In tennis, it’s often quoted that players never look beyond their current match in a tournament. Why? Because in the great Grand Slam lottery, they just never know who they’re going to draw next.
Day 4 gives fans a chance to reacquaint themselves with some of the game’s best known identities, while getting to know some less familiar faces.
Rafael Nadal admitted to knowing little about his first round opponent Christophe Rochus, and he probably knows even less about today’s foe, Roko Karanusic of Croatia.
The Mallorcan-born 22-year-old may never have raised a racquet in anger against his No.91 ranked opponent, but he didn’t get to world No.1 by taking anyone lightly.
“If I don’t play 100 per cent and I make mistakes and lose points anything can happen,” says Nadal, explaining his ruthless extermination of hapless Rochus in round one.
“This is a Grand Slam, it’s impossible not to concentrate all the time.”
Nadal’s focus doesn’t bode well for the Croat, who first picked up a racquet aged six and while growing up preferred musical idols like Jim Morrison to sporting heroes. More than likely he’ll be dancing to Nadal’s tune by day’s end.
Having dropped a set to Marcel Granollers in Barcelona in 2006, Andy Murray will have a rough idea of who his Spanish opponent is, but the tennis viewing public could be forgiven for not knowing him from a box of breakfast cereal.
World No.51 Granollers broke into the top 100 for the first time in 2008, winning his maiden tour singles title in Houston with a victory over world No.8 James Blake en route.
Like 2004 junior US Open champion Murray, Granollers has a tennis-playing brother and also captured a Slam in 2004; the French Open boys’ doubles.
There the similarities end, for while Murray has amassed nine singles titles and reached the final of a senior Grand Slam – the 2008 US Open, Granollers has played just five majors and is yet to progress beyond the second round.
No.20 seed Amelie Mauresmo also faces an unknown quantity in Elena Baltacha when she steps out on court today. The 2007 champion says she barely remembers the last time she played a British player, let alone knowing anything of world No.134 Baltacha’s game.
“You have to be careful and you really have to take things very seriously from the beginning of the match,” says Mauresmo of today’s mystery mission. “I will just have to focus on what I have to do and be strong on my weapons.”
For Mauresmo’s information, ‘Bally’ as she’s known, is the British No.3. A qualifier, she made the third round here in 2005.
“Playing Mauresmo is obviously not going to be a walk in the park, but I’ve got nothing to lose,” says the Ukranian-born 25-year-old who shares her accent with Andy Murray.
Also with nothing to lose are Aussies Chris Guccione and Jessica Moore. The ‘Gooch’ has a tough ask against No.6 seed Gilles Simon today while Moore, who reached the second round in 2008, also faces a difficult assignment in No.12 seed Flavia Pennetta.
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