Aussie Open Day 2 results

Day two of Aussie Open coverage started off rather uneventfully, with  #1 Rafael Nadal & #5 Andy Murray both giving their guys beat downs.  

Rafael Nadal

Rafa's opponent, Marcos Daniel, showed up for the match with his left knee heavily taped - not sure if he was really hurt, or he knew what was coming so he needed an out.  Whatever, he got the snot beat out of him - 6-0, 5-0 before he called it quits.  Not really any need to go into much detail, just know, it was ugly (for Marcos Daniel).  I will say, that Rafa's serve is becoming a definite weapon - as if he needs another one.

Andy Murray

Karol Beck, Andy Murray's opponent didn't put up much of a fight either.  Beck lost 6-3, 6-1, then quit while he was down 4-2 in the 3rd set with a shoulder injury. Andy looked sharp and is starting to play more aggressively - whether he will keep that up, or go back to his old ways of being a backboard is a story yet unwritten.

Robin Soderling

World number 4 Robin Söderling, who is flying under the radar, won his match against Potito Starace 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.  The big wind-up forehand of Soderling did some damage.  The Swed hit 47 winners against only 18 unforced errors & hit no double faults.  His game is clicking & he should go deep into the tournament.  

David Ferrer

David Ferrer won his match against Jarkko Nieminen in 4 sets 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.  Mr. Ferrer is one of the scrappiest players on tour.  He can be a backboard, but is also good at turning defense into offense with the swing of his racket.  One of his flaws is that he tends to go away for a while during a match (i.e the 3rd set of this match where he only won 50% of his first serves, 29% of second serves & only hit 2 winners against 7 unforced errors).  For the match he had 32 winners, as well as 32 unforced errors.  He doesn't always win pretty, but winning is winning.

Last, but not least is one of my favorite players, Juan Martin Del Potro.  He was out for six months following a wrist surgery, and all things considered he looked good - there were at times glimpses of the Del Potro who hit Roger Federer off the court during the 2009 US Open Final.  He won his opening round against scrappy Israeli, Dudi Sela 7-6 (15-13 in the tie break), 6-4, 6-4.  Not the best winners to errors stats - 47 winners/52 unforced errors, but he used his big serve (19 aces for the match) & bigger forehand to get out of sticky situations.  When got into trouble, he hit the ball harder, unlike most players who go for less.  I like this guy cuz he has guts! He may not do as well as he could in this tournament, but by the end of the year he will once again be the guy to challenge dynamic duo of Nadal & Federer.

Gilles Simon

Gilles Simon - that's not a tennis ball in his pants

Federer, Djokovic, Verdasco, & Roddick play their second round matches tonight.  All should make it the third round. Federer may get tested, as he's playing the Frenchmen Gilles Simon, who has given him lots of problems in the past.  Simon leads their head-to-head 2-0.  The only two times they played were in 2008, but if Roger plays the way he did on day one, he should come out victorious.  It should also be noted that the Frenchmen is a pretty one!


As always, I'm not a tennis expert, I'm just a boy.

Viktor Troicki

Philipp Petzschner & his lips

Day 2 hotties will be Serbian, Viktor Troicki (who will play Nicolas Mahut tonight) & German, Philipp Petzschner.  Petzschner lost his first round match, but he's got a pretty mouth on him!