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

1. Photos
2. Second-round review: Hantuchová v Johansson
3. Third-round draw
4. Third-round preview
5. Could Daniela win the Australian Open?
6. Andrew's wishes
7. Women's Doubles: First round
8. Order of play for Friday

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

Daniela Hantuchová (one second-round photo added):
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/players/related/wta080394.html

Various players including Daniela:
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/photogallery/

----------------------------------------------
2. Second-round review: Hantuchová v Johansson
(Wednesday 21st January 2009)
----------------------------------------------

+ DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF] d. Mathilde Johansson, 6-3 4-6 6-3

This match was second on Show Court 3, and took place during the
Australian mid-afternoon, when I sleeping in England. Well, not quite:
I was up finishing my first-round reports for other members of my
Eternal Fanship before their second-round matches began, and when I
finally went to bed at about 14:00 AEDT, I checked the scoreboard and
Daniela was up 6-3 3-3.

The statistics indicate that:
* Daniela had a lapse in the second set, while Johansson's
first-serves-in percentage peaked.
* The third set was actually more one-sided than the 6-3 (with two
breaks) scoreline implies.


2.1 Statistics
--------------

The match lasted 2h05m (first set 38m, second set 47m, third set 40m -
I'm guessing they took a bathroom-break before the start of the third,
as it contained fewer points than the first).

Daniela went for her shots, with a W:UE ratio of 38:38, troughing at
9:17 for the second set, with positive W:UE ratios for the first and
third sets.
Johansson's W:UE ratio was only 18:38, and was negative for all three
sets - even in the second set, it was 9:17 - the same as Daniela's.

Daniela got 58% of her first serves in, winning 62% of the points when
she did so, and 58% on second serve. These percentages troughed at
(53%, 56%, 38%) in the second set, but she improved her
winning-percentages for (57%, 67%, 89%) in the third.

The corresponding percentages for Johansson were all inferior: 55%,
53% and 46%. The big difference in the second set was that Johansson
got 69% of first-serves in (winning 60% when she did so); her
first-serves-in percentages were in the 40s for the first and third sets.

Daniela served 3 aces and 5 double faults, Johansson one ace and 5
double faults.

Daniela served faster than Johansson in all three categories: fastest
106-101 mph, average first serve 97-91 mph, average second serve 81-80
mph. I think Johansson's serves were particularly slow by WTA Tour
standards.

Daniela broke 6 times (twice in each set) from 8 BPs, which is a very
efficient conversion-rate for her. Johansson broke 4 times from 7 BPs
(1 of 3 in the first set, 3 of 4 in the second, and she didn't have
any BPs in the third).

Daniela won 12 of 16 points at the net; Johansson won 7 of 9.

In points, Daniela won 93-75 (first set 34-22, second set 30-33, third
set 29-20).


2.2 Article
-----------

Hantuchová's love affair continues
By Matthew Trollope (www.australianopen.com)
>>>
Daniela Hantuchová loves Melbourne. It is evident in her results at
Melbourne Park, and in her reaction to arriving in the city for the
year's first Major.

"I couldn't wait to get started at the Australian Open, after having
so many great memories from last year," she said. "I'm just very
excited to be here, to be playing one match at a time and really
having fun."

Last year, the glamorous Slovak won through to the semi-finals - the
first time she had progressed that far at a Major. She got past Maria
Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska before falling to Ana Ivanovic: a
match in which she led 6-0 2-0 before succumbing.

She also made the quarter-finals in 2003, the fourth round in 2006 and
2007, and has started the 2009 event strongly, winning her first two
matches.

Hantuchová's defeat of local favourite Casey Dell'Acqua was a dramatic
opening-night match on Rod Laver Arena that extended to nearly two
hours. Both women had several chances to claim the first set in a
tiebreak before Hantuchová - the 19th seed - prevailed 13 points to
11. She went on to take the match 7-6(11) 6-4.

She said her 6-4 4-6 6-3 win over Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson in
her second-round match was a much more satisfying performance.

"It was a good fight. There were some great points on which I think I
played well... I felt like I was really hitting my shots and going for
more, and I felt like I was moving better - just overall I was less
nervous [than against Dell'Acqua]," she said.

In many ways, Hantuchová's career-results – three titles and one Major
semi-final showing – are a loose translation of her talent.

After bursting onto the tennis-scene in 2002 by defeating Martina
Hingis in the final at Indian Wells and rising to world No.5 in early
2003, Hantuchová went into a tailspin. She lost form and confidence,
languishing outside the top 50 by mid-2004.

To her credit, she was able to work her way back up the
rankings-ladder before putting in a brilliant performance in 2007,
winning Indian Wells again to effectively see her career come full
circle. That year, she also won her third career title in Linz, and
qualified for the Tour Championships.

The Slovak said she is accustomed to the nerves that come with playing
on the professional circuit. "It's natural; I think if you weren't
[nervous], it wouldn't be normal. It shows that I care," she said.

"But it's [also] about how you're able to manage it, and I think I
handled it pretty well today [against Johansson]... in the first few
rounds of a Grand Slam [sic], it's always tough."

If there was ever a time that nerves could affect her, it should be
here at Melbourne Park. After making the semi-finals last year,
Hantuchová stands to lose a large bundle of points if she does not
replicate that performance in 2009. However, she said she did not view
the situation in that way. "It's actually the opposite; I feel very
honoured to be able to be in this position," she said.

It is a situation she would like to find herself in more often if she
is to rebuild her ranking following an injury-plagued 2008, during
which slipped to world No.21. Hantuchová said she has worked hard on
her fitness during the off-season, and aims to qualify again for the
season-ending WTA Tour Championships in 2009.

Should things not go her way on the tennis-court, Hantuchová has many
interests to keep her occupied off it. She is an accomplished
classical pianist, speaks four languages, and loves rollerblading,
jet-skiing, swimming and cooking.

But she is yet to indulge in these interests so far in Melbourne this
year, preferring instead to concentrate solely on her tennis. "I try
to save my energy for my matches, and I try to stay focused," she
said. "On my days off, I practise in the morning and have a massage,
and just kind of relax."
<<<

-------------------
3. Third-round draw
-------------------

* JELENA JANKOVIC [1] v AI SUGIYAMA [26]
* Lucie Šafárová [EF] v MARION BARTOLI [16,DF,S] (my loyalty is to LUCIE)
* NADIA PETROVA [10] v Galina Voskoboeva
* VERA ZVONARËVA [7,EF] v Sara Errani (DAVAI VERA!!)

* KAIA KANEPI [25] v DINARA SAFINA [3]
* DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF] v ALIZÉ CORNET [15] (my loyalty is to
DANIELA)
* Jelena Dokic [WC,EF] v CAROLINE WOZNIACKI [11] (my loyalty is to JELENA)
* ANA IVANOVIC [5,DF] v ALISA KLEYBANOVA [29] (ajde Ana!)

* María José Martínez Sánchez v Carla Suárez Navarro
* FLAVIA PENNETTA [12,DF] v ANABEL MEDINA GARRIGUES [21] (forza Flavia!)
* DOMINIKA CIBULKOVÁ [18] v Virginie Razzano (podme Domi!)
* ELENA DEMENTIEVA [4] v Samantha Stosur (davai Elena!)

* ALYONA BONDARENKO [31] v SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA [8] (davai Alyona!)
* ZHENG,JIE [22] v Kateryna Bondarenko (jia you Jie!)
* VICTORIA AZARENKA [13] v AMÉLIE MAURESMO [20] (davai Victoria!)
* Peng,Shuai [S] v SERENA WILLIAMS [2] (jia you Shuai!)

----------------------
4. Third-round preview
----------------------

As expected, Daniela's third-round opponent is Alizé Cornet [15], who
turned 19 on Thursday.

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!

Cornet went 37:24 in 2008, and improved from being a good junior with
a counterpunching style to a top-16 player who can compete with the
world's best, although she's not yet ready to beat them all.

Cornet excelled on clay in 2008, reaching the final of Acapulco,
semi-finals of Amelia Island, and semi-finals of Charleston with a 7-5
6-4 win over #13 Ágnes Szávay. She had an amazing run to the
Rome-final as a qualifier, beating world #20 Francesca Schiavone
6-3 6-2, #5 Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2 6-4, and #8 Anna Chakvetadze
3-6 6-4 6-3, before losing 6-2 6-2 to Jelena Jankovic. She won her
first WTA singles-title at Budapest - albeit without facing anyone in
the top 106.

Cornet also showed some form on hard courts, beating #20/21 Nicole
Vaidišová in the first rounds of both the Olympics and New Haven.
I saw Cornet play Serena Williams in the third round of the Olympics,
and was impressed with her newfound aggression as lost 3-6 6-3 6-4.
And she beat Daniela - then #12 - to reach the semi-finals of New Haven.

Cornet suffered a 4-match losing-streak in late 2008, before reaching
the quarter-finals of Linz and losing 7-5 6-1 to #9 Vera Zvonarëva.

Cornet went 2:1 in singles-matches at the Hopman Cup, losing 6-3 6-2
to world #3 Dinara Safina, but beating Flavia Pennetta and
Hsieh,Su-Wei. At Sydney, she beat #11 Nadia Petrova 6-2 6-4 and Alisa
Kleyanova to reach the quarter-finals, but lost 6-3 6-4 to Safina. She
has reached the third round here by beating Mariya Koryttseva
6-3 6-4 and Andrea Petkovic 6-1 6-0.

Daniela has a chance of beating Cornet, but it's probably 40% at best.
She's going to have to play a darn sight better than she did in the
first two rounds!


4.1 Articles
------------

Australian Open: Day 5 Preview
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2909
>>>
Hisense
(15) Alizé Cornet (FRA) vs. (19) Daniela Hantuchová (SVK) - Hantuchová
leads 2:1

Player head-to-heads often acquire interesting patterns; this is the
third year in a row these two have faced off at the Australian Open -
and in a later round each time. In 2007, Hantuchová was a handy
first-round winner over a Cornet ranked No.192 in the world; last year
in the second round, she beat the French teen - then at No.59 - in two
closer sets.

But Cornet is a very different proposition in 2009: she won their most
recent encounter at New Haven in three, and with a ranking of No.14,
has to be considered the favourite today.

That said, Hantuchová - under enormous pressure to defend points from
her rousing run to the semis last year - must be pleased with the
gutsy wins that have seen her justify her seeding this week. But the
25-year-old won't be content with that - not when she knows she has
the talent to get back to the top ten. A win today would do her
self-belief the world of good, and the fact she's now the underdog
might just help.
<<<

2009 Australian Open - Nick's Picks - Women's Singles Round 3
Nick Bollettieri <nickstennispicks.com>
>>>
Alizé Cornet (FRA) vs. Daniela Hantuchová (SVK) - Cornet is the French
hope for the next wave of top players. She is really talented, but has
yet to get past the third round of a Major. Hantuchová has it all. She
moves well, can volley, has extremely sound groundstrokes, and can
serve. She has got to end the points quickly, because getting into
long rallies in this heat will not benefit her.
<<<

2009 Australian Open: Day Five Preview
Aaress Lawless (www.onthebaseline.com)
>>>
Daniela Hantuchová (SVK)[19] v. Alizé Cornet (FRA)[15]

Alizé Cornet has overtaken Marion Bartoli for the No.1 ranking in
France, and is quickly becoming that nation's biggest hope for the
future. She reached the quarter-finals in Sydney last week, and heads
into this match with the knowledge that she beat Hantuchová in three
sets during the past summer in New Haven.

Hantuchová spent a considerable portion of 2008 on the injured-list
because of a stress-fracture in her right heel. Her results since
returning have been mediocre, and the two-time Indian Wells champion
ended the season ranked outside the top 20.

Pick: Alizé Cornet in three sets.
<<<

Nerve Centre: Hantuchová v. Cornet (Abigail Lorge, TENNIS.com)
>>>
Perennial Australian Open foils Daniela Hantuchová and Alizé Cornet
met in the first round of this tournament in 2007 and in the second
round in 2008, with Hantuchová winning both matches in straight sets.
The 2009 edition of their showdown Down Under - a third-round contest
slated for Friday - is compelling not only because it should be very
competitive, but also because it features two women who are, as I
found out this afternoon, markedly different in comportment and
disposition.

Hantuchová, the 25-year-old Slovakian stunner, was unwilling to
entertain questions about her history of folding in big matches. She
lost to Ana Ivanovic in the semi-finals of last year's Australian Open
after leading 6-0 2-0 - a notoriously epic collapse. But Hantuchová
insisted that the experience – her career-best finish at a Major – was
a positive one for her.

"I think that was a great thing," Hantuchová said, rejecting the
suggestion that the memories of Oz '08 might be less than fond.
"It showed me that if I play my tennis, I can [finish] where I want. I
was very pleased making the semi-finals. So actually that was a great
match for me, to show me how close I am."

The former top-five player, who in past years has appeared alarmingly
thin, looks fit and healthy here. Hantuchová said on Wednesday that
she worked hard on improving her strength and power in the off-season,
emphasising weightlifting instead of running during her
training-sessions in Orlando.

But it remains to be seen whether Hantuchová's psyche has been
fortified along with her physique. She was eager to assume the
identity of the underdog for her third-round match on Friday, when
she'll be facing the slightly higher-seeded Cornet.

"This time she is the favourite, so it's nice to be in this position
where I have no pressure," Hantuchová said. "Tennis is as much
physical as mental, and I think the mental part is actually more
important, but the most important thing is to always keep fighting and
stay positive, even though sometimes things don't go your way."

With a reputation for mental fragility in the big moments, Hantuchová
is somewhat accustomed to matches not going her way; many
tennis-observers consider her career to be a case of unfulfilled
potential. But she began working with a new coach - Albert Portas - in
November, and has a lofty goal for 2009: qualify for the year-end
championships.

The immediate task at hand, however, is her match with a French
teenager who has, as Hantuchová acknowledged, improved dramatically
over the past year. Hantuchová and Cornet both live on the Côte D'Azur
(Cornet is a Nice-native; Hantuchová resides in Monte Carlo), but that
is where their similarities end. Energized by her 6-1 6-0 drubbing of
Germany's Andrea Petkovic, Cornet was as giddy and affable on
Wednesday as Hantuchová was curt and guarded.

"If I'm playing like that, I can go really far in the tournament,"
effused Cornet, who will celebrate her 19th birthday on Thursday.
Mademoiselle then proceeded to gush about everything and everyone in
her life, including Roland Garros ("it's my heart; I love to play on
the clay"); Amélie Mauresmo ("she's a really nice girl; she's really
funny"); her family ("I really love to be with them"), her coach of 10
years: Pierre Bouteyre ("he's like my second father or my second
brother"); her pals on tour: Caroline Wozniacki and the Radwanska
sisters ("we grew up together, so it's fun"); her hometown ("it's a
beautiful city"); and even the family pooch: Andy: named for her
favourite player on the men's tour.

The loquacious Cornet exuded a much more positive energy than
Hantuchová: she of the long legs and short answers. But more telling
is the difference in their approach to Friday's match: Hantuchová
wants to minimise expectations, while Cornet relishes the opportunity
to make the fourth round of a Major.

"I'm young, but everybody has something to lose, because when you're
on the court, you just want to win," said the birthday-girl. "I
already lost to her last year and two years ago in the same
tournament, so I don't want to lose to her a third time."

I know Hantuchová is enormously talented and fiercely focused. And I
concede Cornet's sore shoulder, which has been bothering her for two
months and worsened during the Hopman Cup, is a worry. But I pick
Cornet to prevail over last year's semi-finalist. Given the
Frenchwoman's higher seeding, it's not a nervy pick. But after what I
heard today, I wouldn't bet against her in a battle of nerves.
<<<

-----------------------------------------
5. Could Daniela win the Australian Open?
-----------------------------------------

Daniela reached her sole Major semi-final here last year, but has been
slumping since a ten-week lay-off with a stress-fracture in her right
heel last April-June, and her form in her first two matches here has
been far from convincing. For her to win the Australian Open 2009
would be the most unbelievable and desirable miracle of all!

------------------
6. Andrew's wishes (updated after Thursday)
------------------

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF]:
3r + ALIZÉ CORNET [15]
4r + KAIA KANEPI [25]
qf + Jelena Dokic [WC,EF]
sf + VERA ZVONARËVA [7,EF]
_f + FLAVIA PENNETTA [12,DF]

-------------------------------
7. Women's Doubles: First round
-------------------------------
7.1 First-round result (Thursday 22nd January 2009)
----------------------

+ (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
d. Isabella Holland/Sally Peers, 6-1 6-1


7.2 Second-round draw
---------------------

* (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
v Vera Dushevina/Olga Savchuk

Full draw:
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/wd/

---------------------------
8. Order of play for Friday
---------------------------

Hisense Arena: Day-session (start 11:00 AEDT = 00:00 GMT)
MS 3r: JUAN MARTÍN DEL POTRO [8] v Gilles Müller
WS 3r: DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF] v ALIZÉ CORNET [15]
MS 3r: ANDY RODDICK [7] v Fabrice Santoro [S]
|
Hisense Arena: Evening-session (start 19:30 AEDT = 08:30 GMT)
WS 3r: ANA IVANOVIC [5,DF] v ALISA KLEYBANOVA [29]
MS 3r: Marcos Baghdatis v MARDY FISH [23]

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

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