ROGER FEDERER, NADAL, BRYANS ADVANCE AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN THAT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

Roger Federer of Switzerland in action against Daniel Evans of Britain during their second round men’s singles match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 16 January 2019. EPA-EFE/LUKAS COCH

 

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

One of the fourth-round matchups in the Australian Open men’s singles draw is 37-year-old Roger Federer against 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitipas. In the third round, Federer beat 21-year-old Taylor Fritz while 32-year-old Rafael Nadal defeated 19-year-old Alex de Minaur. Novak Djokovic, 31, awaits a third-round meeting with 19-year-old Denis Shapovalov.

 

On the women’s side, Serena and Venus are still plowing through the draw two because following their Melbourne debuts. Fellow American Amanda Anisimova, 17, just knocked out Aryna Sabalenka in destructive 6-3, 6-2 fashion. Sabalenka had been the oddsmakers’ third favorite for the title.

 

That’s the way this fortnight has been so far; it is giving us a little bit of everything.

 

One of the stars was a 39-year-old. Ivo Karlovic, who turns 40 next month, opened with a four-set victory over Hubert Hurkacz and then played one of the best matches of the tournament against Kei Nishikori–ultimately falling in a fifth-set tiebreaker.

 

A star still in progress is 20-year-old Frances Tiafoe, who joined Tsitsipas in the last 16 with a five-set victory over Andreas Seppi on Friday. Tiafoe preceded that result by upsetting two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson in four.

 

The Maryland native is injecting life into this tournament (not like it needs any, as the Happy Slam is always full of energy) with bicep-kissing, shirt-disrobing celebrations. As for the old guard, it is going about its business without making any excess noise. Federer made mincemeat out of his first three opponents and Nadal has also gone 9-for-9 in total sets. On the doubles court, 40-year-olds have quietly played their way into the third round.

 

Team Bryan reaching the third round of a major is nothing new…but this time around it is, in fact, newsworthy. Last spring, Bob underwent the hip surgery that Andy Murray is currently considering. The veteran American missed the rest of 2018 but has–improbably, some would say–returned to tennis this year.

 

“I’m just telling him,’ I feel great, quality of life is great, practices are going well,’ Bob said of Murray. “Maybe I’m not 100 percent yet, but I’m only five months (removed from surgery). The doctors said this is more of like a seven or eight months until you feel perfect.

 

“I never once told him this is the way to go because I do see that singles is a different monster. Those guys are really sliding around, killing themselves for four hours. Who knows if this joint would hold up.”

 

Putting himself through a four-hour ringer is exactly what Murray, himself, did in the first round during a five-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut. And that, as it often is Down Under, has proven to be the norm in week one. Other five-setters included Nishikori-Karlovic, Tiafoe-Seppi, Bolt-Simon, RBA-Millman, Sousa-Pella, Sousa-Kohlschreiber, Schwartzman-Kudla, and Cilic-Verdasco.

 

What will the second week have in store? As usual, it will have a lot to live up to; after all, week one has given us a taste of everything.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @TennGrand.