of British Elena Baltacha.
Relive the dominant performance of the former World No.1, click here...!
Safina, who finished runner-up in last year's championship to Serena Williams, looked in crushing form today as she broke Baltacha several times in both sets and cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
Safina looked stronger in all aspects of the game right from the beginning and grabbed one break after the other to humble the rising British star.
The other matches of the day feature Justine Henin, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray in action, who all take their chances into making the next round of the event.
Federer reigns supreme in Melbourne, Verdasco moves ahead
Top seed and three time champion Roger Federer gave a flawless performance in the second round of the 2010 Australian Open today with a straight sets demolition of Romanian Victor Hanescu.
Re-live the sheer on-court brilliance of Roger Federer, click here.
Federer started the match well and pocketed a break in the second game to race to a 3-0 and then 4-1 lead. As Hanescu failed to hold his serve in the eighth game as well, Federer closed the opening set 6-2.
The second set did not change the story much for the Romanian, who felt helpless in front of Federer's blistering forehand winners from all corners of the court. Hanescu did raise the level of his game momentarily but could not avoid another break when Federer stepped ahead in the seventh game with a 5-3 lead. With a two sets to love lead soon, The Swiss maestro raced to a 4-0 lead, and after a marathon fifth game in Hanescu's favour, fired a series of service winners to close in on victory which he completed with the 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 scoreline to reach the third round.
Federer meets the Spaniard Albert Montanes in the third round. The 31st seed came thr
ough a marathon 4-6, 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win over unseeded Frenchman Stephane Robert.
In another match from the night session, 10th seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga dominated the big serving American Taylor Dent with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win. Spanish No.2 and a ninth seed at the Open, Fernando Verdasco also humbled Ukrainian Ivan Sergeyev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 on the last match in the Margaret Court Arena. Verdasco, who reached the semifinals last year and lost the five set thriller to eventual champion Rafael Nadal, has come a long way since then and is one of the few players to look forward to when the Grand Slam reaches it's second week.
Other winners of the day included Tommy Haas, Lukasz Kubot and Denis Istomin, who all registered contrasting wins over their respective opponents to move ahead in the draw.
In the women's draw, top seed and defending champion Serena Williams comfortably breezed through her second round match against Czech Petra Kvitova. She joined sister Venus Williams, who struggled in the second set before prevailing with a 6-2, 7-5 scoreline earlier in the day.
"Yeah, you know, playing two lefties in the first two rounds is little unusual. But, you know, I was up for the challenge. She's a really good player and really good athlete. Her game is a little bit different from most people, so really have to be a little more patient because she's kind of hitting a kind of a moonball almost," Venus said.
"It's a little bit different, so I just had to just make sure I stayed on my rhythm. Happy to be through," Venus added.
Other notable winners of the day were Shahar Peer, Tathiana Garbin, Francesca Schiavone, Alberta Brianti and Gisela Dulko, who toppled former finalist Ana Ivanovic in three gruelling sets.
Serena breezes into 3rd round, Hewitt shines on home soil
Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams continued her dominance at the year's first Grand Slam with a straight sets demolition of Czech Petra Kvitova to cruise through the third round at the 2010 Australian Open, being held here in Melboune, Australia.
Serena made a swashbuckling start to the match and quickly pocketed the opening set 6-2. The second set turned out to be a lopsided affair when Williams spared only a game to her Czech opponent and won the match 6-2, 6-1.
Earlier in the day, Seventh seed Victoria Azarenka continued her confident run at the Open with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Swiss Stefanie Voegele. Ninth seed Vera Zvonareva also looked impressive in her 6-0, 6-3 destruction of Czezh Iveta Benesova.
In the men's draw, home favourite and 2005 finalist Lleyton Hewitt looked in crushing form in his 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-1 win over American Donald Young. Hewitt had a tough opener with a tie-break finish and trailed 2-4 in the second before reeling off six games in a row to secure a two sets and a break lead.
Other notable winners of the day included Nicolas Almagro and Stefan Koubek, who registered convincing victories over their respective opponents to move ahead in the draw.
Venus, Wozniacki stay on course for QF clash
Sixth seed and former finalist Venus Williams continued her bid for the title with an impressive win over giant-killer Sybille Bammer in the second round of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Williams opened the match well and soon pocketed a break in the fourth game to race to a 4-1 lead. With no resistance from the Austrian, Venus closed the opening set 6-2. The second set started on a diffferent note when Bammer broke Williams in the first game to race to a 3-1 lead, which was squandered when Williams quickly broke Bammer back. A similar trade of breaks happened when Williams served for the match at 5-3. But the Seven time major champion finally prevailed with a 6-2, 7-5 win.
Re-visit the dominating win of Venus Williams, click here.
Williams is on course for a possible quarterfinal clash with Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who humbled unseeded German Julia Goerges in straight sets.
Wozniacki started the match well and pocketed a break in the third game to race to a 4-1 lead. More success came along when Wozniacki stepped on the accelerator early on in the second set as well and completed the 6-3, 6-1 victory in just over an hour.
Enjoy Wozniacki's solid victory over Julia Goerges, click here
Other winners of the day included Australian Samantha Stosur, Daniela Hantuchova, Na Li, Francesca Schiavone, Carla Suarez Navarro and Alberta Brianti who took out 21st seeded German Sabine Lisicki in three gruelling sets.
In the men's section, marathon-man Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis recovered from a two sets and a break deficit in the third to beat Spanish Davis Cup Hero David Ferrer in the second round match in the Hisense Arena in Melbourne Park.
Baghdatis opened the match on a bad note and soon found himself down two sets to love. The third set brought more disappointment when baghdatis lost his serve early on but came back all guns blazing when he broke Ferrer back and pushed a third set tie-break which he dominated entirely.
The fourth and the fifth set were a showcase of the Cypriot's swashbuckling game as he completely overwhelmed the Spaniard and completed the 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-1 win in a tussle that lasted well over four hours in play.
"Yeah, in the beginning of the match I had a lot of chances to break him. I think I was the best one on the court. I didn't take any chances, and he did at 5-4. He took the set. Then my tennis came back. Started playing pretty good. Started playing a bit more aggressive. The serve came back in the fourth and the fifth set. I served pretty good, so I'm delighted I won," said an elated Baghdatis.
Other winners in the men's draw included Mikhail Youzhny, Alejandro Falla and Denis Istomin who registered convincing victories to move ahead.
Djokovic, Davydenko continue solid form, Ivanovic toppled
Third seed and 2008 champion Novak Djokovic made an unusual start to the match but soon found the rhythm to beat unseedeed Swiss Marco Chiudinelli 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the third round at the Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Meanwhile, Sixth seed and ATP World Tour champion Nikolay Davydenko continued his solid form at the year's first Grand Slam with a straight sets win over unseeded Ukrainian Ilya Marchenko to move ahead in the draw.
Davydenko, who started the year with a big title win in Doha after beating Rafael Nadal in the final, looked in killing form today and completed the second round match with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 scoreline. The Russian was later joined by Argentine Juan Monaco, who took out Frenchman Michael Llodra 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3.
"Yeah, two matches, three sets. That's good. Second match play better. Baseline was control and fighting first two sets. Something important I think for me. You know, play from baseline, running, you know, like fighting I think is good, " Davydenko said of his performance so far in the major.
In the women's matches, another Argentine Gisela Dulko beat former finalist and 20th seed Ana Ivanovic 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4 in a match that lasted well over two hours in play. Ivanovic committed a lot of unforced errors and failed to match Dulko's shotmaking brilliance. Polish star Agnieszka Radwanska also impressed in her 6-0, 6-2 demolition of Russian Alla Kudryavtseva.
Former World No 1 Lleyton Hewitt defied a strong fight put up by American Donald Young and beat him 7-6(3) 6-4 6-1 to reach the third round.
“I felt like I got out of the blocks well,” said Hewitt . “He started serving a lot better and he mixed up his game very well. He's very flashy with his forehand. He can generate pace from anywhere on the court. When he's actually got time to run onto the ball, because he is so quick, he actually comes up with some pretty good shots.
He added “He was returning well, and I wasn't serving as well as I would have liked early on. My serve got better as the match went on and that definitely put me in a better position to be a little bit more aggressive on his service games.”
Prince William attends Australian Open
The future King of England, HRH Prince William of Wales, came face-to-face with the king and queen of the courts today, dropping in on the night session at Melbourne Park.
The Prince paid a post-match visit to world No.1 Serena Williams before heading on to Rod Laver Arena to take in some of Roger Federer's second round match against Victor Hanescu.
In his post-match press conference, Federer said he was delighted to have played in front of Prince William. "This one tonight was obviously extremely special," said the world No.1. "It's a pleasure playing in front of him.”
"Where he comes from, he knows tennis, and Wimbledon's big, you know. So for me it was … a big honor that he came to watch me."
Gisela Dulko of Argentina took full advantage of Ana Ivanovic's error marked performance in the second round match of the Australian Open and has defeated the Serbian 6-7(6) 7-5 6-4 to move ahead in the draw.
Ivanovic said "What happens is that I start well and I play good, and then because I have no expectation, I just go out there to enjoy. Then I think I can play like this all the time. Then I get tense and I start making mistakes because I want to play like that. Then I just want to go back to playing normal.
"I just have to get rid of that a little bit and just try to play, yeah, consistent all the time. It might not be at the highest level, but just build on it."
Henin topples Dementieva, Del Potro scores marathon win
Unseeded Belgian and Seven time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin announced her successful comeback into the major events with her superb victory over fifth seed and prime contendor Elena Dementieva.
Re-live the nail-biting moments of the see-saw battle between Henin and Dementieva, click here.
Henin opened the match on a bright note and pocketed a break in the third game. Although Dementieva came up with an immediate response to level the game score at 2-2. And that set the tone for the rest of the match as both players kept breaking each other's serve before Henin took the opening set 7-5 by gallantly holding her serve.
The second set turned out to be a real nail-biter when despite holding a considerable lead, Dementieva got broken by the Belgian. At 5-4 and 6-5, Henin served for the match but lost her serve both times and the set went into a tie-break. Again, despite holding a set point at 6-5, Dementieva lost both her serves and gave Henin a chance to serve for the match, which the Belgian duly did and knocked the fifth seed out.
"Oh, for sure there is nothing good about leaving the tournament in the first week. You know, I feel like, you know, I was in a good shape coming here. You know, it is disappointing," said a disappointed Dementieva.
Earlier in the day, former world number one Jelena Jankovic impressed in her 6-2, 6-2 de
molition of Great Britain's Katie O'Brien. Israeli Shahar Peer though had to struggle before overcoming Czech Lucie Hradecka with a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-1 scoreline.
In the men's draw, current U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro registered a marathon 6-4, 6-7(3), 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 victory over American James Blake in a match full of injury time-outs and cramps.
In stark contrast to the Blake-Del Potro encounter, Scot Andy Murray posted a convincing 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 win over Frenchman Marc Gicquel. Another French star Gael Monfils had a different fortune when he beat unseeded Croatian Antonio Veic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. He was later joined by compatriot Florent Serra, who took out Jarkko Nieminen 3-6, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-5.
Nadal storms into 3rd round in Melbourne, Safina struggles
Second seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal took the court by storm today with his dominating straight sets win over unseeded Slovakian Lukas Lacko to reach the third round of the 2010 Australian Open, being held here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-visit the on-court mastery of the defending champion Nadal, click here.
Nadal opened the match as expected and raced to a 5-0 lead with the help of consecutive breaks of serve. Although Lacko did get one of the break back, he could not face the sheer shotmaking brilliance of the Spaniard and lost the opening set 6-2. The similar story was repeated in the second and third set where amidst flashes of brilliance from the Slovakian, Nadal pocketed one break after another to complete the 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
"Well, I think I played serious match. I think I played the match what I need to play. Winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 is a really good news," said a contented Nadal after the victory.
19th seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka followed in the footsteps of the Mallorcan and crushed Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to secure his place in the third round. Tall American John Isner also made it to the next round with a convincing 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-5 win over Irish Louk Sorensen. German No.1 Philipp Kohlschreiber took out Wayne Odesnik in four gruelling sets, winning the 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 match after quite a struggle.
In the women's draw, second seed and last year's finalist Dinara Safina held off the challenge of Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-3, 6-4 to cruise into the third round. She was later joined by No. 27 Alisa Kleybanova, who took out French Open quarterfinalist Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 to move ahead in the draw.
Other winners of the day included Tsvetana Pironkova, Alona Bondarenko, Iveta Benesova, Julia Goerges and Na Li, who all completed comfortable wins over their respective opponents to move ahead in the draw.
Clijsters overcomes Thai hurdle, Roddick cruises through
15th seed and former finalist Kim Clijsters continued her impressive form in Melbourne with a straight sets, yet hard-fought win over Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn to reach the third round of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-visit the tense moments of the Clijsters-Tanasugarn match, click here.
Clijsters opened the match well and broke Tanasugarn early on to race to a 4-1 lead. However, the Thai star bounced back momentarily and broke Clijsters once to stretch the set to 6-3. The second set saw an absolute role-reversal when Tanasugarn broke Clijsters in the second game to get a surprising 3-0 lead. Clijsters then stretched herself to limits to get the break back and level the match 3-3. As soon as the match levelled, Clijsters found the rhythm to post the routine victory by 6-3, 6-3 scoreline.
"Yeah, no, I feel good. Physically I feel good, as well. You know, I feel like, yeah, I'm good enough on the day to beat my opponents", Clijsters said. "It's not with my best tennis yet, but hopefully I can save that when it's really necessary."
"Again, you know, today Tammy was very tricky. I haven't played her for a few years. I was actually surprised to see she was still playing. But she's very, yeah, like I said, tricky. Very hard to read her game, as well. Tricky serve. There's not much on it. But she doesn't give you anything where you can just step in and hit a lot of winners or really, yeah, go for a lot," Clijsters added.
In another second round match, fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer posted a tough 7-6(2), 6-1 victory over 12th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta. Seventh seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka also looked in crushing form in her 6-2, 6-0 routing of Frenchwoman Stephanie Cohen-Aloro.
Ninth seed Vera Zvonareva, last year's semifinalist, registered an equally impressive victory with the same scoreline to move ahead in the draw. She was later joined by 11th seed Marion Bartoli, who took out unseeded Czech Sandra Zahlavova to secure her place in the next round.
Other winners of the day included Sharapova's conqueror Maria Kirilenko, Angelique Kerber, Sara Errani, Elena Baltacha, Tsvetana Pironkova, Nadia Petrova, Shahar Peer, Agnes Szavay and Jie Zheng, who took out No.24 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to make it to the third round of the championship.
In the men's draw, 2009 semifinalist and Seventh seed Andy Roddick put an end to a frustrating match full of bad calls to beat young Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. He was joined by 11th seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, who humbled Turk Marsel Ilhan 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
In an upset, unseeded Kazakh Evgeny Korolev took out 21st seeded Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the second round.
Kuznetsova breezes into third round at Australian Open
2009 French Open Svetlana Kuznetsova continued her good form in Melbourne Park with a straight sets demolition of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to move to the third round at the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-live the action from the Kuznetsova-Pavlyuchenkova match, click here.
Kuznetsova made an unusual start to the match when she lost her serve in the opening game, but broke Pavlyuchenkova right back to then take matters into her own hand. With another break in hand, Kuznetsova wrapped up the opening set 6-2. The second set did not change the story much for Pavlyuchenkova, who hit the headlines by registering back-to-back victories over Venus Williams last year. With a 6-2, 6-2 completion, Kuznetsova ensured her place in the next round.
“Overall I think I played aggressive. I played well. The only thing I lost two serves in the first set. I had very low percentage, 40 per cent. I don't think is good enough,” Kuznetsova said.
In other matches of the day, Fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki humbled near-namesake Aleksanda Wozniak 6-4, 6-2 to move ahead in the draw. Wozniacki, who is in the same half as Venus Williams may clash with the former finalist in the quarterfinals.
Other winners of the day included Sofia Arvidsson, Stefanie Voegele, Na Li, Daniela Hantuchova, Tathiana Garbin and Yaroslava Shvedova, who took out a resurgent Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan in straight sets.
Cilic survives late-night fright
Fourteenth seed Marin Cilic needed five sets and almost four hours to end a brave challenge from young Australian talent Bernard Tomic in the early hours of Thursday morning at Rod Laver Arena.
Seventeen-year-old Tomic played a consistent match, working Cilic around the court and threatening to take the match deep in the fifth as he produced three break points. However, he failed to capitalise, and the Croatian player struck back, eventually taking the match 6-7(6) 6-3 4-6 6-2 6-4.
Australian Open breaking attendance
Around 66,154 visited Melbourne Park on Wednesday, thus setting up a new attendance record for any Grand Slam.
But 45 of those spectators found themselves leaving early, ejected by police for disruptive behaviour. A total of about 70 people have been kicked out during the first three days of the event, part of a tournament crackdown aimed at preventing the kind of violent clashes that have broken out on the grounds during the past three years.
Justine Henin has come through 7-5, 7-6(6) against Elena Dementieva to win their highly-anticipated clash in the second round of the Australian Open.
This was an eagerly-anticipated encounter from the moment the former No.1 was drawn against the winner of last week’s Medibank International in Sydney.
The pedigree of both players made the occasion feel as though it were happening about a week too early, while the quality of the tennis was also worthy of a contest played deep in the second week.
"To play this kind of match after two years off in a Grand Slam, it's just the kind of situation that I needed," said Henin. "That's why I probably came back on the tour, was to live this kind of matches."
Djokovic opens title campaign with win, Oudin loses
Third seed and 2008 champion Novak Djokovic made an emphatic start to retain the Australian Open title he won two years ago with a straight sets win on the famous Hisense Arena in Melbourne Park.
Djokovic made a slightly sluggish start to the match but soon found his form and pocketed the opener 7-5, 6-3, 6-2. He was later joined by Uzbek Denis Istomin, who beat 32nd seed Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 in little over 90 minutes of play.
Earlier in the day, Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka brushed aside the challenge of Spaniard Guillermo-Garcia Lopez 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to move to the second round. Czech Tomas Berdych also looked methodical in his 6-0, 6-3, 6-3 routing of Dutch Robin Haase.
In the most exciting match of the day, top seed and three time champion Roger Federer recoverd from an opening set loss to beat Russian Igor Andreev in four gruelling sets.
"No, tough match, you know, like I knew from the start. It was not gonna be an easy one," Federer said. "He's got incredible acceleration on his shots, obviously, especially his forehand. He's very physical and intense, so I was happy with the start I got today."
Enjoy the magical moments of the Federer-Andreev encounter, click here.
Other winners in the men's draw included Marc Gicquel, Feliciano Lopez, Stefan Koubek, Viktor Troicki, Janko Tipsarevic, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Albert Montanes, Lukasz Kubot, Victor Hanescu, Thomaz Bellucci, Benjamin Becker, Jan Hajek, and David Ferrer, who all registered contrasting victories over their respective opponents to move ahead.
In the women's section, Australian hope Casey Dellacqua struggled for three sets before winning the 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 match against Anastasiya Yakimova.
"Yeah, I was really nervous when I did. I obviously haven't been in a situation where I've been able to close matches and stuff," Dellacqua said. "Yeah, it was good to get that match at 5???4. I was down in that game, too. Yeah, I was getting a little bit nervous and was glad to close it out then."
Argentine Gisela Dulko also made a difficult start to her run at the Open with a 6-0, 5-7, 7-5 win over Zuzana Kucova of Slovakia.
Unfortunately, rising American star Melanie Oudin could not survive the power play of her Russian opponent Alla Kudryavtseva, and fell apart after winning the opening set, losing the match with a 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 scoreline.
Croatian Karolina Sprem caused an upset today when she beat 25th seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-2 to remind the world of her famous victory over Venus WIlliams at the 2004 Wimbledon.
21st seeded German Sabine Lisicki headed the field of other winners during the day that included Sybille Bammer, Petra Kvitova and Kaia Kanepi.
Venus, Hewitt cruise through at Melbourne Park
Former finalist and Seven time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams may not have many Aussie Open victories to her resume, but her form today showed promises of her title triumph here in the Melbourne Park at the year's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open.
Re-live the moments of Venus Williams' all court game, click here.
Venus looked in killing form against Czech Lucie Safarova in her 6-2, 6-2 win that came in little over an hour of dominant play. Williams made lesser errors and moved Safarova around the court with her penetrating serves and groundstrokes. With a win, Venus joined sister Serena into the second round. If all goes as expected, the sisters may slug it out in the semifinals according to the top half of the draw.
In another match, Polish star Agnieszka Radwanska overwhelmed Tatjana Malek 6-1, 6-0 to move ahead. 11th seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli also looked clinical in her 6-4, 6-1 demolition of Paraguayan Rossana De Los Rios.
Italian Roberta Vinci struggled in the opening set before registering a 7-5, 6-4 win over German Anna-Lena Groenefeld, whereas Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn defeated Kazakh girl Sesil Karatantcheva 6-1, 7-6(0) to move ahead.
Other winners in the women's draw included Alona Bondarenko, Sandra Zahlavova, Andrea Petkovic, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Katie O'Brien and Vania King, who upset 23rd seed Dominika Cibulkova in a tight three setter to move ahead.
In the men's first round matches, 22nd seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt made a quick work of Brazilian Ricardo Hocevar 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in front of the capaciity home crowd howling it's support for the two time Grand Slam champion. Hewitt, the 2005 runner-up to Marat Safin, is bidding for his first major triumph since the 2002 Wimbledon.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also registered a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky to keep his hopes for a maiden slam alive. 2006 finalist Marcos Baghdatis showed signs of a champion in his 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 demolition of Italian Paolo Lorenzi.
Other winners of the day included Tommy Haas, Julien Benneteau, Juan Monaco, Taylor Dent, Igor Kunitsyn and Florent Serra, who toppled 28th seed Jurgen Melzer 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Federer survives opening scare at Australian Open, Soderling toppled
Top seed and three time champion Roger Federer survived an opening round scare from Russian Igor Andreev to reach the second round of the 2010 Australian Open.
Re-live the moments of tension and brilliance, click here.
Federer made a shaky start to the match and lost his serve in the ninth game to let Andreev pocket the opening set 6-4. The second set saw a shift in momentum when Federer broke Andreev early on to level the match one set a piece.
With a set in hand, Federer made a confident start to the third set and broke Andreev to go for a 5-3 lead. It was then when Andreev made an amazing comeback into the set and led Federer 6-5 on serve. Unfortunately, the Russian could not hold on to the supreme opportunity and lost his serve to the Swiss star. As the set went to the tie-break, Federer totally humbled the Russian and closed it with his trademark all court game. With the next six games in his favour, Federer ensured his place in the next round.
In another match, German Rainer Schuettler beat 25th seed Sam Querrey 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to move to the next round of the event. He was later joined by James Blake, who took out French veteran Arnaud Clement 7-5, 7-5, 6-2 to move ahead in the draw.
In the biggest upset in men's draw, Eighth seed Robin Soderling lost his five set first round match to Spaniard Marcel Granollers 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. He was later joined by 16th seed Tommy Robredo who also lost his match to Columbian Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. Robredo recently made headlines with his win over Andy Murray in Hopman Cup, but today's loss told a different tale altogether.
In the women's draw, former world number one Jelena Jankovic made a confident start to her maiden Grand Slam campaign with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Romanian Monica Niculescu. She was joined by Sorana Cirstea of Romania, who struggled before posting a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win.
Last year's surprise quarterfinalist Carla Suarez Navarro also moved to the second round of the event when she beat Japanese Ayumi Morita in straight sets 7-5, 6-4. Italian Sara Errani was made to struggle though by Czech Klara Zakopalova, who forced a second set tie-break but lost the match 2-6, 6-7(5).
Serena sizzles in Melbourne Opener
Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams made quick work of her Polish opponent Urszula Radwanska to reach the second round of the 2010 Australian Open, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Click here to re-visit the astonishing moments of Serena's on-court mastery.
Williams, the four time champion here in Melbourne Park, entered the match with a heavily strapped right hamstring, although her astonishing mobility answered all the raised concerns about her fitness. After quickly pocketing the opening set 6-2, Serena continued to bother Radwanska with her angled backhands and well placed serves and sealed the 6-2, 6-1 victory in little over an hour.
In the day's first match, Australian No.1 Samantha Stosur survived mid-match jitters to overcome Chinese Xinyun Han 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. Stosur won the opening set easily but lost her serve early on in the second. Once the match was levelled, Stosur revived her killing form and started coming to the net more often to close the points and eventually the match.
"Yeah, like I said out there, it's always a relief to get through a first round. Overall, I was really pleased with the way I played, was able to handle myself out there," Stosur said. "Yeah, really happy to get through with the win."
In another match, 2008 finalist Ana Ivanovic posted a routine 6-2, 6-3 victory over American Shenay Perry. She was joined by Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai, who knocked out Indian hope Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-2 to move to the next round.
"Yeah, it was very good. I was pleased with the way I played. The conditions were very tough. It was very cold and windy and a lot different than Brisbane or what I been used to," Ivanovic said. "But I just tried to work my way through, just taking time, try to stay composed."
In the biggest upset of the day so far, women's 18th seed Virginie Razzano lost her opening round match to unseeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets. Although, 19th seed Nadia Petrova looked confident in her shotmaking to pull a 6-3, 6-4 win over Romanian Edina Gallovits.
In the men's draw, last year's semifinalist Fernando Verdasco successfully avoided a major upset with
a 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 7-5, 6-2 win over Australian Carsten Ball. He was later joined by Russian sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko, who overwhelmed German Dieter Kindlmann 6-1, 6-0, 6-3.
Frenchman Gael Monfils also looked impressive in his straight sets win over unseeded Australian Matthew Ebden, winning the 6-4, 6-4 6-4 match with the help of an elusive break in each set.
Meanwhie 14th seeded Croatian Marin Cilic completed his first round match from yesterday due to the rain delays, with a convincing 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 win over French veteran Fabrice Santoro, who was playing his last Grand Slam.
"I think the game has changed a lot for the past 20 years. When you look at where I am when I start with Connors, McEnroe, then Becker, then Edberg, Agassi, Sampras, Courier, these guys, and also Rafter. Then you can see today with Federer, Nadal, and all the guys behind, I mean, tennis is improving all the time. The game has changed so much," Santoro commented on the changing trends in the game.
New record for longest women's Slam match
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova needed record four hours and 19 minutes to beat Regina Kulikova 7-6(5) 6-7(10) 6-3 at the Australian Open.
They surpassed the previous record of four hours and seven minutes it took for Virginie Buisson and Noelle Van Lottum to complete their match at the 1995 French Open.
The longest women's match of all time is the six-hour, 31-minute contest between Vicki Nelson-Dunbar and Jean Hepner at Richmond in 1984, which had a 6-4, 7-6(11) scoreline.
Santoro completes four decades of Grand Slam play
Multi-million dollar hike keeps AO in Melbourne
Tennis Australia and Australian government officials have announced an A$363 million project to upgrade Australian Open facilities in a deal that will see the tournament stay in its current location for at least another 25 years.
Major changes to Melbourne Park include a retractable roof and additional seating for Margaret Court Arena. These changes will add 1500 more seats to that court and make the Australian Open the first Grand Slam venue to have three all-weather courts.
Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard said he was delighted with the changes and pleased that his organisation’s vision of tennis in the future had been included in the final plans.
“It’s a very historic day for tennis. It’s a culmination of a lot of work from a lot of people.”
Defending champ Nadal leads the seeds to 2nd round in Melbourne
Second seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal made an emphatic start to his title defence when he registered a straight sets win over local favourite Peter Luczak to reach the second round of the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam, being played here in Melbourne, Australia.
Re-live the excitement of Nadal's opening round match, click here.
Nadal made a bad start to the match and soon found himself trailing 3-5. Although, Luczak could not capitalise on the opportunity and got broken right away. As the set went into a tie-break things completely fell apart for the Australian, who failed to win a single point.
The next two sets saw early breaks in Nadal's favour who completed the victory with a 7-6(0), 6-1, 6-4 scoreline.
In another interesting match, current U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro survived mid-match jitters to post a 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over American Michael Russell. He was later joined by tall Croatian Ivo Karlovic, who upset 13th seeded Czech Radek Stepanek in a marathon clash, resulting in Croat's favour with a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 scoreline.
Earlier in the day, Scot Andy Murray also made a solid start to his title bid with a convincing win over South African Kevin Anderson to move ahead.
"It was a good start. He's a tough player. I wasn't expecting it to be easy. I just got off to a good start, which helped," Murray said. "Broke him straightaway. That always makes a big difference."
In the women's draw, the Belgians ruled the day as Justine Henin posted a 6-4, 6-3 win over Kirsten Flipkens, Clijsters humbled Valerie Tetreault and Yanina Wickmayer survived a tight three setter against World No. 53 Alexandra Dulgheru.
Henin, the 2004 champion is all set to slug it out with a strong contendor Elena Dementieva in the second round, who posted a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 win over Vera Dushevina.
In the day's biggest upset, 2008 champion Maria Sharapova bowed out of the event with a three set loss to compatriot Maria Kirilenko, losing the match 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4.
"Just didn't win the match. You know, bottom line. Uhm, you know, (I) certainly had my chances and just didn't execute," Sharapova said. "You know, I felt like I was when she was up and then I'd get back there, back in the game, I just didn't take advantage of that and let her, you know, let her control the situation again."
Other winners of the day in the women's draw included second seed Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Baltacha, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who all registered contrasting wins over their respective opponents to move ahead in the draw.
The rain again played a spoil sport when several matches were suspended or canceled due to persistent showers in Melbourne today.
Murray shines on opening day in Melbourne
Fourth seeded Scot Andy Murray made a swashbuckling start to his title campaign at the 2010 Australian Open with a straight sets win over South African Kevin Anderson.
Re-visit the magical moments of Murray's solid opening round win, click here.
Murray broke Anderson twice in the opening set to race to a 5-0 lead and soon closed the opener 6-1. The second set did not change the story much as Anderson found himself completely over-whelmed by Scot's all court game. With a two sets to love lead in hand, Murray again pocketed an early break, but fended off some resistance from the South African, who broke him in the fifth game, just to lose the next three and bow out of the championship with 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 scoreline.
In the women's side, U.S. Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer defied a spirited performance from Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru to beat her in a marathon 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 match, which saw several rain delays, but eventually favoured the Belgian.
Meanwhile, French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova looked methodical in her 6-1, 6-2 routing of Australian Anastasia Rodionova. She was later joined by Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who bagled Russian Evgeniya Rodina 6-0, 6-0 in little under an hour to move ahead.
Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko also made an impressive start to the year's first Grand Slam with a 6-2, 7-6(6) defeat of Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru. 12th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta although had a tough entry to the next round when she struggled before recording a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Russian Anna Chakvetadze.
Clijsters, Roddick make promising starts at Australian Open
Last year's semifinalist Andy Roddick made a solid start to his Australian Open campaign with a straight sets win over Dutch teenager Thiemo de Bakker, winning the 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 match without much ado.
Roddick opened the match well with a quick 6-1 wrap up and followed up with his game plan to roll the next two after facing little resistance. Roddick, who never made the finals in Melbourne, came close last year but was humbled by three time champion Roger Federer.
In another match, German Florian Mayer came back from a two-set deficit to beat compatriot Philpp Petzschner, winning the marathon encounter 0-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
In the women's section, Belgian superstar Kim Clijsters destroyed Canadian Valerie Tetreault 6-0, 6-4 to move to the second round. The Belgian has been in super form since her nail-biting victory over Justine Henin in Brisbane final.
Re-live Super-Kim's clinical destruction in the opening round, click here...!
''It feels good to be back to tennis, especially after 2 years. It started with me being invited to an exhibition match at the Wimbledon and to many other such exhibition matches. I was not too old to play in the exhibition matches, so I moved back to the professional front with the support of my husband,'' said Clijsters after the match.
In the other first round matches, Elena Baltacha of Great Britain struggled before registering a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win over Pauline Parmentier. She was later joined by Yvonne Meusburger, who got the better of Swiss Timea Bacsinszky with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 scoreline.
Sharapova stunned in Melbourne opener
The 2010 Australian Open brought a shocking exit to the 2008 champion Maria Sharapova who lost her opening round match to compatriot Maria Kirilenko.
Re-visit the tussle between the fiesty Russians, click here...!
Sharapova, the 14th seed and one of the favourites to win this year's title, made a solid start to the match and raced to a 4-2 lead in the set before watching Kirilenko reel off three games in a row to alter the course of the set. As the set went into a tie-break, Sharapova held a mini-break once again, but Kirilenko brushed aside all her fears and nerves with solid play to win it by 7 points to 4.
The second set brought quick success for the Russian, who got a break in the fourth game and maintained her lead to level the match one set a piece. The decider saw Kirilenko race to a 3-0 lead with the help of an elusive break in the second game. Although, Sharapova broke Kirilenko in the ninth game to make an attempt to comeback into the match, her efforts were cut short by the fiesty Kirilenko, who blasted big backhand winners to cliam the biggest win of her career with a 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4 scoreline. The match turned out to be a real tussle that lasted almost 3 hours and 15 minutes in play.
In the day's other matches amidst rain delays, an all-Chinese battle between Jie Zheng and Shuai Peng resulted in the former's victory with a 0-6, 6-1, 6-2 scoreline. Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also looked impressive in her 6-2, 6-4 win over Latvian Anastasija Sevastova to move ahead in the draw.
In the men's section, 11th seed Fernando Gonzalez held off the challenge of Belgian Olivier Rochus to complete a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win. He was later joined by Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, who defeated Australian hope Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to move to the second round.
Safina advances into second round of Australian Open
World No 2 Dinara Safina managed to beat Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-4 6-4 and advanced into the second round of the Australian open on Monday.
Safina, last year's finalist at Melbourne, committed nine double faults and 39 unforced errors before she regained her composure to clinch the victory.
Safina next plays the winner of the match between Russian qualifer Regina Kulikova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.
“It's still the beginning of the year and you're still trying to find yourself,” she said. “She's a very tough player and I'm very happy that I won.”
On Rod Laver Arena, 2008 winner Maria Sharapova lost the first set of her match against fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko in a tie-break.
Those two matches were the only ones to start on time on a rain-hit first day.
Clijsters eases in second round
US Open 2009 champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium has breezed through to the second round of Australian Open 2010, recording a straight-sets victory over Canadian qualifier Valerie Tetreault .
A large crowd at Rod Laver Arena saw Clijsters put on a commanding display, using a variety of angles on her way to a 6-0 6-4 win.
“I think [Tetreault] was a little intimidated by the court and the atmosphere … she served a lot better in that second set and she looked little more comfortable,” Clijsters said.
“My goal was to go out there and have fun with it, enjoy the moment and play my best tennis to show what I have. I am really happy I was able to do that in the second set,” Tetreault said.
Eleven fans ejected from Australian Open
Police have ejected 11 Croatian supporters from the Australian Open after the group became disruptive during Ivo Karlovic's match against Radek Stepanek on Court 6. One member of the group was found carrying flares.
Another group of fans carrying flares were prevented from entering the grounds.
The tournament has increased security this year, with ethnic clashes having become a feature of the tournament in the past couple of years.
Sharapova stunned by Kirilenko.
In a sensational early upset at Australian Open 2010, Maria Sharapova has been kicked out in the first round by fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko, who scored a remarkable 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4 win in front of a Rod Laver Arena crowd. 
"I tried to be aggressive and I tried to move her around the court," said Kirilenko. "I knew how to play against her."
Sharapova missed last year’s Australian Open as she was nursing a shoulder surgery, but won the tournament on her last visit here in 2008.
" I could be disappointed or I could just take it as it is and just go back on the court and just keep working. I choose option two," said Sharapova. "I'll be back here on a Saturday of the second week, you watch."
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Michael Llodra (FRA)
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Julien Benneteau (FRA)
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| Christopher Kas (GER) / Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | |||||||||||
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| Full Match Commentary » | Other Match Commentaries » |
?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????,? ??????? ??????,? ???? ?????!))))
having a good team,nice talks,good work outs and realaxin and quiet time off!i ges i m a bit more mature)))
few years ago i was borring for me in IW,as its quiet and not much to do!but latly i really enjoy it!
in IW its a green gras next to courts where all players doing fitnes or warm up or cool down,playing soccer..always players the hanging out
t-shirts and girls are checkin them out
guys im not really the one to talk about ladys bodys,i can talk bout mens lol)))like guys in IW play soccer of doing fitness without
so hot and nice outside but i see some girls wearing ugg boots,i wonder how they feel..
so u do kinda jumping all the time on and off)))
of water .as u got the right one u get under it and then someone in other shower turns it of as coz of it my shower get cold or hot ,
this morning had a hit with dominica cibulkova and then went to shower.guys we have strange showers,its not easy to get the right temprature
i missed a player party last night but we had a good dinner and laught with my team and the owner of this japanese rest.
@cricketwallah :)
