Normal service resumed at the Australian Open yesterday. Roger Federer and Serena Williams outclassed their opponents to book their places in the second week, while Lleyton Hewitt gave Australians hope of an overdue local champion.
The only place busier than the Rod Laver Arena was the casualty ward. Three players, including the 2006 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis, succumbed to injury as the first Grand Slam of the year lived up to its reputation as a test of survival as much as skill.
The packed center court was heaving with anticipation when Baghdatis and Hewitt prepared to lock horns. Their last match, two years ago, had been an epic that did not finish until 4:34am, but this one ended in a whimper.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Hewitt won the opening set 6-0 and was leading 4-2 in the second when Baghdatis quit, unable to continue because of a shoulder injury.
Earlier, Austria’s Stefan Koubek retired after one set of his match against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco after being drained by the effects of a mystery virus.
Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny withdrew before the start of play because of a wrist problem, handing Poland’s Lukasz Kubot a free ride into the next round.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Of the third round matches that went the full distance, all went according to the script, even after Nadia Petrova had given hope to the would-be giant killers still left in the tournament when she upset Kim Clijsters on Friday.
Federer, his confidence growing with each match, provided a masterful display against Spain’s Albert Montanes, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to extend his incredible record of making it to the last 16 of every Grand Slam since the 2004 French Open.
“I don’t want to say I’m playing the best tennis of my life, because I haven’t had to so far,” the world No. 1 said. “I feel like I’m obviously fresh and ready to take on the bigger names.”
Serena Williams also turned in her best performance of the week, trouncing Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3 to remain on track to defend the title she won for the fourth time last year.
“I felt like I played OK,” the American said. “I still feel like I can do better.”
Her older sister Venus had a tougher time, but still managed to carve out a 6-1, 7-6 win over Australia’s Casey Dellacqua. The Australian Open has not been a happy hunting ground for Venus, though she has never given up hope of winning it one day.
“Who’s ever satisfied? The people that have retired,” she said. “The people still on tour, we’re not satisfied. I think that’s definitely my attitude.”
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic showed he was building the kind of momentum that carried him to the 2008 title, giving up just four games in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 demolition of Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin.
“At some stage in the tournament you want to have a straight sets win, an easy win, so you can get fast off the court and try to save all the energy, as much as you can for the upcoming challenges, which are obviously going to be more difficult,” Djokovic said. “So it was good to have the match like this.”
Nikolay Davydenko is also impressing those who tipped the Russian as a dark horse for the title after he eased to a routine 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Juan Monaco.
Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki continued to slide quietly through the women’s draw, beating Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-4, 6-0.
While Hewitt’s abbreviated match against Baghdatis may have been a letdown for the organizers, they can at least take some comfort in knowing his win has set up a blockbuster clash tomorrow with Federer.
“You play for those moments, to play against the best players — Roger is that,” Hewitt said. “This is what motivates you. If you can’t get up for these matches, you shouldn’t be playing the game.”
Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles there were mixed results for the Taiwanese.
Hsieh Su-wei and partner Bruno Soares of Brazil were knocked out of the tournament by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Bob Bryan of the US 6-2, 4-6, 10-7.
There was better news for Taiwan’s Chuang Chia-jung, as she and her partner Filip Polasek of Slovakia defeated Liezel Huber of the US and Britain’s Ross Hutchins 6-2, 6-4.
■CHINESE WOMEN
AFP, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Li Na says Chinese women’s tennis is on the rise after joining countrywoman Zheng Jie in the fourth round of the Australian Open yesterday.
The 16th-seeded Li beat Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to make it two Chinese into the fourth round of the same Grand Slam for the first time ever.
Zheng upset 11th seed Marion Bartoli on Friday to make her way into the round of 16.
“I think it’s pretty good, I mean, women’s tennis in China,” Li said after beating Hantuchova. “Because we work so hard — we are working so hard — we also never give up in a match.”
Li said her friendship with Zheng made life on the tour much easier.
“We talk a lot, we can go out and eat together, and shop together,” she said.
“We are not against each other [in the fourth round], so we are friends,” she added, with a laugh.
The two women have equaled their best performances at the Australian Open, although Zheng has made the semi-finals and Li the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Li would not be drawn on whether she was playing as well as she did when she reached the fourth round two years ago.
“Right now, I mean, I didn’t think about that too much because I am just enjoying playing,” said Li, who missed last year’s tournament through injury.
Li will play fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round.
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