Second seed Rafael Nadal got a wake-up call yesterday but title
contenders Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis shone
above the rest, breezing into the Australian Open third round.
Clay court specialist Nadal, who could face world number one
Roger Federer in this year's final, was given a marathon workout by
61st ranked German Philipp Kohlschreiber before putting him away
7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in an evening affair.
"He was a very tough opponent. He served well and returned serve
aggressively," said the Spaniard, who was on court for 3hr 30mins.
"It was a very tough match and a very good test, and it was good to
win."
While Nadal was put through his paces, third seed Nikolay
Davydenko and fifth seed James Blake met with little problems.
With the roofs closed on the main stadia for rain, Clijsters and
Hingis were back in the locker room in no time as they march
onwards towards a quarter-final showdown.
Clijsters, seeded fourth and in her last year on the tour before
retiring to raise a family, ended the hopes of Japan's Akiko
Morigami with a 6-3, 6-0 mauling and will next play Ukrainian Alona
Bondarenko.
Three-time champion Hingis, who has appeared in six finals here,
romped past Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2, 6-2, with the sixth
seed facing Japan's Aiko Nakamura next.
Top seed Sharapova, playing with the roof open after early rain
petered out, enjoyed an equally emphatic victory, breezing past
fellow Russian Anatassia Rodionova 6-0, 6-3 in less than an
hour.
It was in marked contrast to her three set horror match on
Tuesday when she was forced to play in 40C (104F) heat and came
close to bombing out.
"All my brain cells were restored today so I was able to think a
little bit out there, unlike the previous match," she said. "It was
very important to get out there and get off to a good start then
end the match on a good note rather than dragging it out."
Hingis, who won here in 1997, 1998 and 1999, is confident she
will be in the quarter-finals.
"Everybody expects me to get to the quarters, whereas last year
every match was a big win, big victory," she said of the tournament
last year where she was coming back from a three-year injury break.
"I definitely expect that from myself, as well."
Clijsters, the player to beat having won the Champions Challenge
in Hong Kong and the Sydney International in the tournament's
build-up, wasted little energy on Morigami, and said she is playing
well because she is happy.
"I feel good. I think that's it, I'm happy and I think that's
the most important thing," said the 24-year-old, who is marrying US
basketballer Brian Lynch later in the year. "I don't feel like I'm
quite there yet, but I'm definitely moving upwards, and it's a lot
better than I was over the last few months or last year."
Blake, who won the Sydney International last week, upstaged
fellow American Alex Kuznetsov in straight sets as he drives to a
quarter-final match-up with Nadal.
He points to a sturdier backhand and mental strength for solid
form.
"Hopefully, a lot of things have improved, but my backhand
improving has taken away a weakness," he said. "Mentally I feel
like I'm much stronger."
In other matches, Davydenko strolled past Gilles Muller from
Luxembourg 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 while 2005 runner-up Lleyton Hewitt took
four sets to dispose of Canada's Frank Dancevic.
Britain's Andy Murray beat Fernando Verdasco of Spain in
straight sets, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4.
(China Daily via AFP January 19, 2007)