TENNIS: Australian Open so far
Jan. 21st, 2023 09:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feather_ghyllI have access to Eurosport and so can watch some of the Australian Open, although time differences confuse me (it’s started again even as I type), and they’ve had to make adjustments for the heat in Melbourne, even as we have a cold snap in the UK. Eurosport also replays matches during our evenings, but it took me a little while to work out when I was watching live tennis and when I wasn’t.
I caught a bit of Cameron Norrie getting through the second round despite problems with his ball toss and forehand, (but then he lost in the third round.)
I think I was watching live when Ons Jabeur failed to turn up for her first set against Vondurosava – who I rate, even if I doubt I’ve spelled her surname properly. Jabeur started playing more like herself in the second set, but I had to switch the TV off, and so missed the end of that set and all of the third, which Vondrousova won with as large a margin as she’d had in the first set. That opens up that half of the draw, then.
Poor Nadal, his body let him down again.
The story of the next day was Murray winning against Kokkonassis in an epically long match. Good for him, but after that and facing Berrettini, I don’t know that upcoming opponents are going to be terrified of him, however wonderful his movement is and however competitive his spirit.
Yesterday’s lunchtime was well timed, as I caught the end of the Sebastian Korda vs Daniil Medvedev match, where the young American (who probably compares himself against his successful sisters as much as his father) outplayed last year’s finalist with what Tim Henman called controlled aggression. (It makes total sense that Stepanek is his coach.) On the replay, I caught Jessica Pegulia and Iga Swiatek proceeding with very little bother into the fourth round. [Edited by 19/12/25.]
I caught a bit of Cameron Norrie getting through the second round despite problems with his ball toss and forehand, (but then he lost in the third round.)
I think I was watching live when Ons Jabeur failed to turn up for her first set against Vondurosava – who I rate, even if I doubt I’ve spelled her surname properly. Jabeur started playing more like herself in the second set, but I had to switch the TV off, and so missed the end of that set and all of the third, which Vondrousova won with as large a margin as she’d had in the first set. That opens up that half of the draw, then.
Poor Nadal, his body let him down again.
The story of the next day was Murray winning against Kokkonassis in an epically long match. Good for him, but after that and facing Berrettini, I don’t know that upcoming opponents are going to be terrified of him, however wonderful his movement is and however competitive his spirit.
Yesterday’s lunchtime was well timed, as I caught the end of the Sebastian Korda vs Daniil Medvedev match, where the young American (who probably compares himself against his successful sisters as much as his father) outplayed last year’s finalist with what Tim Henman called controlled aggression. (It makes total sense that Stepanek is his coach.) On the replay, I caught Jessica Pegulia and Iga Swiatek proceeding with very little bother into the fourth round. [Edited by 19/12/25.]
