2019 Australian Open...ATP 2000...Melbourne, Australia

[don_budge]

Roger defeated former cocaine addict Dan Evans who has never quite regained form since his 12 month ban.

Often referred to as "The Devil's Lady" cocaine is a sign that you have too much money according to the late Robin Williams. Good to see Daniel Evans kick the habit and participating in more health endeavours. There are quite a few top level tennis players who have indulged in the "Bolivian Marching Powder" and none of them will testify that they are better off for it. Daniel sums it up pretty darn well...its a life ruiner.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/apr/27/dan-evans-cocaine-life-ruiner-tennis-ban-return

[stotty]

Thiem has just gone two sets down to Popyrin. If only Thiem could volley, this might never have happened.

[stroke]

Very tough loss for Stan and very big win for Milos. Broken record, but the Raonic serve to me is the best one I have ever seen. Stan won 156 total points in match vs 144 for Milos.

[stroke]

Business Insider: Roger Federer has 15 near-perfect qualities but 2 glaring weaknesses, according to a tennis research group.

https://www.businessinsider.com/roger-federer-has-2-glaring-weaknesses-2019-1

Interesting article

[stroke]

Zverev shows a lot of maturity in a 5 set win over a tough Chardy. Alex was up 2 sets and lost the next 2 sets very closely before winning the 5th, fitness being a big part of it. Good sign for Alex.

[stotty]

Zverev shows a lot of maturity in a 5 set win over a tough Chardy. Alex was up 2 sets and lost the next 2 sets very closely before winning the 5th, fitness being a big part of it. Good sign for Alex.

It was good to get through that one. But like McEnroe says, a big part of winning grand slams is being efficient, especially in the earlier rounds. Zverev hasn't ticked that box yet.

Djokovic coasted through what was potentially a tricky match against Tsonga. Djokovic plays so well behind his serve. Unlike Zverev, Djokovic is very efficient.

[don_budge]

Slow going thus far. Waiting for that long 5 set high quality match that wakes the tourney up. Berdych has lost just 15 games thus far going into round 3. Looking real good.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Tomas Berdych continues to look good too. He beats a bona fide tough little hombre in "Little" Diego Schwartzman. He took his time doing it this time...he lost 19 games and a set to boot. But no matter...Tomas is our first hope and line of defence against the Spanish Imposter...Rafael Nadal. Sometimes you just don't like a guy. That was Henry Ford II said just after he fired Lee Iacocca at the Ford Motor Company. Rafa about to take the stage to dismantle another little fighter, Alex De Minaur. I'm not big on Alex. I don't care for his style and a number of other things about him as a player. The service motion has a lot of friction...you can almost hear it like a fingernail dragging across the blackboard. Do they even still have blackboards?

Daniil Medvedev has lost a total of 13 games through two rounds and he is the first line of defence against the other one...Novak Djokovic. Daniil conceivably has a legitimate shot of upsetting Novak. Perhaps not from a bookies point of view...but this guy has been playing some serious ball all year long. But first he must get through David Goffin and Djokovic must get by Shapovalov. Denis "The Menace" seems to ironed out a couple of wrinkles. This will be an opportunity of his young life to get his claws into a big fish.

[don_budge]

I'm not big on Alex. I don't care for his style and a number of other things about him as a player. The service motion has a lot of friction...you can almost hear it like a fingernail dragging across the blackboard. Do they even still have blackboards?

He calls himself "The Demon". That will come back to haunt him I am most certain. Every man in the course of his life must face off with the Devil or his minions. To associate yourself with them is a big mistake. Perhaps unwittingly. But nevertheless. A huge mistake.

[stotty]

He calls himself "The Demon". That will come back to haunt him I am most certain. Every man in the course of his life must face off with the Devil or his minions. To associate yourself with them is a big mistake. Perhaps unwittingly. But nevertheless. A huge mistake.

Minaur is getting knocked about from pillar to post at the moment and doesn't seem to have any armoury against Rafa who is playing extremely well. The balls are having a big impact as, apparently according to the players, they are furring up very quickly. After 4 or 5 games games with Rafa you cannot put the ball away, so they say.

Rafa is looking very handy at the moment.

[don_budge]

Minaur is getting knocked about from pillar to post at the moment and doesn't seem to have any armoury against Rafa who is playing extremely well. The balls are having a big impact as, apparently according to the players, they are furring up very quickly. After 4 or 5 games games with Rafa you cannot put the ball away, so they say.

Rafa is looking very handy at the moment.

Didn't see one redeeming thing about Alex that I could like. He reminds me of a typical junior player running around like a chicken with his head cut off. But having said that it really takes a player like Rafael Nadal to exploit this kid. De Minaur may be appropriately nickname "The Demon" because this is the type of player that you absolutely hate to play. Willing to run everything down and unless you can punish him like Nadal he is going to take all day to put down. If you are lucky and don't run out of gas in the process. Nadal looking impressive but he hasn't been pressed. The next round player might just ask him the question. Maybe.

Fernando Verdasco is certainly asking the question of Marin Cilic at the moment. Verdasco up a set and a break is just hammering it on both wings. The longer this goes on either way is good for you know who. If he can get by the "New Kid on the Block". More of this later...hopefully.

[stroke]

Verdasco is looking great up 2 sets on Cilic. Verdasco forehand is dominating the match. He, like Nadal, can go down the line and consistently use that hook spin to create such damaging margain on that shot.

[stroke]

Cilic has come back with some really great tennis and professionalism to even it up at 2 all . Hard not to like and admire Cilic. Such a good player, but to me has had to deal with the toughest era ever with Roger, Nadal, and Novak. Verdasco won the highly contested 2nd set to go up 2-0. Then he just kind of let the 3rd one go, which of course happens and is understandable. But Fed would never do that.

[don_budge]

Cilic has come back with some really great tennis and professionalism to even it up at 2 all . Hard not to like and admire Cilic. Such a good player, but to me has had to deal with the toughest era ever with Roger, Nadal, and Novak.

It looks like Cilic has flipped Verdasco. The groundstrokes are just getting pummelled by both players. It's hammer time. Verdasco navigated himself to a match point at 7-6 in the tie-break and then he double faulted. Remember my comments about perfect service motions? If is isn't perfect it may look like a million dollars all match long but just when you need it most...it lets you down.

Verdasco uses a pin-point and I was sort of examining the height of his toss. Not terribly high but compared to Marin's there might just be a bit of wiggle room. Excellent match from both players/sportsmen. Great competitiveness...let's see how they hold up in the fifth. One of the toughest tests in all of sports...the fifth set. It looks like both boys are still hammering it.

[stotty]

Thrilling match. Shame to lose Verdasco as he is just great to watch. I just love his forehand. He has always had a good serve but hasn't always put it to good use. It wasn't the serve that let him down on that match point, it was the man. He well known for not having the strongest nerve. You can have all the technique in the world but you need a pair of balls as well if you want to win big.

[arturohernandez]

Thrilling match. Shame to lose Verdasco as he is just great to watch. I just love his forehand. He has always had a good serve but hasn't always put it to good use. It wasn't the serve that let him down on that match point, it was the man. He well known for not having the strongest nerve. You can have all the technique in the world but you need a pair of balls as well if you want to win big.

Verdasco is a hot head. He plays by trying to kill the other player. Sometimes that edge turns against him. The right amount of aggression and fight is so hard to find. My sense is that Verdasco is just a bit too hard on himself. I also think had he just broken through against Nadal at the AO many years ago it would have been different for him. Even if he lost the AO final, beating Nadal once in a long match would have given him the confidence he needed.

Such fine margins in this game.