Australian Open Day 6: Saturday, Jan 18 - Order of Play

[tented]

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Click here for the Day 6 Order of Play

(All matches, on all courts, are listed in order to give you a feel for when everything will begin and end.)

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Please use this thread to discuss Day 6 action.

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I've added TV schedules for live coverage in the US, Canada, the UK, continental Europe, and Australia.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Some tasty matches. Simon vs. Tsonga is a good contrast of styles. Gabashvili can get hot and make it interesting against Roger (not that the outcome is in doubt...I hope), and Murray vs. Lopez is probably the match-up I'm looking forward to the most. You'd think that on this sort of surface, Andy takes him to the woodshed but his form has been quite shaky. I still expect him to win, and perhaps easily, but that's what makes it interesting, as it will be very telling one way or another.

I really like Raonic vs. Dimitrov too, and of course, Nadal vs. Monfils as the main event will cap off a REALLY good day for a 3rd round. Not bad.

 

[Goldenboy]

Knew Rafa would be the night match, now that Rafa-Del Potro is no longer a possibility in the QF.

Federer-Tsonga and Federer-Murray will undoubtedly be the two night matches for Round 4 and the QF.

 

[Denis]

Knew Rafa would be the night match, now that Rafa-Del Potro is no longer a possibility in the QF.

Federer-Tsonga and Federer-Murray will undoubtedly be the two night matches for Round 4 and the QF.

You're getting ahead of yourself. Federer is not beating Tsonga.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Knew Rafa would be the night match, now that Rafa-Del Potro is no longer a possibility in the QF.

Federer-Tsonga and Federer-Murray will undoubtedly be the two night matches for Round 4 and the QF.

You're getting ahead of yourself. Federer is not beating Tsonga.

I have it 50/50 at the moment. If Tsonga serves at his best, I think he wins, because Roger's return is poor these days and I don't trust him to not have a bad service games. However, I do think people are oddly ignoring how streaky, patchy and at times flaky Tsonga is.

 

[DarthFed]

We will see if next match influences anything. If Roger looks bad out there today you can forget about it. I know "every match is a new match" but the normal pattern now is if he looks bad in a tournament yet survives (against weaker competition) he will not kick out of it when he plays someone good.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Some tasty matches. Simon vs. Tsonga is a good contrast of styles. Gabashvili can get hot and make it interesting against Roger (not that the outcome is in doubt...I hope), and Murray vs. Lopez is probably the match-up I'm looking forward to the most. You'd think that on this sort of surface, Andy takes him to the woodshed but his form has been quite shaky. I still expect him to win, and perhaps easily, but that's what makes it interesting, as it will be very telling one way or another.

I really like Raonic vs. Dimitrov too, and of course, Nadal vs. Monfils as the main event will cap off a REALLY good day for a 3rd round. Not bad.

Murray's Mom hates that match-up...

 

[Denis]

Tsonga looked pretty good. I was surprised. The heat did not affect him at all, despite him always looking so out of shape (fat).

 

[britbox]

A few need to be a bit more pragmatic about Federer and also judge some of the other players in the field by the same lofty standards by which they hold Federer to account.

Roger's vulnerable? Certainly. He's past his best, coming out of the worst year of his career in memory, trying out a new racquet and has made coaching changes.

What are his chances of winning the AO? Pretty slim.

Trust me when I say Tsonga's are even slimmer.

 

[DarthFed]

A few need to be a bit more pragmatic about Federer and also judge some of the other players in the field by the same lofty standards by which they hold Federer to account.

Roger's vulnerable? Certainly. He's past his best, coming out of the worst year of his career in memory, trying out a new racquet and has made coaching changes.

What are his chances of winning the AO? Pretty slim.

Trust me when I say Tsonga's are even slimmer.

Good post, and it is for that reason that I want to see him play Tsonga and then hopefully Murray if Roger beats Tsonga. Let's see where Roger's at. He isn't winning this tournament but beating those 2 could go a long way to returning to good form for tournaments that he would have a chance in.

If Tsonga beats Roger even an out of form Murray will take him out. Slimmer chances indeed.

 

[Denis]

A few need to be a bit more pragmatic about Federer and also judge some of the other players in the field by the same lofty standards by which they hold Federer to account.

Roger's vulnerable? Certainly. He's past his best, coming out of the worst year of his career in memory, trying out a new racquet and has made coaching changes.

What are his chances of winning the AO? Pretty slim.

Trust me when I say Tsonga's are even slimmer.

What are you trying to say here? Tsonga will lose to Federer if they meet?

 

[Goldenboy]

Getting a little bit more nervous about Rafa's match. Dearly wish it was a round or two later. As it is he has only played 4 sets of tennis, and Monfils looks motivated. If Rafa starts slowly and has a bad returning day, it could get very difficult.

As always with Rafa nowadays, the key is the second set. The last time Rafa lost a match when he won the second set was against Verdasco in Madrid 2012 (blue clay). Before that we have to go to Tsonga at WTF 2011 and Roger at WTF 2010.

 

[Denis]

Getting a little bit more nervous about Rafa's match. Dearly wish it was a round or two later. As it is he has only played 4 sets of tennis, and Monfils looks motivated. If Rafa starts slowly and has a bad returning day, it could get very difficult.

As always with Rafa nowadays, the key is the second set. The last time Rafa lost a match when he won the second set was against Verdasco in Madrid 2012 (blue clay). Before that we have to go to Tsonga at WTF 2011 and Roger at WTF 2010.

Those are some nice statistics, but Rafa generally doesn't lose many matches so I don't think it can be pinned down to a particular set. I also really doubt that Monfils is motivated. He might be motivated to entertain the crowd, yes, but I don't know about whether he is motivated to win.

 

[Goldenboy]

Getting a little bit more nervous about Rafa's match. Dearly wish it was a round or two later. As it is he has only played 4 sets of tennis, and Monfils looks motivated. If Rafa starts slowly and has a bad returning day, it could get very difficult.

As always with Rafa nowadays, the key is the second set. The last time Rafa lost a match when he won the second set was against Verdasco in Madrid 2012 (blue clay). Before that we have to go to Tsonga at WTF 2011 and Roger at WTF 2010.

Those are some nice statistics, but Rafa generally doesn't lose many matches so I don't think it can be pinned down to a particular set. I also really doubt that Monfils is motivated. He might be motivated to entertain the crowd, yes, but I don't know about whether he is motivated to win.

Rafa lost 15 matches in 2011, 6 in 2012 and 7 in 2013. So out of a total of 28 lost matches, he won the second set in just two of them (and one was on blue clay).

I think you can be justified in saying that its almost impossible to beat Rafa unless you win the second set. Obviously there will be exceptions every now and then.

 

[brokenshoelace]

A few need to be a bit more pragmatic about Federer and also judge some of the other players in the field by the same lofty standards by which they hold Federer to account.

Roger's vulnerable? Certainly. He's past his best, coming out of the worst year of his career in memory, trying out a new racquet and has made coaching changes.

What are his chances of winning the AO? Pretty slim.

Trust me when I say Tsonga's are even slimmer.

What are you trying to say here? Tsonga will lose to Federer if they meet?

I don't get why you think this is some outrageous possibility Denis...

 

[brokenshoelace]

Getting a little bit more nervous about Rafa's match. Dearly wish it was a round or two later. As it is he has only played 4 sets of tennis, and Monfils looks motivated. If Rafa starts slowly and has a bad returning day, it could get very difficult.

As always with Rafa nowadays, the key is the second set. The last time Rafa lost a match when he won the second set was against Verdasco in Madrid 2012 (blue clay). Before that we have to go to Tsonga at WTF 2011 and Roger at WTF 2010.

Those are some nice statistics, but Rafa generally doesn't lose many matches so I don't think it can be pinned down to a particular set. I also really doubt that Monfils is motivated. He might be motivated to entertain the crowd, yes, but I don't know about whether he is motivated to win.

Rafa lost 15 matches in 2011, 6 in 2012 and 7 in 2013. So out of a total of 28 lost matches, he won the second set in just two of them (and one was on blue clay).

I think you can be justified in saying that its almost impossible to beat Rafa unless you win the second set. Obviously there will be exceptions every now and then.

Isn't the first set an even bigger indicator then? Nadal has only ever lost 2 Grand Slam matches after winning the first set. Against Ferrer at the US Open in 2007, and against Novak in the 2012 AO final.

 

[Goldenboy]

Getting a little bit more nervous about Rafa's match. Dearly wish it was a round or two later. As it is he has only played 4 sets of tennis, and Monfils looks motivated. If Rafa starts slowly and has a bad returning day, it could get very difficult.

As always with Rafa nowadays, the key is the second set. The last time Rafa lost a match when he won the second set was against Verdasco in Madrid 2012 (blue clay). Before that we have to go to Tsonga at WTF 2011 and Roger at WTF 2010.

Those are some nice statistics, but Rafa generally doesn't lose many matches so I don't think it can be pinned down to a particular set. I also really doubt that Monfils is motivated. He might be motivated to entertain the crowd, yes, but I don't know about whether he is motivated to win.

Rafa lost 15 matches in 2011, 6 in 2012 and 7 in 2013. So out of a total of 28 lost matches, he won the second set in just two of them (and one was on blue clay).

I think you can be justified in saying that its almost impossible to beat Rafa unless you win the second set. Obviously there will be exceptions every now and then.

Isn't the first set an even bigger indicator then? Nadal has only ever lost 2 Grand Slam matches after winning the first set. Against Ferrer at the US Open in 2007, and against Novak in the 2012 AO final.

It pains me to do it, but I have to add Wimbledon 2012 R2 to your list.

Undoubtedly the first set is a massive indicator with Rafa in slams, and it probably outranks the second set trend present in the last few years. I put as much store in the recent second set trend as it includes all matches, not just slams.

Good stuff. If Rafa can win one of the first two sets tomorrow I will feel a lot more secure :clap

 

[sid]

Guys why does Andy play on Hisense & Roger on Rod Laver should the better Ranked tennis player be on the main court?

 

[Denis]

A few need to be a bit more pragmatic about Federer and also judge some of the other players in the field by the same lofty standards by which they hold Federer to account.

Roger's vulnerable? Certainly. He's past his best, coming out of the worst year of his career in memory, trying out a new racquet and has made coaching changes.

What are his chances of winning the AO? Pretty slim.

Trust me when I say Tsonga's are even slimmer.

What are you trying to say here? Tsonga will lose to Federer if they meet?

I don't get why you think this is some outrageous possibility Denis...

I don't think that it is an outrageous possibility that Federer will beat Tsonga. I just don't get what BB is implying when he is saying that Tsonga's chances to win the AO are slimmer than those of Feds. There are a LOT of things that come into the equation here, not least the zero-chance possibility of Federer beating Nadal. I'd give Tsonga a slim chance in that respect.

 

[Denis]

Guys why does Andy play on Hisense & Roger on Rod Laver should the better Ranked tennis player be on the main court?

You should tell that to Serena Williams :snigger

Seriously though, Federer is a 4-time champ here. Murray has never won the AO.