Weeks 3-4 - Australian Open (men's)

steven · Tennis legend

Weeks 3-4 - Australian Open (men's)

steven · Tennis legend

Andy's potential route to the title:

R1: Soeda
R2: Qualifier (Q v Q match)
R3: (26) López
R4: (13) Isner / (21) Kohli
QF: (6) Fed / (10) Tsonga
SF: (1) Rafa
FI: (2) Nole

Quite a 2nd week in prospect if they all get there. Ferrer's quarter is very weak, and not just because he's the top 4 seed in it.

-- Edited by steven on Friday 10th of January 2014 12:21:25 AM

Spectator · All-time great

Oh my. But they're good matches to start off with. Would have been far more worried if he'd had the kind of draws that are in the Nadal quarter: Tomic, Sisling, Monfils as your predicted first three rounds? Ouch!

-- Edited by Spectator on Friday 10th of January 2014 12:22:06 AM

philwrig · Hall of fame

I think the 1st week is probably more important than the 2nd week at this stage, probably unrealistic to expect Andy to challenge this year.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I'm just happy to see him back, we'll just have to see whether it was too soon or not.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Fo we get any television coverage of this?

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Thats a pretty good draw up to the QFs really.

Helen40, the beeb are promising one semi final and the final and its Eurosport who have the earlier matches.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Andy's back, and confidence in it, are the obviously the key issues but it's nice to see that he hasn't got a horrid draw. I think he's going to have a comfortable week.

Nadal v Tomic is a round one from heaven for the TV organisers, really looking forward to it, and to seeing the other 'Greekish' Aussie youngsters. Good luck to Leyton too, another good match for the TV guys. Simon v Brands will also be an interesting R1 of opposing styles.

Tennis36 · Masters Series Champion

Don't know why people berating the second week draw , rather face fed in quarters than Stan Delpo or berdych for sure ! And probably best play nadal in semis than final ! Still thou, not expecting big things from Andy, taking one round as it comes

Bright Spark · Lower Club Player

Round 2 could be tricky, an in form player being very match fit, though obviously one step at a time for Andy at the moment

indiana · Tennis legend

I tend to agree with Tennis36 re the second week. I'm not so sure that Fed or Tsonga is so bad, and Andy had to be due to face Nadal or Djokovic either way round, and if Andy was in shape to go all the way I certainly wouldn't see Nadal first as worse.

All rather tinged, of course, by the fact that we're not sure what Andy we'll have. But he does seem to have an agreeable opportunity to play his way in anyway.

Spectator · All-time great

The potential R2 opponents are Vincent Millot (WR 268) and Wayne Odesnik. While no match is a given and all opponents deserve respect, one couldn't really ask for much more.

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

indiana wrote:
I tend to agree with Tennis36 re the second week. I'm not so sure that Fed or Tsonga is so bad, and Andy had to be due to face Nadal or Djokovic either way round, and if Andy was in shape to go all the way I certainly wouldn't see Nadal first as worse.

All rather tinged, of course, by the fact that we're not sure what Andy we'll have. But he does seem to have an agreeable opportunity to play his way in anyway.

I don't see Andy's QF and beyond draw as bad, it's just that I am trying to manage my own expectations with regards to his tournament!! I'm somewhat concerned that Andy has come out and said he has little confidence that he can win it this time - that's not the kind of comment I've come to expect from him, and whilst I'm almost certainly reading far too much into it the impression I get is that maybe he is still suffering the inevitable dip in motivation after achieving his life long ambition. Obviously I'd love him to win this year but I think it might actually be better for him in the long term to lose a tight match against someone like Tsonga in the QFs and fire himself up to wanting it badly enough again.

I know the back is a concern as well, but I don't believe he would be playing at all if he wasn't fit enough to do so - there is no reason why he should and I've never seen Andy in the past as one to take unnecessary risks with his health. Maybe that's unfair of me and his back is not at 100% and that's why he seems to have lost his competitive edge rather than my reading of the situation but either way, we go into this Grand Slam with me at my least confident that Andy will get to the second week let alone go deep.

Spectator · All-time great

Just looked at the weather forecast for the next ten days for Melbourne. May pose certain challenges - perhaps even more serious in 2nd week, which after a blisteringly hot first week, is actually quite cool. Cool weather not great for backs.

philwrig · Hall of fame

The last time Andy played in this heat at the Aussie Open a certain Verdasco took him out, when he might have actually been favourite to win the whole thing.
Rustiness and huge heat problem may mean tonight's match may be more problematical than 1st thought.