Aussies Around the Globe – Ebden and Tomic’s Shanghai Success

Written by: Global Chick on 16th October 2011

Aussies Around the Globe – Ebden and Tomic’s Shanghai Success

Bernard Tomic of Australia returns the ball to Mardy Fish of the USA during the semi-finals of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on 07 October 2011. EPA/EVERETT KENNEDY BROWN |

Australia’s No. 2 player Matthew Ebden had a great week at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. He started out in the qualifying to earn a spot in the main draw.This is the first time the Australian has reached quarterfinals of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.

The World No. 124 had some great wins along the way. In the first round he defeated Spain’s Pablo Andujar in straight sets. His second round opponent was American inform player Ryan Harrison. Ebden had a comfortable win over the American to advance into the third round. Ebden’s third round opponent the number eight seed Gilles Simon. The 23-year-old Aussie fought hard in three sets to overcome the World No. 12 6-2 2-6 7-6. In the quarterfinals Andy Murray was too strong for the Western Australian. The Brit had more experience and it was too much to handle for Ebden who lost 6-3 6-2.

Australia’s number one player Bernard Tomic was straight into the main draw singles event in Shanghai. Tomic defeated big serving South African Kevin Anderson in the first round in three sets. In the second round Tomic took the World No. 8 Mardy Fish by surprise in Shanghai. Tomic came back from a set down and won 4-6 6-1 6-4. The two played each other in the week before at the Rakuten Japan Open Championships and Fish was the winner. In the third round the youngster clashed with unorthodox player Alexandr Dolgopolov. Tomic took the first set 7-5 and then somehow managed to lose the next two sets 6-1 6-0.

Qualifying specialist Marinko Matosevic was beaten in the first round in the qualifying at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. He lost to Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan in two straight sets.

Back to Bernard Tomic who has been awarded a wildcard at the If Stockholm Open starting today. The Queenslander will face a qualifier in the first round in Stockholm. There is a potential match up with Gael Monfils of France in the second round.

Injury prone Victorian Chris Guccione didn’t have much luck at the $100K Challenger in Tiburon, CA. The Aussie Davis Cup team member lost to British qualifier Alex Bogdanovic in straight sets in the first round.

Another first round casualty at the same Challenger was Greg Jones who was downed by the number eight seed Bjorn Phau of Germany in three sets.

Chris Guccione was having more success with partner Carsten Ball in the doubles at the First Republic Bank Tiburon Challenger. They continued their good run from last week when they won the Rely Aid Racquet Club Challenger in Sacramento, CA. In this writing moment Ball and Guccione are playing against Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey in the final of the Tiburon Challenger.

Carsten Ball is currently ranked No. 92 on the ATP Tour individual doubles ranking. “The big Gooch” is sitting at No. 117.

The AAMI Classic at Kooyong have secured a great player field for next year’s tournament. Tournament Director Colin Stubs announced that the following players are signed up and ready to play – Andy Roddick, Jurgen Melzer, Gael Monfils, Tomas Berdych, Bernard Tomic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. There are two more spots to be filled for this prestigious event. Stay tuned for more announcements over the next couple of weeks. The event will take place at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club between 11 January – 14 January, 2012.

Powerhouse Serena Williams will kick off her 2012 campaign at the Brisbane International in January. She will be joined by Maria Sharapova, Samantha Stosur, Kim Clijsters and Ana Ivanovic. Williams said, “I never played in Brisbane and I have never been to Brisbane but I have heard great things about it. It is brand new for me so all that is going to be really exciting and it will help me with my seeding going into the Australian Open too so that would be good.”