Australian Open: Federer, Nadal through in straight-sets

Clijsters, Li set for rematch of last year’s final.


January 20, 2012

MELBOURNE:


Roger Federer showed nerves of steel to down Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic as his great rival Rafael Nadal extended his hot streak at the Australian Open.


At set-point down in the first set tie-break and scrambling to a drop shot, Federer did not flinch and gamely aimed a vertical lob over the Croatian, who could only parry it into his own court. The Swiss maestro took his first set point in the opening tie-break, then conjured the match’s first break to take the second set before clinching the match 7-6, 7-5, 6-3.

“I knew it could come down to a few points here and there and obviously you need a bit of luck,” said Federer. “I definitely got a bit fortunate and I started to play better as the match went on.”

Earlier, Nadal bludgeoned his way into the fourth round with a straight-sets win over Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko. After a hard-fought opening against Lacko, the 2009 champion raced away with it 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

“It was a tough match, but I played solid [throughout] and that’s why I won,” said Nadal.

Injury sets up Li, Clijsters rematch

Meanwhile, Kim Clijsters and Li Na will meet in a rematch of last year’s Australian Open final following a dramatic end to the women’s third-round.

After defending champion Clijsters reached the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova, Li went through when Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues retired in tears after injuring her ankle.

Li was leading 2-0 in the first set when Medina Garrigues turned her right ankle during a baseline rally. After a medical time-out she tried to continue but lost the next game and retired during the fourth.

The injury ensured a highly-anticipated fourth round match with Clijsters, the first meeting between the two since last year’s final, won by the Belgian in three sets.

Wozniacki cruises, Azarenka battles on

Earlier, top-seed Caroline Wozniacki and third-ranked Victoria Azarenka both reached the fourth-round without dropping a set as they target maiden grand slam wins.

Wozniacki, who had been severely tested during her second-round match against Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili, cruised past Romania’s Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-2.

Meanwhile, Azarenka was handed her first real test of the tournament and had to put aside some contentious line calls before beating Germany’s Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4.

Although winning in straight sets, Azarenka never had it her own way against the feisty German, who won her maiden WTA title as a qualifier in Hobart last week.

Aisam through in mixed-doubles

The seventh-seeded pairing of Pakistani ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Czech Andrea Hlavackova overcame the Australian duo of Jelena Dokic and Paul Hanley 6-3, 6-1 in the first-round of mixed doubles.

There was also success for sixth-seeded Indian partners Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi, who beat Natalie Grandin and Jean-Julien Roger 6-4, 6-2.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2012. 

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