Australian Open tennis 2020

[Jezza]

Good to see Williams out of the tournament.

It means Court's GS record is still protected.

[K]

And your thoughts on Tomljanović, Jezza?

[K]

On the men's side, Millman and Federer are one set apiece. Fed won the second-set tie-breaker (easily). It does feel like that may be the turning point. If Millman had managed to squeak out the second set, it'd have been hard for the old man to come back. Now it feels he's back on track.


Earlier, Raonic beat Tsitsipas. I once told a Canadian that if Raonic won a Grand Slam it'd spell the Death of Tennis. That is still true.

[K]

Millman has drawn level. It's gone to a 5th set!

Will Fed's age be a factor? Or his experience?
Fed's wife looks anxious. L. Hewitt probably looks pumped.


Woodbridge & Courier are in commentary. Better Woodbridge commentating the tennis than the Ashes!

[K]

They have traded breaks in the fifth set.

[K]

Federer wins the 10-point 5th-set tiebreak, coming from 8-4 down.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Williams is out

[Jezza]

Disappointed for Millman. Should have won it in the end

Can't believe how pro-Federer the Rod Laver Arena crowd was last night. Can't stand his smug and arrogant supporters.

[K]

It's hard to imagine him winning the title on this form. Then again, it looks like it's a match-up issue. For some reason, he suits Millman.

[K]

Courier (I hope it really is Courier; I'm just going by voice recognition!) just said that John Isner is a "driver's licence player", not a "passport player". He does well, Jim says, in the US, but not overseas.


The main problem with Isner, in my view, is he has a huge serve and nothing else. It's amazing that a whole rule change, at Grand Slams, no less, was provoked by the deficiencies of a mediocre player.

[K]

Coincidentally, there's an article on Isner by J. Braden, who thinks it's a seasonal thing:

"John Isner Is Usually Cold In January And February

...

The 6-foot-10 American ... routinely starts the season playing much worse than he finishes it. From January through February, from 2008 through 2019, Isner has won an average of 58.3 percent of his matches. Curiously, from March to November, his play improves. In the final nine months of the season, he’s won an average of 62.3 percent of his matches."

[K]

Isner retired, down 4-6 1-4 against Wawrinka.

I don't know if that's what prompted Courier's comments.

[K]

N. Kyrgios & K. Khachanov into a fifth set, after three tie-break sets!

Khachanov is the 16th seed, but I know nothing about him.
Jezza?

[K]

Under-arm serve from Kyrgios.

Courier says he's never seen him try it on a second serve.

I guess it's harder on a second serve, because the returner won't be standing so deep.

[K]

Delicate drop volley from Kyrgios.

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Woodbridge says there've been four victories this week coming back from two sets down.

Already looking ahead to a possible 10-point match tie-break. There have been 8 of those this week.

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Courier says racquet speed is not normally where fatigue becomes apparent. It's leg speed.