All that remains for me to do is to complete one more instalment of ‘As it Happens’ but, before I do, I thought I’d just give you a little reminder of previous days’ As it Happens, as it happened, if you get my meaning.
Day 1, Monday, January 19 2009
Melbourne Park reacquainted itself with Kimiko Date Krumm, returning to the Australian Open for the first time since 1996. No.25 seed Kaia Kanepi made a meal of things against the Japanese veteran, only just managing to sweep Date Krumm aside 6-4 4-6 8-6, Kanepi only managed to chomp her way through one more match, succumbing to Dinara Safina in the third round, falling one short of her forecast meeting with Alize Cornet. Ice cream anyone? Meanwhile, the Fed Express looked like he needed his wheels oiled; Bernie Tomic showed his class on Margaret Court court and, after holding her breath since nabbing a wildcard in the Australian Open Play-off, Jelena Dokic exhaled.
Day 2, Tuesday, January 20 2009
In a portent of things to come Melbourne turned on a 38-degree day, just what hometown hero Lleyton Hewitt had ordered for his first round stoush against old rival Fernando Gonzales. For Lleyton it was a case of roof, schmoof, as he revelled in the steamy conditions extending No.13 seed to five tough sets before heading home to Bec and the babies. In the night session Rafa did battle, mainly against his shorts. And speaking of short, five foot seven inch Christophe Rochus would probably have benefitted from the use of a step ladder against the world No.1. Elsewhere James Blake had Frank Dancevic tangoing to his tune, Kai Nishikori had a pressing date with his Playstation, Agnieszka Radwanska took an early cab home and Andy Murray won his first ever match on RLA.
Day 3, Wednesday, January 21 2009
Ah, the Super Tennis halcyon days (before I discovered I should have nominated a captain). I was ranked No.282 of 17,383 competitors. Looking back I can’t help but wonder what might have been? Dominik ‘can I buy a vowel’ Hrbaty crashed out in round two to David Ferrer, Dinara Safina was in no ‘russ’ against Ekaterina Makarova and horse lover Tommy Robredo galloped into the third round over Viktor Troiki. Meanwhile, after wrapping up his second round match against Jeremy Chardy, Novak Djokovic looked like he might Serb up a knuckle sandwich to the TV interviewer who asked him, for the millionth time, whether his new Head racquets were making him lose his mind.
Day 4, Thursday, January 22 2009
Garnier Girls Day at Australian Open 2009 and I made sure I took full advantage of it! Breakfast with the delicious Henri Leconte and three massages later I was in no fit condition to blog for anyone. On court, the heat rule was implemented for the first time prompting the Australian Open ice machine to go into melt down. Melbourne’s famous ‘cool change’ swept in just in time for Andy Murray to eat Marcel Granollers for breakfast. But while Muzza’s second round opponent was easy to digest, Venus’ got stuck in her throat, the No.6 seed choking on little known Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro. Elsewhere, Igor Andreev – the highest-ranked Russian in the men’s draw – was run ragged by Ernests Gulbis (the world’s second most famous Latvian after Mikhail Baryshnikov) in 231 minutes.
Day 5, Friday, January 23 2009
Ana Ivanovic set schoolboys’ hearts aflutter before smashing them into tiny pieces, crashing out in the third round to Alisa Kleybanova. In her press conference Nadia Petrova tells assembled journalists that she looks forward with interest to feeling Sara Erani’s balls. Sadly the Italian falls to Vera Zvonareva, leaving Petrova to wonder what might have been…Alize Cornet ices Daniela Hantuchova prompting me to make a quick dash for Movenpick, Tommy Robredo takes the bit between his teeth and crosses the finish line against Yen-Hsun Lu at a brisk trot and Andy Roddick ‘Sigfried and Roys’ wily French tennis wizard, Fabrice Santoro, who waves goodbye to Melbourne Park for the last time. In the night session Danish tennis fans are left asking: “wozuuuuuuup” as Jelena Dokic thumps Caroline Wozniacki in three.
Day 6, Saturday, January 24 2009
On RLA Shuai Peng bumps her head before being bounced out of the tournament by Serena Williams. Victoria Azarenka breaks the sound barrier before piercing 2007 champion Amelie Mauresmo’s armour, and David and Goliath (AKA Dudi Sela and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga) do battle on RLA, the Dudester coming off worst in this Titanic contest. James Blake bares his pate and sends top-ranked Russian Igor Andreev to Siberia in four sets. Off-court I absented myself and went to check out ‘Absinthe’ in the Spiegeltent. Did absinthe make the heart grow fonder? I know, you’ve heard it all before…Elena Dementieva derailed Sam Stosur’s bid to reach the fourth round and Fernando Gonzalez fights his way through a 249-minute classic over Richard Gasquet. Meanwhile, fans fall in love with the syrupy tones of umpire Steve Ulrich who surely has a job as a ‘love song dedications’ DJ just waiting for him when he steps down from the high-chair.
Day 7, Sunday, January 25 2009
Hump day at Australian Open 2009 say us wave goodbye to Jelena Jankovic’s Kermit-coloured tennis dress and the Serb wave goodbye to her world No.1 ranking. Bartoli simply blasted her off the court. Dinara Safina licked Alize Cornet, freezing the Frenchwoman out of the tournament in the fourth round and putting an end to all food-related puns for the fortnight (almost). The giant flirt-fest between Serena Williams and Andy Roddick kicks off in earnest, at least from Serena’s end. Let’s face it, the A-Rod’s “bench-pressing dump trucks” comment isn’t exactly one out of Shakespeare’s book (or should I say plays) is it? The Jelena Dokic bandwagon rolled on, along with the 25-year-old Aussie’s left ankle. Somehow she survived the injury scare to make herself the most successful Aussie in the tournament. With a 2.30am finish I had to resort to reading glasses but at least I got on court to watch some tennis for the first time in the tournament, checking out the very last game of Djokovic v Baghdatis.
Day 8, Monday, January 26 2009
Australia Day at Australian Open 2009 and I made it my duty to quote every scrap of ‘Strine slang I could muster. Billies were boiling, shrimps were on the barbie, players were spitting chips and everyone got a fair go. To the delight of locals, and in the fine tradition of the Ashes Series, the last Brit in the draw Andy Murray shot through like a Yarra Tram. Fernando Verdasco looked fit as a Mallee bull in dispatching the No.1 Brit. While Melbourne sizzled in heatwave conditions not seen for more than a century, Gael Monfils had his fill of the tournament and withdrew against his good mate Gilles Simon, suffering a wrist injury. Victoria Azarenka looked a good sort against Serena Williams before losing her lunch and conceding her match. And the tournament began to look more like an episode of hospital drama ‘Casualty’ than a Grand Slam as Zie Zheng also withdrew after a bad fall on Hisense Arena. The tournament was restored to health with a night match made in hunky heaven, James Blake Tsinging Tsonga’s tune in Tstraight Tsets. What a rippa day and not a great galah in sight.
Day 9, Tuesday, January 27 2009
Day nine dawned hot and humid and we found a replacement for Aussie-Kim Clijsters, adopting Casey Dellacqua’s doubles partner Francesca Schiavone and re-christening her Aussie-Francesca. Vera Zvonareva and Marion Bartoli were broken women on RLA with no less than six breaks of serve in the opening set. The world No.1 doubles pairing Cara Black and Liezel Huber crashed out of the tournament at the hands of scratch pairing Ai Sugiyama and Daniela Hantuchova. Novak Djokavic turned in a luke-warm performance as the temperatures in RLA soared into the 30s, lasting three and a bit sets before pulling the pin and handing A-Rod passage into the semifinal. Finally, the locals waved goodbye to favourite daughter Jelena Dokic who, despite her best ‘tram-stoppas’ was unable to overhaul Marat’s sister Dinara, putting up an impressive three-set battle.
Day 10, Wednesday, January 28 2009
Venus-eclipser, Carla Suarez Navarro, was no match for the new-found might of No.4 seed Elena Dementieva. It’s hotter than a possum’s armpit on day 10 and Svetlana Kuznetsova and Serena Williams play a topsy-turvy quarterfinal half in the not-so-fresh air and half under a closed room. Oracene Williams gets her groove on in the player box and Serena Williams romps home under the RLA roof. Fernando Verdasco struggles to hang onto his lunch in the player restaurant but keeps a better grip on his Australian Open dream stomping over Tsonga in a four set thriller. Is Fer-Verd the new Tsonga? Tournament director Craig Tiley, weather forecaster Bob Leighton, referee Wayne McKewan, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men give a press conference to explain the finer points of the wet globe bulb. I mean the…actually I don’t know what I mean but the top brass at the tournament do a good job of explaining it. In the night session, Rafa Nadal blocked out the outpouring of grief from female fans mourning his bustin’ sleeveless days to give up-and-comer Gilles Simon a tennis lesson.
Day 11, Thursday, January 29 2009
With the heat wave in full swing, Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva play their semifinal under the roof. Williams is never headed by the No.4 seed and cruises into her fourth Australian Open final. The ‘odd’ theory hits fever pitch. In the second semifinal Vera Zvonareva keeps her head hidden by a towel at every change of ends. Does she leave her tennis brain under there? Does Dinara leave hers under there too? For a while neither woman looks like she wants to face Serena in Saturday’s final. In the end it’s 2008 French Open finalist Safina who makes the grade. Roger Federer brings the day 11 action to a close with his best form of the tournament. Andy Roddick had made a habit of losing to the Fed Express, 15 times no less. Changing that habit clearly didn’t feature in the A-Rod’s list of new year’s resolutions. Make that 16 losses.
Day 12, Friday, January 30 2009
The chicks play their women’s doubles final and Sugi and Hantu are no match for the might of the Williams sisters. The simpatico siblings claim their eighth doubles Slam title and confirm themselves as each other’s biggest fans. Oracene records the moment for the family album. Later that night Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco knocked 10 bales out of one another while Rog and Mirka fought over the remote control. Would it be the Rafa v Verdasco blockbuster? Would it be Desperate Housewives? I guess we’ll never know. Nice touch by Rafa at the end of their record-breaking five hour 14-minute semi, climbing over the net to embrace his Davis Cup countryman. The sounds of Roger Federer’s maniacal laughter rang out over RLA at the 1.07am (AEST) conclusion of this epic. His semi lasted two hours and seven minutes.
Day 13, Saturday, January 31 2009
From the longest match in history to possibly the shortest Australian Open final in history. Safina stumbles, Serena surges to her fourth Australian Open title, not to mention the world No.1 ranking. ‘Nuf said.
Day 14, Sunday, February 1 2009
And, if all that wasn’t enough, on Sunday Rod Laver Arena played host to a truly classic final witnessed by, among others, Rod Laver. World No.1 squares up to world No.2 in a contest with the lot, supersized and topped with lashings and lashings of tears as Roger, Mirka and finally Rafa all break down with the emotion of the occasion. Bonza!
