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

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1. Photos
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Daniela Hantuchová and Alizé Cornet, and Daniela shopping:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/99/photos
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/

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

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2. Second round: Hantuchová v Cornet review (Thursday 17th January)
-------------------------------------------

Nice winner, nice loser:
+ DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] d. Alizé Cornet, 6-2 7-5

Daniela was 1-3* down in the second set, then up a break *4-3, then
serving to stay in it at *4-5, then won the last three games.

Daniela had a poor W:UE ratio of 16:31, but Alizé was worse with
13:34. The big difference between them was their second serves:
Alizé's was faster, but she won only 33% of the points on it, while
Daniela won 70% on her own second serve. Daniela broke 5 times from
10 break-points, Alizé twice from 3.

Daniela on this sort of form should get by Virginia Ruano Pascual,
but will find it very tough in the fourth round against Anna
Chakvetadze - or even Maria Kirilenko, who I think will be tough for
Anna in the third round.


Kuznetsova battles back [Teletext 497]
>>>
Sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze was a 6-3 6-4 victor against Alise
Kleybanova, while Daniela Hantuchová, seeded ninth, saw off Alizé
Cornet 6-2 7-5.
<<<

Hantuchová rides into round three
By Bronwen Largier <www.australianopen.com>
>>>
Women's No.9 seed Daniela Hantuchová has eliminated France's Alizé
Cornet in straight sets to advance to the third round of Australian
Open 2008.

Hantuchová survived a late surge from her opponent to take the match
6-2 7-5.

Hantuchová broke Cornet twice in the opening set to win it
comfortably, but Cornet began to put up a fight early in the second
set when, after a correct challenge using the new video line-calling
system on Vodafone Arena, she was left with three break-points.

She broke the Slovakian on her first attempt after Hantuchová's ball
hit the tape. Hantuchová broke back immediately and broke her again
in her next service-game, to lead the set 4-3.

Not one to give up, Cornet produced another break in the next game
with a crosscourt volley to level the set at 4-4.

However, Hantuchová broke her opponent again in the 11th game and
served out the match, winning with two match-points up her sleeve.

Hantuchová really pushed her opponent around the court throughout the
match, and although Cornet put on an impressive show chasing down
balls, it meant she struggled to produce winners as she expended most
of her energy keeping the ball in play.
<<<

Venus Williams overcomes tough test (PA SportsTicker)
>>>
Also lurking in the bottom of the draw are No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze of
Russia and ninth-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchová, who both
advanced on Thursday.

Hantuchová moved into the third round with a 6-2 7-5 triumph over
Alizé Cornet of France.

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.
<<<

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3. Third-round draw: Bottom half / Preview
------------------------------------------

* SANIA MIRZA [31,DF] v VENUS WILLIAMS [8] (go Sania!)
* Marta Domachowska [Q] v LI,NA [24] (dawaj Marta!)
* Sabine Lisicki [Q] v Caroline Wozniacki (komm jetzt Sabine!)
* ANA IVANOVIC [4,DF] v KATARINA SREBOTNIK [28] (ajde Ana!)

* ANNA CHAKVETADZE [6,EF] v MARIA KIRILENKO [27,DF] (mouthwatering
match - my loyalty is to Anna)
* DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] v Virginia Ruano Pascual (PODME DANIELA!!)
* NADIA PETROVA [14] v Ekaterina Makarova
* AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA [29] v SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA [2]


3.1 Hantuchová v Ruano Pascual preview
--------------------------------------

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF]:
1r + Vania King, 6-3 7-5
2r + Alizé Cornet, 6-2 7-5

Virginia Ruano Pascual:
1r + Roberta Vinci, 6-4 6-4
2r + Catalina Castańo, 6-2 6-4

Daniela has never played Virginia before, which is surprising,
considering that they are 24 and 34 years old respectively.

Virginia has won numerous Grand Slam doubles-titles (particularly
with Paola Suárez) and been #1 in the doubles-rankings, but has only
been as high as #28 in singles. She knocked an injured 16-year-old
Serena Williams out of Wimbledon 1998, and created the upset of
Wimbledon 2001: a 6-4 6-2 thrashing of world #1 Martina Hingis in the
first round.

Virginia was a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open 2003 - the
same as Daniela - and fourth-rounder in 2006 - both times losing to
Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Virginia didn't have a good year in 2007, just breaking even at
18:18, and losing 6-0 6-0 to Jelena Jankovic at Beijing. The
highlight was probably beating world #26 Anabel Medina Garrigues en
route to the third round of Wimbledon. She hasn't played any pre-AO
tournaments in 2008.

Although their scorelines at this tournament don't look dissimilar,
Daniela should just have too much class for Virginia, especially when
Virginia is giving away 10 years.

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

* Hsieh,Su-Wei [Q,S] v JUSTINE HENIN [1] (jia you Su-Wei!)
* MARIA SHARAPOVA [5,EF] v ELENA DEMENTIEVA [11] (DAVAI MARIA!!)
* JELENA JANKOVIC [3] v Casey Dell'Acqua
* NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ [12,EF] v SERENA WILLIAMS [7] (POJDME NICOLE!!)

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

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

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6. Women's Doubles
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6.1 First-round results (Thursday 17th January)
-----------------------

+ Daniela Hantuchová [EF]/Lindsay Davenport
d. (MARIA KIRILENKO [DF]/ÁGNES SZÁVAY)[11], 6-2 7-5


6.2 Second-round draw
---------------------

* Daniela Hantuchová [EF]/Lindsay Davenport
v Gabriela Navrátilová/Klára Zakopalová

-----------------------------
7. Order of Play for Saturday
-----------------------------

Margaret Court Arena: day-session (start 11:00 AEST = 00:00 GMT)
MS 3r: JUAN MÓNACO [21] v TOMÁŠ BERDYCH [13]
WS 3r: DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF] v Virginia Ruano Pascual
XD 1r: Jessica Moore/Greg Jones v Rennae Stubbs/Todd Perry
WD 2r: Daniela Hantuchová [EF]/Lindsay Davenport v Gabriela
Navrátilová/Klára Zakopalová
|
Margaret Court Arena: evening-session (start 19:30 AEST = 08:30 GMT)
MS 3r: DAVID NALBANDIAN [10] v JUAN CARLOS FERRERO [22]

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/