AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Melbourne, ATP GRAND SLAM

[Moxie]

Baggy's been playing well. He'll give Rafa a good work out.

He does have some things that can trouble Rafa...strong BH, loose style...but it hasn't served him well in the past. I think Rafa will be fine, if he's not as sloppy as he was today. Hopefully he's finding his rhythm.

 

[Moxie]

Quick question: where the heck has Tursonov been? He's playing Stepanek right now, who qualified, and I think DT had a protected ranking, but he had seriously fallen off my radar.

 

[Mastoor]

I don't think Rafa had the hair transplant they were writing about a month ago

 

[Moxie]

Thiem gets through in 4.

 

[britbox]

He does have some things that can trouble Rafa...strong BH, loose style...but it hasn't served him well in the past. I think Rafa will be fine, if he's not as sloppy as he was today. Hopefully he's finding his rhythm.

I don't think Baggy will win by any stretch but he's playing well and should make Rafa work.

 

[britbox]

Novak's chewing Verdasco up for dinner. 5-0 first set.

 

[britbox]

You'll be both disappointed to find Vesely in a truly horrible form.

Looks like it. Monfils up a break in the third... should get Vesely out in 3 straight sets - all comfortable.

 

[Denis]

Zeballos seems to be having a great time out there practicing his return skills with Dr. Ivo.

 

[britbox]

Zeballos seems to be having a great time out there practicing his return skills with Dr. Ivo.

LOL, 15-14 in the fifth? Thought I was misreading...

Your man Djoker looks like he's coasting home now against Verdasco.

 

[britbox]

Novak wraps it up 6/1 7/6 6/2... clinical.

It's going to take something special to wrestle away the crown from this fella. Novak at the AO reminds me of Sampras on grass... cool, inner belief... he's just made for this tournament.

 

[britbox]

Karlovic and Zeballos tied at 17 each in the fifth.

 

[Denis]

LOL, 15-14 in the fifth? Thought I was misreading...

Your man Djoker looks like he's coasting home now against Verdasco.

17-17 now. If Zeballos loses he has a long longhaul flight to another continent in coach to look forward to. The pirks of being a professional tennis player. At least he is making 40 k with this showing.

 

[Denis]

17-17 now. If Zeballos loses he has a long longhaul flight to another continent in coach to look forward to. The pirks of being a professional tennis player. At least he is making 40 k with this showing.

In fact, come to think of it: think of poor Dr. Ivo in coach. Surely he will request some additional leg space?

 

[britbox]

20-20. Thought Dr Ivo had a sniff then but Zeb shut the door. Want Zeb to break him.... not a fan of Dr Ivo's game by any stretch. Send the lanky bastard to coach class.

 

[britbox]

Ivo gets it on second MP... not the result I wanted... but fair play to him coming through the slog. 22-20 in the fifth.

 

[Denis]

And that's a wrap: 22-20 in the fifth for Dr. Ivo. Zeballos dissected and on his way to the airport.

 

[britbox]

Results from the Australian Open Men's Singles Round 1 matches on Tuesday

Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-1 6-4 3-6 7-5
20-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) beat Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 6-7(6) 3-6 7-5 6-2 22-20
2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2
15-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Christopher O'Connell (Australia) 7-6(2) 6-3 6-3
Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat 28-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 7-5 6-3 7-5
Benoit Paire (France) beat Tommy Haas (Germany) 7-6(2) 6-4 0-0 (Haas retired)
6-Gael Monfils (France) beat Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-3 6-2
Ernesto Escobedo (U.S.) beat Daniil Medvedev (Russia) 7-5 4-6 7-6(5) 6-1
Jordan Thompson (Australia) beat Joao Sousa (Portugal) 6-7(2) 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-1
Chung Hyeon (South Korea) beat Renzo Olivo (Argentina) 6-2 6-3 6-2
21-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Omar Jasika (Australia) 6-3 6-0 6-2
Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Borna Coric (Croatia) 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6(7)
Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-2 7-6(1) 6-3
8-Dominic Thiem (Austria) beat Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-3
18-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Blake Mott (Australia) 6-4 6-4 6-2
Andrew Whittington (Australia) beat Adam Pavlasek (Czech Republic) 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-3
Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) beat Taylor Fritz (U.S.) 7-6(6) 7-6(5) 6-3
13-Roberto Bautista (Spain) beat Guido Pella (Argentina) 6-3 6-1 6-1
Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) beat Radu Albot (Moldova) 6-4 7-6(4) 5-7 7-6(8)
Kyle Edmund (Britain) beat Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 6-2 7-5 6-3
9-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Florian Mayer (Germany) 6-3 6-4 6-4
Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-3 3-0 (Youzhny retired)
30-Pablo Carreno (Spain) beat Peter Polansky (Canada) 6-0 3-6 3-6 6-2 3-0 (Polansky retired)
11-David Goffin (Belgium) beat Reilly Opelka (U.S.) 6-4 4-6 6-2 4-6 6-4
Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) beat Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) 6-1 6-7(3) 6-3 6-2
Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) beat Alex Bolt (Australia) 6-4 1-6 6-2 6-4
3-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Dustin Brown (Germany) 6-3 6-4 6-2
Rogerio Dutra Silva (Brazil) beat Jared Donaldson (U.S.) 3-6 0-6 6-1 6-4 6-4
24-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-2 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-2
32-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Nikoloz Basilashvili (Georgia) 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4
Donald Young (U.S.) beat Thomas Fabbiano (Italy) 6-4 7-6(1) 6-4
25-Gilles Simon (France) beat Michael Mmoh (U.S.) 6-1 6-3 6-3

 

[britbox]

 

[britbox]

24-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-2 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-2

 

[britbox]

9-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Florian Mayer (Germany) 6-3 6-4 6-4