Aust. Open Update
We’ve been enjoying some spectacular tennis down at Strathfield Sports Club, in what has been an exceptional Australian Open. While unfortunately there are no Aussies left in the singles draw, we’ve still been cheering our favourite players in the year’s first grand slam.
There have been some outstanding matches and many of the highlights have been in matches that have pitted countryman together. Way back in Round 1 Aussies James Duckworth and Ben Mitchell pushed each other to five sets, with the former prevailing in the four hour match.
More recently Spanish duo Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer and Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet were paired in the 4th round. Both matches were played in excellent spirit, with Ferrer and Tsonga progressing to the quarters.
The top seeds have managed to navigate their way through the draw with relative ease, which will make for some huge match ups as we enter into the semi-finals.
The top four men’s seeds will battle it out for a place in the final, although they haven’t had it all their own way. Both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have had epic five set matches in their bid to be crowned this year’s champion.
On the women’s side of the draw, Serena Williams had been serving up a storm, nearing the world record when she powered one down the line clocked at 207km/hr. However she was a surprise casualty from her quarter-final, going down to her immerging compatriot talent Sloane Stephens in 3 sets.
Her reward is a semi-final match up with world number one, top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka, who has been easing her way through the draw in her bid to go back-to-back. Maria Sharapova, who has lost only a handful of games all tournament, will face China’s Li Na in the other semi.
The Aussies have faired a little better in doubles action, with women’s pairing Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty winning through to the final in straight sets. 16-year-old Barty has been a revelation since competing for Australia at the Hopman Cup, while the women she replaced, Dellacqua seems to have put a horror run of injuries behind her. The unseeded pair will no doubt be hoping to give the home crowd something to cheer about when they contest the final.
As we move into the business end of proceedings at Melbourne Park remember Strathfield Sports will be showing all the live matches on our big screen. So come down and enjoy the atmosphere with some fellow tennis fans and maybe get a few friends together and organise to have a hit while you’re at it!