Tennis Australian Open 2018

[thepharoah 2,405]

and now let's talk about the other side which looks very compatible, entertaining and not predicted women's side  :- 

 

1. Halep won't have easy time before quarters , she's Kvitova in 3rd Rd and some good players in the end half of that section who can be dangerous in a good day , we've a very promising match in 1st round already in that section between Barty and Sabalenka 

2. karolina Pliskova should be clear favorite in that section , the biggest challengs will be from Konta who's not delivering good results since Wimbeldon , but she's done very good results last 2 years here , so some could bet on her ofc. 

 

3. very promising section with some very good players who can go much far : Muguruza , Kerber , Radwanska , Sharapova , Sevatsova , very promising early clash between Sevatsova and Sharapova , the winner should meet Kerber and in the other half we have Muguruza vs. Radwanska . IMO Kerber or Sharapova would be the ones who make it to quarters 

 

4. Garcia or keys , but Sasnovic and Baroni could be also dangerous oponents , Mladenovic despite being the 11th seed but it's very possible that she be eliminated from 1st Rd  , I'd put my money here on Garcia 

 

5. Venus Williams should be a clear favorite in this section , but her 1st opponent could be some how dangerous which's Bencic , we should have a matche between Venus vs. Gorges in 4th Rd 

 

6. not a hard draw for Sivotlina , but somehow tricky with some good players that can win in a good day like Siniakova and Peng , she shouldn't have much danger from the other half , as long as Stephens isn't fit after US open victory 

 

7. Coco Vandeweghe should be the one to qualify to Quarters here , but she'd have some hard times here , Stosur , Cibulkova and ofc. Ostapenko my favorite  , but she didn't have good times since Wimbeldon  , but always many things can happen in Women's side 

 

8. Wozniacki has the easiest possible draw here , whether Bertens or Pavlyuchenkova shouldn't challenge her much , but u can't guarantee any things always for Caro 

[Wanderer 1,726]

2 hours ago, LDOG said:

So,let's see...

 

Section 1 - Nadal vs no one

Section 2 - Cilic should walk this

Section 3 - Dimitrov/Rublev vs Kyrgios/Shapovalov/Tsonga in R 16, the toughest section

Section 4 - The weakest section, Sock or Anderson should be winners...

Section 5 - Thiem, Wawrinka and nothing else. Think Thiem will take this one seeing Wawrinka is not fit.

Section 6 - Should be Djokovic - A. Zverev in R16 but I wouldn't be surprised if Zverev loses before.

Section 7 - Goffin vs Del Potro, but delpo will have to be careful in his 1st round match vs Tiafoe.

Section 8 - Federer vs Raonic/Querrey

 

I wouldn't be so sure about Cilic, there is Simon floating around in R4

 

[heywoodu 15,174]

2 hours ago, LDOG said:

 

Section 8 - Haase vs Federer/Raonic/Querrey

Fixed that for you 

[Wanderer 1,726]

Match of the first round: Maria vs Sharapova  

 

Now, my view of the women's draw:

 

Section 1:

A strong one. Halep-Kvitova in R3 breaks my heart. I am afraid Simona will be too much for Petra at this moment. Intriguing match between Barty and Sabalenka. Sabalenka has such raw power and on a good day can beat almost any top player. Barty is very skillful player and should find a key to neutralize Sabalenka's power and make her move, for the later being pretty bad in defense. The key in this match is Barty's mentality and ability not to break under the pressure being a favourite and at home. Giorgi this weak is on fire and if she keeps her momentum (which I doubt) can make some damage and reach R4. There are also other two of my favourite players  But both Osaka and Jabeur have been bad so far and I don't expect either of them in R3.

All in all - Halep should come through as a quarterfinalist from this section.

 

Section 2:

This section is also interesting one. Still not sure how much Konta is injured, but things don't look promising. Should be able to reach R3 but there is crafty Strycova. Safarova showed some good tennis in her match against Angelique in Sydney, so R3 for her is expected where she should be encountering another seeded Czech, Pliškova. Karolina struggled against Cepede last year at the French Open, but on hard, I expect her to be convincing. Haddad Maia (I like her!) has a rematch with Cabrera but should be able t beat her again and is definitely capable to put a big fight against Pliškova.

My pick is definitely Pliškova as most likely quarterfinalist from this section. Safarova and Strycova being serious tests.

 

Section 3:

Muguruza must reach R4 with her draw! But the bottom half of the section!  Kerber showing great form in Perth and Sydney so far, almost 2016 GS level,  with new coach, improved serve, bh, being more aggressive and sort of a first-strike player, is something very good to see on WTA these days! She'll probably overcome Friedsam and Vekic and then comes R3 against either Sharapova or Sevastova. The Latvian does have beautiful game but somehow her emotional meltdowns seem to be rather a disadvantage. She can beat Sharapova again who still cannot find her form. If Kerber does not overplay and peak too soon in Sydney during this week, I can totally see her in R4.

Potential quarterfinalist.... in this order: Kerber>Sevastova>Muguruza>Sharapova

 

Section 4:

We all already saw Mladenovic breaking her losing streak in Sydney... Anyway, Bogdan is not that easy to beat, so I expect another dramatic match from Kiki and let's hope this is the end of her agony. Putintseva-Watson is no betting zone match definitely  Keys should make R4. 

Lucic-Baroni is still bothered with injury and her form is questionable. Rogers is a tricky player and we can see last year semifinalist going out in R1. Sasnovich played beautiful tennis in Brisbane. And if she is able to repeat it, R3 here we come. My fave, Vondroušova, had bad second half of 2017 and played quite poorly (except in that match against Kuznetsova at USO). What bothers me around her is her attitude sometimes. I hope she can be motivated enough cause she has very winnable opening round and I'd like to see her pumped up against transformed Garcia. Garcia's form is unknown quantity and I hope her back is okay now (the reason she withdrew from Brisbane). If she's healthy, ball-bashing delight in R4 is upon us. 

Most likely quarterfinalists: Keys>Garcia.

[thepharoah 2,405]

Top half of the men's draw and bottom half of the women's draw and will be played at the #AusOpen on Monday.

Edited January 12, 2018 by thepharoah

[thepharoah 2,405]

For those who'll play 2nd round qualification matches tomorrow , will also play 3rd round in the same day or they'll play on Sunday ?

Edited January 12, 2018 by thepharoah

[thepharoah 2,405]

Set Your Alarm: Six Must-See First Rounders In Melbourne

 

ATPWorldTour.com highlights six first-round matches you will want to watch

Ah, mid-January, one of the best times of the year for tennis fans. Our favourite sport is back and into full swing, with the first Grand Slam of the year, the Happy Slam, kicking into action.

But the start times of the matches in Australia, the time differences! Calm down. We say embrace the early starts, the 3 a.m. or 6 a.m. or (insert your alarm time here) beginnings. You can pick and choose which days you arise early, but definitely turn your phone alarm on high in time for these first-rounders in Melbourne.

 

Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs. (12) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)
FedEx ATP Head2Head Series: Del Potro leads 1-0

 

The #NextGenATP American against the one-time Grand Slam champion (2009 US Open) who played better than almost everyone to finish the 2017 season. Del Potro was 38-16 last year, but finished on a 20-5 run, which included a quarter-final (Paris, l. to Isner), two semi-finals (US Open, l. to eventual champion Nadal; Shanghai, l. to eventual champion Federer) and two finals (Stockholm, d. Dimitrov; Basel, l. to Federer).

Del Potro, who will return to the Top 10 on Monday for the first time since 4 August 2014, is starting well in 2018, too. The second seed in Auckland will play for his second ASB Classic title on Saturday against fifth seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

 

But Tiafoe also prefers the big stages and the blinding lights. The 19-year-old, who is the third-youngest player in the Top 100, nearly shocked Roger Federer in the first round of the 2017 US Open, falling 6-4 in the fifth. “I want to win matches like this,” Tiafoe said after the defeat. “I feel like I can play against anyone in the world. Now it's a matter of finishing these types of matches.”

 

David Ferrer (ESP) vs. (30) Andrey Rublev (RUS)
FedEx ATP Head2Head Series: First Meeting

 

At first glance, it might look as if we've misplaced the 30^th seed marking. Shouldn't Ferrer, the 27-time ATP World Tour titlist and one of the all-time maximisers of talent, have the number next to his name? Ferrer is close, at No. 38 in the ATP Rankings. But Rublev has rightly earned the seed.

The #NextGenATP Russian celebrated his maiden ATP World Tour title last July in Umag and has provided plenty of supporting evidence since that triumph. At the US Open, Rublev, then 19, upset two year-end Top 10 players (Dimitrov, Goffin) to become the youngest US Open quarter-finalist since Andy Roddick in 2001. Rublev played his way into an Australian Open seed by reaching the final at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (l. to Monfils) in Doha during week one of the 2018 season.

Thus far in the new campaign, Ferrer has resembled his former World No. 3 self more than his No. 38 self. Ferrer reached the ASB Classic semi-finals in Auckland before falling to Delpo.

The 35-year-old Spaniard will certainly have the experience edge against Rublev. Ferrer is making his 16^th consecutive appearance in Melbourne, which is the sixth-most appearances of all-time. The two-time semi-finalist (2011, 2013) is 41-15 at the Australian Open. His first-round record: 13-2.

 

(11) Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. Kyle Edmund (GBR)
FedEx ATP Head2Head series: Anderson leads 1-0

 

If you like your tennis big and powerful, set three alarms to watch the 6'8” Anderson try to tee off against the 6'2” Edmund, who also likes his tennis served with force. Anderson has never advanced past the fourth round in Melbourne, but he has maybe also never been playing as well as he is right now.

The South African, who reached his maiden Grand Slam final at the 2017 US Open (l. to Nadal), is a spot away from his career-high ATP Ranking (No. 10) and spent week one reaching his 14^th tour-level final. Anderson fell to Frenchman Gilles Simon at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune.

 

Edmund, the top Brit playing in Melbourne, has shown an impressive fighting side so far this season. Before 2018, the 23-year-old had played in 40 deciding sets and won only 35 percent of them (14-26), according to his FedEx ATP Win/Loss Record.

But during week one at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Edmund toughed out two three-setters, defeating future rivals Hyeon Chung of South Korea and #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov. In the quarter-finals, Edmund fell 6-4 in the third set to World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov.

 

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. Denis Shapovalov (CAN)
FedEx ATP Head2Head Series: First Meeting

 

Years from now, this could be an Australian Open final. But for now, it's an enticing look into the future of the ATP World Tour and possibly a preview of who we'll see at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

Tsitsipas, 19, is the second-youngest player in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings; Shapovalov, 18, is the youngest. But the 19-year-old Greek, whose forehand in Doha had television commentators remembering a certain American great named Pete, has gotten off to a better start in 2018. Tsitsipas reached his second ATP World Tour quarter-final at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (l. to No. 5 Thiem) during the season's first week.

Shapovalov, meanwhile, is 1-2 after a first-round loss to Edmund in Brisbane and a second-round defeat against Del Potro in Auckland. The 18-year-old remains upbeat about his chances in Melbourne. It will be both players' first main draw showing at the Australian Open.

“I’m pretty optimistic for the next tournaments,” Shapovalov said.

 

(19) Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Alex de Minaur (AUS)
FedEx ATP Head2Head Series: First Meeting

 

This first-round match has danger pasted all over it for Berdych, who's seeking his first Grand Slam title in his 57^th Grand Slam appearance. This will be Berdych's 15^th Australian Open. The 32-year-old Czech has reached the semi-finals at every Grand Slam, including twice in Australia (2014, 2015).

The World No. 20 ended his 2017 season after the China Open in Beijing last year because of a back injury. It was his first season without a title since 2013. He lost in the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha to German Jan-Lennard Struff to start the season.

#NextGenATP Aussie de Minaur is on quite the opposite trajectory. Few players have started the year better than the 18-year-old from Sydney. De Minaur, who counts Aussie legend Lleyton Hewitt among his mentors, reached the semi-finals at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp (l. to Harrison) and will play in the final of the Sydney International on Saturday evening against Russian Daniil Medvedev.

De Minaur has won 11 of his past 12 matches and is the youngest player to make the Sydney final since Hewitt won the event in 2000. In Melbourne, he'll be seeking his second Grand Slam victory (also 2017 Australian Open) with the home crowd behind him.

 

14 Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Donald Young (USA)
FedEx ATP Head2Head Series: Djokovic leads 2-0

 

It's one of the most intriguing questions of the 2018 Australian Open: How will Djokovic fare? No one has won the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup more than Djokovic, who, with six titles, is tied for the all-time lead with Roy Emerson. Seven wins during the next two weeks and Djokovic will stand alone.

But the 14^th seed hasn't played a tour-level match since the 2017 Wimbledon quarter-finals (ret. Berdych) and fans and pundits alike will be inspecting his match, searching for answers for the following questions: How will his surgically-operated on right elbow do under match pressure, and just how match-tested is the elbow that caused Djokovic to miss the last four months of the 2017 season?

The Serbian isn't facing an “excited-to-be-here” rookie, either. Young, No. 63 in the ATP Rankings, has posted his best Grand Slam results on hard courts. The 28-year-old American made the fourth round of the 2016 US Open, and his two ATP World Tour finals came on hard courts as well.

[thepharoah 2,405]

except Novak vs. Young match cuz we already know the outcome, but it's still interesting to see Novak returns after nearly 6 months of absence , i see other 5 really looks challenging and worth watching , really sad for de Menaur who'll face a very experienced player like Berdych in 1st round , especially after 2 big tournaments in 2 weeks 

Edited January 13, 2018 by thepharoah

[thepharoah 2,405]

Australian Open: Bernard Tomic going home to 'count my millions’ after qualifying defeat

 

Bernard Tomic said he was heading home to "count my millions" after failing to qualify for the Australian Open.

The Australian lost 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 to Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the final round of qualifying in Melbourne.

It will be the first time since 2008 that 25-year-old Tomic has not featured in the main draw, with Tennis Australia having chosen not to offer the world number 142 a wildcard.

"I just count money, that's all I do," he told Channel 7.

"You go do what I did. You go make 13-14 million. Good luck guys. Bye bye."

 

The remark echoed his reaction to criticism for a lack of commitment in Madrid last year, when he said: "Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10m?"

A two-time junior Grand Slam champion, Tomic became Australian number one and reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2011.

He reached the third round at last year's Australian Open, but will fall further down the next set of rankings after this qualifying failure.

Local media have reported he is considering taking part in the Australian version of television show I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

 

He was left out in 2015 after accusing the governing body of abandoning him following hip surgery in 2014, but has since returned to the team.

 

 

Tomic's career has also been affected by off-court controversy.

In July 2015, he was charged with resisting arrest and trespassing by police in the United States after refusing to leave a hotel room.

And his father, John, was sentenced to eight months in prison for assaulting his son's training partner before the 2013 Madrid Open.

 

[Wanderer 1,726]

I am especially looking forward to Tsitsipas - Shapovalov and Berdych - De Minaur matches. I hope young Alex has something left in the tank after two great weeks.

Would like to see Rublev beating Ferrer but his execution must be very good otherwise David will make him run like a rabbit.