2009 Australian Open – Nick’s Picks – Men’s Singles Round 1
Once again, Nick’s Picks along with Tennis Week will bring you in-depth coverage of the Australian Open. Check back everyday for insight leading up to the Open and then throughout.
Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Christophe Rochus (BEL)
For the first time in his career, Nadal is the top seed of the Australian Open. His best finish came last year when he reached the semis before falling to Tsonga, and you would have to think that anything short of that in 2009 would be considered a disappointment. I will be very interested to see how Nadal looks in this match.
Rochus is a fun guy to watch. He stands at only 5’7″ and moves around the court like a road runner! He is currently ranked #75 in the world, but has been as high as #38. His beat appearance down under came all the way back in 2000, when he reached the fourth round.
The Match-Up:
This will be the first career meeting between Nadal and Rochus. It’s nice to see a guy like Rochus, at the age of 30, still going strong. Like I said before, he is so quick around the court, but as you get older this is one part of your game that you lose. I will be watching this match to see how Nadal is moving around the court and challenging balls, because I think this will give us a good indicator of how he is feeling and how he will play throughout the tournament. Rochus certainly doesn’t have the guns to compete with Nadal, but this will be an interesting match to keep your eye on.
Nick’s Pick – Nadal in 3 sets
Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs. Diego Junqueira (ARG)
Gasquet comes into the tournament ranked #25 in the world, which is way down from his career high of #7. The last two years he has faired well here, reaching the fourth round on both accounts. He could use a big tournament to help get back into the top 20.
Junqueira is a 28-year old Argentinean lefty who is ranked a career high of #76 in the world. This will only be his second main draw Grand Slam appearance, and his first at the Aussie Open. Last year he qualified for the French Open and reached the second round before falling to Ivan Ljubicic.
The Match-Up:
This will be the first career meeting between Gasquet and Junqueira. What a great opportunity this is for Junquiera to make a name for himself. He is a relative unknown at this point, but if he could pick up an upset that can certainly change overnight. However, defeating Gasquet is no easy task, especially with the way the ball bounces in Australia. For some time now, we have heard how good Gasquet is going to be and he has never been able to put it together and reach the finals of a Grand Slam. Now, some of the other French guys have passed him up in the rankings (Monfils, Simon, Tsonga) and that has to motivate him to get back to the top. I look for Gasquet to come out and play a strong match and make a statement.
Nick’s Pick – Gasquet in 3 sets
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) vs. Mischa Zverev (GER)
Del Potro comes into the tournament ranked #9 in the world, and for the first time he is a top-ten seed in a Grand Slam. How he follows up a great 2008 season is going to be one of the most interesting story lines of 2009. Can he continue on that success, or take a step backwards?
Zverev is a 21-year old German that is currently ranked #80 in the world. He is a tough competitor and in 2008 he reached the quarterfinals of two tournaments. This is someone to watch out for in the next couple of years.
The Match-Up:
This is the first career meeting between these two young talents, and should be a good one. Zverev is a lefty, and they are always tricky to play against so Del Potro will have to be ready for that. The big story about Del Potro is his energy. I liken his run in 2008 to a big F-18 that was firing on all cylinders and then one of the engines goes out. For a while there, Del Potro was unbeatable, but then it looked like he tired out and just couldn’t go anymore. He needs to manage his playing schedule a bit more closely this year and that will help him maintain his mental focus. For this match, I believe Del Potro just has too many weapons for Zverev and that will be the difference.
Nick’s Pick – Del Potro in 4 sets
Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Andreas Seppi (ITA)
Federer doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone, but if could start the year by winning this tournament that would certainly be a big boost to his confidence. He needs a solid start here, and a good win over a talented player would definitely be that.
Seppi is a 24-year old Italian that is ranked #34 in the world. He is a big boy, 6’3″, and plays like it. This is his fourth Australian Open, and he has never been past the second round.
The Match-Up:
Federer is 3-0 against Seppi, and just beat him a couple of weeks ago in Doha 6-3, 6-3. Like Nadal, all eyes will be on Federer, looking to see how he is moving and where he is mentally. I really like Federer’s chances at winning this tournament, and having just beat Seppi recently will definitely help him out.
Nick’s Pick – Federer in 3 sets
Other matches of interest:
Here are some of the other matches that I will be keeping my eye on during the first round.
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (ARG) – This is quite the first round match! I will be looking to see how Gonzalez plays without Larry Stefanki by his side. That is a compelling story line to me. Hewitt has been hut as of late and without a doubt will have the crowd behind him. This is a must see match!
Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs. Jurgen Melzer (AUT) – We hope Nishikori’s arm is feeling better, because it caused him to pull out of a tournament last week. This is a big chance for Kei to continue his climb up the rankings and the entire Academy will be rooting him on! Watch out though, because Melzer is one heck of a competitor.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Juan Monaco (ARG) – This is another excellent first round match. Can Tsonga find the magic that worked for him in 2008? I sure hope so, because he has a lot of points to defend!
Sam Querrey (USA) vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) – I’m looking for Querrey to have a big year, and I think he is one of the best young Americans we have. He just reached the finals last week and is playing excellent tennis.
Juan Carlos Ferrero vs. Fabrice Santoro (FRA) – Here is a great match between two veterans. I’m sad to here that Santoro is retiring this year, and I will be following him closely throughout 2009!
Marat Safin (RUS) vs. Ivan Navarro (ESP) – The fun thing about Safin is that you never know what the heck is going to happen!! He is a former champion here and the crowd loves him. He is one of my favorite guys to watch and I without a doubt I’ll be watching this one.
