Reuters
Roger Federer is Houdini. Igor Andreev pushed and pushed and pushed but the world No. 1 never backed down. Facing several set points to go down two sets to one in his first Slam match of the decade, Raja took no risks, even with the wind at his back. He looped the ball deep and played wait and see. What he saw was a player who lost his wits and refused to seize the moment. Two forehands in the bottom of the net a few more loose errors and to a tiebreak the third set went.
From there on out, it was all Raja.
A classic choke coupled with a champion's fortitude and what do we get? Another great escape.
Don't bring no boy to do a man's job.
Enough chatter about Raja's genius. A determination deep as desire is much more impressive.
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All the other contenders on the men's side advanced without too much trouble, though Fernando Verdasco almost found himself down two sets to one against the big serving Aussie Carsten Ball.
Reuters
Young American Donald Young seems determined to prove himself. He advanced to the second round over Christophe Rochus in a match without cameras. Too bad. A ball kid peed on himself during the match, delaying play for 40 minutes. Four wins in a row Down Under. Can he win another?
Reuters
Richard Gasquet remains determined to become the biggest waste of talent of his generation. The Sydney finalist was supposed to take his second chance at a career and do something with it. Instead, he squandered a two-set-to-love lead and let Mikhail Youzhny go through. Was kind of pitiful, actually. The Frenchman really needs to grow a pair.
Reuters
Venus Williams was determined not to lose to Lucie Safarova at another Slam. She was aggressive from first point to last and never gave the poor girl a chance.
Reuters
Darkhorse Vania King squandered two match points on serve in the second set of her war with Dominika Cibulkova, fell behind 1-5 in the final set, and reeled off the last six games of the match to advance to the second round. Talk about determination. Another affair with no cameras. We'll have to imagine what transpired in final set. That section of the draw, weak to begin with, now open as a canyon.
And in a quiet story on few people's radar, qualifier Louk Sorensen has advanced to the second round. He's the first Irishman in the main draw of a Slam in 25 years and the first ever to win a Slam match.
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