McIntyre Tennis

Australian Open Day Two

By Mike McIntyre

After one semi-completed day at the Australian Open we have already witnessed the shocking defeat of Maria Sharapova at the hands of 58th ranked Maria Kirilenko. What will day two have in store?

Featured Match: Roger Federer vs Igor Andreev

Why have I chosen this match as my feature for day two? Because Federer just happens to be the greatest tennis player that ever lived and we really need to put that into perspective on a more regular basis. I feel like we have all taken Roger's accomplishments for granted simply due to the fact that he makes it all look so darn easy. For the past six years this guy has dominated the sport like nobody else in such a short time span. Appearances in 22 straight Grand Slam semi-finals - are you kidding me??? Federer will turn 29 this year and we must realize that his reign will not last for an infinite period of time. Enjoy this guy while he is still hanging on to the top.

Federer is not going to be happy with the first round opponent he has drawn. Andreev can be tricky and pushed Roger to his limits the last time they met. Federer prevailed 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at the 2008 U.S. Open against Andreev. If Roger isn't on top of his game he could get hurt in this match.

Upset of the Day: Lucie Safarova vs Venus Williams

I'm not jumping on the upset bandwagon in the WTA draw after yesterday's Kirilenko over Sharapova result, but I truly feel this is the potential upset of the day.

We all know that Venus has been on a slide since Wimbledon and her results away from grass courts are really nothing to write home about. Safarova has never beaten Williams in three tries, but has pushed the American to a third set in their previous two encounters.

Will Venus likely win this match - yes. It is a match she certainly should win. Her track record has never been amazing in Australia though and all the right ingredients are there for a potential upset to occur.

If you're looking for a more probably upset I would look at veteran qualifier Xavier Malisse to knock off 26th seed and clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro.

Welcome Back to the Slams: Alicia Molik

Molik returns to the Grand Slam singles stage for the first time since the Aussie Open in 2008. Once ranked as high as number eight in the world and the Bronze medalist from the 2004 Athens Olympics, Molik was a top-level player before injuries hit her big-time.

She was hit by an inner-ear infection in 2005 that sidelined her for several months and retired in September 2008 after struggling with leg and elbow issues. Molik then announced in July 2009 that she was injury-free and ready to return to the tour. She impressed last year at the challenger level and received a wild-card from her home country to participate here in Melbourne.

She takes on Julie Coin from France in the first round.

Coin Toss: Mikhail Youzhny vs Richard Gasquet

Youzhny is seeded 20th in the tournament while Gasquet should be ranked inside the top-twenty but isn't because of his doping suspension last year. This is a great first-round match which could go either way. 

Youzhny leads their career head-to-head 2-1, but they have not played since 2007 where the Russian won in a tight five-setter during Davis Cup competition.

Gasquet has started 2010 playing well and made the finals in Sydney last week falling to Marcos Baghdatis in the finals. I'd give him the advantage in this one based on talent alone.

Grizzled Veteran Special: Carlos Moya vs Illya Marchenko

Moya missed most of 2009 due to injuries and at the age of 33 he is on his last legs on tour. He has played once so far this year losing in the first round in Chennai - one of his favorite tournaments - to Janko Tipsarevic. 

He's coming in against an opponent who, despite his ranking of 119th in the world, has already won two qualifying matches on the courts in Melbourne. Bottom line - don't expect Moya's stay in Australia to last long.

Women's 2010 Australian Open Preview

By Mike McIntyre

When was the last time the women's game had this much depth? I'm not knocking the WTA Tour, which in fact has had more depth in recent years than the men's Federer vs. Nadal show. When I look at the Australian Open draw though, I'm just floored with the amount of talent out there. This is a fantastic way to kick-off the 2010 Grand Slam calendar.

The Favorites:

Number one ranked Serena Williams has a pretty sweet ride to the quarter-finals from the looks of it. I don't expect her to drop a set for the first week that's for sure. There's simply nobody in her section of the draw that can keep up with her power, experience and winning-attitude. If she truly did tweak something against Elena Dementieva in Sydney, this draw gives her some time before she has to bring out her 'A' game. Williams will be the favorite to add to her existing collection of four Aussie Open titles, the most recent being a year ago.

A nice third round match-up in the top-half could include Vera Zvonareva against Ana Ivanovic. Either one of these players could use a good Grand Slam showing to correct their career progress after a disappointing 2009. Zvonareva started strong in 2009 with a semi-final showing in Australia, but after missing two months in the middle of the year with injury she never returned to top form. Ivanovic's season was a total disaster and it was hard to believe she was ever the number one ranked player in the world. One of these two should still be able to push through to the quarters.

U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki has a great path to perhaps a semi-final berth in Australia. Only Daniela Hantuchova may cause her some trouble before the quarters, although Hantuchova has not had a big win in quite some time.

Wozniacki may meet the winner of an intriguing fourth round match between Americans Venus Williams and Melanie Oudin. A Williams/Oudin match would give tennis fans a nice glimpse of the past, present and future of American tennis and perhaps that future is now. Oudin has some winnable matches early on while Venus has looked mediocre since Wimbledon and as she approaches thirty, is only a huge threat on grass.  

In the bottom-half don't get your hopes up for second-seeded Dinara Safina. The mentally fragile Russian attained the number one ranking for a period of time in 2009, but will most be remembered for tanking in two Slam finals in Australia and Paris, along with a brutal defeat in the semi's at Wimbledon. A back injury hampered the last portion of her season and was acting up again at the start of 2010 to keep her out of Brisbane. Safina does not have enough match-play under her belt to be considered a major threat here in Australia nor is her mental game ready to compete in this first Slam of the season.

There are plenty of other top-level players ready to contend for the title in the bottom section of the draw however, and the Belgians are leading the charge. 

Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Yanina Wickmayer are all in the same quarter of the draw, which is unfortunate because they could all have easily advanced quite far given their play of late. Clijsters has the most favorable path and should get past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make the quarter-finals. A second-consecutive Slam is a distinct possibility for her.

Henin, entered as a wild card, is not going to enjoy the same Grand Slam return that Clijsters had at the U.S. Open. After a first round match with up and coming Sorana Cirstea, Henin will most definitely face fifth seeded Elena Dementieva - the same Dementieva who just won in Sydney defeating Serena in the finals. Henin leads their head-to-head battles 9-2, but will have to fight hard to beat the in-form Russian. I think Henin can beat Dementieva, but expecting her to have a similar Cinderella-run like Clijsters did in Flushing Meadows is unlikely.

The third Belgian, and the future of tennis in that country, Yanina Wickmayer, has already fought through three qualifying matches in order to secure entry into the tournament. Wickmayer was not allowed to take the 16th seeded spot that she is due because of the timing of her return from a mishandled doping violation. She may face Italian Flavia Pennetta in the second round and either Henin or Dementieva in the fourth round. Regardless of how she fares here in Australia, the twenty year old has a bright future ahead of her.

In the very last quarter of the draw we've got the unpredictable Jelena Jankovic. Fairing no better than the fourth round of any Slam in 2009, Jankovic has much to prove this year. She has a nice section of the draw and should stay untroubled until the quarter-finals. Don't expect her to move much farther than that however, as the Serbian is not the huge threat she used to be.

Do keep an eye on Maria Sharapova to have a big Aussie Open. The talented Russian has come back admirably from shoulder surgery last year and has the power game to defeat anyone on tour. If she can keep her serve consistent and free of double-digit double faults, then she is more than capable of winning this tourney. If she does come up against Safina in the round of sixteen, I see Sharapova advancing with ease. There are more Grand Slam titles within her and this could be the next one on her list. 

Anticipated First-Round Matches:

Kimiko Date-Krumm vs Yaroslava Shvedova: The 39 year old veteran Date-Krumm has been very impressive since returning to the tour in 2008 and has worked herself back into being a dangerous player to face. Her return is even more impressive given the fact she was away from the sport for twelve years. She'll face a difficult player in Shvedova, who impressed in the late stages of 2009 with victories over Daniela Hantuchova in Toronto and Jelena Jankovic at the U.S. Open.

Caroline Wozniacki vs Aleksandra Wozniak: It amazes me how often these two near-identical names get paired together in so many tournaments. Unfortunately for the Canadian Wozniak, it rarely ends up in her favor. The fourth seeded Wozniacki has won five of their six meetings although the pair have usually produced closely contested matches. Wozniak is ranked 34th in the world right now, so this is a fairly strong first rounder.

Jelena Dokic vs Alisa Kleybanova: While it was nice to watch Dokic have her fairy-tale run to the quarter-finals in last year's edition, the same fate will be difficult to duplicate. Dokic faces hard-hitting Russian Kleybanova whom she defeated here in the fourth round last year by a tight score of 7-5, 5-7, 8-6. Kleybanova's court movement is limited due to her stature, but she can really hit the ball and was able to defeat Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Jankovic (twice) in 2009.

 

 

Henin Set to Return to Tennis in Brisbane

By Mike McIntyre

While both the ATP and Sony Ericcson WTA tours are ready to begin play on Sunday, all eyes will be watching Brisbane and focused on the return of Justine Henin.

After retiring in May 2008, Henin is set to resume her career and draws second-seeded Nadia Petrova in her first match back. Henin holds an incredible 11-2 edge in their head-to-head and it might not be a stretch to label her the favorite.

After watching Kim Clijsters win a Grand Slam only three tournaments into her own comeback last year, there are no limits on what the feisty Henin might accomplish.

Henin certainly picked a good tournament for her return, as there is just enough competition in Brisbane to make it interesting. Should she advance past the first round, the only major obstacle in her half of the draw would be third seeded Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic's game was ripe with inconsistencies in 2009, and it will be interesting to see how she begins the current season.

In the top half of the draw resides number one seeded Kim Clijsters. She could potentially face another returning player in round two, Alicia Molik. Molik was limited to some smaller ITF tournaments in Australia in 2009 and is making her first singles appearance at a regular tour event since 2008. She is partnered in the doubles draw with fellow Aussie Casey Dellacqua.

Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak also lurks in the top half and is capable up some solid results on hard courts. It has been some time since my home country has had a contender on either the ATP or WTA tour and it will be interesting to see if Wozniak can add to the success she enjoyed a year ago.

Fourth seeded Daniela Hantuchova is in the mix as well. Hantuchova is not entered in the doubles draw here and it remains to be seen who she picks as her partner on tour in 2010 following the retirement of Ai Sugiyama. When I spoke to Daniela in Toronto last summer she assured me that she planned on using her doubles skills in singles competition in the new year, hoping to make use of her strong net play. We'll see if that promise holds true.

While Clijsters is making her first appearance back in Australia since 2007, the focus will shift suddenly to her fellow Belgian, Justine Henin. Both will be looking to make a good returning impression down-under as we quickly approach the first Grand Slam of the year.

Molik Earns Australian Open Wildcard

Good to see Alicia Molik looking happy again.

From The Age: Wildly happy, Molik earns her place

AS ALICIA Molik stood clutching a box of orchids and a giant Australian Open sign supposed to symbolise the wildcard she had just won, the former world No. 8 was also warning that she does not intend to return to Melbourne Park next month simply to contest the first round.

Vowing to maximise the opportunity she had earned over the previous four days, Molik reminded the crowd that she had been an Open quarter-finalist two years ago. "And it's my intention," she added, "to get as close as I can to that again."...

Molik Into AO Wildcard Playoff Final

Alicia Molik shouldn't have any trouble picking up the Australian Open wildcard tomorrow, but she still seems to be looking for her game.

From The Herald Sun: Alicia Molik looks to improve

COACH Paul Kilderry had gone in search of a basket of balls even before Alicia Molik polished off another Australian Open wildcard play-off victory yesterday.

Molik shook hands at the net after beating young Victorian Marija Mirkovic 6-4 6-1 in the semi-finals, bundled up her gear and headed straight to the practice court.

Molik Accepts Being Left Off Fed Cup Team

Alicia Molik says she feels completely healthy and will make her WTA return at the Italian Open.

From The Herald Sun: Rusty Molik to sit out Fed Cup

ALICIA Molik's long-awaited tennis return is still on hold after she was left out of Australia's Fed Cup team yesterday.

Captain David Taylor said from Seoul he couldn't risk the former world No. 8 in the Asia-Oceania Group round-robin matches starting today.

"Unfortunately for Alicia, she's a bit too rusty and not up to the level required," Taylor said.

Molik Not on Fed Cup Team

Alicia Molik wasn't named to Australia's Fed Cup team after all, according to the AAP. 

"The Australian Fed Cup tennis team to contest a round robin event in South Korea starting on Wednesday has been announced, with Alicia Molik a notable absentee.

Former world No.8 Molik had been tipped in some quarters to make her long-awaited return from a debilitating virus as a doubles player, but she hasn't been named in the team...

Captain David Taylor named Stosur, experienced campaigners Nicole Pratt and Rennae Stubbs and debutante Casey Dellacqua in the four-woman team."

Australia's Fed Cup captain David Taylor (also Molik's former coach) had previously said that Molik would be on the team if her form looked good in practice: 

"We haven't seen too many players reach Alicia's level in Australian tennis, so if she's showing any of that previous form you'd be crazy not to include her," said Taylor.

Molik to Return for Fed Cup

This is hopeful - Alicia Molik seems to be making a faster than expected recovery from the symptoms of vestibular neuronitis now.  I admit I thought she was done for good.

From The Age: Molik to dip toe in water in Fed Cup tie in Seoul

ALICIA Molik is on the verge of a full-scale comeback, less than six months after an inner-ear virus forced her out of tennis. Molik was a surprise inclusion yesterday in the Australian squad to contest next month's Asia/Oceania Federation Cup play-offs in Seoul, where she hopes to test the waters before taking the big tournament plunge.

Molik had planned to sit out 2006 to recover from vestibular neuronitis, a condition that had dramatically affected her balance and energy levels and eventually pushed her off the circuit in October last year.

Molik to Train, But No Plans to Return to Tennis Yet

From the AAP: Molik out of another tournament

Now Dancing With The Stars is out of the way, Alicia Molik can get back to what she does best - tennis.

But the Olympic bronze medallist, struck down by illness in the past year, is reluctant to announce her return to the tennis tour just yet.

Australia's Fed Cup Captain Hopeful Molik Could Return

From The Age: Fed Cup skipper optimistic Molik will be back

AUSTRALIA'S new Fed Cup captain David Taylor remains hopeful that Alicia Molik will return to full health and come back into the team when she overcomes the inner-ear infection that has stalled her career.

Taylor, who acted as Molik's coach until she quit the circuit indefinitely at the end of 2005, was yesterday appointed as the nation's first full-time Fed Cup captain, with the additional role of developing young talent.