I'm a little surprised that Cilic-Tomic match is still going on. I woke up eaarlier than ususal today and went to check if there are still any matches showing on TV, but ESPN was showing repeat or RAndy's match, so I thought that all the action was over, but there is still a match going on? and seems that it's interesing... why didn't espn show the live match instead of taped one again? can't figure it out...

Brain sanp Marin

Decue

Can we please remember that Kournikova did win two GS doubles titles and reached world number 8 in singles?! She wasn't a talentless bimbo.

Wow I missed two great matches last night. I feel sorry for Blake - he seems destined to be the narrowest of losers in these great matches. But hopefully this indicates a little revival for him.

Dementieva - Henin - wok up at 4 something anc checked to see what was going on via laptop and saw the last two games. So glad to have Henin back. What a player. Dementieva looked very good too - and I must say I thought she looked fantastic. What a beautiful dress. She looked perfect.

Tomic need 1st serves

get his add now

Pfft,quick end to a point Tomic and you forec a error

deuce

That the way

add for Tomic

Come on big 1st serve.your energy is gone

I'm so used to thinking of Marin as a kid (he's only 21, after all), but he looks like the Ancient Mariner compared with Tomic.

Struggling to hold again in the fifth game, and he's clearly wrung out, but hanging on with a little help from Cilic, but I'm becoming exhausted just watching the boy.

Come the fork on Bernie.

Sokol was part of the SP bloodbath? eek. heard nearly 100 people were killed by Rezai today. i was offed by Vania King! Youzh better not do the same to me tomorrow.

Ace for Tomic Phew he holds serve which was vital

Tomic 3-2

and the boy holds that very long difficult game. well done!

Mina,
That last post of yours if read without any knowledge of what the suicide pool is, comes out really scary. Talk about serial murders :))))
Thanks for the laugh!

Beranrd your feet goota move them

Very quick service game by Cilic

3 games all

I'm rooting for Tomic, but the boy looks frayed.

ai ai ai, how many epic matches can we handle in one day? what time is it there in OZ? must be way after midnight, I think the two boys on the court are hallucinating by now .... its going to come down to one thing - stamina

LOL TFactor. i swear i'm constantly being killed off before the third round every single Slam i play the SP... so in a way it is a serial murder of sorts.

Just saw that tennis is still happening. Unbelievable.

I'm a Cilic fan, though. -- c'mon, Marin!

Well Mina, look at this way, you can develop a streak of 3rd round performances on GS SP, not too shabby :)

Vamos Tomic, make a move in the return!!

Tomic holds

Tomic 4-3

so, do any of you ever wonder, do the umpires ever get a bathroom break in these epic matches? i mean, the playerscan take one and I figure teh lines people and ballkids and cycle around their roles .. but how about the poor umpire. or does he ahve a little baggy hidden up there?

sorry its getting late where I am too.

Strams its now nesrly 2.00am in the morning here

oops I meant Streams lol!

streams, i'm guessing they have incredible bladder control. have never seen an ump take a bathroom break... wasnt Pascal Maria the Wimby08 Final and also the AO09 Final ump? and now this one.

Goodness!!! what great matches last night (or this morning, depending). I couldn't get up for it, but I turned on the computer this morning with great anticipation. Just went back and read the posts of Justine/Lena and Blake/Delpo -- great, great stuff. This is what I love about Oz......

I remember in Strokes of Genius Pascal Maria said he didn't have his normal morning espresso so he could keep going in the chair. :) (something like that, anyway, LOL)

I'm getting so antsy just watching the SB. Cilic saves a BP

30 all now

good return from Tomic

good 1st serve by Cilic 40-30

deuce now

2nd serve by Cilic now

great slice by Tomic,error into the net by Cilic

add for Tomic

2nd serve for Cilic

deuce ,pfft wrong shot Tomic

2nd serve for Cilic

again good return for Tomic

Tomic gets the add

Cilic gets into more than his fare share of early round five-set scrapes. Let's see if he can fight through this one as well.

2nd serve for Cilic

cilic moved Tomic around and moved in

deuce

Cilic d/f

Tomic with a 3rd b/point

3 BPs saved by Cilic

I wish I could watch (tempted to start a stream)

C'mon Tomic!!!

Cilc with a great 1st serve

deuce

Cilic with a 2nd serv

"Posted by Aussiemarg,Madame President,Summer in Oz Tennis 01/20/2010 at 08:28 AM

I think Samantha Elin might of had a fight with her boy friend"

AM, that's a good one. I doubt there is a boy/girl-friend involved here. Its just Samantha fighting with Elin. I wonder if Samantha roots for Caro and Elin for JuJu or the other way around.

Marin donating points in the 8th game - deuce.

UFEs into the net after a long rally, ad Tomic

second serve, but tomic nets, deuce

cilic wide, ad tomic

second serve, and cilic runs the boy around the baseline and volley winner, deuce

df! ad tomic (is this it!)

great serve down the T, deuce

second serve, cilic playing to the bh pays of, ad cilic.

second serve, call confusion, and cilic serves an ace, 4-all

Cilic holds for 4 all
Ok Tomic, forget about those missed BPs and concentrating on holding your serve, ok?

2:00am. These guys are lucky Henin/Elena didn't go to a third set.

Than ks type pad has had it

Cilic breaks and will serve for the match

Marin with the break! serving for the match! awthankgoodness

C'mon Marin!!!!!!!

too tense to type. but cilic breaks bernard's serve and will serve for the match.

Thanks my computer froze

"I think Samantha Elin might of had a fight with her boy friend"

personally, I think Melanie Oudin stole her boyfriend....really there's not other explanation.

Interesting discussion re russian tennis.

Sokol: happy for dinara....hardly any dfs until the tail end of the match

Hello everyone:

Seems I just came in at the right time!

Hi, John C! Happy New Year, nice to see you back.

MPs! take it Marin!!!!

Cilc d Tomic 6-7,6-3,4-6,6-4

Sorry AM and JohnC and other Tomic fans - but it was a good show, all the same - getting himself talked about for the right reasons. And he'll learn so much from this.

Nice for Cilic; he pulled it together in the last two games.

Cilic wins!

I'll say congrats to both players.
Cilic for making it through to the next round, hope he gets enough time to recover before his next match
and to Tomic for taking it to five sets and holding his own throughout the match.

What a day/night/morning of tennis!!!

Hvala bogu - now I can walk the dog!

oops wrong try again

Congrats to Marin. Huge relief.

Sorry to all the Aussies and Tomic fans. He obviously played the match of his life.

Cilic d Tomic 6-7,6-3,4-6,6-2,6-4

well, I was pulling for the Aussie kid, but you've gotta give it to Cilic, played a pretty sharp last 2 games ... well done both guys, great match, great day in fact ...

There's still tennis going on at this hour!

A sigh of relief from Cilic as he wins the last point. Congrats to him and his fans.

Commisserations to Tomic and his fans. He is obviously very talented and still developing. Probably Australia's next big player.

Was Tomic wearing a variation of Rafa's shirt?

And Marin takes the fifth 6-4, but Bernard Tomic has announced his arrival as a class act in the making.

i feel bad for Bernard. build on this, kiddo. kinda wanna give hugs to both, they will be dead tired tomorrow!

Congrats Tomic you played the game of your life

You just need more physical conditioning and movement

I like your calm,you have the shots and off pace aka Murray to frustrate anyone

Well done.

A see Blake gave Delpo a run for his money. I'm glad he held his own against Delpo. I thought after Delpo broke in the first set that it would be a straight forward affair.

Papo Tomic had Rafa's shorts on enoughsaid lol!

I see noting but positive things here for 17yr old Tomic. I hope he can keep on improving and get to see him more often. Does anybody know what ranking he'll have after this?

Happy for Cilic too, coming through in such a tough match has got to feel good.

Over 14 hours of tennis and we'll be starting all over in less than ten more

Hi Lynne. HNY to u also. Looks like we're starting the tennis year with lots a good matches. Had to dig out another cable to watch TV and type and watch at the same time, and I've gotta move house next week :-(

Marin now face Stanislas on Day 5.

Sorry to see Elena is out of the tournament.

Henin is making quite a statement on her comeback. She is ready to win GS tournaments right from the moment she stepped back on court.

Papo, this was supposed to be Rafa's day shirt... guess he decided to stick with the popsicle one for both day and night

Tfactor Hw many hours till we start again? lol!

I am going to tape The Elf match now

Channel 7 are going to replay it

Papo: Was Tomic wearing a variation of Rafa's shirt?

I reckon, and the very shorts themselves ... I like those shorts, they are looking better by the day, on both guys in fact

I'm just watching this boy Lacko and Rafa at the moment. Rafa's misfiring but Lacko looks quite promising.

Sorry that Demmy and James went out last night.

I am going to take tommorrow off'

I am tennised out

None of my favs are playing,except for Roger in the night match

AM,
I know :)

I will try to get some sleep tonight since Rafa is not playing. Can anyone guarantee me I won't be missing any dramatic 5 setters? and that both Nole & Fed will go through? :)

Lynne That wasnt much of a match,just a practice seesion for Rafa really,boring.

I only saw the 5th set, but it was hardly riveting. Still, ESPN 360 is one of the greatest developments in the history of tennis for those of us who need our beauty sleep. Blake-Delpo and Justine-Elena still to come.

To me Dementieva is like a girl who always get the perfect boyfriend with great human values,loving and caring too, but never gets a proposal,let alone a wedding day!How terribly sad!I really was thinking after watching her in Sydney last tourney that she was a real contender this time around,even on top of my Serebaby who I think is just not 100% even if we don't know what's exactly wrong,all that taping can't be all right...anyway back to Dementieva, if there is one player I really wish one day hugs a grand slam trophy it would be Elena Dementieva!!!Poor baby!!!

oops I forgot about Nole

AM: No, it doesn't look too great. At least Dina won ... very happy about that.

"I am going to take tommorrow off'"

Aussiemarg,
This is only Day 4 and you are going to take the time off. Guess going to Sydney has exhausted all of your efforts.

Lynne She played really well and agressive too.

Master Ace I have been here at my computer since 11.00am its now 2.35am Thursday??

Give me a break lol!

I read on another site that Rafa was watching Tomic... at 2am?? Good thing he's not playing later today

Aube,
The draw was unkind of Elena. This is the 2nd consecutive Slam where she lost in the 2nd round.

Just watching the last set of the Elfs match he has strapping on his right forearm?

I thought he had a wrist injury

John C: Not the best of times for you to move, is it? Good luck, anyway.

Rafa might asked Tomic totrain with him in Spain,his clay tennis isnt good.As a junior when he went to RG his results werent good.His game is suited to the h/courts

AM: I thought it was an elbow injury?

Aussiemarg,
LOL. However, congratulations for 26 hours and 35 minutes of computer service.

Lynne You might be right there,I thought Robin had a elbow injury

Gee its too late for me to think straight

Aussiemarg,
Heard that Juan Martin was seen by the trainer 4 times against James. If that was true, I wonder how much energy will he have left. By the way, my finalist survived.

I concur Master Ace,I'm just sad at the "unfairness of tennis life to Elena Dementieva"I really only care for my two forever champions(Venus and Serena)but on a human standpoint I also know who deserves what,I really wish I see her crowned grand slammer some day,some sweet day,yes!

Master Ace Wowser to me!! I need a new computer,it froze in Marins last game

Master Ace I am watching the last set,well if the trainer came out,thats the reason for the strapping on his forearm then.Well he has a day off.Though it may not be enough,also it depends also who he is playing next.

Aussiemarg,
When I was watching AO, my stream froze on me at times along with no access to this TW blog at one point.

Kudos to James to taking Delpo the distance. I am tempted to make a remark about James' 5 set prowess, but I'm only focusing on the positive today-yay James! I will also refrain with anything but support for Lena D (who I think needs it right about now). RAndy is also looking extremely good, umpire bashing notwithstanding. I also Rafa not grab his pants the whole match, which was very refreshing. Lots of good things to focus on this morning!

I don't mind the blue either, Pete. I really can't stand the patchwork quilt
court of World Team Tennis. Yuk. Now, that's ugly.

Marat as commentator---awesome idea! Blake as commentator--awesome AND realistic idea!

I liked this comment from Henin:

"It was a special night," said Henin. "That's why I probably came back on the tour, to live these kind of matches."

Good morning all,
Great match between Delpo and Blake. Congrats to Delpo fans (myself included).
In all fairness to Blake, given that he's had to play 2 days in a row you have to think what if.

Bigger test for me is if Delpo can survive to the 2nd week having played a five setter before the final. Generally he's good for 1 five setter per Major. Here's hoping.
Someone mentioned up-thread about ElenaD being a bridesmaid and never a bride. Man I feel for this girl. I saw her in the semi's at least.

Here's hoping that Roger gets the job done in 3 today.
Allez Roger!

I can see I'm going to be in another stew later over Baggy and Ferrer, yet another two of my favourites - this draw is wicked.

I'd be surprised if Henin can win the entire tournament serving like that. Granted, a huge percentage of the WTA serves no better, but I would think it catches up to her against a Serena or Kim. Damn impressive win, though, all things considered.

Much as I like Demmy, her problem (even beyond her own atrocious serve) is that she has no offensive game. However impressive her groundies (and they're world-class), they're most impressive from a defensive or neutral position. When she's asked to put shots away, her strokes creep back toward mediocrity. Am I saying she doesn't have enough power? Could be.

Anyway, would love to see her finally win a Slam but starting to think it might never happen. Who knows, maybe she can grind out a French title in June.

Well I am going to bed

A great day of tennis,both in the mens and womans side of the draw

Bye for Now.

mcakron : Agree with your observation about Demmy's offensive groundstrokes. I was struggling to articulate the differece I perceive between Kolya and Demmy, I think that is exactly it. Kolya's volleying has also improved enormously.

Typo : *difference*

Very interesting take on Lena D, mcakron. Was she missing easy shots last night, I wonder?

Once again, some fab photos at yahoo.com
inclufding rafa shirt change.