Rod Laver Arena rocks early in the tournament when Lleyton Hewitt tackles the No.13 seed, Fernando Gonzalez, in the standout match of Day 2.
Both former finalists at the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific – the Australian in 2005 and the Chilean in 2007 – this slug-fest is worthy of a meeting deep into the second week, but given Hewitt’s unseeded status for the first time since 2000, the fans will be treated to a top-shelf clash early in the piece.
Gonzalez leads the head-to-head 3-2, with their most recent meeting here at Melbourne Park two years ago. In the third round, on his way to the final against Roger Federer, Gonzalez prevailed 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Today marks the start of Hewitt’s 13th Australian Open campaign and the two-time Grand Slam winner is confident, after an extended lay-off due to hip surgery, that he can do some damage as he looks to rebuild his ranking.
“I’m probably one of the more dangerous unseeded players in the draw, so that puts a little bit more pressure on him, I guess,” Hewitt observed in the lead up.
Ten Australians will be in action on day two, including the next highest-ranked Aussie male – Chris Guccione (ranked 132) – confronting Frenchman Nicolas Devilder in the second match on Margaret Court Arena.
The towering redhead is searching for his first singles victory at Melbourne Park since 2004, and he meets an opponent who dismissed him in straight sets on the clay of Roland Garros in the first round of last year’s French Open.
With his home fans roaring their support, the monster-serving Guccione will be looking to take down his fellow leftie to get some early momentum into his year. Australia’s top-ranked female, Sam Stosur, also kicks off her Australian Open 2009 campaign tonight facing the Czech Republic’s Klara Zakopalova in the first round for the second time in three years. In 2007 it was all the Queenslander, who stormed to a 6-3, 6-1 triumph, while in their only other meeting – on clay at Charleston in 2005 – Zakopalova won in straight sets.
Other Aussies to keep an eye on throughout Day 2 include Carsten Ball and Colin Ebelthite, who play Germans Michael Berrer and Andreas Beck respectively. While in the women’s, Jessica Moore, Isabella Holland, Jarmila Gajdosova, Anastasia Rodionova and Olivia Rogowska will be flying the flag.
Men’s world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, in-form Andy Murray (the No.4 seed) and last year’s beaten finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (the fifth seed) also step out for the first time today.
Murray will be hoping for an easier match with today’s opponent, Romanian veteran Andrei Pavel, than their five sets at the 2005 US Open in which the Scot prevailed.
In the women’s singles, the Williams sisters begin their quest for more Australian Open silverware – Serena, a three-time winner, taking on China’s Meng Yuan, and Venus, a finalist in 2003, playing Germany’s Angelique Kerber.
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