Australian Open 2010 (Concluded)

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JERRY LEE

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Fed looking forward to drop of Scotch

RICHARD HINDS
January 30, 2010

THE assumption is that since Roger Federer crushed a weary Andy Murray in straight sets in their 2008 US Open final, the Scotsman has become physically, mentally and technically, a more imposing player. No longer mere testing material, he is now a genuine major title threat.

However, as Federer set up a grand slam final rematch with an imposing 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory over the apparently stricken Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last night, it was apparent that despite a few form fluctuations and significant life changes - most notably the birth of twin daughters - nothing much has changed in the intervening 16 months on his side of the court.

After Murray's semi-final victory over Marin Cilic, he said he wanted to play Federer in the final. As the world No.1 progressed to his 22nd grand slam final - and set up the chance to win a 16th title - with a measured, almost cold-blooded display of sustained excellence, the Scot might consider that old proverb about being careful about what you wish for.

Federer is more used to being asked to extol the virtues of his own game. But, with his racquet doing all the talking, the Swiss sent a strong message to an opponent who, other than taking on one of the greatest players in the world in stellar form, must shoulder the burden of British expectation and his own lofty ambition.

The only doubt about Federer's victory was the fitness of his opponent. Tsonga, who has a history of abdominal injuries, clutched his stomach regularly as the match drew to its rapid conclusion - perhaps the consequence of playing his first five-set matches in consecutive nights in the fourth round and quarter-finals.

In Murray's favour in the final is an extra day's rest, having taken care of his semi-final business on Thursday night. However, leaving the court after what was not much more than a one hour and 28 minute practice session, Federer seemed as relaxed and well-prepared for the encounter as he could possibly be.

''It's nice obviously going through a match like this,'' Federer said. ''But I know straight after this match that the next match I play will not be this way.''

He was in an understandably light-hearted mood after the match, feigning sympathy for the burden Murray bears as he attempts to break the British grand slam drought of: ''What is it?'' asked Federer facetiously. ''One hundred and fifty thousand years?'' (Actually, 73 and counting.)

Federer also put a bit of needle into the match, evoking memories of the 2008 US Open final. ''I hope he too badly wants to win the first set and then again [after losing it] lets his head hang,'' he said.

Federer said after reaching a 23rd consecutive grand slam semi-final here that he found statistics boring. However, the ones he has accumulated in the majors continue to astound. Victory last night means he has reached 18 of the past 19 grand slam finals, the lone aberration here in 2008.

Should he beat Murray, Federer will join Andre Agassi, Jack Crawford and Ken Rosewall as four-time Australian Open champions. Only Roy Emerson (six) has more.

The numbers underline the incredible, enduring consistency of a man who, having lost in the semi-finals to Novak Djokovic here in 2008, and then relinquishing the No.1 ranking to his now hobbled rival Rafael Nadal, seemed to have joined the realms of the merely very good.

Murray, who has established an impressive 6-4 record against Federer is one of the young players who seemed set to nudge Federer from the summit or at least regularly join him at the top of the hill. However, that Federer has won their two most recent encounters indicates his game has risen to meet the challenge of the new generation. More pertinently, that he won their only grand slam showdown easily emphasises an equally telling point that if Regular Tour Roger is more vulnerable, Grand Slam Roger is at another level.

It was a lesson learnt the hard way last night by Tsonga, whose confidence would have been buoyed by his victory over Federer in Montreal last year, yet found he was facing not only a different player last night, but a different species - more foreboding, more intense and inevitably indomitable.

When Federer is on song, you reach for the right word to sum up his majesty. Last night, it was mesmerising.

While the world No.1 has shown himself capable of generating unusual power here by stepping further inside the baseline, against Tsonga it was the precision and unpredictability of his placement, particularly in the early games, that frustrated his opponent. Tsonga had been physically imposing in his semi-final victory over the stricken Djokovic. Against Federer's slicing thrusts and delicate angles he looked as frustrated as an Italian in handcuffs trying to talk about politics.

Again, perhaps that was because Tsonga's road to the semi-finals against Nicolas Almagro and Djokovic, had taken a physical toll. All the venom had gone off his serve by the end of the match, making him easy meat for now-rampaging Federer.

Or, maybe what ached most was the sense of inevitability that hung over a match, played in the respectful rather than raucous atmosphere created by a crowd feeling somewhat cheated by its brief conclusion, almost from the outset.

The story of the match was written early, and in stone, when Federer broke Tsonga's at 1-2 in the first set.

Clearly eager not to fall behind, as he had by a set and a break of serve in his own quarter-final against Nikolay Davydenko, Federer never looked liked taking his foot off the accelerator.

By the time the Swiss finished things off, so one-sided had it become that the man on the other side of the net was barely apparent. Rather, you got the feeling Federer was putting on a show for a Scotsman watching with his feet up in a hotel room.

Tsonga denied he had been injured. ''No, no, I was just a bit more tired after the first set,'' he said. ''It was tough to play him today. He was really good and that's it.''
 

F R 3 D 5 7 A

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Tough ask but I always like the underdog. So I'm cheering for Murray in this one.
 

Berries

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I have 100 on Serena/Federer double. Thx
 

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Bernard Tomic's father says player will quit Australia in scheduling fallout

By Courtney Walsh
January 30, 2010

The father of Bernard Tomic has threatened that his son will quit Australia and play for Croatia after raging against Australian Open officials following the rising star's loss to Marin Cilic.

“"To represent your country is the highest honour and had he said that, I would have told him - and any other parent making a threat like that - to go ahead."” – Craig Tiley Tennis Australia's player development director issued a strong stance against the Tomic camp.

While Tomic junior was criticising the night-time scheduling of his second-round encounter against the world No 14 as "ridiculous", John Tomic was arguing heatedly with Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley, who is also Tennis Australia's player development director.

Security guards were on standby in the bowels of Melbourne Park to intervene if necessary as Tomic senior blamed Tiley for his son's loss.

Tiley confirmed on Friday that there was a heated discussion, but he denied he had been warned that the 17-year-old would play under another flag.

But several sources - all of whom requested anonymity - who witnessed the altercation as the pair's paths crossed in the corridors following the loss, or who had knowledge of the argument, confirmed the threat was made.

"It was an emboldened discussion but at no stage did I hear John say that," Tiley said.

"That is a non-negotiable with me. To represent your country is the highest honour and had he said that, I would have told him - and any other parent making a threat like that - to go ahead."

The tirade, which ended with Tiley ordering Tomic to a meeting to discuss the problem the following day, evoked unsettling memories for those aware of the circumstances surrounding Jelena Dokic's troubled exit from the Australian Open 10 years earlier.

Damir Dokic infamously moved his family - including Jelena, who returned to representing Yugoslavia - to the US after claiming the 2001 Australian Open draw was rigged because she drew Lindsay Davenport in the opening round.

Attempts to contact John Tomic through his son's management company, IMG, were directed to Tennis Australia by a spokesman, who said the national body handled the player during the summer.

Tennis Australia declined to comment.

Australian tennis officials have long been on edge given the volatile nature of Tomic senior's temper.

The events of last Thursday morning are the latest in a long list of controversial incidents involving Tomic and his father.

Tiley said the day after Tomic's five-set loss to Cilic that it was time for the 17-year-old to take ownership of his career following the criticism - from which Bernard refused to resile when given a second chance last Thursday night.

The criticism, which was seen as petulant, overshadowed an effort that should have been celebrated given the rankings, age difference and gulf in experience between the on-court combatants.

That Cilic proceeded to defeat reigning US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and former world No 1 Andy Rod**** before becoming the first player to take a set off Andy Murray only further validates Tomic's on-court effort, for three times he held points in the fifth set to move to a position to serve for the match against the Croat, who will enter the top 10 on Monday.

"At some point , and I've said this to Bernard, he ultimately has to be responsible for who he has around him and the decisions he makes and what he says," Tiley said last Thursday.

"He is the one who has to be responsible for what he says and what he does."

Tiley's comments offered one of the strongest public condemnations given by an Australian tennis official to date, though he has since met both Bernard, who this week defends the $50,000 ATP Challenger tournament he won in Burnie, Tasmania, a year ago, and his father to discuss their respective post-match blow-ups.

"The priority here is Bernard, who has shown he is a talented young player, and how we can assist him through the next stage of his career," Tiley said.

"His father was emotional after the match, but it was an emotional occasion given his son had just been in an intense match."

Worried officials said that John Tomic's temper had long been a problem, with the former Gold Coast taxi driver telling them they did not understand what he had been through in the Croatian war in order to ensure a future for his family in Australia.

John Tomic was forced to apologise to former Victorian Institute of Sport coach Rob Leeds for a road-rage incident in 2006, in which he forced a car occupied by two coaches and a 15-year-old female player off the road when leaving a tournament in Adelaide.

A serious accident was only averted when the car narrowly missed a power pole after mounting a kerb, with Tomic ordered to undergo a Tennis Australia-approved behaviour modification program.

Further controversy ensued in late 2008, when John Tomic pulled his son from a court mid-match in a senior tournament in Perth, alleging officials were "fixing draws" and umpires were cheating when foot-faulting the then 16-year-old.

Another apology was issued by Tomic senior.

And a running battle has continued between the Tomic camp and Lleyton Hewitt after the teenager snubbed the Australian No 1 at Wimbledon last year.

While Tomic claimed to be suffering from swine flu, he was able to practise with Juan Carlos Ferrero later that day.


:roflol:
 

JERRY LEE

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Serena Williams wins Australian Open

Steely-eyed Serena Williams stared down Justin Henin to spoil the Belgian’s fairytale comeback and claim a modern-day record fifth Australian Open crown on Saturday night.

In the first-ever grand slam final featuring the two most successful women’s players of their generation, Williams’s awesome power won over Henin’s grace and style as the world No.1 carved out a gutsy 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory at Rod Laver Arena.

The two-hour, seven-minute triumph gave Williams a perfect five-from-five record in finals at Melbourne Park and eclipsed the four Open titles that Margaret Smith Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles each won in the professional era.

Williams’ success also vaulted her to equal-sixth place alongside her American idol Billie Jean King on the all-time grand slam leaderboard with an even dozen career majors.

The 28-year-old now trails only Smith Court (24), Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19), Martina Navratilova (19) and Chris Evert (18).

Henin had been striving to land an eighth slam in just her second tournament back from a 20-month sabbatical, during which the 27-year-old claimed to have discovered a new perspective and balance in her life following the breakdown of her marriage in 2007.

Fight as she might, though, Henin was unable to emulate compatriot and fellow former world No.1 Kim Clijsters’ Cinderella-style grand slam comeback at last year’s US Open, with Williams bringing her game face to the party.

As she has for most of her Open campaign, Williams again took the court with her left wrist and thigh plus her right hamstring strapped.But earlier on Saturday the American dispelled any doubts about her fitness with a rare double practice session on the day of the final.

Aware of the significance of the occasion, Williams had a 45-minute session in the morning, then a half-hour warm-up to get her legs moving and to work specifically on combating Henin’s low-bouncing slice backhands.

The overtime wasn’t paying dividends early as a sluggish Williams was forced to fend off a series of break points in her opening two service games.

Against the run of play, though, the top seed broke Henin to love in the fourth game to grab a 3-1 lead before a controversial line call denied Henin the break back the very next game.Henin was walking to her chair believing the set was back on serve, not realising Australian umpire Kerrilyn Cramer had called for the point to be replayed following a blunder from the lineswoman.

Replays showed Henin’s backhand volley - which the lineswoman initially called out - actually caught the line.

Although it was no fault of Williams’ the point was replayed, fans at Rod Laver Arena turned against the American and, despite holding for a 4-1 advantage, the top seed proceeded to lose the next three games.

The defending champion regained her composure to break Henin for a second time and seize the first set when a backhand from the Belgian clipped the net chord and floated wide.

With a flawless 40-from-40 record at Melbourne Park after winning the first set, Williams looked headed for another routine frontrunner’s victory.But she collapsed dramatically from 3-2 up in the second set, conceding 10 points in a row to gift Henin the set and put the match back on level terms.

Neither player could hold serve early in a nervy third set until Williams steadied to break Henin in the fifth game and then consolidate for a 4-2 lead.

Henin’s spirit now shattered, Williams broke her again to take a stranglehold on the match before closing out the contest to complete her fourth Australian Open double, having already won the doubles title on Friday with older sister Venus.
source sydney morning herald.
 

~stacie

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Poor Henin =(
Going pretty strong in second set whilst S semi crumbled (but not really lol) but then S fought back quite well.

Congrats to S =)
 

korrmatta1

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I just seen hazem el masri at condell park tennis courts.. Near the sunday markets (deveral park)
 

pillow

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What did people expect? Serena is a ****ing gorilla, no way the other chicks besides her manly sister can compete with her lol
 

JERRY LEE

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hopefully Justine can take her in the upcoming tournaments. she moves better than her, hopefully she can run her around a bit and get her tired.
 
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