After a day of little resistance put up against the favorites in the first four matches on Rod Laver Arena on Day 2, I was looking for a little more competition on Day 3.
Justine Henin v Elena Baltacha: 6-1 6-3 Henin. Not much competition here. Henin looked good and Elena didn't have much of an answer for her.
Andy Roddick v Igor Kunitsyn: 7-6 6-2 6-3 Roddick. Igor put up a good fight in the first set. Roddick had almost no answer against his hard serve in the first set. But Igor slipped up once or twice in the tie breaker and lost 9-7. Then, as so often happens against lesser opponents that almost win the first set, Roddick went on to win the next two sets pretty easily. I have probably seen this same scenario play itself out 20 times in the 5 years I have been here. I guess this is what separates the top players from the journeymen - consistency.
Before the Venus match I wanted to wander around a little because the sun had just come out for the first time since we had been here. It was 80 degrees and sunny, I had to go look around while catching some rays. Check me out next to Margaret Court with some of the outer courts behind me.
Sunshining, tennis being played, taking my own picture with my iPhone
Venus Williams (and her pie crust dress) v Sandra Zahlavova: 6-7 6-0 6-4 Venus. A competitve match! Venus came out in a dress that was almost as ridiculous as the one she wore on Monday. A yellow tank top with a criss cross pattern over her body then a funky little skirt. This would have been the only story if she had cruised to victory. But she lost the first set, pulling a muscle in her abdomen at the end of the first set. She then recovered to win a close match in three. But really. Check out this dress.
The Venus match was boring us to tears so we left after the first set. The sun had just come out for the first time since we had been here and I wanted to go catch some rays. I went to a little pub along the river and had a beer and a brat. Here's me enjoying some January sun.
Jelena Dokic (Aussie!) v Barbora Zahlavova Strycova: 7-6 6-1 to BZS. Dokic is a headcase. We saw her win here two years ago in the first round. She is European but became Aussie later in life and the locals love her. But she apparently changes coaches all the time, has drama with her family, is just plain crazy. She played ok in the first set but she just makes too many errors. And BZS let her beat herself in the second set. So long, Jelena.
Roger Federer v Gilles Simon: 6-2 6-4 4-6 4-6 6-3 Federer. This is probably the best match I have seen in 3 years (when Tsonga beat Murray?). Federer came out smoking, hitting lots of good ground strokes, serving up a storm and took the first two sets. Then it seemed like he got tentative or just forgot how to hit and ended up making tons of unforced errors. Backheads into the net galore. And Simon used to be top 10 before an injury last year took him out for most of the year. The crowd was going crazy. Federer was losing just enough to let Simon win. Then the final set came, Federer buckled down and started getting emotional on a few points. Simon, after playing almost perfect counter punch tennis for the third and fourth sets, finally made a few errors and Federer served out the match 6-3. Phew, I didn't want to see the Aussies with no Federer for the next 10 days.
Here's a pic of Batty watching Federer warm up
Batty thinks Federer can win it all.
When the matches were over shortly after midnight we wandered back to the hotel and was asleep a little after 1. Gotta get up tomorrow at 7 for my 5th run of the week.
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