Veteran tennis scribe Alan Trengove offers his forthright views on Thursday's key matches at Australian Open 2009.
Nadal (1) v Karanusic. Karanusic is a Croat making his fourth visit to Melbourne Park. He had his first win Tuesday, but it’s too early to crack open the champagne. Nadal in straight.
Murray (4) v Granollers. The Spaniard is ranked 51, and has won a title on the ATP Tour. He was also in the Spanish team that won the Davis Cup against Argentina last year (though he didn’t play). Murray in straight.
Tsonga (5) v Ljubicic. The 2008 finalist must remember that Ljubicic is a former top 10 player with eight titles to his credit. The Croat has slipped to No. 55 after an injury-plagued year, and wants to show he’s not yesterday’s man. Tsonga in four.
Simon (6) v Guccione. After four years of first-round defeats, “Gooch” equalled his 2004 effort by making the second round. Getting any further will be tough as the Frenchman is a gifted shot-maker with a fine return of serve. Simon in four.
S. Williams (2) v Dulko. They only time they played previously, Serena won on American clay 6-3 6-4. She’ll hold a much bigger edge on hardcourt. Williams in straight.
Dementieva (4) v Benesova. The Czech will draw encouragement from Dementieva dropping a set to Barrois in the first round. But she will won’t fend off the consistent Russian baseliner. Dementieva in straight.
V. Williams (6) v Suarez Navarro. The 20-year-old Spaniard would have a better chance at Roland Garros, where she reached the quartersfinals on clay courts as a qualifier. On hardcourt, she could be overwhelmed. Williams in straight.
Stosur v Lisicki. Last year, Lisicki’s impressive string of scalps included Safina at Melbourne Park. But the promising 19-year-old German also suffered a loss to Stosur at Seoul later in the year. The Aussie’s main aim must be to cut down the worrying number of unforced errors she made in the first round. Lisicki in three.
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