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By Chris Oddo/ Tuesday, January 14, 2014
With temps hovering around 110 degree, Day 3 of the
Australian Open should be another scorcher. So should these
five matches…
Photo Source: Corleve
Novak Djokovic and Serena
Williams will get a tasted of the stinging Melbourne
sun on Day 3, with Williams playing second in the day session
on Rod Laver Arena and Djokovic following. With temperatures
expected to rise to 106, they’ll be looking to play ruthless
efficient tennis, something we all know each is more than
capable of doing.
But Djokovic and Williams aren’t the only hot-ticket items on
Day 3 in Melbourne. Here’s a look at five second-round matches
we’ll be tuning into:
See the Complete Day 3 Order of
Play Here
Sam Stosur vs. Tsvetana Pironkova, 1st Match, Night
Session
Is it possibly to want something too much? If so, then
Sam Stosur is more than likely guilty of
wanting to make her hometown fans proud of her a tad more than
she should. Stosur has yet to pass the fourth round at the
Australian Open (certainly not for lack of effort), but
wouldn’t it be special if she could make it that far this year,
where she would likely face Serena Williams if
she did?
Stosur did a nice job in the first round, taking out
Klara Zakopalova just a few days after losing
to her in Hobart, playing a tactically sound and patient game
instead of pressing for winners.
The Aussie holds a 3-0 career edge against Pironkova, but the
Bulgarian is fresh off her first career title in Sydney, so
this tilt promises to be a good one.
Sam Querrey vs. Ernests Gulbis, 4th Match, Margaret
Court Arena
Come for the racquet smashing, stay (hopefully) for a desperate
battle between two talented players who are dead set on getting
their 2014 started right. Gulbis has never been past the second
round of the Australian Open, but given that the temperamental
Latvian did not play in Melbourne last year, he’s playing with
house money. Ranked just outside the top 20, a run could take
him to a career-high ranking.
Querrey on the other hand, is under the radar a bit. Once the
top-ranked American, albeit briefly, he’s long been considered
part of the problem for American tennis rather than the
solution. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have oodles of talent
and a heck of a lot to prove.
The two have split their four career matches, with Gulbis
winning the last one, a wild one in Delray Beach, last season.
Tommy Robredo vs. Julien Benneteau, 2nd Match, Court
2
Should be fun to watch these 30-plus-aged, grizzled veterans do
battle for a spot in the third round. Both Robredo and
Benneteau have crafted exceptional careers while spending most
of the time out of the spotlight that follows the game’s elite,
and both have aged like a fine wine, Turning in some of their
most impressive results later in their career.
Robredo, straight off his 5th straight five-set win in the
first round over Lukas Rosol, owns a 3-2 career edge over the
Frenchman.
Zheng Jie vs. Madison Keys, 3rd Match, Court 8
After getting drubbed by Zheng Jie at the 2012 Australian Open,
18-year-old Madison Keys has taken the last two against the
two-time Grand Slam semifinalist. Keys, ranked at a career-high
No. 36 in the world, has never been past the third round at a
Slam, but expectations are high, and if it weren’t for the
stellar and limelight-taking play of Sloane Stephens,
expectations would be even higher for the talented and powerful
youngster.
Zheng, who made her trip to the semifinals in Australia in 2010
(l to J. Henin), comes in at 56, but fresh off an upset of
12th-seeded Roberta Vinci in round one. She’s
30 now, and with her best, trailblazing tennis likely behind
her, but Zheng is still a tricky player to deal with, and a
mightily talented one, too.
Mikhail Youzhny vs. Florian Mayer, 1st Match, Court
8
Why is this match on Court 8? This tilt could easily be a
highlight on one of the three show courts on Day 3, as Youzhny
possesses one of the most classic, entertaining games on the
ATP Tour, and Mayer is a must-see in his own special way.
But Youzhny, seeded 14, is the true attraction here. He’s a
very talented and vastly underrated player in many ways. But
it’s not just his game that is entertaining to see—it’s the
Russian’s style of play. Always attacking and looking to
volley, Youzhny is a throwback, like a player from another era.
Mayer, meanwhile, has one of the most breathtaking jumping
two-handers you’ll ever want to see. Combine that with his
slice-n-diced array of whacky spins and droppers, and you’ve
got a magical, if off-kilter, combo.
Mayer owns a 4-3 record against the Russian, with the last
three going to Mayer and having all gone the distance.
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