Two For One
The Australian Open women’s doubles draw is a field filled with former champions, two sets of sisters and several nationalities.
- There are two sets of sisters among the 64 teams: Venus Williams and Serena Williams, who won Oz Open doubles titles in 2001 and 2003 and Alona Bondarenko and Kateryna Bondarenko
- There are a total of 11 current or former Australian Open singles or doubles champs in the draw: defending champions Cara Black and South African-born Liezel Huber (who now represents the United States and will be considered for a spot on the U.S. Fed Cup team, Fed Cup coach Mary Joe Fernandez said); 2006 champ Amelie Mauresmo, who is partnering Svetlana Kuznetsova, one half of the 2005 championship team with Aussie Alicia Molik (playing with Sania Mirza); 2000 singles winner Lindsay Davenport, who is playing with Daniela Hantuchova; 2004 doubles champion Virginia Ruano Pascual, seeded 10th with partner Anabel Medina Garrigues; the seventh-seeded Chinese team of Yan Zi and Zheng Jie, who claimed the title two years ago; and 2000 winners Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs (Raymond is partnering Francesca Schiavone and Stubbs is teaming with Kveta Peschke)
ESPN’s analysts have been on the ball in recent matches.When the network cut to the third set of the David Nalbandian’s 6-1, 6-1, 7-6(3) victory over Australian wild card Robert Smeets, courtside reporter Luke Jensen noted how a cranky Nalbandian complicated matters in the third set chattering with the chair umpire and bouncing the balls away from the ball kids. That comment prompted Patrick McEnroe to point out his belief that Nalbandian is such a pure ball striker he plays his best tennis in pristine conditions indoors.”His best surface is indoors,” McEnroe said supporting his statement with the fact Nalbandian beat World No. 1 Roger Federer”He’s just not that mentally tough, which at times outdoors you have to be.”Darren Cahill supplied spot-on commentary during the Marcos Baghdatis-Thomas Johansson match pointing out Baghdatis is prone to playing high-risk forehands when forced on the run, but can also produce some sensational shots.”If you stretch him to the forehand side, he will take a big cut at the ball,” Cahill said as if on cue Baghdatis ripped a running forehand.
When a visibly tight Mauresmo blew seven match points then double-faulted twice in succession to squander two more match points against Russia’s Yaroslava Shvedova, McEnroe suggested “She might just want to hit a forehand to get the ball in play here.”
The ensuing 28-shot rally saw Mauresmo scrape a slice backhand that slid over the net eluding Shvedova to finally bring the proceedings to a close.
The TW.com development team is continuing to streamline this site.Some of you have emailed us this week wondering if the daily columns written by Tennis Week Editor-At-Large Richad Evans and the ever-amiable Alix Ramsay vaporize into the ether after one day. In an effort to ensure their columns will enjoy a lifespan at least as long as the Australian Open, we have created an Evans And Alix In Oz landing page where all of their Australian Open articles will remain throughout the tournament. Check it out when you get a chance.
Lastly, congratulates to Vince Spadea, who faced a dire two-set, 4-5 deficit in his first round match before fighting back from the brink of elimination to claim his 300th career win with a 2-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, victory over 30th-seeded Radek Stepanek in the first round.