GERMAN BOMBS, SERBIAN SLUMP: Serbia (Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic) and Germany (Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic and Sabine Lisicki) lost all of their seeded players in the women’s first round.
TOPPLING SEEDS: Eleven of the women’s seeds lost in the first round, tying a record—the same amount fell in the first round of WImbledon in 2002 and the 2004 French Open. No. 5 seed Ana Ivanovic had the earliest Aussie Open exit by a top 5 seed since 2003.
TOPPLING WORLDS: When the often thoughtful Andrea Petkovic was asked to reflect on the recent Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, the worldly German said, “It was quite shocking [especially] for us Europeans. There were the [terror] attacks in London and in Madrid, but this was something [else]. Because the way it happened was the worst, I would say.
Being so close—three hours by train from where I live—it was really scary. I was here [in Australia] but I have friends who have been exposed to terrorism. I just feel like the world is in a really bad place now and I don’t feel we should be reacting with violence. That’s just my humble opinion, but obviously I am not in any position to make any comments on it. I am just a lowly tennis player.”
When asked if she thought we were caught in a cycle of violence, she replied, “Yeah, that’s what I feel. Obviously, there are people who know much more about this than I do … I just feel there is an attack, then another attack, and it just swirls and keeps growing and growing. It’s really a dangerous place to live right now, this world. It’s scary and maybe terrifying, and we just have to sort of live in the moment and enjoy each moment, anytime, any place.
A GOOD DAY FOR AMERICA: Although American Sam Querrey was defeated by Canadian Vasek Popisil, Dennis Kudla lost a heartbreaker to Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, Taylor Townsend again fell to former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens was again beaten by Victoria Azarenka, there was many a good American result today. John Isner, who in the last two years has not gotten beyond the first round in Australia, downed Jimmy Wang. USC product Steve Johnson beat Brit Kyle Edmund. Wildcard Irina Falconi came back to beat Kaia Kanepi 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 and Madison Keys, Madison Brengle and the Williams sisters all advanced. All this prompted Keys to say, “I’m just so glad I’m in a presser and someone said, ‘It’s been a good day for Americans.’”
THE BEST DAY FOR MADISON SINCE 1812?: During the War of 1812, we are told, First Lady Dolley Madison heroically intervened at the White House as the Brits were approaching our capitol. That was great. But today, two American ladies named Madison, i.e. Madison Keys and Madison Brengle, scored wins. BTW: The name spiked in popularity after the 1984 movie Splash, despite the fact that Tom Hank’s character at first protested, “But Madison isn’t a name!”
SAY IT ISN’T SO: Tennis up-and-comer Madison Keys had not heard of World Series hero Madison Bumgarner.
CURIOUS QUESTIONS: Li Na, who is retired and due with her first child, was asked, ‘Will [your husband] Dennis be changing diapers with you?’ … A reporter asked Taylor Townsend, “In light of Serena Williams drinking a cup of coffee during a change over, do you know what you can you order on court? Can you order a pizza or a Netflix movie?”
THE LI NA QUESTION NO REPORTER DARED TO ASK: “Hey Na, will you consider coming out of retirement so our press conferences will again be hilarious?”
GIVING NEW MEANING TO THE PHRASE ‘OLD HAND’: After teen Taylor Townsend told the media that she had been inspired by the great hands of her coach Zina Garrison, reporters heard Garrison (who is 51 ) mumble from the back of the press room, “Old hands.”
OMG—THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES: Roger Federer double faulted twice in one game. He also conceded that the recent crisis in Swiss currency was troubling and would greatly effect him. But, not to worry, Forbes recently ranked him and Tiger Woods as the wealthiest athletes in the world.
BRIGHT, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL: Serena Williams neon green (or was that yellow?) outfit with pink accents, showcased her broad back and drew raves both from fans and players such as Victoria Azarenka and Genie Bouchard. After her easy victory, Serena showed off the outfit with an awkward twirl and then explained, “That’s why I am not a model.” Roger Federer went neon, with a bright yellow/green outfit.
TRUE GRIT: Madison Brengle, 24, is a skin cancer survivor.
LI’S BEST AND WORST: When IT asked Li Na to choose the best and worst moments of her career, she said her best was reaching the 2011 Aussie Open final. “I lose,” she said, “in the final, [but it was] the first time I really feel I can get the trophy. Bad things right after the [2011] French Open. I think I use the half year to stand up again. But I like the experience. Yeah.”
QUOTEBOOK:
“[Because] I’m a little crazy.”—Caroline Wozniacki on why she ran the New York marathon
“The king is the kid tonight.”—Melbourne’s Channel 7 on the victory of 18 year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis over no.11 seed Ernests Gulbis.
“If I had to choose between a third Wimbledon title and the number one ranking, I would choose Wimbledon.”—Petra Kvitova
“It helps, obviously.”—Lleyton Hewitt, on getting though the first round.
THE SHORT AND LONG OF IT: Plenty of players have gone from long hair to much shorter hairdos: think Federer, Borg, Hewitt and,of course, Agassi. But who else but Rafa Nadal has gone from long pirate pants to short shorts?
HITTING HARD, ALWAYS INTERESTING AND NOW IN THE TOP 100: Taylor Townsend looked good—fitter and even more aggressive—as she went down for the second time this year to Caroline Wozniacki. Townsend, now in the top 100, is both appealing and a bit unconventional—she’s from the rust belt, and is a lefty serve and volleyer.
SLOANE’S SLUMP: Once sizzling-hot Sloane Stephens injured her wrist in September and then changed coaches and went back to Nick Saviano (Genie Bouchard’s mentor throughout her rise last year). Stephens, who is 2-3 this year, was philosophical about her loss to No. 44 Vika Azarenka: [“I’ve got a] long way to go and I’m obviously disappointed that I lost today, but if I dwell on this in the [next] 25 tournaments I’m going to play this year, I’m probably going to suck too.” BTW: At last year’s US Open, John Isner lost to Germany’s Philip Kohlschreiber for the third straight time in third round. Now Sloane has lost to Vika for the third straight year at the Aussie Open, winning a grand total of five games each time—in increasingly earlier rounds.
TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL: John McEnroe called Stephens “a prima donna.”
THE WISDOM OF THE PACK: Wisconsin’s Tim Smyczek said he has learned a lot from being a Green Bay Packer fan.
BOUCHARD REVELATION: Genie Bouchard said the Genie’s Army chant she likes the most is “Go Genie—Hot, Hot, Hot!”
BOUCHARD ACCUSATION: Bouchard said her fellow Canadian Milos Raonic worries too much about his hair. When asked about her own worries, she hesitated and then said she worries about clothes and shopping.
AS FIERCE AS EVER: This is Lleyton Hewitt’s 19th straight Aussie Open. He prevailed in a first-round match that was a lot easier than his most memorable Aussie Open night battle: his 2008 victory over Marcos Baghdatis, which ended at 4:51 AM. As for Lleyton’s many injuries, Aussie Chanel 7 said, “Much of Hewitt has gone wrong over the years.”
RACKET ABUSERS: Nick Kyrgios bashed his racket Monday before finally prevailing. Andrea Petkovic smashed her frame during a loss to Madison Brengle.
FLORAL COMMENTARY OF THE DAY: Broadcaster Richard Williams said all the sunflowers in Melbourne, would have made [artist Vincent] Van Gogh very happy.”
KOKKY TALK: Armed with a dynamic game, hipster hair, and a neon sherbet-colored outfit, 18-year-old 6’5″ Aussie teen sensation Thanasi Kokkinakis won the most dramatic men’s first round match, fighting off four match points and making use of a ridiculously-close line challenge to dispatch the ever mercurial Ernests Gulbis before a rowdy and loud home crowd. Kokkinakis, whose last name has inspired a colorful variety of nicknames and puns, trained for the second time with Roger Federer during Federer’s pre-season in Dubai. Both he and fellow member of the “Special Ks” Nick Kyrgios advanced in five sets.
TODD MARTIN IS ALIVE AND WELL: When he won Wimbledon, Pat Cash scampered up to the Friends Box and hugged his ‘peeps.’ A tradition was born. After a huge night win over Carlos Moya at the US Open’s Grandstand Court, Todd Martin ran around the stands (in the best tradition of Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken Jr.) and offered repeated high-fives to his adoring New York fans. Similarly, after his upset victory over Ernests Gulbis, Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis ran around the court in a fit of ecstatic high-fives. Speaking of Moya, when he became No. 1 in the world after a win in Indian Wells, he put his arms around his team and they did a circular group dance for the ages.
CHARACTER FLAWS: Two of the greatest characters in the men’s game—Ernests Gulbis and Fabio Fognini—were dismissed in the first round.
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW? Aside from the US Open, Grand Slams seem to relish not putting Serena Williams on their center courts.
US CZECH UP: On the women’s side, the US and Czech Republic make up almost 30 percent of the remaining players in the draw. Twelve Americans and eight Czech players reached the second round.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED: A couple of first-round victories by Aussies proved the value of persistence—Jarmila Gadjisova scored her first Aussie Open win in a decade, and Marinko Matosevic had his first taste of success in six tries.
A SET OUT THE WINDOW: In the Italian showdown between Flavia Pennetta and Camila Giorgi, the two players combined for a losing set’s worth of double faults: 24. Giorgi, who served 16, won the match.
—Additional reporting by Lucia Hoffman
