As the opening week of the Australian open comes to a close
the first grand slam of the year is perfectly poised for some more action
packed tennis at the business end of the tournament. So far the competition has
seen 5 set marathons, match deciding controversy and supreme performances.
With half of the men’s quarter finals draw complete the
bottom sees two mouth-watering ties, as Rafael Nadal and Rodger Federer look to
claim back the Australian crown both being overshadowed by Novak Djokovic in
2011. Nadal takes on a dangerous world number 7 in Thomas Berdych while Federer
faces former US open champion Juan Martin Del Potro as the Argentine keeps
improving on return from injury last year. Djokovic himself has been in
dominating form with the loss of just 10 games in his route to the last 16
where he will meet the last Australian in the draw Lleyton Hewitt. Plus Andy
Murray’s brilliant performance against Michel Llodra put him back in the frame;
he plays unseeded Mikhail Kukushkin tomorrow with a potential quarter final
with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday.
The women’s event home hopes rested on Sam Stosur but she
fell at the first hurdle losing her opening match. Today was a repeat of last
year’s final, as Na Li couldn’t convert any of her 4 match points falling to Kim
Clijsters for the second year running. Clijsters will now face top seed Caroline
Wozniacki in the last 8, the Dane seeing off a second set comeback from Jelena
Jankovic. The other quarter pairs Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska who
were both comfortable winners in round 4. The bottom half of the draw Maria
Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Serena Williams all remain to fight for their
quarter final place tomorrow.
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