She's Not Ready

Ana Ivanovic can't stand the heat. Today, the world No. 1 was upset by Tamira Paszek in a lopsided third set.

Tamira, she who wasted so many match points in the first round of Melbourne against the other Serbian diva, I was pretty sure her career might be over before it started. She who has won so few matches since Melbourne, I was pretty sure she was going to make me a soothsayer.

I didn't see the match, so I can't say for sure what happened, but if Tamira played anything like she has of late and Ana played anything like she has played since winning Roland Garros and becoming No. 1, well, then, I can only conclude that Miss Ivanovic is buckling under the weight of pressure.

Seems to be an epidemic.

Day 1: Bagels And Breadsticks

G'morning, blokes and sheilas. The first Slam of the season off with a bang. The weather was mild, the tennis superb, the drama off the charts.

I was surprised by how many bagels were boiled, how many breadsticks were baked on the first day of play. I'm sure Bud Collins has the answer, but in the era of high-tech racquets, 12 bagels (men: 5, women; 7) and 15 breadsticks (men 12; women 3) on the first day of a Slam has got to a record.

Head Scratcher of the Day



And speaking of bagels... Amelie Mauresmo dropped the first set against Tatiana Poutchek and promptly served up a double bagel to advance to the second round. Wish I could've seen that one.

American Success?



Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Jill Craybas, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, journeyman qualifier Sam Warburg, and upstart wildcard Jessie Levine all moved safely into the second round. Of course, just as many lost, including Donald Young who had a great opportunity to win another Slam match and face Andy in the second round. He served for the first set against Micheal Berrer, but fell apart. He was also up a break in the fourth set to take the match to five, but lost that lead as well. You gotta believe, Donald, you gotta believe.

Will Mardy be able to exact revenge on Tommy Robredo for that US Open debacle in the next round? Stay tuned.

Upset Specials



I hinted at Elena Vesnina over Julia Vakulenko in my women's preview and Jelena Jankovic narrowly escaped hers against Tamira Paszek. In my men's preview, I didn't see Guillermo Garcia-Lopez over Juan Ignacio Chela, or Stefan Koubek over Carlos Moya (boo hiss), though I pegged it as a first-round match of note. But the upset of the day (which I didn't want to jinx by writing it out) clearly goes to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who fought off cramps to dismiss the superhyped No. 9 seed Andy Murray in four sets. I wonder what the British press will write about this loss after all that gushy over-the-top praise in their previews? Wait. I don't have to wonder. Check this out. And then there's this, which begins:

There will be days in the future when Andy Murray entrances us with his brilliance and there will be others when he infuriates us with his obstinacy. This was neither. Day one of an Australian Open that had promised so much for him was simply left flat by a performance that for the most part was inexplicable in its negligence and a reaction that, by the normally feisty Scot's standards, was anodyne and almost blithe.

Is this a tennis critique or a reviw of a theatrical performance? Murray, using much less flourish, blames himself. Seems Tsonga had a lot to do with it, no? It will be interesting to see what all the experts who proclaim Murray a future No. 1 have to say.

It's my opinion that Murray's game, anchored by his serve despite all the talk of his variety, doesn't work that well on outdoor hardcourts. Sure he just won his first outdoor title in Doha, but indoors is where he plays his best tennis. And even there, he has yet to make noise in Madrid or Bercy. He doesn't handle the outdoor conditions well. His serve is negatively affected by the sun and and swirling wind wrecks havoc with his forehand.

But enough about him. Tsonga's game is always lethal and his fitness has improved. The cramps that he battled in the third and fourth sets appeared to have come from nerves as he got closer to taking out a Top 10 player in a Slam. On a mild summer day in Melbourne, I find it hard to believe he was physically worn out after a mere two sets. But he prevailed and created a huge opportunity for himself. Let's see if he can capitalize.

Daily Discoveries

Slovakian-born Jarmila Gajdosova played her first match for Australia on Rod Laver arena against the defending champion. And she came to play. I don't think I've ever seen a woman hit the ball as hard. Huge serve, huge groundies, and no fear. She had Serena on her back foot for a set and a half before Serena made a few adjustments to give her more time to absorb those flat cannonballs that threatened to knock the racquet out of her hand. If the soon-to-be Aussie drops a few kilos and improves her mobility, she could become a player to watch.

The Aussies also have to be optimistic about Nick Lindahl, a transplant from Sweden with an Indonesian mother. Even though Richard Gasquet pummeled him in the first two sets, Nick relaxed, opened up his shoulders and was able to take the fourth set. There are no real weaknesses in his game. He's an athletic all-court player with speed and great court sense.

Serbia might have another player to get noisy about. Qualifier Viktor Troicki gave Rafael Nadal all he could handle for two sets before running out of gas. He even had set points on Rafa's serve, but a few braindead dropshots cost him the set. He has a win over Novak Djokovic, and it's not hard to see why. His serve is better, his backhand is better, his forehand is about as inconsistent, but when he flattens it out down the linie, it's impossible to chase down, and for 6' 4", he covers the court very well. Here's hoping he has some integrity to go with his game.

Match of the Day



As expected Jankovic vs. Paszek was a humdinger. It was like watching mirror images play tennis. Despite their physical differences (ahem) this battle royale featured two players with bullet backhands, great retrieval skills, and no serves. It was the third of these that caused the match to completely disintegrate into a never-ending farce. Where is the third set tiebreak when you need it? The decisive set featured 15 breaks of serve (21 for the match) and became painful to watch.

Tamira had Jelena dead to rights. Three match points. That will be the 17-year-old Austrians nightmare. Three match points. On the first, she yanked Jankovic coast to coast, but hit a few too many tenative shots that Jelena slipped and slided to get back (so much for that back injury...) until the Serb hit a crosscourt backhand winner that hit both lines in the corner. On the third Tamira missed a sitter backhand by inches. After another rally of relentless hitting, she had Jelena off the court already resigned to defeat. But Tamira swung too wildly at her signature shot and hit it long. It can be courageous to go for the lines, as both players did throughout the match, slapping winners left and right. It can also be stupid. Youth, nerves. As fans, we can forgive her. But this is the kind of loss that can leave a deep footprint on her head and haunt her for quite some time.



For my money, Jelena will never win a Slam. But Tamira could become a future champion if, and only if, she buys a serve, gains more confidence in her forehand, which is actually a great shot when she's not under pressure, and develops a proficient swinging volley on both wings. She let far too many floaters bounce, ran around far too many midcourt forehands. It put far too much pressure on her signature backhand. Which is precisely why she missed that sitter on match point.

Lika a magician, Jelena escaped but she's nothing short of beaten to a pulp. Her draw should allow her to win one more match on fumes, but I can't see her getting past the winner of Flavia Pennetta vs. Virginie Razzano in the third round.

Fashion Disasta

Maria Sharapova opted for a Nike nightgown with a strip of pads down the front and the back that conjured sanitary napkins. You'll see above that Gajdosova wore the same dress in muted puke.














And speaking of puke. What was Nike thinking with this men's design that both Carlos and Stefan wore in their first round match? (Rafa's wearing a red version seen below.) It looks like someone stood in front of a fan, tossed their cookies, and the shirt took all the splatter on the left side. And what's with the grey sickle on the back?

More fashion from Savannah.







What Did You Say?

In the overnight live coverage in the US, Mary Jo Fernandez told the pressing Chris Fowler that the Stepanek/Vaidisova marriage license application was a prank for mutual friends, though they are dating. In the tape-delayed afternoon re-airing, ESPN edited out her remarks. Hmmm...

The Last Picture Show
























(All Photos: AFP/Getty Images)

Players To Watch In 2008

The off-season is simply not long enough. It seems like just yesterday I penned my 2007 review and it's already time to look ahead to the 2008 season.

Someone recently asked me if I do any overall predictions for the year. Not exactly. I guess you could say I do anti-predictions such as the no brainer that no one will win the Golden Slam on either tour in 2008. But that's about as far as I'll go. There are simply too many unknowns and variables to try with any solid reasoning to predict the winners of, say, the US Open. Roger Federer, of course, would be good money, but he's got to lose it sooner or later, no? And one would think that with the Olympics in the mix, he'd much rather take an Olympic Gold than his fifth US Open title, if he had to choose between the two, and with them being so close together, that's exactly what he might have to do. Which is all a long, drawn-out way of saying that my preview of next calendar's tennis will focus solely on a select list of players to watch. Without further ado:

ATP

Ernests Gulbis made noise at the US Open last summer with his straight-set demolition of Tommy Robredo in the third round. His smooth game, excellent court craft and pinpoint strokes off both sides would appear to make him someone who could compete on every surface. He's young, though, and his head isn't always screwed on. Let's see if he can continue to make waves after putting Latvia on the tennis map.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was my pick for Outstanding Newcomer on the ATP in 2007. Sure, he's in his early 20s already, but his young career has been halted by injuries. If he can remain healthy in 2008, I think he'll make a deep run at Wmbledon and/or the US Open.

Richard Gasquet seems to believe, finally, that he belongs in the top of men's tennis, thanks in large part to his epic come-from-behind win against Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year. But can his fragile constitution see him through to his first Slam semifinal in 2008? Stay tuned.

David Ferrer had one of the hottest streaks to end 2007. Simply put: can he keep it up? With the plexicushion playing even slower than Rebound Ace, he needs to carry his momentum straight into Melbourne and let the world know he's not satisfied with his new status in the Top 5.

Novak Djokovic could experience the most pressure of any Top 10 player next year. He has to defend a truckload of points, and since he still believes his own hype, the pressure to deliver on it will rise like the mercury Down Under. As it is, he's skipping his title defense in Adelaide to play Hopman Cup, and while the Next Generation International isn't a big enough event to lose him a ton of points, he won't have a tour title heading into Melbourne. On the other hand, he ought to be better rested to contend on the cushy stuff.

David Nalbandian didn't exactly come out of nowhere to end 2007 with his first two regular Masters Series shields, beating the top dogs to take them both. He's always played well in Australia, so if he continues his form, I expect his entire 2008 campaign include contending at all four Slams and maybe, just maybe, even winning his first.

Donald Young is the youngest player in the Top 100 and his all-court game has improved by leaps and bounds over the last 12 months. If he can believe in himself, as his coach and mother tell him he's gotta do, he can have a breakthrough year.

John Isner has been already dismissed as overhyped because of his lackluster performances on the challenger circuit. Lest we forget, however, he won several matches over the summer 7-6 in the third and won a tiebreak set against Raja at the US Open. Perhaps the challenger circuit just isn't high-stakes enough for America's answer to Ivo Karlovic. And he's six years younger. I say we give him a chance before writing him off as too much hype.

Nicolas Kiefer came back strong from injury to remind us why he was once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world. Another player who produces Down Under, the first quarter of 2008 will be crucial. If he stays healthy, I expect him to cause a surprise or two at Wimbledon.

Juan Monaco took Most Improved Gonads for 2007. A great athlete with a warrior attitude, the Argentine could start the year strong in Melbourne and follow that up with a deep run at Roland Garros.

WTA

Li Na was poised for a solid campaign to enter the Top 10 when she had to leave the tour with a rib injury. But she'll be back in January with a new lease on life. Always my favorite Chinese up-and-comer, probably because I find her story so fascinating, Li may take awhile to get back into the second week of a Slam, but her storyline will be worth watching.

Agnes Szavay has a fluid game, the heart of a champion, and a bad back. Which will prevail in 2008?

Tamira Paszek needs a better serve. If she found one during the off-season, she could win her first WTA title and make another second-week appearance in a Slam.

Amelie Mauresmo came back too soon from abdominal surgery last year. Has she fully recovered? Will she return to the winner's circle or regress to choker extraordinaire? Will she finally shake her demons in front of her home crowd?

Serena Williams couldn't get her body to stop betraying her will for the last three quarters of 2007. If she can run, she can beat all comers. Will she be able to run ragged her opponents in 2008 or will her flesh be weak?

Linday Davenport has committed to playing a full schedule through the US Open. Who knows, she may even play in Paris again. Wouldn't it be lovely to see a another mother win a Slam?

Monica Seles claims she'll play at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne. Nuff said.

Anna Chakvetadze is either going to solidify her Top 10 status or crash and burn. How insightful, no? But for real, though. If she can avoid Maria Sharapova at big events, she should do well. Of course this assumes that she can put the trauma of being tied up in a home robbery behind her and get off to a solid start in Melbourne where she's a defending quarterfinalist.

Marion Bartoli is controversial, talented, and targeted. She would certainly prefer more tournaments on grass. After finishing the year in the Top 10 for the first time in her career, she'll have to recover from a year-end double bagel at the hands of the woman she shocked in the Wimbledon semifinals. I don't think she's going to fall off as much as many others, but that might just be because I like her.

Ahsha Rolle appearing on this list will probably make you raise an eyebrow. Or two. Simply put: I like the variety in the American's game, the fire in her eyes, the way she handled her business at the US Open this past summer. Nobody expected her to beat Tatiana Golovin in the first round. Perhaps 2008 will bring a few more surprises for this player under the radar.