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

1. Photos
2. Third-round review: Hantuchová v Cornet
3. Women's Doubles: Hantuyama through to final!
4. Order of play for Friday

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

Daniela Hantuchová:
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/players/related/wta080394.html

Various players including Daniela:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/bnqb6n (www.sonyericssonwtatour.com)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7852626.stm
http://preview.tinyurl.com/bpub29
http://www.tennis.com/photogallery/photogallery.aspx

------------------------------------------
2. Third-round review: Hantuchová v Cornet (Friday 23rd January 2009)
------------------------------------------

- DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [19,EF] lt. ALIZÉ CORNET [15], 6-4 4-6 2-6

The match was second on Hisense Arena, so it would have been played in
the Australian mid-afternoon, while I was sleeping in England.

Nick Bollettieri <http://nickstennispicks.com/> questioned Daniela's
ability to generate power and hurt her opponents. My response is that
she /can/ do this: she does it through immaculate timing - what I call
"flairsome power" - rather than big muscles. She was certainly
generating a lot of power when she reached the semi-finals of last
year's Australian Open!

But Daniela has not been the same force since she was sidelined for
ten weeks with a stress-fracture in her right heel from April to June
2008. She lost a lot of fitness then, so her first priority is to get
that back - then she can concentrate on getting her game back on track.

The statistics imply that Daniela got tired in the third set:
obviously the score, and also Cornet's raised winner-count and ace-count.


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

The match lasted 2h02m (first set 34m, second set 43m, third set 45m -
presumably there was a long break after the second set).

Daniela had a negative W:UE ratio of 30:40 (her winner-count decreased
from set to set), Cornet a positive 29:22 (including 12:6 for the
third set).

Daniela got 61% of her first serves in, winning 65% of the points when
she did so, and 42% on second serve. Her second-serve
winning-percentage dipped from 64% in the first set to 33% for the
second and 27% for the third, while her first-serve winning-percentage
dipped from 68% for the second set to 53% for the third.

The corresponding percentages for Cornet were 52%, 76% and 43%, so
it's disappointing that Daniela let her get away with so many second
serves.

Cornet had the fastest serve - 109mph to Daniela's 105mph - but
Daniela's serves were faster on average: first serve 101-100 mph,
second serve 80-77 mph.

Daniela served 2 aces and 3 double faults, Cornet 6 aces (4 in the
third set) and 5 double faults.

There was a big difference in their BP-conversion rates: Cornet broke
6 times from 7 BPs, while Daniela broke just 4 times from 9 BPs
(squandering BPs has long been an unfortunate habit of Daniela's). The
first two sets were each won by two breaks to one, the third set by
three breaks to one.

Daniela won just 11 of 21 points at the net (52%) - including 3 of 9
in the third set - which is disappointing for an all-court player such
as herself. Cornet was more selective and successful with her
net-approaches, winning 8 of 11 (73%).

In points, Cornet won 87-79 (first set 24-30, second set 33-29, third
set 30-20).


2.2 Articles
------------

Second Serve: Cornet Redux (Abigail Lorge, TENNIS.com)
>>>
Alizé Cornet and Daniela Hantuchová's third-round showdown in Hisense
Arena was one of the few quality women's matches of the day. The
Frenchwoman (No.15) was seeded slightly higher than the Slovak
(No.19), but Hantuchová is a former top-ten player who was a
semi-finalist here last year. Adding to the intrigue was the fact that
Hantuchová, 25, had ousted the French teenager from this tournament
each of the past two years.

Determined not to lose for a third straight time, Cornet prevailed 4-6
6-4 6-2 on Friday in a convincing effort that put her into the round
of 16 at a Major for the first time in her career. She struggled with
nerves in the first set – "this match was just so important to me, and
that's why I was more nervous than usual," she said afterwards, a bag
of ice on her sore right shoulder – but then decided to get more
aggressive, and raised her level significantly.

Cornet did show some nerves in both the second and third sets as well.
She served for the second set at 5-2, but started rushing and was
broken (eventually evening the match at one-set all when she held at
5-4). At that point, the momentum was clearly in Cornet's favour.

"I knew that if I won the second set, I was really ready physically to
beat her in the third set, so I was pretty confident," the elated
Frenchwoman said afterwards. Indeed, she ran up a 4-0 lead on
Hantuchová to start the deciding set, and the outcome was all but
decided. It wasn't one of the worst choke-jobs in Hantuchová's career
– Cornet played legitimately well – but it did little to refute her
reputation for folding easily.

Cornet will face Dinara Safina, who's been looking tougher and tougher
as the week has progressed, in the round of 16. Safina beat Cornet in
Sydney a few weeks ago in their only meeting, but Cornet said she
think she can give the Russian No.3 a tough test: "I think she knows
she needs to be a bit scared of me, because she knows I'm going to
fight to the end."

I expect Safina to win, but I hope the plucky Cornet plays well and
makes it interesting.

One other note: During the Hantuchová v Cornet match, I sat next to
Michel Dechy: the father of unseeded French player Natalie Dechy, who
lost to Ai Sugiyama in the second round here. Like an MLB scout
charting the performance of a pitching prospect, Mr. Dechy was taking
detailed notes on each point: he had a sophisticated system for
indicating how each point was won (forehand return, bad but lucky
volley, etc.). Dechy has been travelling with his daughter for the
past year and coached her when she was younger, and said his grids
help her prepare for future matches. I was impressed by his
meticulousness.
<<<

^I would be fascinated to see Michel Dechy's detailed notes, as I make
such notes myself when I get to watch important matches!

Out Down Under
http://www.dhantuchova.com/news.html?id=333
>>>
Daniela was unable to pull out the third set on Friday at the
Australian Open, falling to the fifteenth seed Alizé Cornet 6-4 4-6 2-6.

It was an action-packed match on Hisense Arena, but Daniela couldn't
fend off the Frenchwoman, who took the break early in the third.

Daniela did a good job of mixing up her shots and moving Cornet around
the court, but Cornet's determination was relentless.

It was a disappointing loss for Daniela, who was looking to match or
surpass her semi-final showing Down Under in 2008.
<<<

-----------------------------------------------
3. Women's Doubles: Hantuyama through to final!
-----------------------------------------------
3.1 Second-round result (Saturday 24th January 2009)
-----------------------

+ (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
d. Vera Dushevina/Olga Savchuk, 6-4 6-1


3.2 Third-round result (Monday 26th January 2009)
----------------------

+ (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
d. Elena Vesnina/Ágnes Szávay, 6-1 6-2


3.3 Quarter-final mini-report (Tuesday 27th January 2009)
-----------------------------

+ (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
d. (CARA BLACK/LIEZEL HUBER)[1], 6-7 (0/7) 6-3 7-6 (12/10)

I followed live scores casually before going to bed at the end of the
first set. Hantuyama led *3-0, were broken back once but held for
4-2*, were broken back again, had to serve to stay in the set at *4-5,
but served for it at *6-5 before finally losing out on a tiebreak.

I thought Black/Huber - the dominant doubles-team in 2008 - would
cruise through the second set, but Hantuyama won it 6-3, and recovered
from *2-5 down in the third to win on a final-set tiebreak in which
they saved seven match-points including 2/6!


3.3.1 Articles
--------------

Daniela and Ai Defeat Cara and Liezel in Thriller
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2930
>>>
Three seeded teams are through to the doubles semi-finals of the 2009
Australian Open, but none of them began the tournament among the top
eight favourites - at least not on paper. So Daniela Hantuchová and Ai
Sugiyama are to play Nathalie Dechy and Mara Santangelo for a place in
the final, while Venus and Serena Williams take on Casey Dell'Acqua
and Francesca Schiavone.

Most striking was the three-hour defeat of top seeds Cara Black and
Liezel Huber by the reunited No.9 seeds Daniela Hantuchová and Ai
Sugiyama: 6-7(0) 6-3 7-6(10). Black and Huber - who also won early in
Brisbane and Sydney - won the first-set tiebreak without dropping a
point, and although the underdogs regrouped to level in the second
set, the co-world No.1s seemed ready to seize the contest as they
surged to 5-2 lead in the decider.

But the popular 'Hantuyama' unit clicked into gear, as the tall Slovak
set up volleying-opportunities for the Japanese veteran. With Black
becoming vulnerable on serve and at the net, the tenth seeds forced a
tiebreak. However, Black and Huber stole back the momentum to hold
four match-points at 6/2, but they lost them all, plus another three,
as Hantuchová and Sugiyama went on to win the final tiebreak [12/10].

<snip other quarter-finals>

They may carry lowly seedings at the first Major of the year, but all
four semi-finalists boast strong doubles-pedigrees. Sugiyama owns 37
Tour doubles-titles: three of them with Hantuchová, who has eight;
their best Major result together was finishing runner-up at Roland
Garros in 2006.

<snip other semi-finalists>
<<<

Hantuchová and Sugiyama upset Black and Huber in major thriller
(Diane Elayne Dees, womenwhoserve.blogspot.com)
>>>
Top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber have been upset in the
Australian Open quarter-finals by Daniela Hantuchová and Ai Sugiyama:
6-7 6-3 7-6.

The three-hour ordeal was an absolute thriller, with Black and Huber
finally dominating the first set with a 7/0 tiebreak-score, Hantuchová
and Sugiyama getting themselves together in the second, and
back-to-back thrills occurring in the third.

Of course, that third set didn't look too thrilling for a while,
although there were some very entertaining rallies. Hantuchová and
Sugiyama were down 2-5, and it just looked like a matter of moments
before Black and Huber won the match.

But suddenly, Hantuchová and Sugiyama began to play completely in sync
with one another, with Hantuchová setting up superb volleys for
Sugiyama. About this time, Black became somewhat vulnerable, too,
which gave her opponents some room to hit shots between her and Huber.

Hantuchová and Sugiyama brought the match to a tiebreak, but then went
down 2/6 in that. Again, the match appeared to be over, and again,
Hantuchová and Sugiyama refused to go out. They won the tiebreak
12/10, and saved a total of seven match-points.

The crowd-response was tremendous throughout, as the reunited team of
Hantuchová and Sugiyama played one the best matches of their careers.
<<<

3.4 Semi-final mini-report (Thursday 29th January 2009)
--------------------------

+ (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
d. Nathalie Dechy/Mara Santangelo, 6-4 6-3

I checked the scoreboard once before I went to bed: Hantuyama led 6-4
2-0*.


3.4.1 Articles
--------------

Williams-Sisters to Play 'Hantuyama' For Australian Doubles-Title
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2938
>>>
They might only be the No.9 and No.10 doubles seeds at the 2009
Australian Open, but a formidable foursome will contest the title at
Melbourne Park on Friday, as Daniela Hantuchová and Ai Sugiyama take
on Venus and Serena Williams. Due to extreme temperatures, their
respective semi-final matches had to be moved 'indoors' on the Hisense
Arena but, auguring well for the final, both teams still showed
blistering form.

Ninth seeds Hantuchová and Sugiyama - quarter-final conquerors of top
seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber - were first to book their place in
the championship-match with a comfortable 6-4 6-3 win over
French/Italian duo Nathalie Dechy and Mara Santangelo.

The foundation for the win was laid early in each set with the break
of Dechy's serve, which 'Hantuyama' built upon with seemingly
effortless verve, the tall Slovak providing countless savvy set-ups
for the dynamic Japanese veteran to execute at the net.

Indeed, when Hantuchová struck a backhand pass down the line to give
her team a 3-0 lead in the second, it seemed they would record an even
easier win. But Dechy and Santangelo mustered forces to break Sugiyama
twice in the remainder of the set; on the downside, they were on the
wrong end of most of the quick-fire exchanges at the net; more
damagingly, Dechy relinquished another two service-games, handing
Hantuchová three match-points on a double fault.

Supreme communication also kept the Williams-sisters on their winning
ways as they dispatched Casey Dell'Acqua and Francesca Schiavone, who
were surprise finalists at Roland Garros last year, but have played
only sporadically since. Although Serena seemed remarkably fresh after
her semi-final defeat of Elena Dementieva, the American No.10 seeds
clearly didn't want to waste an ounce of energy on court, overpowering
their opponents to keep the rallies short for a 6-0 6-2 win.

Playing together again after a couple of years' break, Hantuchová and
Sugiyama will be gunning for their fourth title together, but first
since Rome in 2006 - the year they achieved their best Major result as
a unit, finishing runners-up to Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur at
Roland Garros.

Now 33, Sugiyama was actually ranked No.1 in doubles in 2000: the year
she won the US Open with Julie Halard-Decugis (she also won the French
Open and Wimbledon with Kim Clijsters in 2003).

For her part, Hantuchová has been as high as No.5 in doubles, and
belongs to an élite group that owns a Career Grand Slam in Mixed
Doubles. But although the 25-year-old also reached the final of the
Australian Open with Aranxta Sánchez-Vicario in 2002, she is yet to
capture a Women's Doubles Major.

Venus and Serena might not play doubles very often, but when they do,
it is almost invariably with spectacular results. Together they have
collected seven Majors, including the Australian Open in 2001 and
2003, and most recently Wimbledon, as well as two Olympic Gold Medals.
To reach the final this week, they've disposed of No.5 seeds Samantha
Stosur and Rennae Stubbs, and No.16 seeds Hsieh,Su-Wei and Peng,Shuai.
<<<

Women's doubles finalists decided
By Katy Ghassemi (www.australianopen.com)
>>>
The Women's Doubles semi-finals of the Australian Open 2009 were
played on Thursday, with Daniela Hantuchová and Ai Sugiyama first to
book their place in Friday's final.

An in-form Hantuchová and Sugiyama - who've won three doubles-titles
together - were in control throughout the match, winning comfortably
against the French/Italian pair of Nathalie Dechy and Mara Santangelo:
6-4 6-3.

Sugiyama's quick hands at the net helped the No.9 seeds secure a break
in the first game of the match. It was a sign of things to come, with
both Hantuchová and Sugiyama showing their dominance at the net. Dechy
and Santangelo's miscommunication also helped Hantuchová and Sugiyama,
with the French/Italian pair chasing down the same ball on more than
one occasion, with predictable results.

Having lost her serve early in the set, Hantuchová made up for it by
serving an ace to secure the first set for herself and Sugiyama.

The second set was a similar affair, with the No.9 seeds gaining a 5-1
lead before Dechy and Santangelo made a late comeback to win two
games. They'd left their run too late, however, and Hantuchová and
Sugiyama clinched the match by winning the final game to love.
<<<

3.5 Final-draw
--------------

* (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
v (SERENA WILLIAMS/VENUS WILLIAMS)[10]

---------------------------
4. Order of play for Friday
---------------------------

Rod Laver Arena (start 15:00 AEDT = 04:00 GMT)
WD f: (DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [EF]/AI SUGIYAMA)[9]
v (SERENA WILLIAMS/VENUS WILLIAMS)[10]
XD sf: Iveta Benešová/Lukáš Dlouhý v Sania Mirza [DF]/Mahesh Bhupathi
|
(not before 19:30 AEDT = 08:30 GMT)
MS sf: RAFAEL NADAL [1] v FERNANDO VERDASCO [14]

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

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