Robin Soderling

Worthwhile developments and especially newsworthy scores after a packed day of action at Melbourne Park:

FIVE-SET THRILLERS ABOUND
The losses of Robin Soderling and Juan Carlos Ferrero (mentioned elsewhere on this blog) weren’t the only five-setters witnessed on a rather contentious Tuesday in Australia. Other extended wars dotted the landscape on the blue plexicushion courts of tennis’s so-called “Happy Slam.”

In the final match of the night, two men who have reached the semifinals of a major tournament showcased their skills, but also their mental fragility. Mikhail Youzhny – a semifinalist at the 2006 U.S. Open – outlasted Richard Gasquet, who reached the semis at Wimbledon in 2007. Youzhny employed a drop shot and a better mix of pace in the fifth and final set to produce a riveting 6-7 (9), 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 6-4 win in 4 hours and 53 minutes. The encounter was the longest match of the young tournament, and with a grand total of 148 winners (79 for Youzhny, 69 for Gasquet), the drawn-out drama gave value to the ticketholders who decided to drop in on the action.

As satisfying as the win is for Youzhny, the loss has to sting even more for Gasquet. Last year, the Frenchman similarly bolted to a two-set lead on an outdoor court in Melbourne, only to fall to Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez in a third-round throwdown, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6 (10), 6-2, 12-10. There’s a recurring theme here: Gasquet – for all his Gallic flair and shotmaking prowess – can’t close down evenly-matched opponents in the crucible of major tournament competition. Too many of these matches have eluded the Frenchman’s grasp, and that’s going to be the only thing Gasquet thinks about on a long and silent plane flight back to Western Europe.

In other fingernail-biting five-set fistfights, American John Isner blew a two-set lead but then regrouped to turn back Italy’s Andreas Seppi, 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 6-4.

26th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro – in a thoroughly entertaining affair – nipped Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse, 7-6 (12), 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 8-6, in 4 hours and 16 minutes.

Another seeded performer wasn’t so lucky in a maximum-length first-rounder. 28th-seeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer bowed to France’s Florent Serra, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Melzer’s countryman, Stefan Koubek, carried the Austrian flag into round two by brushing aside American Rajeev Ram, 6-3 in the fifth.

Croatia’s Antonio Veic, trailing two sets to one, found a furious finishing kick and dumped Austrian Daniel Koellerer in five, taking the final stanza by a 6-4 count.

COMEBACK QUEENS

The women’s tournament featured several improbable comebacks on Tuesday. Matches that appeared to be done and dusted abruptly turned into searing stomach-punch losses for players who expected to advance.

23rd-seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova had a 5-1 lead in the third and final set against American Vania King, only to cough up the next six games and tumble out of Australia with a devastating 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5 defeat.

Australia’s Alicia Molik – playing the featured night match at Rod Laver Arena 24 hours after Jelena Dokic lost her opening-round contest – experienced a meltdown before her immensely disappointed fans. Molik led France’s Julie Coin by a set and 5-2, 30-all in the second. However, two points from the match was all Molik could do. Coin conjured up some special stuff to rally for a surprising 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 win.

17th-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone got blitzed by France’s Alice Cornet. Schiavone got bageled in the first set but then got off the deck to prevail in a pendulum-swinging passion play, 0-6, 7-5, 6-0.

And in one final three-set mind-bender, American Melanie Oudin – who made a name for herself by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2009 U.S. Open – blew a 6-2, 5-3 lead in her first-round match. Russia’s Alla Kudryavtseva – on the brink of defeat – delivered four straight games to take the second set before pulling out an exhilarating 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 triumph. Unrestrained elation and rock-bottom disappointment colored many matches in the top half of the women’s draw.