THE DRAW

The seeds are:

1. Bryan/ Bryan
2. Nestor Zimonjic
3. Aspelin/ Knowle
4. Damm/ Vizner
5. Hanley/ Paes
6. Bhupathi/ Knowles
7. Clement/ Llodra
8. Erlich/ Ram
9. Cermak/ Dlouhy
10. Butorac/ Ullyett
11. Fyrstenberg/ Matkowski
12. Mirnyi/Murray
13. Melo/ Sa
14. Benneteau/ Mahut
15. Kas/ Wassen
16. Friedl/ Skoch

Tsonga and Gasquet may be another team to watch out for although there are less unseeded teams that jump off the sheet compared with the women.

Intereseting that Murray is ranked two places below his former partner!

I completely missed it the first time I looked, but karlovic and Isner are playing doubles together :blink:

I saw that too and was orginally going to put that as another outside pick but then I thought about it again and I'm not too sure how two tall lanky players who stay at the back of the court will fend. I'm willing to be proved wrong though!

i almost wonder if they entered as a joke - they really don't seem like the best doubles pairing :blink:

out of interest, gasquet isn't playing doubles with Tsonga, but Grosjean is

Ah right, I only had a quick scan! Not sure how well they'll do then!

There's a small here on the pairing of Isner and Karlovic. Seems like they'll be making history whatever the result.

Article from USA Today:

Towering team of Isner, Karlovic has full-court coverage

John Isner — at 6 feet, 9 inches — is matched at the Australian Open
John Isner and Ivo Karlovic naturally are thinking big entering the Australian Open.

And why not? As soon as the 6-9 Isner and 6-10 Karlovic take the court together, they will put themselves in the record book as the tallest doubles team in tennis history.

"We're both expecting to make a run in this tournament," Isner says. "We're going to pose a lot of challenges to any team."

Karlovic has the same idea.

"We can cover a lot of ground, obviously," he says, pointing out their height and reach will provide an imposing presence at the net.

Consider: With their wingspans — Karlovic about 7 feet, 2 1/2 inches and Isner 7-1 1/2 — plus an additional 27 inches of racket on either side, they can gobble up nearly two-thirds of the 36-foot width of the court. One big step covers the rest.

And both can bring 130- to 140-mph heat on their serves; Karlovic led the ATP Tour in aces in 2007 (1,318 total, 20.6 a match).

They have never doubled up before — they practiced together for the first time only Saturday — and they have only one pro doubles title between them (Karlovic in 2006). Even so, they aren't likely to sneak up on anybody.

"They will probably bomb it on their serve and just swing out on their returns and see if it clicks," says former doubles No. 1 Mahesh Bhupathi of India, a four-time men's doubles Grand Slam champ.

"You'd expect a lot of aces from them."

That's the plan, Isner says.

"If we're both serving well, it's going to be pretty tough to break us," he says.

Returning will be a challenge not only because of the pace of their serves but because the height and reach of the player at the net will narrow the cross-court angle the returner has available.

Aiming passing shots low — perhaps just skimming the net — or going at the body might be the best bet.

"I don't think they are going to try to lob us," Karlovic says, laughing.

No big shocks in the men's doubles

isner and Karlovic didn't get through - anyone shocked??? no??

Grosjean and Tsonga beat Dancevic and Huss

James Auckland unfortunately didn't get through - he was playing with Querry

but all the seeds got through with ease :ok:

Well I would have expected the giants (Karlo and Isner) to do well thanks to their serves but obviously in double, quick hands are almost as important if not more and those 2 aren't the most talented in that department.

Wednesday, 16 January 2008

Grosjean/ Tsonga bt Dancevic/ Huss 6-2 6-3

Fognini/ Ljubicic bt Bolelli/ Volandri 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-3)

Brzezicki/ Calleri bt Isner/ Karlovic 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

Lee/ Serra bt Healey/ Smeets 5-7 6-3 6-3

Melzer/ Peya bt Levinsky/ Mertinak 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

Bryan/ Bryan 1 bt Gonzalez/ Monaco 6-3 6-2

Fyrstenberg/ Matkowski 11 bt Garcia-Lopez/ Verdasco 5-7 6-4 6-3

Eschauer/ Mayer bt Acasuso/ Roitman 6-4 6-4

Erlich/Ram 8 bt Kunitsyn/ Tursunov 7-5 6-3

Lipsky/ Martin bt Hernandez/ Montanes 6-2 6-4

Bopanna/ Ram bt Auckland/ Querrey 6-1 7-6 (7-4)

Ball/ Feeney bt Guccione/ Luczak 6-3 6-2

Nestor/ Zimonjic 2 bt Jones/ Jones 6-4 6-1

Almagro/Massu bt Berlocq/ Seppi 5-7 6-2 6-3

Gicquel/ Santoro bt Armando/ Malisse 6-4 6-3

Cermak/ Dlouhy 9 bt Darcis/ Rochus 6-2 6-3

Granollers-Pujol/Ventura bt Kendrick/ Thomas 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Thursday, 17 January 20088

Johansson/ Pavel bt Coelho/Klein 3-6 6-3 6-3

Clement/ Llodra 7 bt Ratiwatana/ Ratiwatana 7-6 (7-4) 6-4

Benneteau/ Mahut 14 bt Garcia/ Marach 2-6 6-1 6-2

Kas/ Wassen 15 bt Groth/ Sirianni 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-3

Butorac/ Ullyett 10 bt Cibulec/ Zovko 6-3 6-1

Bhupathi/ Knowles 6 bt Youzhny/ Zverev 7-6 (12-10) 6-4

Hanley/ Paes 5 bt Horna/ Koubek 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5)

Friedl/ Skoch 16 bt Ebelthite/ Lindhal 5-7 6-3 7-6 (7-3)

Coetzee/ Moodie bt Schuettler/ Tipsarevic 6-3 6-4

Allegro/ Vliegen bt Levy/ Sela 6-3 7-5

Lindstedt/ Nieminen bt Aspelin/ Knowle 3 6-4 4-6 6-2

Roger-Vasselin/ Simon bt Mirnyi/ Murray 12 7-6 (9-7) 1-6 6-3 :(

De Voest/ Haggard bt Pala/ Vassalo Arguello 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (2-7) 6-4

Arnold/ Lopez bt Melo/ Sa 13 7-6 (13-11) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4

Damm/ Vizner 4 bt Kerr/ Perry 3-6 6-1 6-2

Murray/Mirnyi out :( i was looking forward to this partnership, really thought it could work.
I watched the first set of the match, and they played really well, they had a set point, but didnt convert. :(

Sorry have not poppe din here so far, I've bene a bit busy with predictions :)

Yes heard about Mirnyi and Murray - very dissappointing. Maybe Max wasn't the right choice for Jamie, but then again I heard that they both played badly - esp Max - and that they haven't yet gelled so maybe they need more time.

I think there's plenty of time for the pair to gel, it's early days. Fingers crossed....

Also a shock that Aspelin and Knowle, the US Open champs, are out.

i'm pulling for the Frenchies Clement and Llodra please :) :)

I would love Butorac and partner to win this, just to give Jamie something to think about!!! Its quite funny the partner he dumped to go onto bigger and better things is still in while he and his super new partner are out :rolleyes:

Friday, 18 January 2008

Butorac / Ullyett 10 bt Brzezicki/ Calleri

Nestor/ Zimonjic 2 bt Melzer Peya 6-2 6-3

Kas/ Wassen 15 bt Lee/ Serra 6-1 6-2

Bryan/ Bryan 1 bt Almagro/ Massu 6-3 6-4

Benneteau/ Mahut 14 bt De Voest/ Haggard 6-1 6-1

Cermak/ Dlouhy 9 bt Granollers-Pujol/ Ventura 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5)

Erlich/ Ram 8 bt Lipsky Martin 7-6 (7-4) 6-0

Arnold/ Lopez bt Eschauer Mayer w/o

Damm/ Vizner 4 bt Grosjean/ Tsonga 6-3 4-6 6-3

Clement/ Llodra 7 bt Fognini/ Ljubicic 6-2 6-3

Sunday, 20 January 2008

(Round 3)
Bryan/ Bryan 1 bt Benneteau/ Mahut 14 6-3 6-4

Nestor/ Zimonjic 2 bt Kas/ Wassen 15 6-4 6-4

Erlich/ Ram 8 bt Cermak/ Dlouhy 9 7-5 6-3

Damm/ Vizner 4 bt Arnold/ Lopez 6-4 7-5

Clement/ Llodra 7 bt Butorac/ Ullyett 10 6-4 6-4

(Round 2)

Ball/ Feeney bt Friedl/ Skoch 16 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3

Gicquel/ Santoro bt Lindstedt/ Nieminen 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-3

Bopanna/ Ram bt Hanley/ Paes 5 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8-6)

Fyrstenberg/ Matkowski 11bt Johansson/ Pavel 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4

Coetzee/Moodie bt Roger-Vasselin/ Simon 6-2 6-3

Bhupathi/ Knowles 6 bt Allegro/ Vliegen 6-1 6-4

Monday, 21 January 2008

Round 3

Gicquel/ Santoro bt Ball/ Feeney 6-4 6-2

Coetzee/ Moodie bt Bopanna/ Ram 3-6 6-4 6-3

Bhupathi/ Knowles 6 bt Fyrstenberg/ Matkowski 11 6-3 6-2

Tuesday, 22 January 2008

Quarterfinal

Coetzee/ Moodie bt Damm/ Vizner 4 7-5 5-7 6-4

Clement/ Llodra 7 bt Nestor/ Zimonjic 2

Great result for the French pair!

yep, Clement and Llodra make a fairly good doubles pairing :ok:

Yes - I am so glad they beat Nestor and Zimo. After having read the way this pair formed, I am glad they got kicked by Santoro's friends!

The Bryans are out :blink:

They are indeed! They must have come back a bit though as the last time I checked they were down 3-1 in the third. Great result for Bhupathi and Knowles though, especially now that Nestor and Zimonjic are out!

Wednesday, 23 January 2008

Quarter-finals

Bhupathi/ Knowles 6 bt Bryan Bryan 1 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-5)

Erlich/ Ram 8 bt Gicquel/ Santoro 6-4 6-1

Coetzee/Moodie were up 3-0 with 2 breaks against Clement/Llodra but now it is 3-3

Clement/Llodra have won 5 straight games

six straight to win the set 6-3

Thursday, 24 January 2008

Erlich/ Ram 8 bt Bhupathi/ Knowles 6 6-4 6-4


Clement/ Llodra 7 bt Coetzee/ Moodie 6-3 7-6 (11-9)

:bow: Clement/llodra :ok:

What a tournie for french men!

I do like Erlich and Ram though so I think I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for them!

but.....if clement and llodra win, they might start stripping again - which can only ever be seen as a good thing ;)

Congrats to Erlich and Ram who beat Clement and Llodra in straight sets 7-5, 7-6(4) to win the men's doubles :clap:

YAY! :yahoo: :yahoo:

Damn it! :banghead:

Well done to the Israelis, a thoroughly deserved win! :clap: