Main Draw

Main Draw is out, and it looks like to be a real top class event, with so many top players attending.
Everyone in the main draw are top 30 players, except Molik (54), Pratt (70) and the Qualifiers. Should be a good event!

Theres going to be some great 1st round match-ups!
Safarova vs. Molik
Bammer vs. Petrova
Hantuchova vs. Safina
Bartoli vs. Li Na (GOOD LUCK LI!)

Highly difficult draw, with *maybe* the top half being easier(?)
1st Quarter - Henin, Safarova, Mauresmo, Dementieva
2nd Quarter - Ivanovic, Bammer, Petrova, Chavetadze
3rd Quarter - Hantuchova, Safina, Vaidisova, Golovin, Jankovic (hardest?)
4th Quarter - Bartoli, Li, Peer, Kuznetsova

OOOO cant wait! and good coverage on eurosport!!!

is jankovic goin 2 play?

well she actually said the other day her thigh injury was bad enough to ruin her career if she carried on playing with it. I would consider getting more rest if i was her but i dont think she knows what rest is

she probably will, knowing her.... :rolleyes:

just take a week off and get some rest... :pray:

Momo and Li are both out with injury :( Amelie has an adductor strain whereas Li has a knee injury.

http://tinyurl.com/yqkymt

I know, poor momo and Li :(

I've heard Li just wants to rest her right knee before the AO, i hope that is the case, she will lose 125 ranking points without participating, which could mean dropping out the top 30 :(

Singles - First Round
Sybille Bammer (AUT) d. (WC) Nadia Petrova (RUS) 75 63
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (WC) Alicia Molik (AUS) 76(2) 76(10)
Virginie Razzano (FRA) d. (WC) Nicole Pratt (AUS) 62 61

hmm...thems intriguing results for the first few matches. maybe this tournament can help kick this season into gear. we'll see what players can take the heat, so to speak :rolleyes:

oh no! Nadia P is starting off the year pretty bad. :o :yikes:

The rest of the Russians haven't had a good start either... won't be RF's day today.

Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) d. (5) Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 75 61
(6) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Dinara Safina (RUS) 57 64 64
(Q) Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) d. (8) Elena Dementieva (RUS) 61 75

its ok. shes gonna win wimbledon this year :)

Elena :yikes: She beats Ivanovic then loses in straights to Arvidsson :hide:

Elena's a weird one... no consistency at all..
I sorta think that this could be her final year if her results don't improve..
I think she said she was losing the will last year too so it wouldn't surprise me..

Exactly Liam... :rolleyes:

Can't believe she lost that one but hopefully she has got her bad match over with and will play a blinder at the Oz Open... :pray:

Wow, many seeds out already!
Petrova's had a really bad start to the season...
Chakvetadze is out :(
Dementieva out :(

Bartoli did well 61 60, maybe good that Li withdrew then :P

(and James Blake out aswell :o)

GOOD LUCK SAFAROVA AGAINST HENIN!

Safarova retired injured v. Henin :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Jankovic lost to Vaidisova...

I am actually pleased Jelena lost today, ok she will lose points but it will actually mean she will have a few days to rest before the Open begins... :phew:

I agree, she should never have played in the first place. Theres more important things in a tennis players career than defending points from a tier 2 :ban:

well exactly but she must be ok injury wise if she can go 6-4 in a final set against Vaidisova... :shrug:

Anyway I'm just glad she will have a few days off now.... :phew:

the girl needs to trim the schedule and wise up.

agreed! :ok:

I used to say the same about Nadia but i think shes beyond help now :(

Nadia should have won French Open 2006 as she was the form player on clay but played far too many events beforehand and got herself injured... :rolleyes:

geez, it seems so discouraging trying to navigate your way through a professional tennis season these days. when i started following tennis in late 80's it never seemed so bad. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I guess Jankovic's injury isn't as bad as the media are making it sound?

Anyone see the Henin vs Ivanovic semi-final? Justine took it 6-4 in the third - on the one hand I'm delighted that Ana at least managed to win a set against her, something which she hadn't managed before and that not many people manage at the moment. However, that final set looks tight, so I'm hoping Ana didn't choke or anything. Still, a reasonable week for Ana, given that before this match she looked poor - should have lost to Razzano in her first match, coming from 5-2 down in the decider, and dropped a set to Srebotnik having been up 3-1, 40-0. Good luck Henin tomorrow against Kuznetsova.

Henin v. Kuzzy final :nope: :nope: :nope:

Well most of the other top players played last week so this was to be expected. The only good thing is that Kuzzy seems to have showed some great form this week so lets hope she can exhibit a bit of self belief in the final. She has the game to beat Henin on this surface (on a good day admitidely) but not the killer instinct :(

well it's the world number 1 v world number 2 so it can't be that bad but I guess it's likely Justine will win this one...

i'm only saying there is a select few that can manage an engaging final (regardless of winner) v. Justine.

Kuzzy just doesn't do it for me, despite Sanchez-Vicario in her "corner" :P

On paper, it looks like a great effort from Kuznetsova, pushing Henin to 6-4 in the third. But Henin actually won six of the last seven games, with Kuznetsova holding a point for a 4-0 lead in the decider before the wheels came off Jankovic-style.

I'm not sure if this is actually more frustrating to witness than if it had been a routine 2 and 2 dimissal of the Russian. At any rate, well done to Henin on her tenth consecutive win and third title in Sydney, not to mention her 28th victory in a row to carry her undefeated streak into the AO (where a second title would put her at an amazing 35 in a row). Her points total is also lifted to a towering 6430 points, nearly double that of the No 2 tally, with every point gained from the AO going into the positive column as her 17th event (having not played last year). Dominant much?

I don't see who can stop her..
Her work ethic and commitment has seen her to this position. In an age where height is becoming a bigger factor she throws all that outta the window and proves that it is all to do with work ethic, will and commitment. She has arguably the best groundstrokes in the game at the mo and that don't happen overnight.

I never liked Henin and she still isn't top of my list but you can't have anything but admiration for the woman at the moment.

I would just like to see somebody take it to her a bit more, like Kuzzy obviously did today until what seems like a meltdown.
Actually, saying that, it ws good to see Ivanovic finally get a set from Henin yesterday. She was hitting the ball well which bodes well for the AO. :ok:

Like i said on an earlier thread, Kuzzys best chance to beat Justine is on the Ozzy hard courts, but despite her rattlings in the press about the H2H not having an impact on her, shes an obvious mental lightweight!!! I like her personality but am loathe to support a player without killer instinct. How she has won a slam before Petrova is beyond me :rolleyes:

:party: :party: :yahoo: :yahoo: :dancer1: :B&B: :B&B:

TITLE NO. 40

ALLEZ :clap: :clap: :clap: