===============
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
(Melbourne, Australia; outdoor hard (Plexicushion); Grand Slam)
=============== http://www.australianopen.com/
Contents
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1. Photos
2. First round: Hantuchová v King review
3. Second-round draw: Bottom half
4. Third-round draw: Top half
5. Andrew's wishes
6. Order of Play for Thursday

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

Daniela 'Dani-long-legs' Hantuchová:
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://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/photogallery/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7188629.stm
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/gallery?pg=1&cap=1

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2. First round: Hantuchová v King review (Tuesday 15th January)
----------------------------------------

+ DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] d. Vania King, 6-3 7-5

They were playing first up, in the heat of a very hot Australian day,
so it was nice to get this done in straight sets, despite Daniela
being a break down in the second (she was *0-2 down, but broke back
for *2-2).

Daniela went for broke in typical fashion, with a W:UE ratio of
34:35. She served 5 aces, but will need to improve her first-serves-
in percentage from 57% if she is to trouble, say, Anna Chakvetadze in
the fourth round (the next mouthwatering match for me to look forward
to now that Lucie Šafárová is out).


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

Kuznetsova in a hurry [Teletext 497]
>>>
Sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze played only six points before German
opponent Andrea Petkovic retired, while ninth seed Daniela Hantuchová
also won.
<<<

Hantuchová too good for American
By Carla Okai <www.australianopen.com>
>>>
Daniela Hantuchová has overpowered Vania King from the USA to win her
first round match at the Australian Open 2008 6-3 7-5.

Both players had shaky starts, breaking each other's serves
repeatedly in the first set.

King soon took advantage of Hantuchová's weaker second serve,
returning backhands her opponent just couldn't handle.

Although slow to start, Hantuchová finally began to show some form
warranting her No.9 seeding, covering the court with agility.

The 24-year-old Slovakian overpowered King from the baseline, her
height giving her the advantage she needed. Both players rarely
ventured to the net, preferring to slog it out.

In the second set, Hantuchová was tested early as her serve let her
down. But her dominating forehand proved too much for King, taking
the match in 110 minutes.
<<<

Favourites keep cool in Australian sun (Reuters)
By Ossian Shine (editing by Greg Stutchbury)
>>>
Women's ninth seed Daniela Hantuchová survived a decent workout
before downing American Vania King 6-3 7-5, though she too refused to
speculate on her chances.

"I was just really pleased to get through in two sets - it was tough
out there," the Slovak smiled.

"It was very tight. I was just pleased with the way I hung in there
and played the big points well. That was crucial today.

"I'm fully fit, and so I just want to go out there and enjoy it."
<<<

Daniela's press-conference:
>>>
Q. Summarise that game for us. It was a good one first up?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, definitely.

Q. Very tight.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, it was very tight. I was really glad to get
through in two sets. I mean, it was quite a big fight, especially in
the second set. I thought Vania was playing very well.

I was just pleased the way I hang in there and play the big points
well. That was, I think, crucial today.

Q. What is your goal for this year?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Not really putting any expectations. I mean, just
want to go out there and play my best in every match, and how far I
get in the tournaments, we'll see.

Obviously I feel like I'm playing well and I'm pretty confident. So,
yeah, I just want to enjoy it and always do my best.

Q. Fully fit?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yes, fully fit.
<<<

She sure is! ;-)

---------------------------------
3. Second-round draw: Bottom half
---------------------------------

* VENUS WILLIAMS [8] v Camille Pin
* SANIA MIRZA [31,DF] v Timea Bacsinszky [Q] (my loyalty is to Sania)
* Maria Elena Camerin v LI,NA [24] (forza Maria Elena!)
* Marta Domachowska [Q] v Sofia Arvidsson (dawaj Marta!)

* Sabine Lisicki [Q] Mariya Koryttseva (komm jetzt Sabine!)
* ALYONA BONDARENKO [21] v Caroline Wozniacki (my loyalty is to
Alyona)
* KATARINA SREBOTNIK [28] v Anastasia Rodionova (dajmo Katarina!)
* ANA IVANOVIC [4,DF] v Tathiana Garbin (ajde Ana!)

* ANNA CHAKVETADZE [6,EF] v Alisa Kleybanova [Q] (DAVAI ANNA!!)
* MARIA KIRILENKO [27,DF] v Akiko Morigami [S] (my loyalty is to
Maria)
* Virginia Ruano Pascual v Catalina Castańo (ˇvamos Virginia!)
* DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] v Alizé Cornet (I like Alizé, but PODME
DANIELA!!)

* Anne Kremer v NADIA PETROVA [14] (dajee Anne!)
* Yvonne Meusburger v Ekaterina Makarova
* AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA [29] v Pauline Parmentier
* Tsvetana Pironkova v SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA [2] (aide Tsvetana!)


3.1 Preview of Daniela's second round
-------------------------------------

1r: Alizé Cornet d. Clarisa Fernández, 6-3 6-3

Alizé is one week shy of her 18th birthday. Daniela beat her in the
first round here last year: 6-4 6-1 (their only meeting).

But Alizé has come so far since then, winning the French Open Girls'
Singles title. Playing a mixture of WTA and ITF Women's Circuit
tournaments, Alizé compiled an impressive 42:18 record for 2007,
winning ITF Dnepropetrovsk, and winning five matches in a row to
qualify and reach the third round of the US Open, where she took a
set off world #3 Jelena Jankovic.

Alizé was also runner-up at ITF Bordeaux last September, but starting
with the final there, she lost four matches in a row, including her
only pre-AO match of 2008: a 6-3 6-3 loss to Olga Savchuk in the
first qualifying-round of Sydney.

I don't think Alizé has the form to beat Daniela right now, but she's
a solid counterpuncher who could make life difficult for a set at
least, if Daniela has one of her customary walkabouts. My prediction:
Daniela 6-3 5-7 6-2.


Venus Williams returns to action (PA SportsTicker)
>>>
Also lurking in the bottom of the draw are No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze of
Russia and ninth-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchová.

While Hantuchová is a top-10 player and taking part in her 29th
consecutive Grand Slam, the 24-year-old has never been able to shine
in a Major.

Including her stunning first-round exit at last summer's US Open, she
has failed to reach the quarter-finals in 19 consecutive Grand Slams.
She matched her best effort in a Major when she reached the round of
eight here in 2003.

A 6-3 7-5 winner over American Vania King on Monday, Hantuchová's
second-round opponent is unseeded Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet.
<<<

http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1978
>>>
Former quarter-finalist Daniela Hantuchová required almost two hours
to dispose of Vania King in the first round, and will be looking for
an improved performance when she meets Alizé Cornet in the day's
second match on the Vodaphone Arena.
<<<

-----------------------------
4. Third-round draw: Top half
-----------------------------

* JUSTINE HENIN [1] v FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE [25]
* Aravane Rezaď v Hsieh,Su-Wei [Q,S] (my loyalty is to Aravane)
* SHAHAR PE'ER [17] v ELENA DEMENTIEVA [11] (kadima Shahar!)
* MARIA SHARAPOVA [5,EF] v Elena Vesnina (I like Elena, but DAVAI
MARIA!!)

* JELENA JANKOVIC [3] v VIRGINIE RAZZANO [30] (I want Jankovic to win)
* Casey Dell'Acqua v AMÉLIE MAURESMO [18] (anyone but Mauresmo)
* NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ [12,EF] v Ai Sugiyama (POJDME NICOLE!!)
* VICTORIA AZARENKA [26] v SERENA WILLIAMS [7] (Azarenka may be
growing on me, but I'd still prefer Nicole to have the honour of
putting the defending champion out of my misery)

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

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF]:
2r + Alizé Cornet
3r + Virginia Ruano Pascual
4r + ANNA CHAKVETADZE [6,EF]
qf + Tsvetana Pironkova
sf + SANIA MIRZA [31,DF]
_f + NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ [12,EF]

-----------------------------
6. Order of Play for Thursday
-----------------------------

Vodafone Arena (start 11:00 AEST = 00:00 GMT)
WS 2r: VENUS WILLIAMS [8] v Camille Pin
WS 2r: DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] v Alizé Cornet
MS 2r: NOVAK ĐOKOVIC [3] v Simone Bolelli
MS 2r: DAVID NALBANDIAN [10] v Peter Luczak

Full order of play (including Daniela's WD 1r):
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/