From the minute the Men’s Draw was published, the world’s number two, Roger Federer, faced a potential pothole in the form of France’s. On Wednesday, the unseeded pothole nearly jumped up to stop Federer’s journey through the draw.

Roger Federer Almost Survived In 2nd Round

In a packed Rod Laver Arena, cheers of “Simon! Simon! Simon!” began as a murmur but grew louder both in spirit and numbers as the match wound to its tense conclusion. In the 2-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, three hour twenty-one minute 2nd round match. The quality of the tennis can only be described as brilliant.

Gilles Simon entered the match with eyes wide open and a career 2-0 record against The Swiss. The focused way Roger Federer began the match was an indication of the intensity he expected from his dangerous opponent. The Swiss began so brilliantly that it seemed the journey would end quickly.

Gilles Simon raised his play and scored first and third game breaks surrounded by a hold to jump ahead 3-0 in the third set and serve notice that it was game on. All told there were five breaks in the set but Roger Federer was on notice as Simon claimed the set.

Continuing an unrelenting assault of forehands down the line and across the court, Simon found Federer’s one-handed backhand to be flawed. Roger’s high number of unforced errors created opportunities for the Frenchman. For the match, Roger Federer had 53 unforced errors compared to 40 for Simon. In claiming the third and fourth sets, Simon uneasily clung to the momentum.

The mood in the Arena was fever pitch as The Swiss seized a small opening and turned it into the deciding game at 2-3. With the crucial break secured, many players might have packed their mental bags, but not Simon. After Roger held to go up 2-5, he raced to a 0-40 eighth game. Simon battled back to deuce and then held off another match point to reach 3-5. Federer tightened his serve. At 30-30, Federer charged the net and converted a volley to match point. Simon held when Roger missed an ill-advised drop shot. However, Federer re-grouped and gained the advantage with a cross-court backhand winner that was perfectly executed. The Arena rose to their feet when the winner of 16 Grand Slams pitched his final and eleventh ace.

If they are all like this, Federer, who next plays Belgium’s hard hitting Xavier Malisse, is in for a long trip in Melbourne.

In the Men’s Bracket, all the top seeds advanced on Wednesday, but number nine Fernando Verdasco, sporting a Mohawk hair cut, clipped Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic in five sets. Verdasco appeared slow-footed and ill prepared for an early round challenge. Tipsarevic jumped to a commanding two set lead before Verdasco finally began to move. The Spaniard’s serve paved the way for the 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (0), 6-0.

Andy Roddick (8), Novak Djokovic (3), Tomaz Berdych (6) and Nicolas Almagro (14) all triumphed. Only Roddick won in straight sets, with Almagro forced to five against Igor Andreev.

There were two upsets Wednesday as American Mardy Fish (16) fell to Spaniard Tommy Robredo in four sets and Argentina’s Juan Monaco (26) succumbed to Robin Haase of the Netherlands in four sets.

Caroline Wozniacki Sharper, Venus Williams Survives

Caroline Wozniacki

On a day when three seeds fell from grace, top seed Caroline Wozniacki cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 smothering of overmatched American Vania King. The Dane committed just 8 unforced errors in the 58-minute match. The Dane will be wary of her next opponent Dominika Cibulkova, who defeated her last week.

4th seed, Venus Williams was pushed, then pushed back and then survived in registering an injury plagued three set win over Czech Sandra Zahiavova, 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-4. After suffering a groin pull in the first set, Williams took an injury timeout, packed and wrapped her leg and returned to face the firing squad. Except, this time she had ammunition of her own. After registering a donut, the two competitors locked horns in a thrilling and dramatic third set during which there seemed times Williams would not be able to continue.
After the match, Venus commented that had it not been a Grand Slam, she might have pulled the plug. The American will face a sterner challenge in Round Three against Germany’s Andre Petkovic, whom ousted Great Britain’s Anne Keothhavong, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0. Petkovic has been hot of late and the two six footers should provide an interesting match.

Bulgaria Tsvetana Pironkova (32) fell in straight sets to Rumanian Monica Nicelscu. In a startling upset, Belgium’s highly regarded number three, Yanina Wickmayer (21) barely resisted Latvian Anastasia Sevastova 6-4, 6-2. These are the losses that keep the Belgian on the cusp of the top twenty.

France’s 11th seed, Marion Bartoli was upset by Russian’s Vesna Mansieva 3-6, 6-3, 6-0. Bartoli, who won at Sydney may have over- trained for Melbourne. Before Wednesday, Marion had looked to be in peak form.

Belgium’s number two, Justine Henin played with her usual intensity and recorded her strongest performance of the young season in downing Brit Elena Baltacha, 6-1, 6-3. The more aggressive Henin racked up 22 winners and 7 aces in the one-hour match.

France’s Virginie Razzano stood tall against Russian Maria Sharapova (14) in a hotly contested straight set win, 7-6 (6), 6-3. The two pitted two of the biggest forehands in Women’s Tennis against each other. In the end, Sharapova ability to crush Razzano’s second serve was the difference. The Russian won 18 of 26 second serve points. Sharapova fell behind 0-3 in the first set before she began her comeback.

Not to be overlooked China’s Li Na remained hot. Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina had no answers for Li’s baseline play in the 6-3, 6-2 match. Li is a player to be watched as her confidence keeps growing.

All in all, Day three was a pulsating journey. What can possibly lie ahead?

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