===============
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
(Melbourne, Australia; outdoor hard (Plexicushion); Grand Slam)
=============== http://www.australianopen.com/
Contents
--------

1. Photos
2. Fourth round: Hantuchová v Kirilenko review
3. Semi-final draw: Top half
4. Quarter-final draw: Bottom half
5. Andrew's wishes
6. Women's Doubles
7. Order of Play for Wednesday

---------
1. Photos
---------

Daniela Hantuchová:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/99/photos (Daniela)
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=hantuchova
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/players/wta080394.html
search Getty Images for "hantuchova"

Various players including Daniela:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7198528.stm (Day 7)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7199468.stm (Day 8)
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/photogallery/

Many players:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/gallery?pg=1&cap=1

----------------------------------------------
2. Fourth round: Hantuchová v Kirilenko review (Monday 21st January)
----------------------------------------------

Nice winner, nice loser:
+ DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] d. MARIA KIRILENKO [27,DF], 1-6 6-4 6-4

Maria led 6-1 *3-1 (30/0)! But Daniela fought back with 17 points in
a row for 5-3*, then won the second set after they both held.

Third set: Sam Smith (commentating on Hewitt v Đokovic) described it
as a "sticky third set". With Maria serving first, it started with
three breaks, then Daniela recovered from *15/40 to lead 3-1*, and
broke again for *5-2.

But she squandered two match-points at *5-2 and another at 5-3*
(there's nothing more nerve-wracking in tennis than watching Daniela
squander match-points - not that I got to watch or even follow live
scores of this match), before serving out the match to love at *5-4.

Daniela had a positive W:UE ratio of 32:30, while Maria's was even
better at 32:27. Daniela turned it around with a spectacular W:UE of
19:9 for the second set, while Maria had a negative 12:17 in the
third.

Maria had better first-serve percentages (in and winning) than
Daniela, but only won 22% of the points on her second serve, while
Daniela won 38% on hers. Maria didn't win a single point on her scond
serve in the third set.

Daniela broke 5 times from 8 break-points, Maria 6 times from 12 BPs -
but 3 of Maria's breaks occurred in the lopsided first set, while
she was more wasteful of break-points in the second and third.

Maria won one more game (14-13) and two more points (88-86) than
Daniela!


2.1 Articles
------------

Hantuchová edges past Kirilenko [CEEFAX 490->494]
>>>
Daniela Hantuchová recovered from a set and 1-3 down to beat 27th
seed Maria Kirilenko in two hours, 20 minutes.

The 24-year-old will next face Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, who saw
off 14th seed Nadia Petrova 1-6 7-5 6-0.

"It was hard to see a way out of it, but I just kept fighting for
every point, and tried to change my game a little bit," said
Hantuchová.

"I freed up a little. Until then, it wasn't really me out there, so I
tried to focus a bit more."
<<<

Hantuchová battles back for victory [Teletext 495->497]
>>>
Hantuchová battles back [Teltext 498]

Ninth seed Daniela Hantuchová fought back from losing the first set
to defeat Russian Maria Kirilenko.

Kirilenko, seeded 27, made a flying start and easily took the first
set 6-1 after hitting 10 winners.

But Slovakian Hantuchová hit back to take the second 6-4, and
although a spirited Kirilenko saved two match-points in the decider,
her older opponent closed it out 6-4.
<<<

Hantuchová passes Kirilenko test
By James Ranson <www.australianopen.com>
>>>
No. 9 seed Daniela Hantuchová has recovered from a first-set setback
against Maria Kirilenko to progress to the quarter-finals in style:
1-6 6-2 6-4.

In a tussle of the glamour-girls, Kirilenko got off to a flying start
in the first set, hitting 10 winners and only one unforced error. The
180cm Slovakian forged her way back into the contest in the second
set, taking it 6-4.

In the decider, it was Hantuchová again who took the initiative.
Neither player could hold serve until Hantuchová did so in the fourth
game to lead 3-1.

From that point on, she was always going to be tough to beat, as her
array of deep, flat, probing forehands started to trouble the young
Russian.

At 5-2 and facing two match-points Kirilenko didn't hold back,
digging her way out of a hole to take the set to 5-3. Hantuchová was
less than impressed as an unsuccessful challenge led to the break.

Another strong service-game from Kirilenko to go 5-4, and the
pressure was back on Hantuchová to hold serve.

Kirilenko requested the trainer for an inner-thigh problem, but the
treatment did her little good; Hantuchová held serve with a minimum
of fuss, and took the match in two hours and 20 minutes.

Despite the loss, Kirilenko described the tournament as a success and
a good building-block for the year ahead, but was at pains to explain
how she fell away.

"It was so quick: first I won the first set comfortably, then
everything turned around, and before I knew it I had lost."

"She's a top-ten player, so you have to concentrate for the entire
match - you can't just expect to win because you've taken the first
set."

The impressive Hantuchová will face Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in
the quarter-finals.
<<<

Hantuchová caps comeback with Grand Slam quarter-final
By Neil Frankland: AP Sports Writer
>>>
It's been a tumultuous five years since Daniela Hantuchová last
reached a Grand Slam quarter-final.

She rallied to beat No. 27 Maria Kirilenko 1-6 6-4 6-4 in the fourth
round of the Australian Open on Monday, answering lingering doubts
about her capacity to return to the second week of a Grand Slam.

"I always believed I could do it. I thought it was just a matter of
time, probably getting a little bit more mature and understanding
myself better," she said. "There was never a time that I thought I
was not being able to do it again."

After finishing the 2002 season ranked No. 8 following quarter-final
appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open, she reached a career-high
No. 5 shortly after making the Australian Open quarter-finals.

Then she faced a series of personal trials, including constant
speculation about her weight, and her ranking plummeted to No. 31 at
the end of 2004.

The 24-year-old Slovakian player, seeded No. 9 in Melbourne, says the
maturity she's gained in the ensuing years is now showing on the
tennis-court.

"I think I realised that it's okay to make mistakes sometimes, and
it's okay not to be perfect all the time," she said. "And I think
that made me much, much calmer and more relaxed, on the court and off
the court."

Hantuchová next faces Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat
Nadia Petrova to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

"She's a very tough player: very talented," Hantuchová said. "I think
we've both got a great opportunity to get to the semis, so it's going
to be a very good match. I'm really looking forward to it."
<<<

Ivanovic, Williams move into quarters (PA SportsTicker)
>>>
Off an impressive third-round upset of Russian countrywoman and sixth
seed Anna Chakvetadze, Kirilenko got off to a good start against
Hantuchová before caving to the Slovakian.

After Kirilenko handily won the first set, Hantuchová battled back to
overcome the 20-year-old despite committing 30 unforced errors and
winning just 43 of 68 (63%) first-serve points.

"Yeah, it feels great. Definitely an exciting time," said Hantuchová,
who was upset in the first round of the US Open last season. "I was
very proud the way I fought today because it was not easy - I was not
playing well, especially in the first set.

"But I just kept fighting. I eventually turned it around. I was
losing, I mean, being a set down and a few breaks, doesn't really
make it easy. Honestly, I didn't really see the way out of it. I just
tried to focus on every point at one time and just keep fighting.
And, yeah, it paid off."

The 24-year-old Hantuchová - bidding to reach her first Grand Slam
semi-final in this her 29 consecutive Major - lost her only previous
encounter with Radwanska in the second round at Zürich last season.
<<<

Hantuchová, Radwanska notch come-from-behind fourth-round wins
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1992
>>>
The top half of the draw played the fourth round on Sunday, and all
of the Top 8 seeds in action won through to set up a pair of quarter-
final blockbusters. On Monday the bottom half played their fourth-
round matches and, at the end of the day, Ana Ivanovic and Venus
Williams made a third duel between top seeds while Daniela Hantuchová
and Agnieszka Radwanska posted clutch turnaround-victories to come
through in the bottom quarter of the draw.

The two most unlikely quarter-finalists at the 2008 Australian Open
were also very much down and out in matches they eventually won to
get there. Hantuchová, the No.9 seed here, rallied back from a
6-1 3-1 hole to make it past No.27 seed Maria Kirilenko 1-6 6-4 6-4.
The Slovak turned it all around with 17 straight points from 6-1 3-1
(30/0) down in the second set, and although she had problems closing
(she had two match-points at 5-2 in the third and another at 5-3),
she served the match out comfortably at 5-4 and moved into her fourth
career Grand Slam quarter-final.

"It's definitely an exciting time," said Hantuchová, whose most
recent Grand Slam quarter-final came right here in 2003. "I was very
proud of how I fought today, because it was not easy. I wasn't
playing well - especially in the first set - but I just kept fighting
and eventually turned it around. I always believed I could make the
quarter-finals of a Grand Slam again; I just thought it was a matter
of time."
<<<

2.2 Daniela's fourth-round press-conference
-------------------------------------------

Source: www.australianopen.com

Q. A few years since you've been to the quarter-finals. How are you
feeling?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, it feels great. Definitely an exciting
time. Yeah, I was very proud the way I fought today, because it was
not easy. I was not playing well, especially in the first set.
But I just kept fighting. I eventually turned it around.

Q. The past couple of years, going out in the fourth round, has that
been tough to take?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: I feel like, you know, the last few years I
always gave it my best in the Grand Slam. I was just sometimes a
little bit unlucky with the draws. I played the Williams-sisters a
couple of times, Justine. So, yeah, the draws were quite tough.

So I was really glad for the opportunity I had here, and really glad
to be in the quarters.

Q. You fought to come back and get this win.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, definitely. I was losing, I mean, being a
set down and a few breaks, doesn't really make it easy. Honestly,
I didn't really see the way out of it.

I just tried to focus on every point at one time and just keep
fighting. And, yeah, it paid off.

Q. For the last few years, have you ever thought you wouldn't get
back to this point?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Absolutely not. I always believed I could do it.
I thought it was just a matter of time, probably getting a little bit
more mature and understanding myself better. And, you know, there was
never a time that I thought I was not being able to do it again.

Q. What's the difference between you as a tennis-player now and five
years ago?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Well, I guess being five years older. <smiling>
Just for sure being more mature. I think I realised that it's okay to
make mistakes sometimes, and it's okay not to be perfect all the
time. And I think that made me much, much calmer and more relaxed, on
the court and off the court.

Q. You've played against Radwanska once. What are your thoughts about
her?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Well, she's a very tough player: very talented.
I think she's proved it here once again. I played her in Zürich: I
lost. Obviously, I will have to change something and make sure I play
my best tennis.

I think we both got a great opportunity to get to the semis, so it's
going to be a very good match and I'm really looking forward to it.

Q. Apart from the two Williams and Justine Henin, there are five
players coming from Eastern Europe. Do you think the reason is
because you have more motivation there? Now even Poland is producing
good players. Is it the country where you're born that pushes you to
do your best?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: I think it was just a matter of time for more
players to come from this part of the world, I think, because we are
prepared to work hard. Also in my country, I've seen so many talents
around me.

You know, some players from Poland, a lot of Russian players, I think
just proves that probably the way we are taught how to play, it's
very good. I think all the players got very good techniques. Yeah,
I think it was just a matter of time for more players to come.

Q. You've said you're calm and relaxed on the court. Anything you've
done special to create this?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: No. Like I said, I think I just realised that,
you know, we are all humans. Not every match is going to be perfect -
always going to be my way.

Once I understood that, I think that was the reason why I started to
be more relaxed and much, much easier with myself.

Q. The fact that you have to play Radwanska instead of Kuznetsova, or
instead of Petrova, does that make you more optimistic about your
future in this tournament?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Well, I think you have to watch out for every
player that is in the quarters, so I cannot underestimate anybody.
I have to make sure I go out there and play my best tennis, no matter
who is on the other side.

----------------------------
3. Semi-final draw: Top half
----------------------------

* MARIA SHARAPOVA [5,EF] v JELENA JANKOVIC [3] (DAVAI MARIA!!)

----------------------------------
4. Quarter-final draw: Bottom half
----------------------------------

* ANA IVANOVIC [4,DF] v VENUS WILLIAMS [8] (ajde Ana!)
* DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] v AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA [29] (PODME
DANIELA!!)


4.1 Preview of Daniela's quarter-final
--------------------------------------

This is Daniela's first Grand Slam quarter-final since the Australian
Open 2003, and her fourth overall, but instead of a Williams-sister,
she's up against a Radwanska-sister: the elder, less attractive
sister.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF]:
1r + Vania King, 6-3 7-5
2r + Alizé Cornet, 6-2 7-5
3r + Virginia Ruano Pascual, 6-2 6-3
4r + MARIA KIRILENKO [27,DF], 1-6 6-4 6-4

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA [29]:
1r + Olga Savchuk, 6-0 6-1
2r + Pauline Parmentier, 7-5 6-4
3r + SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA [2], 6-3 6-4
4r + NADIA PETROVA [14], 1-6 7-5 6-0

So a couple of big scalps for Radwanska, but as always in the case of
such upsets, the perpetrator has less chance to progress than the seed
(s) she upset would have had - especially with Radwanska being young
(18) and inexperienced.

On the other hand, that does put the pressure of expectation on
Daniela to see off the lower seed - especially with a place in her
first-ever Grand Slam semi-final at stake.

Radwanska, who won the Girls' Singles at Wimbledon 2005, pulled off a
couple of major scalps in 2007: she beat world #6 Martina Hingis to
reach 4r Miami, then stunned second seed and defending champion Maria
Sharapova 6-4 1-6 6-2 in the third round of the US Open, after Maria
had dropped 2 games in her first two rounds! Radwanska stood right up
to the service-line to receive Maria's second serves, and Maria's
serve went to pieces.

But Radwanska folded in the next round after that US Open upset,
losing 6-4 6-1 to Shahar Pe'er. She's done one better here, courtesy
of an astonishing collapse by Nadia Petrova from 6-1 3-0!

Radwanska also won the ITF Biella and WTA Stockholm titles in 2007,
finishing the year with an impressive 39:23 record. And she beat
Daniela in their only previous meeting: 6-3 6-3 at Zürich 2007, when
Daniela was tired and ill.

What's worrying is that Daniela pulled out of the Women's Doubles
with a foot-injury. I sincerely hope it's just a precaution. At least
she doesn't have to play this quarter-final until Wednesday.

It's not easy to predict the outcome of this match. Logically,
Daniela should be the favourite because of her much higher ranking
and far greater experience, but as discussed above, there are plenty
of variables.

I guess the deciding factor will be what kind of pressure Daniela
puts on herself to win this match: whether she finds the happy medium
between complacency and the nerves of expectation.


Hantuchová promises focus [Teletext 498]
>>>
Daniela Hantuchová has vowed not to take the challenge of Polish
teenager Agnieszka Radwanska lightly, ahead of their quarter-final
tie in Melbourne.

The Slovakian got past Maria Kirilenko in three sets, and now faces
Radwanska, who has knocked out two major seeds in the previous two
rounds.

Hantuchová said: "She beat me last time, so I'll have to change
something and make sure I play my best tennis."
<<<

Hantuchová, Radwanska notch come-from-behind fourth-round wins
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1992
>>>
Hantuchová and Radwanska have met once before, with Radwanska winning
handily, 6-3 6-3, at Zürich last fall.

"She's a very tough player and very talented," Hantuchová
commented. "She is proving it here once again. I played her in Zürich
and lost, so obviously I'll have to change something and make sure I
play my best tennis. I think we both have a good opportunity to get
to the semi-finals. It's going to be a very good match and I'm really
looking forward to it."
<<<

Radwanska: "I am very happy to have gone a few rounds in Melbourne
and reached my first [Grand Slam] quarter-final."


Australian Open: Day 10 Preview
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1997
>>>
(9) Daniela Hantuchová (SVK) vs. (29) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) -
Radwanska leads 1:0

Teenage sensation Radwanska's run to her maiden Grand Slam quarter-
final has been one of the stories of the tournament, and she will
enter her clash with world No.9 Hantuchová brimming with confidence.

After a promising 2007, which saw her break into the Top 30 and
capture her very first WTA Tour title, the 18-year-old Pole has made
a fantastic start to the new season in Melbourne. After negotiating
the opening two matches with relative ease, Radwanska faced the
daunting prospect of a match-up against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the
round of 32, and she certainly rose to the occasion by defeating the
No.2 seed 6-3 6-4. In the next round, she faced another Russian, in
the form of Nadia Petrova, and despite a sluggish start, the Kraków-
based star came roaring back to wrap up a 1-6 7-5 6-0 win over the
world No.14.

Hantuchová was on cruise-control in the opening week Down Under,
brushing aside her opening three opponents with consummate ease.
However, in the fourth round she came up against an in-form Maria
Kirilenko, who pushed the 24-year-old all the way before finally
going down 1-6 6-4 6-4.

The Slovak No.1 enjoyed something of a renaissance in 2007 - winning
her second and third career-titles and qualifying for the prestigious
Sony Ericsson Championships - and her performances in Melbourne Park
have been rewarded with a place in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam
event for the fourth time in her career.

The pair's only previous meeting on Tour came three months ago in
Zürich when Radwanska emerged with an impressive straight-set
victory, and despite sitting 19 places below Hantuchová in the world-
rankings, she certainly has the ability and the temperament to spring
a surprise.
<<<

Ivanovic attempts to solve Williams (PA SportsTicker)
>>>
While the Ivanovic-Williams winner is the clear-cut favourite to
emerge from the bottom of the draw, rising star Agnieszka Radwanska
can't be overlooked at this point.

The 29th-seeded Pole has sent shockwaves through the bracket with
upset victories over No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova and 14th-seeded Nadia
Petrova.

In her fourth-round match with Petrova on Monday, the 18-year-old
Radwanska rallied for a 1-6 7-5 6-0 win despite facing deficits of
0-3 and 4-5 in the second set.

An owner of just one career singles-title, Radwanska will be
appearing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final when she faces No. 9
Daniela Hantuchová: a 1-6 6-4 6-4 winner against 27th-seeded Maria
Kirilenko on Monday.

The 24-year-old Hantuchová - bidding to reach her first Grand Slam
semi-final in this her 29th consecutive Major - lost her only
previous encounter with Radwanska in the second round at Zürich last
season.

"[Radwanska is] a very tough player, very talented," Hantuchová
said. "I played her in Zürich and lost, so obviously I will have to
change something and make sure I play my best tennis."

Though her career has been marked by several baffling defeats in big
spots, Hantuchová showed some character in her fourth-round win over
Kirilenko.

The Slovakian claimed the match despite dropping the first set,
committing 30 unforced errors and winning just 43 of 68 (63%)
first-serve points.

"Yeah, it feels great. Definitely an exciting time," said Hantuchová,
who was upset in the first round of the US Open last season. "I was
very proud the way I fought [on Monday] because it was not easy;
I was not playing well, especially in the first set.

"But I just kept fighting. I eventually turned it around. I just
tried to focus on every point and just keep fighting. And, yeah, it
paid off."
<<<

------------------
5. Andrew's wishes
------------------

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF]:
qf + AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA [29]
sf + ANA IVANOVIC [4,DF]
_f + MARIA SHARAPOVA [5,EF]

------------------
6. Women's Doubles
------------------
6.1 Third-round result (Monday 21st January)
----------------------

- Daniela Hantuchová [EF]/Lindsay Davenport lt. Alyona
Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko, walkover (Daniela foot-injury)

------------------------------
7. Order of Play for Wednesday
------------------------------

Rod Laver Arena: day-session (start 11:00 AEDT = 00:00 GMT)
WS qf: DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] v AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA [29]
WS qf: ANA IVANOVIC [4,DF] v VENUS WILLIAMS [8]
MS qf: NOVAK ĐOKOVIC [3] v DAVID FERRER [5]
|
Rod Laver Arena: evening-session (start 19:30 AEDT = 08:30 GMT)
MS qf: ROGER FEDERER [1] v JAMES BLAKE [12]
MD qf: (BOB BRYAN/MIKE BRYAN)[1] v (MAHESH BHUPATHI/MARK KNOWLES)[6]

I'm disappointed that there's no women's match on the Rod Laver Arena
evening-session = no BBCi-coverage of Daniela (all tournament) or Ana
(since the second round). I don't know whether this is more misogyny,
or whether they think it would have been unfair to put a women's
quarter-final in the evening when the winner has to play her semi-
final on Thursday.

Full order of play:
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/hantu/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/danielahantuchova/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharapova_vaidisova_hantuchova/