10SBALLS AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS – UPDATES ON WTA & ATP MATCHES & STAN THE MAN WAWRINKA & THE SUPER TALENTED GAEL MONFILS

Written by: Staff on 23rd January 2016

10SBALLS AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS - UPDATES ON WTA & ATP MATCHES & STAN THE MAN WAWRINKA & THE SUPER TALENTED GAEL MONFILS

epa05120419 Gael Monfils of France serves to Stephane Robert of France during their third round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 23 January 2016. EPA/JOE CASTRO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

We saw a great effort by the organisers yesterday to catch up the schedule in a very heavily disrupted day, and the signs on Saturday morning did not look promising at all. The more matches they can crash through the better today.

Looks like the cloudiness was getting to some of the much fancied seeds – early doors third seed Garbine Muguruza was in trouble against one of our favourite tour characters Barbora Strycova, dropping the first set to the Czech. It continued to be a terrible day at the office for the Wimbledon finalist as she crashed out in straight sets 6-3 6-2.

Elsewhere Karolina Pliskova (the twin with the tattoos) found herself struggling with Ekaterina Makarova – the quiet Russian whose consistency has dipped a bit over the past few months, but still proving that she can be a real danger in a Slam with – she reached the semi-final here last year and looks to be a real threat in the draw while Pliskova’s apparent aversion to getting anywhere past the third round at ANY slam inexplicably continued – The Russian won 6-3 6-2.

Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic returns the ball to Julia Goerges of Germany during their second round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2016. EPA/TRACEY NEARMY

But the Rule Britannia scale started early and went off the charts as British No. 1 Johanna Konta steamed past Denisa Allertova 6-2 6-2 to reach her second fourth round in a row. Telling us all to go to her favourite fish restaurant (Hunky Dory, in case you wondered) and also what’s healthy to have for breakfast (Passionfruit and chia seeds, possibly not together), she remains focused on just taking things one match at a time.

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in action against Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 23 January 2016. EPA/MAST IRHAM

While Stan Wawrinka continued in his ‘Brightest man-made kit seen from Space’ clothing line, his tennis was certainly looking bright and breezy as he got past Lukas Rosol 6-2 6-3 7-6(3) although he admitted he had been struggling a little with a cold. Now he’s feeling better, the bracket had better look out!

But we end the day’s matches with a sense of bafflement. Gael Monfils, for so long the showman, the tour jester, managed to win the first set against fellow Frenchman Stephane Robert almost in spite of his own best efforts.

While not acting like a petulant sock puppet, à la Nick Kyrgios, his behavior sometimes can be just as confusing. He has the talent to be a fair better ranked player, and his propensity for throwing himself around as though auditioning as a stunt extra for the next Marvel super-hero franchise film are no doubt crowd pleasers, it must be frustrating as hell to play lights out tennis to the court jester.

As expected Robert’s level slipped, and in the end Monfils’ experience told – but imagine what this guy could achieve if he really came at it seriously? Still, give us his crowd pleasing as opposed to Kyrgios’ posturing and hectoring anyway.

Still with a night session to savour, I am off to hunt a kangaroo for dinner…. As John McEnroe would say “you cannot be serious”……

Topics: 10sballs, Atp World Tour, Australian Open Tennis, Barbora Strycova, Denisa Allertova, Ekaterina Makarova, Gael Monfils, Garbine Muguruza, Johanna Konta, Karolina Pliskova, Lukas Rosol, Melbourne, Nick Kyrgios, Sports, Stan Wawrinka, Stephane Robert, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta