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

1. UK TV-alert
2. First-round draw
3. Daniela Hantuchová preview
4. Andrew's wishes
5. Order of Play for Monday

Master-thread for Andrew's Australian Open 2009 reports:
http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=364478

--------------
1. UK TV-alert
--------------

The evening-sessions on Rod Laver Arena will be televised on BBCi
from 08:25 GMT each day of the tournament (digital viewers press Red
or select the appropriate Freeview-channel: it could be either 301 or
302).

This coverage will consist of the women's match on the evening-
session of the Rod Laver Arena (on days that there is one), followed
by the men's match, followed by recorded coverage of these matches
(or Andy Murray's match) on a continuous loop.

Additionally, all Andy Murray's matches will be televised live on
either BBC 1 or BBC 2 (his first match is on Tuesday). I think it's
quite possible that bits of other matches might be shown in these
programmes if Murray's match starts late or finishes early, as was
occasionally the case when the BBC used to do this for Tim Henman.

Other Australian Open coverage on BBC television:
* Saturday 24th January: highlights on BBC 1 (13:00 to 14:30 GMT);
* Saturday 31st January: highlights of Women's Singles final on BBC 2
(13:00 to 14:00 GMT);
* Sunday 1st February: Men's Singles final live on BBC 2 (from 08:30
GMT).

The Women's Singles final will be on the Rod Laver Arena evening-
session for the first time this year, therefore it will be live on
BBCi.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6102132.stm

-------------------
2. First-round draw
-------------------
Key
---

[Q] qualifier
[WC] wild card
[LL] lucky loser
[EF] member of my Eternal Fanship
[DF] member of my demi-fanship
[S] Selesian
(* ?x v ?y) I prefer ?x to win
(!) enthusiastic support
(!!) very enthusiastic support!
(my loyalty is to ?x) I like both players, but prefer ?x
(my Reason says ?x, but my Passion says ?y) I prefer ?x in tennis-
terms, but want ?y to win because she's more attractive
(my Passion says ?x, but my Reason says ?y) I find ?x more
attractive, but want ?y to win because I prefer her game


2.1 Top quarter
---------------

* JELENA JANKOVIC [1] v Yvonne Meusburger
* Kirsten Flipkens v Rossana de los Ríos (komaan Kirsten!)
* Viktoriya Kutuzova [Q] v Nathalie Dechy (davai Viktoriya!)
* AI SUGIYAMA [26] v Stéphanie Dubois [Q]

* Lucie Šafárová [EF] v SYBILLE BAMMER [24] (POJDME LUCIE!!)
* Marina Erakovic v Petra Cetkovská (slight preference to Marina)
* Tsvetana Pironkova [DF] v Karolina Šprem [Q,DF] (my Reason says
Karolina, but my Passion says Tsvetana)
* MARION BARTOLI [16,DF,S] v Melanie South (allez Marion!)

* Yaroslava Shvedova v NADIA PETROVA [10] (davai Yari!)
* Sania Mirza [DF] v Marta Domachowska (my loyalty is to Sania)
* Monika Wejnert [WC] v Karin Knapp (go Monika!)
* ÁGNES SZÁVAY [23] v Galina Voskoboeva

* MARIA KIRILENKO [27,DF] v Sara Errani (davai Maria!)
* Monica Niculescu [S] v Katie O'Brien [Q] (my Passion says Katie,
but my Reason says Monica)
* Maria Elena Camerin v Edina Gallovits (forza Maria Elena!)
* VERA ZVONARËVA [7,EF] v Magdaléna Rybáriková [DF] (my loyalty is to
VERA)


2.2 Second quarter
------------------

* Alla Kudryavtseva v DINARA SAFINA [3] (Kud is the lesser of two
evils)
* Aravane Rezaď v Ekaterina Makarova (allez Aravane!)
* Patricia Mayr v Julia Schruff [Q]
* Kimiko Date Krumm [Q] v KAIA KANEPI [25] (ganbatte Kimiko!)

* DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF] v Casey Dell'Acqua (PODME DANIELA!!)
* Mathilde Johansson v Jill Craybas (allez Mathilde!)
* Andrea Petkovic v Kathrin Wörle [Q]
* ALIZÉ CORNET [15] v Mariya Koryttseva (allez Alizé!)

* CAROLINE WOZNIACKI [11] v Shahar Pe'er (my loyalty is to Caroline)
* Virginia Ruano Pascual v Mariana Duque Marino (Ąvamos Virginia!)
* Jelena Dokic [WC,EF] v Tamira Paszek (GO JELENA!!)
* ANNA CHAKVETADZE [17,EF] v Anne Keothavong (DAVAI ANNA!!)

* ALISA KLEYBANOVA [29] v Sofia Arvidsson
* Barbora Záhlavova Strýcová v Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro
* Yanina Wickmayer v Alberta Brianti [Q] (komaan Yanina!)
* ANA IVANOVIC [5,DF] v Julia Görges (my loyalty is to Ana)


2.3 Third quarter
-----------------

* VENUS WILLIAMS [6] v Angelique Kerber
* Roberta Vinci v Carla Suárez Navarro (forza Roberta!)
* Melanie Oudin [Q] v Akgul Amanmuradova
* María José Martínez Sánchez v TAMARINE TANASUGARN [32]

* ANABEL MEDINA GARRIGUES [21] v Isabella Holland [WC]
* Elena Vesnina v Julie Coin (davai Elena!)
* Jessica Moore [WC] v Christina McHale [WC] (go Jessica!)
* FLAVIA PENNETTA [12,DF] v Mara Santangelo (forza Flavia!)

* Kristina Mladenovic [WC] v PATTY SCHNYDER [14]
* Jarmila Gajdošová v Virginie Razzano
* Hsieh,Su-Wei [S] v Chan,Yung-Jan (jia you Su-Wei!)
* DOMINIKA CIBULKOVÁ [18] v Chanelle Scheepers [Q] (podme Domi!)

* Sabine Lisicki v ALEKSANDRA WOZNIAK [30] (komm jetzt Sabine!)
* Klára Zakopalová v Samantha Stosur (pojdme Klára!)
* Iveta Benešová v Vera Dushevina (pojdme Iveta!)
* ELENA DEMENTIEVA [4] v Kristina Barrois (davai Elena!)


2.4 Bottom quarter
------------------

* Anastasia Rodionova v SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA [8]
* Ayumi Morita [S] v Tatjana Malek (my Passion says Tatjana, but my
Reason says Ayumi)
* Nicole Vaidišová [EF] v Séverine Brémond (POJDME NICOLE!!)
* ALYONA BONDARENKO [31] v Olivia Rogowska [WC] (davai Alyona!)

* ZHENG,JIE [22] v Camille Pin (jia you Jie!)
* Sorana Cîrstea v Melinda Czink (hai Sorana!)
* Ekateryna Bychkova v Lourdes Domínguez Lino (davai Ekateryna)
* Kateryna Bondarenko v AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA [9]

* VICTORIA AZARENKA [13] v Petra Kvitová
* Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Tathiana Garbin
* Elena Baltacha [Q] v Anna-Lena Grönefeld (go Elena!)
* Olga Govortsova v AMÉLIE MAURESMO [20] (davai Olga!)

* Peng,Shuai [S] v FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE [28] (jia you Shuai!)
* Sesil Karatantcheva [Q] v Nuria Llagostera Vives
* Gisela Dulko [DF] v Anastasiya Yakimova (Ąvamos Gisela!)
* SERENA WILLIAMS [2] v Yuan,Meng [WC]

-----------------------------
3. Daniela Hantuchová preview
-----------------------------

Daniela is coming off a 2008 in which she reached her first Major
semi-final at the Australian Open, but a stress-fracture in her right
heel sidelined her for ten weeks from April to June. She came back at
Wimbledon, but had lost her fitness, and went 10:13 for the rest of
the year (overall 22:20 for 2008), dropping from #9 at the end of
2007 to her current #21.

Daniela started 2009 with a 6-7(1) 6-4 6-0 to #39 Sara Errani in the
first round of Brisbane, which implies that she has not regained her
fitness during the off-season. Daniela led 7-6 4-4* with break-
points, then lost every single game left in the match!

At Sydney, Daniela trounced #72-ranked qualifier Klára Zakopalová 6-3
6-0, made a 3-1* start to her second-round match against #10
Agnieszka Radwanska, but lost 6-3 7-5 - a far cry from her 6-2 6-2
thrashing of Radwanska in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open
2008!


3.1 First round
---------------

Daniela starts against #57 Casey Dell'Acqua, whom she's never played
before.

The Australian had a famous run at last year's Australian Open, where
she upset #15 Patty Schnyder 4-6 7-5 8-6 in the second round and #18
Amélie Mauresmo 3-6 6-4 6-4 in the third round. She also beat #14
Nicole Vaidišová 6-1 3-6 6-4 en route to the fourth round of Indian
Wells, #9 Marion Bartoli 6-7 6-3 6-2 en route to the third round of
the French Open, and #12 Patty Schnyder 6-4 3-6 6-1 en route to the
third round of Wimbledon.

But despite these fine results at the Majors, Dell'Acqua barely broke
even with a 19:19 win/loss record for 2008, and didn't play from mid-
September to the end of the year because of shoulder-injuries.

Nick Bollettieri may think Dell'Acqua can upset Daniela, but
Dell'Acqua has struggled to handle the home-pressure in Australia
this time: her only match of 2009 has been a 6-1 6-2 loss to #38 Sara
Errani in the first round of Sydney, which does little to frighten me
as a Daniela-fan!


3.1.1 Article
-------------

2009 Australian Open - Nick's Picks - Women's Singles Round 1
Nick Bollettieri (Friday 16th January 2009)
http://nickstennispicks.com/2009/01/16/2009-australian-open-nicks-
picks-womens-singles-round-1/
>>>
Daniela Hantuchová (SVK) vs. Casey Dell'Acqua (AUS)

There is no question that Hantuchová has the strokes to win
consistently, but she needs to stay healthy. She comes in ranked #21,
but has been as high as #5 in the world.

Dell'Acqua reached the fourth round last year, and will have the fans
behind her 100%. This should be good.
<<<

3.2 Second round
----------------

Daniela's second-round opponent would be either #65 Jill Craybas
(Daniela leads their head to head 4:0) or, preferably, #87 Mathilde
Johansson (0:0).

So I fancy Daniela's chances of reaching the third round (but not as
much as I fancy Daniela! ;)).


3.3 Third round
---------------

Daniela's likely third-round opponent is Alizé Cornet [15], who will
turn 19 on 22nd January. Daniela beat Cornet 6-4 6-1 in the first
round of the Australian Open 2007, and 6-2 7-5 in the second round of
the Australian Open 2008, so can she continue this pattern against
Cornet in the third round of the Australian Open 2009?

Cornet's impressive 2008, which included a 3-6 6-4 6-4 win over
Daniela at New Haven (they are now 2:1 head to head), suggests
otherwise, although Daniela does have the advantage - and Cornet the
disadvantage - that the Australian Open is played on Plexicushion
rather than clay!


3.4 Fourth round
----------------

Daniela's likely fourth-round opponent would be the nightmarish
Dinara Safina [3], who loves to fight back from the brink of defeat
as much as Daniela loves to choke!

The good news is that Daniela won their last three meetings (most
recently Sydney 2008) for a 3:2 lead.

The bad news is that Safina was very impressive later in 2008: she
won Berlin with wins over world #1 Justine Henin, #6 Serena Williams
and #9 Elena Dementieva; she reached the French Open final with wins
over new #1 Maria Sharapova and #8 Elena Dementieva - both after
trailing a set and 2-5, and saving match-points - and #4 Svetlana
Kuznetsova before losing to #2 Ana Ivanovic. She also won titles at
Montréal, Los Angeles and Tokyo, as well as the Olympic Silver Medal.

Safina started 2009 by reaching the Hopman Cup final with her brother
Marat Safin - only to be thwarted by Slovak duo Dominika Cibulková
and Dominik Hrbatý! Safina then reached the final of Sydney despite
being unhappy with her form.

------------------
4. Andrew's wishes
------------------

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF]:
1r + Casey Dell'Acqua
2r + Mathilde Johansson
3r + ALIZÉ CORNET [15]
4r + Aravane Rezaď
qf + Jelena Dokic [WC,EF]
sf + VERA ZVONARËVA [7,EF]
_f + Nicole Vaidišová [EF]

---------------------------
5. Order of Play for Monday
---------------------------

Rod Laver Arena (start 11:00 AEDT = 00:00 GMT)
MS 1r: ANDY RODDICK [7] v Björn Rehnquist
WS 1r: JELENA JANKOVIC [1] v Yvonne Meusburger
MS 1r: Andrea Stoppini v NOVAK ĐOKOVIC [3]
|
Evening-session (start 19:30 AEDT = 08:30 GMT)
WS 1r: DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF] v Casey Dell'Acqua
MS 1r: Andreas Seppi v ROGER FEDERER [2]

That means Daniela will be on BBCi! :D I'm very relieved that the
organisers have continued to schedule women's matches on the Rod
Laver Arena evening-session after all the controversy surrounding
late finishes last year, which prompted the BBC-commentators to
suggest that there should be no women's matches in that session! :-||

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

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://tinyurl.com/andrewbroad-hantu