Halep and Nadal sensationally lost in Melbourne – Chempionat.com

2-day Australian Open. How it was.

Makarova start protecting semifinals

so happened the draw of the Australian Open 2016, that almost all Russians were in the top half of the grid. Only Ekaterina Makarova remained to represent Russia at the bottom of the grid. That’s why we got such different days. On Monday, his eyes ran – the Russians appeared, then one court to the other. On Tuesday, he played a total of three representatives of Russia – Ekaterina Makarova, Andrei Kuznetsov and Dmitry Tursunov .

For Catherine it is quite an important event in terms of protection glasses. And indeed it is traditionally one of its most successful competition. At the Australian Open last year, she was in the semifinals. It is on these courts it beaten Serena Williams . Five consecutive years of Russian woman managed to get out of here in the second week. Last year, shortly after the semi-finals in Australia, she was able to enter for the first time in his career in the top 10. To gain a foothold there, however, it did not happen. At the end of the season, Catherine had a lot of health problems. She missed several important competitions and left the top-20. And now, for her ranking points for last year’s semi-final – a substantial sum, which is very important to protect.

The starting grid for the Russians turned good. In the first round, she played with a special invitation Maddison Inglis . Australia’s recently turned 18 years old. Just last week, she spent her first match at the WTA Hobart, where she lost to Margarita Gasparyan .

Catherine took some time to get into the game. She has not confirmed the first break because of their own mistakes. So about 20 minutes Inglis kept equal, but as soon as Makarova played out, Maddison just seemed unable to keep. Catherine won the last 10 games, and was held for an hour in the second round – 6: 3, 6: 0.

Kuznetsov came on Chardy

Also in the morning the first start of his match held Andrey Kuznetsov . At the start of the season the Russians had already shine in Doha, where he gave battle to Rafael Nadal . The Russian beat him three sets in the quarterfinals of the competition in Qatar and showed very good tennis. Therefore, in Melbourne expectations

Australian Open. Melbourne, Australia. Men. First round

Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) – Ryan Harrison (USA, Q) – 7: 5, 6: 4, 6: 4.

Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) – Fabio Fognini (Italy, 20) – 7: 6 (8: 6), 7: 6 (9: 7), 6: 7 (5: 7), 7: 6 (7: 1).

Jeremy Chardy (France, 30) – Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) – 7: 5, 2: 6, 6: 7 (5: 7), 6: 3, 13:11.

Rajeev Ram (USA) – Kevin Anderson (RSA 11) – 7: 6 (7: 4), 6: 7 (4: 7), 6: 3, 3: 0 – refusal Anderson.

Andy Murray (Great Britain, 2) – Alexander Zverev (Germany) – 6: 1, 6: 2, 6: 3.

Feliciano Lopez (Spain, 18) – Daniel Evans (United Kingdom, Q) 6: 1 6: 0 6 4

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) – Rafael Nadal (Spain, 5) – 7: 6 (8: 6), 4: 6, 3: 6, 7: 6 (7: 4), 6 2.

David Ferrer (Spain, 8) – Peter Goёvchik (Germany, Q) – 6: 4, 6: 4, 6: 2.

Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland, 4) – Dmitry Tursunov (Russia, PR) – 7: 6 (7: 2), 6: 3, – refusal Tursunov.

has been quite high. In the first round he played with the last qualification Ryan Harrison . They at one time played for the juniors, so that should be good to know each other. Transition to adult tennis both went hard. Ryan at one time among the top 50 that Andrew has not yet succeeded, but lately Kuznetsova results still better.

However, the huge advantage he did not have. Each set had to work hard to take his own. At the end of the first set, Andrew began to surpass the opponent in the activity that has helped to win the game before the tie-break. Harrison failed start of the second set, started to get angry at myself and broke a racket. One American break even, but the second is applied to the set Kuznetsov did not give the initiative and safely finish the game. The hardest part came third set. There’s Andrew missed the game at a reception with the six break-points, followed by a small decline. Ryan almost led to a double break, but Andrew just going and won five games in a row – 7: 5, 6: 4, 6: 4.

In the second round Andrei play with Jeremy Chardy , who on Tuesday won the marathon at the Ernest Gulbis. The fifth set of the battle lasted 104 minutes. Lett served for the match with the score 5: 4, but missed his chance, and then Ernest constantly catching up. He held match points from two games, but eventually slipped in the 24th game – 11:13. The game lasted four hours and 44 minutes.

Nadal left Melbourne after the first match

A central meeting of the first round clash between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco . Just seeing this match on the grid after the draw, once could remember their incredible battle in the semifinals of the Australian Open 2009. That match lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes. Then Verdasco came close to achieving the best result of his career, but lost to Rafael. Six years later, it was hard to expect a repetition of the same battle. Still, Fernando has fallen markedly in the rankings and is no longer part of the crop. That’s just the Spaniards again captivated the audience for a few hours.

The meeting immediately took tough, with many lengthy rallies. At first, no one had an obvious advantage. Both had chances in the first game, but it was a little luckier Verdasco, who took the set on a tie-break. Nadal added in the second set. He became a little more active, while continuing to impose lengthy opponent draws. This strategy has worked quite well. Fernando started to make more mistakes, which led to the loss of the second and third parties.

Verdasco managed to turn the game in the fourth set. After the match, he admitted that he noticed that Rafael was playing shorter and began to retreat deeper. Fernando was able to use it. He previously surpassed rival in activity, but with a fourth set of his overweight increased significantly. Although Verdasco had to beat the powerful to overcome national defense. Rafael, of course, in a protective tennis looked good, though much inferior to the best examples of this private tennis. We should also mention reception Fernando, who was the key to success in the end. He took a lot of bleed, often simply he sent the ball deep, allowing to seize the initiative, and sometimes just to win the ball.

However, Verdasco still had to cope with nerves and fatigue. Periodically, it was obvious that Fernando got tired a lot more, however, he found the strength to continue to attack. With excitement it was difficult to handle. In the fourth set, he missed a set point at the reception, and then failed to supply the party. He even appeared in two balls from defeat, but took the time himself. Verdasco won the fourth set on a tiebreak. Before the fifth, he took a break, which initially did not go in his favor. Nadal won two starting gameness deciding set. But as soon as Fernando regained his rhythm, then Nadal could do nothing with opponent attacking combinations. Just a match against Verdasco had accumulated 90 blows right through. At the end of the fifth seeded lost six games in a row – 6: 7, 6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 7, 2: 6. This match lasted 35 minutes less than their marathon in 2009. Rafael only the second time in his career lost in the first round on the “Slam».

Shocking victory over Shuai Halep

After the defeat of Nadal seemed that the match in terms of sensationalism in the first round nothing can surpass, but an hour later we got even more unexpected result. Simona Halep over the past year and a half lost twice on the “helmet” Lucic-Baroni, and once more unable to cope with Chepelovoy. In addition, in the last few months, Romanians had problems with his leg. So Simon currently definitely not one of the

Australian Open. Melbourne, Australia. Women. First round

Ekaterina Makarova (Russia, 21) – Maddison Inglis (Australia, WC) – 6: 3, 6: 0.

Garbin muguruza Spain (3) – Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) – 6: 0, 6: 4.

Johann Comte (UK) – Venus Williams (US 8) – 6: 4, 6: 2.

Elina svitolina (Ukraine, 18) – Victoria Duval (USA, SR) – 6: 2, 6: 3.

Carolina pliskova (Czech Republic, 9) – Kimberly Birrell (Australia, WC) – 6: 4, 6 4.

Ana Ivanovic (Serbia, 20) – Tammy Patterson (Australia, WC) – 6: 2, 6: 3.

Angelique Kerber (Germany, 7) – Misaki Doi (Japan) – 6: 7 (4: 7), 7: 6 (8: 6), 6: 3.

Zhang Shuai (China, Q) – Simona Halep (Romania, 2) – 6: 4, 6: 3.

Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, 14) – Alison Van Eytvank (Belgium) – 6: 0, 6: 0.

the favorites, despite the second number in the rating.

However, in the first round could hardly expect problems Simone, because her opponent was Zhang Shuai . Chinese woman traditionally performed poorly on the “Slam”. In her account of 14 defeats in the first round of 14 tournaments. And for the 14 matches she won only two games.

Halep started the match badly, losing four starting game. Then she gradually began to enter the game, but still gave her with great difficulty. Chinese woman to play a much more active and error she was not so much that it gave Simone usual advantage. The second seeded opponent had almost caught up, but still lost to the first set.

In the second Halep took a break. It seemed that the usual balance of power restored, but it was not for long. Soon Shuai again brought down on rival hail of attacks, and Simone that day found no antidote – 4: 6, 3: 6. She spent quite a weak match, but Zhang played really great. Chinese woman has surpassed rival of shock right through almost three times – 31-11.

Immediately after the match on the platform began to sob coach Shuai. Yes, and she could not stop tennis emotion before the interview after the match. It scored its first victory in the “helmet” and at the same time once beaten second racket of the world. This success means a lot to the 133rd racket of the world. At the end of last season, Zhang thought about retirement, as too much to lose. Halep for the fourth time in the last six tournaments of “Grand Slam” Romanian did not come out in the second week. For tennis players of the top five (and it is constantly there was in this period), it is certainly a weak result.

As for the sensations of smaller caliber, the Venus Williams quite unexpectedly could not cope British women with Johanna Contoy . Venus was not too great ready for this tournament – 4: 6, 2: 6. The American took only 52% scored in the first innings, by the standards of her very badly. By the way, for the 35-year-old Williams, it was the 69th tournament “Grand Slam” in his career, which is only two less than the Amy Frazier , which holds the record for the Open era. Venus finally abandoned the press conference after the match. That’s just it will cost her 20 thousand. Dollars, however, it certainly knew about it, as deliberately missed the press conference is not the first time.

Hardly not followed her Angelica Kerber . German woman with great difficulty beat the Misaki Doi . And in the first and second sets Angelica arose a good advantage, but then it caught up with Japanese. Misaki sixth seeded created a lot of problems with their biting Forehands. And in the tiebreaker of the second set at Doi I had match points, but she was wrong at the reception. At the end of the third set from Kerber had problems with his back, she began to go bad. But at that moment was the Japanese often make mistakes and missed the match in the end.

injury-marred return Tursunov

Dmitry Tursunov in Australia continued their gradual return after a long absence of iz injury. Russian Sam hopes that by the end of the year it is, at least, be able to get close to a hundred. Otherwise, he will think that the next year will not act. Dmitri was playing skills to the “Kremlin Cup-2015″ in Bangkok and challengers this season, but the points were not scored. So the Russians have no rating at all. In Melbourne he got through a secure rating. Total Dmitry will be 12 opportunities to use his protected ranking.

At the Australian Open he certainly had no luck with his rival. His opponent was the start of the tournament, former champion Stan Wawrinka . But Dmitri had the opportunity to play on the second most important court – ISA. And they put the game last run of the evening program. Do the Russians in the asset had a victory over Wawrinka, but it happened eight years ago at a tournament in Sydney, and when the Swiss had a different status, and the Russian was confident player top-50. And now they were on opposite poles.

However, in the first set, the Russians looked really cool, considering how long he has not played at this level. It is good to serve, good move, coolly playing in difficult moments. In the fourth racket of the world was the preponderance of small game, but Tursunov was even at the set point at the reception. Use it did not happen, and the tiebreak Dmitry conceded. Soon the Russians took a medical time-out, because he felt discomfort in the groin area. In the second game, he gave early in pitch and was unable to fight back. But in the third set, he spent only a joke, but then decided to withdraw because of injury.

By the way earlier also because of the injury could not finish his match Kevin Anderson . South African decided to give up the fight in the fourth set against meeting Rajeev Ram . Kevin for the first four seasons did not pass the first round at the “Grand Slam».

A completed game program of the day match Victoria Azarenka and Alison Van Eytvank. The Belarusian has demonstrated an excellent attitude. She was not going to give her rival a single game and in the end did not give – 6: 0, 6: 0. In the second round the former first racket of the world play with Danka Kovinić.

On Wednesday, the meeting will begin the second round. Sharapova will open the program of the day on Centre Court. Also on the courts will Kasatkina, Kuznetsova, Gasparyan Kulichkova, Don, Djokovic, Federer and Serena Williams .