Tweet
Do we teach strokes like the one in the clip
below by Gilles Simon ?-where is balance here?
I have tried to copy a picture but it did NOT work.Sorry
The text of the article below
----->
Gonzalez Knocks Out Hewitt; Simon Advances
© AFP/Getty Images
In a first round clash between past Australian Open finalists, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez (pictured) got the better of Lleyton Hewitt 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Tuesday at Rod Laver Arena. Gonzalez also won their last previous meeting, two years ago en route to his runner-up finish at the year's first Grand Slam tournament (l. to Federer).
Tournament Profile | Photo Gallery
After trading breaks of serve early in the fifth set, the 13th-seeded Gonzalez took the lead for good as he broke 2005 finalist Hewitt to go up 4-2. He served out the match in three hours and seven minutes, posting his fourth win in six career meetings against the Aussie.
"I knew it was going to be tough against Lleyton," said Gonzalez. "He's a great player, a great competitor. This was the first official match of the year. So I'm happy the way that I did it, and a little bit tired. But it's fine now."
It was the third time in the past four years that Hewitt had played a five-set match in the first round and he slipped to a career 27-12 five-sets record, while Gonzalez improved to a 13-11 mark.
It marked the first time in seven years, and the third time in 13 event appearances, that Hewitt lost in the Australian Open first round. It was also the first time since the 2000 Australian Open that the two-time ATP World Tour Champion entered a Grand Slam tournament unseeded, having dropped outside the Top 50 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings on account of a hip injury suffered last March.
“In hindsight, when you haven't had the matches, haven't played five sets for quite a while, you're always going to be fighting it a little bit,” said Hewitt. “In terms of that I think it's a good springboard for the rest of the year. I would have still liked to go a bit further in the tournament.
“He's (Gonzalez) a tough player to play against for anyone, even the best guys like Roger, Rafa, those guys, purely because he wants to play on his terms. He's always going be the guy trying to dictate play. If he's able to dictate play, then he's extremely tough to beat. He's a dangerous floater.”
Hewitt's countryman, Chris Guccione, made his way safely into the second round as he defeated Frenchman Nicolas Devilder 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours. The 23 year old, who is making his sixth event appearance at his hometown tournament, previously reached the second round on his event debut in 2004 (l. to Ginepri).
Watch live coverage, highlights, interviews and features at Australian Open TV
Guccione will meet sixth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon (pictured), who advanced with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Spaniard Pablo Andujar. The 24-year-old Simon enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2008, winning three ATP World Tour tennis titles and reaching the Tennis Masters Cup semi-finals. His best result in Melbourne has been third round finishes in 2006 (l. to Johannson) and '08 (l. to Nadal).
Simon said about his off-season preparation: "I just tried to be a little bit more aggressive. I've not always managed to do it on the court. Even today when I had to play from my baseline in the first set I was just playing three meters behind my baseline. But finally in the second and third set, I was playing really better and I was very offensive."
Simon’s compatriot and 12th seed Gael Monfils made comfortable progress into the second round with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello. Despite committing 49 unforced errors, the 22-year-old Monfils – who is one of seven former boys’ champions in the main draw - broke serve eight times to progress in two hours and 26 minutes. The Paris native, who reached the third round in 2007, will next meet Austrian Stefan Koubek - who defeated Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Elsewhere, Spanish No. 17 seed Nicolas Almagro prevailed in a five set battle 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3 against Chilean Nicolas Massu to set up a second round clash with Italian Fabio Fognini - who knocked out Andrey Golubev 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-2.
Fernando Verdasco, the No. 14 seed from Spain, dropped just four games as he raced into the second round for a fifth straight year. The 25-year-old Spanish Davis Cup hero defeated World No. 129 Adrian Mannarino 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. The Madrileno reached his seventh ATP World Tour final at Brisbane at the start of the season, but finished runner-up to Radek Stepanek.
DEUCE: Verdasco Joins Cast Of Heroes
below by Gilles Simon ?-where is balance here?
I have tried to copy a picture but it did NOT work.Sorry
The text of the article below
----->
Gonzalez Knocks Out Hewitt; Simon Advances
© AFP/Getty Images
In a first round clash between past Australian Open finalists, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez (pictured) got the better of Lleyton Hewitt 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Tuesday at Rod Laver Arena. Gonzalez also won their last previous meeting, two years ago en route to his runner-up finish at the year's first Grand Slam tournament (l. to Federer).
Tournament Profile | Photo Gallery
After trading breaks of serve early in the fifth set, the 13th-seeded Gonzalez took the lead for good as he broke 2005 finalist Hewitt to go up 4-2. He served out the match in three hours and seven minutes, posting his fourth win in six career meetings against the Aussie.
"I knew it was going to be tough against Lleyton," said Gonzalez. "He's a great player, a great competitor. This was the first official match of the year. So I'm happy the way that I did it, and a little bit tired. But it's fine now."
It was the third time in the past four years that Hewitt had played a five-set match in the first round and he slipped to a career 27-12 five-sets record, while Gonzalez improved to a 13-11 mark.
It marked the first time in seven years, and the third time in 13 event appearances, that Hewitt lost in the Australian Open first round. It was also the first time since the 2000 Australian Open that the two-time ATP World Tour Champion entered a Grand Slam tournament unseeded, having dropped outside the Top 50 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings on account of a hip injury suffered last March.
“In hindsight, when you haven't had the matches, haven't played five sets for quite a while, you're always going to be fighting it a little bit,” said Hewitt. “In terms of that I think it's a good springboard for the rest of the year. I would have still liked to go a bit further in the tournament.
“He's (Gonzalez) a tough player to play against for anyone, even the best guys like Roger, Rafa, those guys, purely because he wants to play on his terms. He's always going be the guy trying to dictate play. If he's able to dictate play, then he's extremely tough to beat. He's a dangerous floater.”
Hewitt's countryman, Chris Guccione, made his way safely into the second round as he defeated Frenchman Nicolas Devilder 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours. The 23 year old, who is making his sixth event appearance at his hometown tournament, previously reached the second round on his event debut in 2004 (l. to Ginepri).
Watch live coverage, highlights, interviews and features at Australian Open TV
Guccione will meet sixth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon (pictured), who advanced with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Spaniard Pablo Andujar. The 24-year-old Simon enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2008, winning three ATP World Tour tennis titles and reaching the Tennis Masters Cup semi-finals. His best result in Melbourne has been third round finishes in 2006 (l. to Johannson) and '08 (l. to Nadal).
Simon said about his off-season preparation: "I just tried to be a little bit more aggressive. I've not always managed to do it on the court. Even today when I had to play from my baseline in the first set I was just playing three meters behind my baseline. But finally in the second and third set, I was playing really better and I was very offensive."
Simon’s compatriot and 12th seed Gael Monfils made comfortable progress into the second round with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello. Despite committing 49 unforced errors, the 22-year-old Monfils – who is one of seven former boys’ champions in the main draw - broke serve eight times to progress in two hours and 26 minutes. The Paris native, who reached the third round in 2007, will next meet Austrian Stefan Koubek - who defeated Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Elsewhere, Spanish No. 17 seed Nicolas Almagro prevailed in a five set battle 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3 against Chilean Nicolas Massu to set up a second round clash with Italian Fabio Fognini - who knocked out Andrey Golubev 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-2.
Fernando Verdasco, the No. 14 seed from Spain, dropped just four games as he raced into the second round for a fifth straight year. The 25-year-old Spanish Davis Cup hero defeated World No. 129 Adrian Mannarino 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. The Madrileno reached his seventh ATP World Tour final at Brisbane at the start of the season, but finished runner-up to Radek Stepanek.
DEUCE: Verdasco Joins Cast Of Heroes
Comment