Hot favorites off to the second round
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AP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 20, 2009 00:00
MELBOURNE - Favorites comfortably made their way to the second round in the opening day of the Australian Open.
Roger Federer took the first step toward his record-tying 14th Grand Slam title with a 6-1, 7-6 (4), 7-5 victory yesterday over Andreas Seppi at the Australian Open.
Federer, seeking to match Pete Sampras' mark, was at his best on the big points on the opening day as almost all of the favorites avoided upsets. But it rarely was easy for even the top players in the year's first Grand Slam.
"He is a very tough customer, he played really well," Federer said of the 35th-ranked Seppi. "I think I played well, too. I had to."
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, the women's runner-up here last year, had 10 mistakes just in the first five games but managed to advance with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over 107th-ranked Julia Goerges, who was even more erratic.
Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic, short on match practice after illness hampered preparations for her pursuit of a first Grand Slam title, had 27 winners to just four for No. 104 Yvonne Meusburger while winning 6-1, 6-3.
Jankovic had more trouble with the broiling daytime sun - temperatures reached 36 degrees Celsius than Meusburger. The surface was so hot that Jankovic iced the soles of her shoes during changeovers.
"My feet were burning," said Jankovic, who didn't know what to expect after her recent illness-enforced layoff.
"The court gets so hot, it's normal that the soles of the shoes will get hot as well," she said. "Especially when you're moving, from the friction, it gets warmer and warmer. Really it's like fire, my soles of my shoes. I don't know what to do, how to help that. Ice a little bit in the changeovers, that's basically it."
Marcos Baghdatis also said he felt physically sick.
"The conditions, the sun, the sun, it's just very strong," he said. "Just even being out there, you cannot breathe. I just wanted to puke."
Ivanovic, who spent her preparing in Australia, said she was used to the heat.
"It was very warm today," she said. "It's important to stay hydrated and drink a lot of water. I've been here in Australia for a month now so I kind of got used to it."
Federer, seeking to match Pete Sampras' mark, was at his best on the big points on the opening day as almost all of the favorites avoided upsets. But it rarely was easy for even the top players in the year's first Grand Slam.
"He is a very tough customer, he played really well," Federer said of the 35th-ranked Seppi. "I think I played well, too. I had to."
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, the women's runner-up here last year, had 10 mistakes just in the first five games but managed to advance with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over 107th-ranked Julia Goerges, who was even more erratic.
Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic, short on match practice after illness hampered preparations for her pursuit of a first Grand Slam title, had 27 winners to just four for No. 104 Yvonne Meusburger while winning 6-1, 6-3.
Jankovic had more trouble with the broiling daytime sun - temperatures reached 36 degrees Celsius than Meusburger. The surface was so hot that Jankovic iced the soles of her shoes during changeovers.
"My feet were burning," said Jankovic, who didn't know what to expect after her recent illness-enforced layoff.
"The court gets so hot, it's normal that the soles of the shoes will get hot as well," she said. "Especially when you're moving, from the friction, it gets warmer and warmer. Really it's like fire, my soles of my shoes. I don't know what to do, how to help that. Ice a little bit in the changeovers, that's basically it."
Marcos Baghdatis also said he felt physically sick.
"The conditions, the sun, the sun, it's just very strong," he said. "Just even being out there, you cannot breathe. I just wanted to puke."
Ivanovic, who spent her preparing in Australia, said she was used to the heat.
"It was very warm today," she said. "It's important to stay hydrated and drink a lot of water. I've been here in Australia for a month now so I kind of got used to it."