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 2005
Australian Open
- Day #14
Jan. 30, 2005
The 100th of the Australian Open may not have been
marked with a home grown champion but for those not
born in the place known as ‘the Lucky Country’,
there was still plenty to celebrate in Marat Safin’s
1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Lleyton Hewitt..
lll
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DAY 13 - Jan.
29, 2005
Most
of the 15,000 people packed into the Rod
Laver Arena will want to forget the Australian
Open women's final and certainly Lindsay
Davenport will not have it at the top of
her list of most memorable afternoons. But
for one, over-excited 23 year old, it was
a moment to treasure. Serena Williams won
her seventh grand slam title - and her first
for 18 months - with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win
over Davenport and she was absolutely delighted.
It was a truly dreadful match but Williams
did not care. ///
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DAY 12 - Jan.
28, 2005
Lleyton
Hewitt doesn’t smile very often, at
least not when people are watching, but
there was no hiding his delight at becoming
the first Australian to make the Australian
Open final since Pat Cash in 1988.
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DAY 11 - Jan.
27, 2005
Revenge
is sweet. It is also exhausting. After taking
a pasting from Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon
final and having to accept an injury-induced
defeat from the Russian at the WTA Tour
Championships, Serena Williams finally got
her own back. It took 2hrs 39mins mind you,
and it was touch and go all the way through
to the latter stages of the third set, but
Williams reached the final of the Australian
Open, beating Sharapova 2-6, 7-5, 8-6.
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DAY 10 - Jan.
26, 2005
It
was the match that had everything - drama,
heat, suspect line calls and, above all,
two competitors giving it their all in front
of a partisan crowd. ///
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DAY 9 - Jan.
25, 2005
"He
just said he enjoyed playing against me
and hopes that happens more. I said: That
makes one of us." At least Andre Agassi
still had a sense of humor after his 6-3,
6-4, 6-4 pummeling at the hands of Roger
Federer. The old boy had done his best,
better than he has done for some time, and
yet he was still left trailing in Federer's
wake as the Swiss reached the semi finals
of the Australian Open. ///
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DAY 8 - Jan.
24, 2005
The
Rod Laver Arena was treated to a sight it
has seen many times before, but which never
loses its appeal – Lleyton Hewitt
in full flight.
Flight? Or should that be fight?
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DAY 7 - Jan.
23, 2005
On
Tuesday night we will see at first hand
the differences between Roger Federer and
Andre Agassi as they square up to each other
in the Australian Open quarter final. But
for those of you who cannot wait - Agassi
has a few tips on how to tell them apart.
"He has hairier legs," the great
man said. Well, that's sorted that then.
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DAY 6 - Jan.
22, 2005
Lleyton
Hewitt may be the centre of attention at
this year’s Australian Open but he
will have to share the limelight if his
friend and countrywoman Alicia Molik can
beat Venus Williams in the their fourth
round clash. ///
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DAY 5 - Jan.
21, 2005
The
great thing about women's tennis is that
you always know where you are. It's the
first week of a grand slam and nothing has
happened. No change there, then. Those who
ought to win have won and those who have
no place being here have left the building
quietly and with little fuss. From time
to time there has been a moment of anxiety
- a set dropped carelessly here and there
- but it has not lasted. If the girls keep
this up, the second week should be a corker.
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DAY 4 - Jan.
20, 2005
For
two sets James Blake had the hopes and dreams
of Australia on the tip of his racket as
he threatened to end Lleyton Hewitt’s
2005 Australian Open when it had barely
begun. ///
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DAY 3 - Jan.
19, 2005
Sisterly
love can only go so far. Serena Williams
may play doubles with her sister, she may
practice with her sister, she may joke,
shop and giggle with her sister, she may
even share a room with her sister but every
now and then Venus gets on her nerves. It
is something to do with all that talent
and her irritating habit of hitting flashy
winners out of nothing. So from time to
time Serena takes matters into her own hands.
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DAY 2 - Jan.
18, 2005
Andy
Roddick had barely sat down in his post-match
press conference after beating Irakli Labadze
7-5, 6-2, 6-1 when our very own Bud Collins,
the doyen of American writers, asked him
the question everyone has been itching to
ask since Roddick arrived in Melbourne.
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DAY 1 - Jan.
17, 2005
Welcome
to the Australian Open sponsored by Medicaid.
As the great and the good dropped like flies
before the event started - Jennifer Capriati,
Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters
to name but a few - the health of those
well enough to make the trip is a major
source of discussion. ///
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TENNIS LIFE EXCLUSIVE - SPADEA
RAPS
A friend of Tennis Life, ATP player Vince
Spadea, send a person rap message.
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