David
International 12th Man
AFAIK, yes. You'll be inserted after the Aus Open.
-
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CricketWeb Tennis - Season I
- Thread starter SirBloody Idiot
- Start date
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open Qualifiers (Day Five) - Jan 19- Feb 1 Season I
Australian Open
Day Five - Third Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
CWLand's Sven Oxenstierna went one step closer to becoming the first ever CWLand player to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal with a four set win of Britain's Oscar Highsmith in the third round of the Australian Open at Melbourne. Fresh off victory against 24th seed Václav Zeman, Highsmith started well against the versatile Oxenstierna and broke service twice to take a commanding first set lead. "The Ox" managed to break back once, but it was too late to save the first set as Highsmith took it 6-4. But in a tight second set, it was Oxenstierna who prevailed in a tiebreaker to receive a real boost in confidence heading into the third set. From there the CWLander looked unstoppable as he raced through the third and fourth sets to claim a 4-6 7-6(1) 6-1 6-1 victory.
But the other CWLander Heath Davis saw his open dream come to an end as he dropped out to 23rd seed Illya Altman of Ukraine. Davis stuck very close to Altman for the opening exchanges before dropping the first set 5-7, but hit back in the second to level the match at a set apiece with an equally impressive win in a tiebreaker. But if Davis expected any respite in his powerful service games, he was to be mistaken as Altman again took him the distance before breaking late to go ahead two-sets to one. Davis' draining second round clash against 16th seed Dmitry Orlov seemed to take its toll on the CWLander, as Altman managed to run a tired Davis ragged to claim the match 7-5 6(5)-7 7-5 6-1 to set up a fourth round clash with second seed Rick Henson.
The day wasn't a good one for the Varga brothers as both Zoltan Varga and Janos Varga crashed out just a win away from meeting each other in the third round. Instead, eighth seed Radivoj Daneu will meet the unseeded Atthaphol Sae-ul of Thailand as they took convincing wins over Janos and Zoltan respectively. For Daneu, he barely had to break a sweat in his 6-0 6-2 7-5 win over Janos, whilst Sae-ul was made to work harder against the 18th seed en route to a 7-5 7-5 5-7 7-6(6) nailbiter which could've so easily gone the other way. Round three also saw the elimination of Australia's big hope David Champion as he was edged out in a hard five-set slog against 14th seed Darcy Cowan. Cowan and the 20th seed exchanged sets on two occasions to be level at two sets apiece, before the wonderkid Cowan managed to break the shackles as Champion's serve became more inconsistent and less fearsome - Cowan advancing to a highly anticipated fourth round clash with fourth seed Daniel Páez Blanco with a 7-6(4) 2-6 7-5 2-6 6-2 victory.
Seeds Out: 8-Zoltan Varga (HUN); 18-Janos Varga (HUN); 20-David Champion (AUS)
Australian Open
Day Five - Third Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
CWLand's Sven Oxenstierna went one step closer to becoming the first ever CWLand player to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal with a four set win of Britain's Oscar Highsmith in the third round of the Australian Open at Melbourne. Fresh off victory against 24th seed Václav Zeman, Highsmith started well against the versatile Oxenstierna and broke service twice to take a commanding first set lead. "The Ox" managed to break back once, but it was too late to save the first set as Highsmith took it 6-4. But in a tight second set, it was Oxenstierna who prevailed in a tiebreaker to receive a real boost in confidence heading into the third set. From there the CWLander looked unstoppable as he raced through the third and fourth sets to claim a 4-6 7-6(1) 6-1 6-1 victory.
But the other CWLander Heath Davis saw his open dream come to an end as he dropped out to 23rd seed Illya Altman of Ukraine. Davis stuck very close to Altman for the opening exchanges before dropping the first set 5-7, but hit back in the second to level the match at a set apiece with an equally impressive win in a tiebreaker. But if Davis expected any respite in his powerful service games, he was to be mistaken as Altman again took him the distance before breaking late to go ahead two-sets to one. Davis' draining second round clash against 16th seed Dmitry Orlov seemed to take its toll on the CWLander, as Altman managed to run a tired Davis ragged to claim the match 7-5 6(5)-7 7-5 6-1 to set up a fourth round clash with second seed Rick Henson.
The day wasn't a good one for the Varga brothers as both Zoltan Varga and Janos Varga crashed out just a win away from meeting each other in the third round. Instead, eighth seed Radivoj Daneu will meet the unseeded Atthaphol Sae-ul of Thailand as they took convincing wins over Janos and Zoltan respectively. For Daneu, he barely had to break a sweat in his 6-0 6-2 7-5 win over Janos, whilst Sae-ul was made to work harder against the 18th seed en route to a 7-5 7-5 5-7 7-6(6) nailbiter which could've so easily gone the other way. Round three also saw the elimination of Australia's big hope David Champion as he was edged out in a hard five-set slog against 14th seed Darcy Cowan. Cowan and the 20th seed exchanged sets on two occasions to be level at two sets apiece, before the wonderkid Cowan managed to break the shackles as Champion's serve became more inconsistent and less fearsome - Cowan advancing to a highly anticipated fourth round clash with fourth seed Daniel Páez Blanco with a 7-6(4) 2-6 7-5 2-6 6-2 victory.
Seeds Out: 8-Zoltan Varga (HUN); 18-Janos Varga (HUN); 20-David Champion (AUS)
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Stamina (Y)
Shame about El Heath though.
Shame about El Heath though.
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Really? That's a bonus.
Done much better than could be expected. Maybe I could have done as well as the "Ox" has if I hadn't had such a long five setter in the previous round.
Still, very happy and will be backing Sven from the sidelines.
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Depends on the ATP, really. I've "only" earned 190 ranking points yet, which would rank me around 200 over a whole year - not enough for direct entry - but fairly high (about 20 I guess) - on these four weeks of tennis.
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open Qualifiers (Day Six) - Jan 19- Feb 1 Season I
Australian Open
Day Six - Third Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
In a day free of any real upsets, top seed Jason Hall continued his exceptional form with another straight sets win - this time over Russia's Oleg Puder - in straight sets to set up a fourth round clash with France's Pierre L'Estrange. Hall looked like he never got out of second gear in the first set as he broke the service of Puder just once to claim the first 6-4, but certainly looked in more imposing touch in the next two sets as he conceded just one more game to the Russian to claim a 6-4 6-1 6-0 victory. His fourth round opponent L'Estrange had a little more trouble against the man who knocked out thirteenth seed Carlo Amato, taking a four-set win over the unseeded Wang Li of China. Wang managed to claim the third set off the Frenchman, but it wasn't enough to claim victory as L'Estrange looked in better touch in the other three sets - winning 6-1 6-4 2-6 7-5.
In other third round action Zhijun Sun dropped just one set to the unseeded Almen Benaglio, but will find much stiffer competition in the form of Denmark's Rasmus Olesen as the fourth seed raced through his match against 30th seed Morgan Carter. The Zhijun-Olesen match looms as an exciting prospect for Open organisers, with Zhijun hailed as one of the most talented youngsters in the world. In another exciting prospect, 12th seed Davis Kennedy also faces an intimidating clash against seventh seeded Frenchman Patrick Pascaul. Both men have looked very convincing in their first three matches - both dropping just one set each in their third round wins against Sanchez Emelio and Pat Hewitt respectively. Hewitt followed wildcard Matthew Tobin out of the tournament to eliminate the last of the Australians in just the third round.
Seeds Out: 17-Sanchez Emelio (ESP); 19-Maarten Berg (NED); 30-Morgan Carter (USA).
Australian Open
Day Six - Third Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
In a day free of any real upsets, top seed Jason Hall continued his exceptional form with another straight sets win - this time over Russia's Oleg Puder - in straight sets to set up a fourth round clash with France's Pierre L'Estrange. Hall looked like he never got out of second gear in the first set as he broke the service of Puder just once to claim the first 6-4, but certainly looked in more imposing touch in the next two sets as he conceded just one more game to the Russian to claim a 6-4 6-1 6-0 victory. His fourth round opponent L'Estrange had a little more trouble against the man who knocked out thirteenth seed Carlo Amato, taking a four-set win over the unseeded Wang Li of China. Wang managed to claim the third set off the Frenchman, but it wasn't enough to claim victory as L'Estrange looked in better touch in the other three sets - winning 6-1 6-4 2-6 7-5.
In other third round action Zhijun Sun dropped just one set to the unseeded Almen Benaglio, but will find much stiffer competition in the form of Denmark's Rasmus Olesen as the fourth seed raced through his match against 30th seed Morgan Carter. The Zhijun-Olesen match looms as an exciting prospect for Open organisers, with Zhijun hailed as one of the most talented youngsters in the world. In another exciting prospect, 12th seed Davis Kennedy also faces an intimidating clash against seventh seeded Frenchman Patrick Pascaul. Both men have looked very convincing in their first three matches - both dropping just one set each in their third round wins against Sanchez Emelio and Pat Hewitt respectively. Hewitt followed wildcard Matthew Tobin out of the tournament to eliminate the last of the Australians in just the third round.
Seeds Out: 17-Sanchez Emelio (ESP); 19-Maarten Berg (NED); 30-Morgan Carter (USA).
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open (Day Seven) - Jan 19- Feb 1 Season I
Australian Open
Day Seven - Fourth Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
Finals
Despite a gallant performance, CWLand's Sven Oxenstierna's AO campaign came to an abrupt end in the fourth round at the hands of sixth seed Radek Špidla of the Czech Republic. Oxenstierna looked no match for a dominant Špidla in the opening set as the consistent Czech player breezed through the first set without conceding a set. But Oxenstierna has shown his ability to turn matches around through this tournament, and put himself right back into the hunt with a much more aggressive and all-round better game in the second set which went to a tiebreaker. "The Ox" clinched the second in a tiebreaker and had all the running in the three as he broke Špidla's serve early. But just as an upset loomed, Oxenstierna dropped serve twice to hand Špidla the third set - Špidla advancing to a quarterfinal clash with Illya Altman with a 6-0 6(4)-7 7-5 6-2 win.
But Špidla may feel he has dodged a bullet in the quarterfinals as second speed Rick Henson was knocked out in a straight sets as the Ukrainian 23rd seed Altman looked in rampaging touch. Despite the dominant scoreline in favour of Altman, Henson was right in every set but was broken at crucial times to end the American's tournament in disastrous circumstances. Henson had dropped just one set all tournament, but bowed out with a disappointing performance as Altman looked the best he has all tournament with a 7-5 7-5 6-4 win. Elsewhere, fourth seed Daniel Páez Blanco became the third top five seed to depart as he fell to 18-year old American Darcy Cowan in four sets.
Seeds Out: 2-Rick Henson (USA); 4-Daniel Páez Blanco (ESP).
Australian Open
Day Seven - Fourth Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
Finals
Despite a gallant performance, CWLand's Sven Oxenstierna's AO campaign came to an abrupt end in the fourth round at the hands of sixth seed Radek Špidla of the Czech Republic. Oxenstierna looked no match for a dominant Špidla in the opening set as the consistent Czech player breezed through the first set without conceding a set. But Oxenstierna has shown his ability to turn matches around through this tournament, and put himself right back into the hunt with a much more aggressive and all-round better game in the second set which went to a tiebreaker. "The Ox" clinched the second in a tiebreaker and had all the running in the three as he broke Špidla's serve early. But just as an upset loomed, Oxenstierna dropped serve twice to hand Špidla the third set - Špidla advancing to a quarterfinal clash with Illya Altman with a 6-0 6(4)-7 7-5 6-2 win.
But Špidla may feel he has dodged a bullet in the quarterfinals as second speed Rick Henson was knocked out in a straight sets as the Ukrainian 23rd seed Altman looked in rampaging touch. Despite the dominant scoreline in favour of Altman, Henson was right in every set but was broken at crucial times to end the American's tournament in disastrous circumstances. Henson had dropped just one set all tournament, but bowed out with a disappointing performance as Altman looked the best he has all tournament with a 7-5 7-5 6-4 win. Elsewhere, fourth seed Daniel Páez Blanco became the third top five seed to depart as he fell to 18-year old American Darcy Cowan in four sets.
Seeds Out: 2-Rick Henson (USA); 4-Daniel Páez Blanco (ESP).
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open (Day Eight) - Jan 19- Feb 1 Season I
Australian Open
Day Eight - Fourth Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
Finals
Despite losing his first set of the tournament, top seed Jason Hall stormed into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after a less-than-convincing victory over unseeded Frenchman Pierre L'Estrange. Hall looked to continue his good form early as he easily raced through the first set 6-2, before L'Estrange adopted the ambitious tactic of throwing everything at Hall over the next three sets. It worked well for two of them as he managed to claim the second and only lose the third in a tiebreaker, but soon the unforced errors began to flow as Hall waltzed to a 6-2 4-6 7-6(4) 6-1 victory. Hall's quarterfinal opponent will be Canadian Davis Kennedy who breezed past seventh seed Patrick Pascaul in straight sets. The Frenchman did little to worry his lower ranked opponent as Kennedy sent a warning shot to the American with a 7-6(4) 6-2 6-2 victory.
In the other quarterfinal, fifth seed Rasmus Olesen will face 32nd seed Dwayne Murdoch. Olesen proved too good for China's Zhijun Sun in a much-awaited fourth round clash as the Chinese wonderkid threatened to knock off the Dane. But Zhijun just didn't have enough about him to upset the fifth seed, Olesen romping into the quarterfinals with a convincing 6-2 7-6(5) 6(3)-7 6-4 victory. Elsewhere, the American Murdoch came back from a set down to upset fifteenth seed Matias Tiago of Portugal. The big serving American dropped the first set 6-4, but looked unstoppable from there on as he didn't drop a game on service - firing down fifteen aces. Tiago had no answer for the third American to advance to the quarterfinals, Tiago conceding the match with a double fault and handing Murdoch a 4-6 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3 victory.
Seeds Out: 7-Patrick Pascaul (FRA); 10-Zhijun Sun (CHN); 15-Matias Tiago (POR).
Australian Open
Day Eight - Fourth Round - Melbourne
Seeds
Top Half
Bottom Half
Finals
Despite losing his first set of the tournament, top seed Jason Hall stormed into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after a less-than-convincing victory over unseeded Frenchman Pierre L'Estrange. Hall looked to continue his good form early as he easily raced through the first set 6-2, before L'Estrange adopted the ambitious tactic of throwing everything at Hall over the next three sets. It worked well for two of them as he managed to claim the second and only lose the third in a tiebreaker, but soon the unforced errors began to flow as Hall waltzed to a 6-2 4-6 7-6(4) 6-1 victory. Hall's quarterfinal opponent will be Canadian Davis Kennedy who breezed past seventh seed Patrick Pascaul in straight sets. The Frenchman did little to worry his lower ranked opponent as Kennedy sent a warning shot to the American with a 7-6(4) 6-2 6-2 victory.
In the other quarterfinal, fifth seed Rasmus Olesen will face 32nd seed Dwayne Murdoch. Olesen proved too good for China's Zhijun Sun in a much-awaited fourth round clash as the Chinese wonderkid threatened to knock off the Dane. But Zhijun just didn't have enough about him to upset the fifth seed, Olesen romping into the quarterfinals with a convincing 6-2 7-6(5) 6(3)-7 6-4 victory. Elsewhere, the American Murdoch came back from a set down to upset fifteenth seed Matias Tiago of Portugal. The big serving American dropped the first set 6-4, but looked unstoppable from there on as he didn't drop a game on service - firing down fifteen aces. Tiago had no answer for the third American to advance to the quarterfinals, Tiago conceding the match with a double fault and handing Murdoch a 4-6 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3 victory.
Seeds Out: 7-Patrick Pascaul (FRA); 10-Zhijun Sun (CHN); 15-Matias Tiago (POR).
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Ah well, no unseeded player got further than me. Decent work, even though I should have taken that third set.
'mon Olesen.
'mon Olesen.
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open (Day Nine) - Jan 19- Feb 1 Season I
Australian Open
Day Nine - Quarterfinals - Melbourne
Seeds
Finals
18-year old American Darcy Cowan has booked a spot in his first Grand Slam semifinal with a hard-fought five-set victory over eighth seed Radivoj Daneu. Down two-sets to one, Cowan rallied to hit back at the Serbian to a claim a massive victory in emphatic style. The two men looked evenly matched which made for a thrilling encounter of shifting momentum - the eighth seed getting the best of his opponent early by breaking in the fifth game of the opening set to take a 3-2 lead. From there, Daneu looked untroubled as he claimed the first set 6-4 - only for the talented youngster to fight back in the second in a dominant display. But Daneu again managed to hit form to overcome the disappointment of the second set, as he broke Cowan's serve early in the set. It was enough to give him the confidence to edge ahead by a set again to go close to a Grand Slam semifinal. But after nailing the fourth set tiebreaker, Cowan came into the decider with an abundance of confidence to seal a semifinal berth with a brilliant 4-6 6-2 4-6 7-6(2) 6-3 victory.
But Cowan will face another huge opponent in the form of Radek Špidla - the Czech sixth seed coming back from a set down to knock off Illya Altman. Altman took a huge upset victory over second seed Rick Henson in the fourth round, and looked to continue his good form in the first set as he claimed it 7-5 with a break in the penultimate game. But Altman lost the sting that had been in his tail as Špidla gained in confidence by breaking very early in the second set. The Ukrainian managed to stick close to his higher ranked opponent, but the class of Špidla shone through in the third and fourth sets - breaking late on both occasions to seal a confident 7-5 4-6 7-5 7-5 win.
Seeds Out: 8-Radivoj Daneu (SRB); 23-Illya Altman (UKR).
Australian Open
Day Nine - Quarterfinals - Melbourne
Seeds
Finals
18-year old American Darcy Cowan has booked a spot in his first Grand Slam semifinal with a hard-fought five-set victory over eighth seed Radivoj Daneu. Down two-sets to one, Cowan rallied to hit back at the Serbian to a claim a massive victory in emphatic style. The two men looked evenly matched which made for a thrilling encounter of shifting momentum - the eighth seed getting the best of his opponent early by breaking in the fifth game of the opening set to take a 3-2 lead. From there, Daneu looked untroubled as he claimed the first set 6-4 - only for the talented youngster to fight back in the second in a dominant display. But Daneu again managed to hit form to overcome the disappointment of the second set, as he broke Cowan's serve early in the set. It was enough to give him the confidence to edge ahead by a set again to go close to a Grand Slam semifinal. But after nailing the fourth set tiebreaker, Cowan came into the decider with an abundance of confidence to seal a semifinal berth with a brilliant 4-6 6-2 4-6 7-6(2) 6-3 victory.
But Cowan will face another huge opponent in the form of Radek Špidla - the Czech sixth seed coming back from a set down to knock off Illya Altman. Altman took a huge upset victory over second seed Rick Henson in the fourth round, and looked to continue his good form in the first set as he claimed it 7-5 with a break in the penultimate game. But Altman lost the sting that had been in his tail as Špidla gained in confidence by breaking very early in the second set. The Ukrainian managed to stick close to his higher ranked opponent, but the class of Špidla shone through in the third and fourth sets - breaking late on both occasions to seal a confident 7-5 4-6 7-5 7-5 win.
Seeds Out: 8-Radivoj Daneu (SRB); 23-Illya Altman (UKR).
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open (Day Ten) - Jan 19- Feb 1 Season I
Australian Open
Day Ten - Quarterfinals - Melbourne
Seeds
Finals
Few surprises awaited those in attendance in the second batch of quarterfinals at Melbourne Park as both favourites took unsurprising victories over lower ranked opponents. In the first quarterfinal, world number one Jason Hall advanced in straight sets over tenth seed Davis Kennedy to book his spot in the semifinals. Kennedy looked little match for Hall who was in awesome touch, delivering a three-set thumping to the Canadian as the Melbourne crowd watched on in awe at the American's supreme ability. Hall claimed the first set in a surprisingly close tussle, only managing to break the serve of Kennedy in the tenth game of the set to seal it. But from there the Canadian tenth seed had absolutely no answer to the world No.1 - Hall prevailing with an academic 6-4 6-0 6-2 victory.
In the other quarterfinal, Rasmus Olesen faced tougher opposition in the form of big-serving Dwayne Murdoch of the United States. Murdoch's service was on in the first set as he really put the pressure on the fifth seeded Olesen - claiming the opening set 7-5. But Murdoch's inability to force the issue around the court came back to cost him dearly as Olesen rallied in the second set to finally find a way to break the service of the 32nd seed. The service break was enough to help him even the match at a set apiece, but he wasn't finished there as he continued to get the better of his 6'6" opponent who slowly began to diminish in confidence. Whilst Murdoch managed to stick close to his Danish opponent in the fourth set and force it to a tiebreaker, the fifth seed eventually prevailed 5-7 6-4 6-4 7-6(5) to set up a mouth-watering semifinal clash with the world number one.
Seeds Out: 10-Davis Kennedy (CAN); 32-Dwayne Murdoch (USA).
Australian Open
Day Ten - Quarterfinals - Melbourne
Seeds
Finals
Few surprises awaited those in attendance in the second batch of quarterfinals at Melbourne Park as both favourites took unsurprising victories over lower ranked opponents. In the first quarterfinal, world number one Jason Hall advanced in straight sets over tenth seed Davis Kennedy to book his spot in the semifinals. Kennedy looked little match for Hall who was in awesome touch, delivering a three-set thumping to the Canadian as the Melbourne crowd watched on in awe at the American's supreme ability. Hall claimed the first set in a surprisingly close tussle, only managing to break the serve of Kennedy in the tenth game of the set to seal it. But from there the Canadian tenth seed had absolutely no answer to the world No.1 - Hall prevailing with an academic 6-4 6-0 6-2 victory.
In the other quarterfinal, Rasmus Olesen faced tougher opposition in the form of big-serving Dwayne Murdoch of the United States. Murdoch's service was on in the first set as he really put the pressure on the fifth seeded Olesen - claiming the opening set 7-5. But Murdoch's inability to force the issue around the court came back to cost him dearly as Olesen rallied in the second set to finally find a way to break the service of the 32nd seed. The service break was enough to help him even the match at a set apiece, but he wasn't finished there as he continued to get the better of his 6'6" opponent who slowly began to diminish in confidence. Whilst Murdoch managed to stick close to his Danish opponent in the fourth set and force it to a tiebreaker, the fifth seed eventually prevailed 5-7 6-4 6-4 7-6(5) to set up a mouth-watering semifinal clash with the world number one.
Seeds Out: 10-Davis Kennedy (CAN); 32-Dwayne Murdoch (USA).
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open (Day Twelve) - Jan 19- Feb 1 Season I
Australian Open
Day Twelve - Semifinals - Melbourne
Seeds
Finals
Jason Hall has unsurprisingly advanced to the first ever Grand Slam final with a convincing four-set victory over fifth seeded Dane Rasmus Olesen in Melbourne. Despite dropping just his second set for the tournament, Hall was too strong for the eccentric fifth seed as he prevailed 6-1 6-4 5-7 6-1. The so-called "Sultan of Scandinavia" looked in ordinary touch in the first set as he managed to just win one game on his own service as Hall looked to be cruising. But steady improvements from the 30-year old gave many hope of a contest - but those hopes were quickly extinguished as an overzealous forehand went well-wide to hand Hall the break and the second set 6-4. But "The Sultan" struck back in the third in a tight tussle to break the normally impenetrable service of Hall in the middle of the third set - holding on to claim it 7-5 and move within striking distance of the world number one. However it was never enough for the fifth seed as Hall found his range and raced through the fourth set 6-1 to seal a convincing victory and a spot in the final.
His opponent is the man some call the biggest server in world tennis - Radek Špidla. Špidla surprised everyone as he managed a four-set victory over highly rated American youngster Darcy Cowan - his usually lethargic playing style seemingly abandoning him for this tournament as he has put in a number of very impressive performances. The warning bells sounded early for Cowan as the Czech giant looked motivated enough to put in a real effort around the court and rely on more than just his power - taking the first 6-2. The ever-competitive Cowan managed to stick close to the world number six in the second set as he worked tirelessly to break the searing serve of Špidla and level the match at a set each. But every time Cowan looked like imposing himself on the match, he fell victim to the scything power of the Czech 24-year old who continually had the crowd excited by his power plays. It seemed only fitting that he would seal the match with an ace - booking a meeting with Jason Hall in the final following an impressive 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-5 win.
Seeds Out: 5-Rasmus Olesen (DEN); 14-Darcy Cowan (USA).
Australian Open
Day Twelve - Semifinals - Melbourne
Seeds
Finals
Jason Hall has unsurprisingly advanced to the first ever Grand Slam final with a convincing four-set victory over fifth seeded Dane Rasmus Olesen in Melbourne. Despite dropping just his second set for the tournament, Hall was too strong for the eccentric fifth seed as he prevailed 6-1 6-4 5-7 6-1. The so-called "Sultan of Scandinavia" looked in ordinary touch in the first set as he managed to just win one game on his own service as Hall looked to be cruising. But steady improvements from the 30-year old gave many hope of a contest - but those hopes were quickly extinguished as an overzealous forehand went well-wide to hand Hall the break and the second set 6-4. But "The Sultan" struck back in the third in a tight tussle to break the normally impenetrable service of Hall in the middle of the third set - holding on to claim it 7-5 and move within striking distance of the world number one. However it was never enough for the fifth seed as Hall found his range and raced through the fourth set 6-1 to seal a convincing victory and a spot in the final.
His opponent is the man some call the biggest server in world tennis - Radek Špidla. Špidla surprised everyone as he managed a four-set victory over highly rated American youngster Darcy Cowan - his usually lethargic playing style seemingly abandoning him for this tournament as he has put in a number of very impressive performances. The warning bells sounded early for Cowan as the Czech giant looked motivated enough to put in a real effort around the court and rely on more than just his power - taking the first 6-2. The ever-competitive Cowan managed to stick close to the world number six in the second set as he worked tirelessly to break the searing serve of Špidla and level the match at a set each. But every time Cowan looked like imposing himself on the match, he fell victim to the scything power of the Czech 24-year old who continually had the crowd excited by his power plays. It seemed only fitting that he would seal the match with an ace - booking a meeting with Jason Hall in the final following an impressive 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-5 win.
Seeds Out: 5-Rasmus Olesen (DEN); 14-Darcy Cowan (USA).
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Australian Open Final Preview
----
CWBetting Odds
Head to Head:
HALL Jason - $1.28
ŠPIDLA Radek - $3.00
1st Set Winner:
HALL Jason - $1.80
ŠPIDLA Radek - $2.20
Sets Betting:
HALL Jason 3-0: $2.90
HALL Jason 3-1: $2.10
HALL Jason 3-2: $4.30
ŠPIDLA Radek 3-0: $12.10
ŠPIDLA Radek 3-1: $6.50
ŠPIDLA Radek 3-2: $4.90
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Rooting for Spidla here. "The Ox" could then rightly say that he only lost to the eventual winner.
I've bet $50 on Spidla to win this one.
I've bet $50 on Spidla to win this one.
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
I predict that this will be both Hall's and Spidla's first 5 setter of their careers.
Hall has been the most impressive, losing only 1 set this tournament and having played two matches against higher ranked opponent's then what the Czech has had to play against.
Still.. It's the first Grand Slam event and I reckon it'll be a ripper, so I'm betting:
HALL Jason 3-2: $4.30
Hall has been the most impressive, losing only 1 set this tournament and having played two matches against higher ranked opponent's then what the Czech has had to play against.
Still.. It's the first Grand Slam event and I reckon it'll be a ripper, so I'm betting:
HALL Jason 3-2: $4.30