Aussies fight for Mixed finals berth

Both disappointed following first round singles losses, Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden have embraced the rest of the Australian Open and enjoyed success in the Mixed Doubles event, culminating, so far, in today's semi final against the pairing of Yaroslava Shvedova from Kazakhstan and Denis Istomin from Uzbekistan.

Both teams were unseeded, and the Australians had defeated the second and fifth seeded teams to reach the semi stage.

The first set featured some terrific tennis from both teams with the volley exchanges that crowds love to see leaving none disappointed.  A break apiece for both until the twelfth game when the Australians broke once more to take the important advantage 7-5.

An early break of the Australians in Set 2 caused some worries for spectators but not as much as for Jarmila and Matt, but they stuck at their game plan and held serve staying within range.  At 2-4 concerns arose when Jarmila ran into trouble on serve - another break would have Yaroslava and Denis serving for the set.

The Aussies held firm and turned the pressure back on Yaroslava who served next.  Again she dropped serve and the games were back even.  At 5-5, Jarmila put her team within a game of victory, but Yaroslava served strongly winning every point with help from Denis where necessary, to force a tie break.

Before long, the Australians had raced to a six points to two lead, and despite some loose shots leading to the evaporation of three match points, Jarmila finally put away a winner on the fourth to put the team in the final - the victory 7-5 7-6 (7-5)

Ferrer far off the best of Djokovic

Perennial Grand Slam tournament second week contributor David Ferrer, according to Novak Djokovic, would have the the world number one battling for a long time to prevail in the semi final between the two.

Maybe they were the right words to say, and the true thoughts of Novak were more confident, but I don't suspect such confidence extended to him performing at a standard to which we were privileged to witness on a balmy Melbourne Thursday night.

Almost immediately,  the Ferrer ability to gather up tennis balls like few others in order to maintain the life of rallies was put to an extreme test with Djokovic at his most inventive, accurate and ruthless certainly for this year and possibly for any match played at this level this deep in the draw.

The Serb serve was totally on point, with Ferrer unable to make a statistical dent in its effectiveness, whereas the Spanish equivalent was hardly that, easily picked off for outright winners off both wings.
Ferrer could reach several Djokovic ground strokes but when Novak introduced subtle spin or slice to the mix, just merely reaching the ball became insufficient and errors began piling up in the Spanish column.

Djokovic does not approach the net often but when he does he usually has a good motive, and the times tonight were for point winning, as were most of his movements of leg and racquet.

The score book will show that Ferrer lost serve twice in the first set - it won't show the way in which Novak Djokovic dominated the match, manoeuvring his opponent around the court as if manipulating a marionette.  It won't show how debilitating it was for David Ferrer to have his best efforts made to look almost inept as he shot little arrows into the oncoming full scale artillery.

At 2-2 paper barely covered the yawning gap before a couple of forehands ripped it asunder and all hell broke loose.

6-2 the first set raced by, and for the crowd an ace was the set winning shot.   Yet the respect in which David Ferrer is held allows for the idea, fanciful though it sometimes may be, of a comeback in any match where he is still on court and moving, regardless of current scoreline.    

So in a best of five set match Djokovic needed to continue his wizardry (for us) and heartache (for Ferrer) a while longer.  He did just this.

In Set 2 the dominance of the Djokovic serve continued unabated, again placing immense pressure on Ferrer when he was asked to hold his.  His second serve, too often required, was pulverised by the best returner arguably since Agassi. 

Ferrer could not keep rallies alive at his command, Djokovic deciding to end them in a variety of ways, increasing his ventures to the net to gather successes, as if he hadn't been successful everywhere else.

As if by design, and to be blunt the delivery of tonight's total package from Novak was akin to rolling out the latest iPad app, another two breaks of the Ferrer serve were the score book's stark record of the divide between the players.

The 6-2 margin was repeated and now five sets would be the necessary distance for the match to run if Ferrer were to win through to the final.  Of course that would happen only if Novak Djokovic were replaced at this point with an exponent of the game with merely human capabilities.

Set three and Djokovic improved if anything, assisted it must be said by a naturally despondent Ferrer.  The Spanish forth seed's errant backhand gifted the first game to Djokovic and with that service break the party could begin.

Holding serve was so much a certainty for Novak tonight that it could have been avoided and just placed as a game in the Serb column.  However he did as he was told and won for 2-0 before we had what I believe was the OMG game of the night featuring the OMG shot of the night.

Ferrer had forced Djokovic wide on the deuce side out of court on the first point of the Spaniard's second service game, when Novak played an astonishing forehand that was always out of court while in the air and only decided to come into play as it landed, becoming a down the line winner to behold.
Not content to leave it there, the top seed gave his backhand a chance in the spotlight - once with a slashing winner to set up break point and again to break the Ferrer serve.

This was the peak of a glorious exhibition of tennis from Novak Djokovic and if he takes this sort of form with him to Sunday then his opposition will need something special to overcome the two time defending champion.

6-2 6-2 6-1 the final scoreline

For Ferrer, these things happen on occasion, and he would know that when an opponent is on fire you can only sit back, hope for a miracle and if it doesn't come just admire.  Next time for David hopefully the roles could be reversed.

Vika wins right to defend

If Victoria Azarenka was asked before the tournament whether she expected to be playing Sloane Stephens in the semi final, unofficially I expect the questioner would have been put in the nuthouse.
Yet here she was, the amazingly talented teenager who had shattered the dream of Serena Williams continuing her quest for another "Serena Slam" in a gutsy quarter final win full of class and attractive shot manufacture.

There is something else about Sloane Stephens that needs to be investigated.  In her quarter final, Williams left the court at one point to seek medical attention.  So indeed did Vika Azarenka in the semi final.  What does Sloane do that has such an effect on these very best female players?  Is she that much of a threat?

From the moment the match started no earthly creation was going to help Sloane deal with the vast artillery that Azarenka had at her disposal.  It is not about power with the top seed but about variety and the all court game that added to her pace and movement makes her unstoppable in stretches at a time.
Admittedly this Aus Open Vika has been slightly below the awesome level of 2012 but peaking for Saturday night is what counts and her first set today appeared to be on the perfect trajectory.

The ground strokes had Stephens constantly off balance and put of position, mitigating any power that the American had intended to employ with a number of shots.  The forehand strength was balanced beautifully with the occasional backhand lob or drop shot emphasising the variety needed when aiming for the elite rankings.

Azarenka broke again to lead 4-1 and a slashing backhand won the set when the Stephens serve was dropped for a third time.  6-1 Azarenka and not much doubt about Li Na's final opponent so far.

The score in Set 2 was 2-0 and the interview room was being prepared for the winner with questions framed for Azarenka surrounding her preparation for the final in two days time.  Then Sloane Stephens intervened breaking back for 1-2 and soon games were 3-2 and on serve, the conclusion of the match less defined.

The serve for each of the players became a liability and four times in succession it was dropped. Significantly, each time that Sloane achieved a break it was to effectively stay alive in the quarter final, which says volumes for her determination and ability at such an early stage of her career.

The eighth game was a real treat with Stephens battling off several match points and spending overtime at deuce before Azarenka was the first to crack.

At 4-5, with Stephens set to serve, Azarenka left the court for medical treatment, the timing rather interesting and worth a question or two just for clarification.

Whether this had an adverse impact on Stephens we may never know.  We do know that it stopped the momentum, she failed to hold serve yet again and the match could no longer continue.

Victoria Azarenka won the right to defend her title with a 6-1 6-4 victory over the revelation of the tournament Sloane Stephens.

Maria falls to Li in another GS semi final

Li Na defeated Maria Sharapova in the 2011 French Open semi final in straight sets on the way to winning her first Grand Slam title.  That day in Paris Maria had a serving disaster.  Since then Sharapova has played and beaten Li 3 times, all on 2012.  Today was the first time the two had met in a Grand Slam tournament match since Paris.

Sharapova had been in irresistible form all tournament and deserved tournament favouritism with Serna's departure.  Li Na had given the previously unbeaten in 2013 Agnieszka Radwanska a slap down straight sets education in the quarters, announcing herself as one of which to be very wary in the final days of this Aus Open.

Memories of Roland Garros 2011 must have flooded back for Maria as her first five attempts to serve legitimately failed and she was 0-3 with a second serve to come.  A string of unforced errors from both players told a story of nerves, but eventually it was the Sharapova fragility that was exposed at the heaviest cost, and she lost serve.

The scene had been set for the most worrying set of tennis yet encountered this year by Sharapova as she failed to read the weight of shot from Li.  Not only that, the winners that were concocted by Maria and her racquet tended to come in ones rather than the runs that quickly give a player two or three game or break points.

Li was handling the Maria serve fairly well, although her own first serve percentage of around half was appalling and deserved harsher treatment than that which Maria handed out in the first part of the match.  Li Na to no one's great surprise given Maria's demeanour and form today broke for the second time to lead 4-1, and only a set back of her own when trying for a consolidation of the break gave us any cause to wonder about the set going anywhere but China.

Li Na appeared to enter the match without a meal the way she was feasting on the Sharpova second serve.  That, along with other court management skills including error minimisation on a very hot day, served her well in her quest to take this match on her own personal journey.

Sharapova was all but finished in the first set when she was broken for the third time to trail 2-5, and no matter how hard she tried to deny Li Na the serve was safe and the set was the 6th seed's 6-2.

Now we awaited the Russian response.

In the second game of Set 2 Sharapova had her chance to be back in the match but could not take advantage of either of the two break points afforded her.  Such was Li Na's attention to detail, only one more would become available for the rest of the match.

In the fifth and seventh games it was clear that no one could solve the problem that was Maria's.  She lost serve on both occasions and lethargy looked to be her only companion.

Li Na won this match 6-2 6-2.  Knocking over the top seeds can also keep the bookies happy, and today's result will leave a number of them sleeping well.

Bryan brothers aiming for another final

The headline could be a cut and paste from dozens of reports through the years, such has the dominance of men's tennis been by the Bryan brothers, Mike and Bob.  To make it true today the win would  have to come against a pairing made in Italy, so there was a real Davis Cup feel about the contest.

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini comprised the American pair's opposition and for the better part of Set 1 it was quality opposition.  The doubles entertained as it should by the semi final stage, and the habit  which the Americans have developed of finding a break point from thin air was evident again today.  A single break point delivered the sole service break, and the Americans were half way to the finals winning the set 6-4.

The second set shifted with the Italian team picking up the tempo quicker than the Americans.  They were hitting winners everywhere from both sides, volleying, overhead, passing or just finding spare open court.  All a great show for the crowd, but in practical terms of not much value as the Bryans had contingencies for all kinds of teams and all changes in team tactics.  Only one break point was garnered by the Italians for all their sweet shot making and style and glamour.

The miserly Americans normally dispense with the occasional break point against them but on this occasion it slipped through the cracks and caused not only the loss of the game but eventually the set too.  6-4 to each team and a third set to decide a finalist.

The brothers Bryan knuckled down to the task and with an amazing service percentage and hitting with greater precision around the court than at any phase of the match, they mauled the Italians.  Only two breaks of serve were made but of course that was entirely sufficient.

Mike and Bob finalists yet again 6-4 4-6 6-1.

Two Aussie Women to contest the Final

Ok it sounds good but we are only referring to womens doubles and the team of Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty, which had knocked over the number three and number fourteen seeded teams on the way to the semi final which followed the hard act to follow Federer / Tsonga delight.

To reach the final the Aussies had to defeat the team of American Varvara Lepchenko and China's Saisai Zheng, also unseeded, and then would face the might of the number one seeded Italians once there.

All four girls held their respective first serves, but then the match made its first major directional selection with first Varvara, then Saisai, dropping their serves, handing the first set to the Aussies 6-2.
Casey was the best player on court with her well timed and well placed lobs, chopping off volleys and general team leading.  The Chino-American alliance was in trouble with its lack of communication at times leading to half court overage on occasion, poor choice of shots when in defensive mode and what appeared to be lack of an overall plan.

Similar stuff happened in the early stages of the second set, with Ashleigh holding serve for the now named (courtesy of a crowd wit) ABCD team, then assisting Casey to break Varvara once more.

At 3-0 things appeared set for the Aussies and the promotional material began to be prepared for the final.  Then the good ship ABCD sprung a leak.  Ashleigh committed atrocities on serve and will have to walk the plank, Saisai taught herself how to hold serve and Casey forgot all of the good material on which she had mentored Ashleigh then blew her own service game.

Suddenly the visitors were in front 4-3 with the now scarily reliable serve of Varvara to come.  It did not stay reliable for longer than the one game and the ABCD broke back to 4-4.

The girls then tacked well to sail home on the breeze and advance to the women's doubles final with the comprehensive 6-2 6-4 victory.

Saving the best quarter final till last

Roger Federer is destined to have great battles with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga these days, and the matches they play at Grand Slam tournaments seem to be the ones they produce on an extra special level.

Based on the form of the two in this year's Open, the quarter final on Wednesday night promised another beauty.  We were not disappointed.

Tsonga started the show with a few nervous moments and Federer doesn't mind capitalising on those so he stole what Tsonga believed should have been his - the 1-0 lead.  Roger offered Jo-Wilfried chances to break back but he was too slow to commit, the offer was withdrawn and the games were 3-1 in Federer's favour.

Already some of the factors in the match were becoming apparent.  Federer would be spending a great deal of time using his forehand to dictate rallies as they lengthened, pushing Tsonga as wide as possible for the open court or down the line winner.  Tsonga would attack with his ground strokes, trusting his ability to accelerate the racquet speed within a rally and not lose control - he would also try to lob Federer and that policy would need to be reviewed judging by its initial lack of success.

The entertainment value added factor was very high for both but Tsonga had the edge, but that rings true in most of his matches.  In the sixth game Tsonga came from the clouds with some winners to set up break point again on the Federer serve, until tonight a rock solid fortress.  Roger relented and he found himself at 3-3.

"Shot of the night" was a tag that the crowd was assigning to many strokes as the evening progressed, occasionally even "shot of the tournament".  This was the match Federer had to have if he was to be properly prepared for the final few days, although he would claim that an easy 3 setter works better.

Tonight he still may receive the 3 set match but it would be anything but simple.  A Federer error made a break point in Tsonga's fifth service game redundant and the pair exchanged series after series of wonderful shots in readiness for what clearly would be a vital tie break.

Tsonga thought he had won the first point with a big serve, but a challenge showed it to be a fault and the point ultimately went to Federer following the second serve.  This hurt the seventh seed who instead of taking the lead on serve was now behind, and stayed that way throughout the break, Federer playing it very professionally.
With great relief, for the third match in succession, Roger Federer won a tie break and time would tell how decisive this one might be.

The second set was tight again on the scoreboard but it was clearly Tsonga's set.  He won virtually everything on his own serve, and only the brilliance of Federer to stay in touch once the rallies were underway kept his serve safe for the most part.

However in the seventh game it was the overall pressure of Tsonga that drove Federer to the edge and the second seed played a couple of bad shots to lose serve and put Jo-Wilfried in the drivers seat.  Happily grabbing the keys, Tsonga tore off into the distance picking up the second set 6-4 on his way and leaving a disturbed Roger Federer behind with just the first set to comfort him.

Nothing to choose between the two once more as the third set threatened to become a repeat of the first with not much damage done to either serve.  Yes each player dropped serve in the second and third games but that was net nothing and odd things tend to occur at front ends of sets.

Great stroke play, still dominated off each of their forehands, and Roger finding space on a few occasions where space didn't exist to exquisitely pass Tsonga.  Of course it had to be a tiebreak and for this one Roger volunteered to open with a serve he had been designing for a few months.  Released to the public tonight for the first time it successfully won a point, and plenty of applause to follow.

Tsonga put himself into a tangle again, not yet able to handle these tie break thingamabobs as easily as the tiebreak master.  Never looking likely, Jo-Wilfried lost the set 6-7 and now required five sets to reach the semi final.

Another brilliant set of tennis from Tsonga in the fourth was salivating stuff for the crowd but for Jo-Wilfried still too close for comfort in the scorebook. 

This set featured break points in over half the games played - the third game saw Tsonga save a trailer load before holding,  then Federer save a couple in the next.

Tsonga for once appeared to have a handle on the Federer serve and he used it to pick it up and smash it in the 6th game.  4-2 the lead.
Federer bounced back in the following game, breaking the Tsonga serve , seemingly against the run of play.

For the fourth set, that was Federer's final hurrah, because a tremendous rally, signed off with a super backhand volley from the Tsonga racquet, also signed over the eighth service game to Tsonga and Co. together with a Swiss bank account.

Jo-Wilfried served out that phase of the match to have the scoreline read 6-7 6-4 6-7 6-3

Roger Federer, in the one set sprint to determine the quarter final result, had too much for even Jo-Wilfried to handle.  With the serve back to near impregnable, and his relaxed shot making back in a moment of national crisis,  Roger cruised through the final set, breaking Tsonga in the fourth game.  Jo-Wilfried saved many match points in his final service game and made Roger serve for the match.

Federer triumped 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3 in a terrific quarter final full of several twists and overflowing with hotshots.