This is Not A Good Open For Australian Players

Written by: Staff on 16th January 2013

This is Not A Good Open For Australian Players

epa03535367 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia after being defeated in his round one match against Janko Tiparevic of Serbia during the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 14 January 2013. EPA/MARK DADSWELL AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

It’s all about lost pride in Australia after an historic collapse of national hopes over the first three days of the Open.

Midway through the first week of the fortnight, three Aussies from 16 are alive in the second round at Melbourne Park, the worst showing in the post-1968 Open era. The local debacle follows by seven months the worst Australian showing at Wimbledon since before World War II.

Those out in Melbourne at this edition include warhorses Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur. leading a brigade of lesser lights to the exits.

Hewitt had come into the major with a title at the Kooyong exhibition and on full fitness, But the 31-year-old could not get the job done against Serb eight seed Janko Tipsarevic on opening day.

Stosur, who won the US Open two seasons ago, fell victim to the demons which arise almost every time she steps onto a home court.

The nervous ninth seed stood two points from victory with a 5-2 lead in the final set against China’s Zheng Jie, who eventually carved out a 7-5 win.

“You make an error and you tighten up a little bit, but you try and reset and refocus before that next point. Unfortunately it just kept happening point after point after point.

“Then crazy things start popping into your head, and before you know it, you’re back on even terms and really lost a lead that, with two breaks in the third should never go away.

“At 5-2 up in the third, double break probably is a bit of a choke.”

©Daily tennis news wire

Topics: Australian Open, Lleyton Hewitt, Melbourne Park, Samantha Stosur, Sports, Tennis, Wimbledon, Zheng Jie