2009 Australian Open – Williams sisters, Nadal open up convincingly
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.
Well, Day 2 is in the books and the story from down under is the heat! The players are not only battling each other, they are facing off with the greatest competitor: Mother Nature! You cannot beat her, you must adapt and be prepared for anything. The temperature really got to my girl, Serena Williams. She won convincingly, but didn’t look as comfortable as usual. This isn’t a bad omen though, as Serena tends to get herself going as the tournament progresses. I look for her to get accustomed to the heat very quickly and get those engines roaring at 100%!
Serena’s older sister, Venus, was also in action and she got off to a very good start. She advanced in straight sets and looks primed for a run. Venus is Venus, you know what you are going to get from her. She doesn’t go too fast, and she doesn’t go to slow either; she’s right in the middle. It is just a shame that if Venus and Serena keep winning that they are going to have to play in the semis.
Also winning on the women’s side was Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy student Sabine Lisicki. The young German defeated 30th-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak in straight sets and will now face veteran Sam Stosur in the second round. It is really amazing what Sabine has done over the last year. She came out of the groups of the Academy and has made her way near the top 50. She has the guns to keep winning. and be sure to check my picks to see more about this match.
On the men’s side, the talk is about how bad the American men are doing. Well, James Blake apparently didn’t listen. He opened up with a solid win and his backhand was awesome. He is using his lower body extremely well and is using a little more of a shoulder turn which seems to be helping. His passing shots were excellent and his movement was top-notch. No one is really talking about Blake too much, and maybe that is a good thing. He is a top-ten seed and don’t discount his chances.
Two other guys who spent time at the Academy before the tournament that won are Tommy Haas and Ivo Karlovic. Haas, who grew up at the Academy, spent some quality time with Nick during December and early January and we are all very pleased with his opening round win. Haas may have to face Nadal in the third round if they both win, but he can’t look forward he has to focus on his current opponent. Karlovic also picked up a nice win and will now face a tough second round opponent in Mario Ancic. It’s a shame that everyone doesn’t get to know the type of person that Karlovic is on and off the court. He spent a month here and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. We are all rooting hard for him in the next round!
I can’t finish without talking about Rafael Nadal. I know the Rochus brothers are getting old, but they are still very competitive. Anybody that can beat one of them while only dropping four total games I am very impressed with. Nadal sent a statement to the rest of the field: WATCH OUT!
I am looking forward to Day 3 and stay tuned for more picks!
