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1ST ROUND MATCHES (SELECTIONS IN BOLD)
Andy Roddick USA (1) vs.
Fernando Gonzalez CHI
- They've played four sets for four
breakers winning two each, but it's hard to go past the Yank. When you are
holding serve at 91% it takes a lot of pressure off the rest of your game and as
he proved here last year, he likes the confines of the relatively windless
centre court. Is believed to have "painful bruising" of the foot, so there is
some uncertainty. Gonzo's only lead-up however, a loss to Sluiter in Auckland, does not do
anything to inspire.
Fernando Verdasco ESP vs. Taylor
Dent USA (27)
- I get the feeling that Verdasco has
not quite regained the form that saw him do well on the U.S. hardcourts last
year. Still, he qualified here and remains a danger. Dent did not look all that
comfortable at Kooyong last week, but this should be relatively straight
forward.
Kenneth Carlsen DEN vs. Sjeng
Schalken NED (16)
- The journeyman Carlsen got through
a tricky qualifying draw and is not out of this by a long way. Schalken had a
few wins early before posting losses to Moya and Nadal and it must be noted, is
an appalling 3-8 here - clearly his worst grand slam record. The
match-fit Dane will need to be firing on all cylinders but don't write him out
of this.
Nicolas Massu CHI (12) vs. Jarkko
Nieminen FIN
- First round losses to Ljubicic and
Reid don't reveal a lot about the hard-working Chilean's form but he looks to
have his work cut out today. Nieminen made the semis in Adelaide before an upset
loss to Santoro in Auckland. Surface should suit both so expect quite a lengthy
encounter here.
Anthony Dupuis FRA vs. Todd Martin
USA
- A couple of veterans go at it here.
Not sure how much the American has left in the tank, but I certainly don't
believe that he'll have things all his own way in this one. Martin posted an
early loss to Spadea in Auckland and has looked rusty in practice here. The only
uncertainty surrounds the Frenchman's fitness - he retired from an Auckland
qualifying match last week (reason unknown - well done ATP!).
Ivo Karlovic CRO vs. Mardy Fish
USA (21)
- The big serving Croatian has made a
very indifferent start to the year. He was competitive against Arthurs, but a
sharp loss to Larkham at Sydney quallies does not read well. Fish looked rusty
in a first round loss to Clement in Sydney, but he will be better for the run
and must be favoured to take out this one with relative ease.
Olivier Patience FRA vs. Igor
Andreev RUS
- The young Russian plays his first
Grand Slam match up against the French qualifier in just his second. The up and
coming Andreev beat the likes of Ljubicic, Schalken and Mirnyi indoors late last
year and then took Srichaphan to a breaker in the Chennai quarters a fortnight
ago, so he is in some form. Patience has the match fitness at Melbourne Park,
but his recent hardcourt record is not as convincing. A 2-0 head-to-head record
(both in '03 albeit on clay) in Andreev's favour is also significant.
James Blake USA vs. Carlos
Moya ESP (7)
- Moya
won't play this one.
Andre Agassi USA (4) vs. Todd
Larkham AUS
- Larkham has won a few games of late
by getting the ball back into court, but as we all know, you need to do a little
more than that if you are a chance against Agassi. Most interest will be
surrounding the anticipated commentary from Johnny Mac (if he is in town yet!).
Gustavo Kuerten BRA (19) vs.
John van Lottum NED
- Guga's 5-7 record here represents
his worst Slam, but he should be safe today. A loss to the in-form Hrbaty in the
Auckland semis is nothing to raise too much concern, but it must be said he did
suffer somewhat of a crisis in confidence late last year.
Dmitry Tursunov RUS vs. Ivan
Ljubicic CRO
- The promising Russian-American
started the year off well with a tight loss to the in-form Robredo in Chennai.
Few will forgot his excellent form at when reaching the round of 32 at the US
Open last year. Ljubicic is just 2-4 here, but has started the year very well
with a runner-up to Escude in Doha. He can run very hot and cold, but has
impressed on the practice court here.
Jerome Golmard FRA vs. Albert
Portas ESP
- The all too frequently injury-prone
Frenchman breezed through the quallies here. He faces Portas, who looks to have
all but given up on playing on hardcourts. He produced some decent results on
clay towards the end of last year but this looks beyond him.
Jose Acasuso ARG vs. Paradorn
Srichaphan THA (13)
- The Thai suffered a tight loss to
Robredo last week in Sydney but looks to have drawn well here. Having said that,
his go for broke hit or miss style is always a concern. Acasuso is suited by the
slower surface but still lacks a weapon to cause any trouble here.
Sebastien Grosjean FRA (9) vs.
Mikhail Youzhny RUS
- The Frenchman, who owns a very
solid record here, regrouped at Kooyong last week with a win over Johansson
after being blown off the court by Agassi in his opening match. Youzhny is 7-3
in Melbourne, defeating Novak and stretching Roddick to five last year, so he
clearly finds conditions to his liking. Having said that, it's hard to see past
the class edge.
Jan-Michael Gambill USA vs.
Gregory Carraz FRA
- Losses to Soderling and Sanchez
does not represent anything to write home about on Gambill's (1-5 here) behalf.
Carraz meanwhile, has an injury concern from Auckland (ret. vs Nadal) after
posting impressive wins over Beck and Santoro.
Dominik Hrbaty SVK vs. Flavio Saretta
BRA
- A 9-0
start to the year from the Slovak represents hot form in anyone's book. Saretta
elected to play a hardcourt challenger at home as his preparation for this,
perhaps suggesting that he is not too confident about improving his 0-2 record
here.
Gaston Gaudio ARG vs.
Tommy Robredo
ESP (20)
-
Gaudio was consistent if not highly impressive towards the end of last year.
Except for a terrible loss to Moya in the Sydney, Robredo has started the year
in excellent form. May not be the one-sided match some are predicting.
Robby Ginepri USA (32) vs. Luis Horna
PER
- Horna
has looked to be in better form than his results - losses to Dent and
Kohlschreiber - suggest. His 1-5 slam record is of concern. Ginepri came good
towards the end of the Kooyong exhibition and should have too much, but don't
write off the Peruvian.
Chris Guccione AUS vs. Alun Jones AUS
- Tough
to go past the big-serving Guccione on his most recent results. Jones has
defeated the lefty before and performed well on these courts in wildcard
playoffs, so this looks like one to avoid for mine.
Robin Soderling SWE vs.
Rainer
Schuettler GER (6)
- Not
the easiest first round encounter for the German who has lost his first two
matches of the year. Soderling came good last year, but these courts are a
little slow and high bouncing for his optimal conditions.
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