Australian Open power rankings (opening rounds)

January 19, 2012   ·   0 Comments

Australian Open power rankings (opening rounds)

Busted Racquet ranks the top 10 player performances through the first two rounds of the Australian Open.

1. Novak Djokovic – If anyone ever needed a vacation, it was Novak Djokovic. The world No. 1 was broken down last fall, feeling the effects of his historic three-Slam season. He was the odds-on favorite to win in Melbourne, though there were slight concerns that he may show up rusty. Losing a total of eight games in two matches put any of those doubts to bed. Novak is still the one to beat.

2. Maria Sharapova — Masha’s match against Gisela Dulko was supposed to be a round-one battle. It quickly turned into a blowout. If Djokovic was to have been rusty, Sharapova was supposed to be the Tin Man. She hadn’t played a single warm-up event and was a popular pick to be an early upset victim. All she did was lose two games to Dulko and one to the overmatched Jamie Hampton in round two.

3. Victoria Azarenka – Identical breadstick/bagel scorelines propelled the No. 3 seed into the third round.

4. Rafael Nadal – The only news Rafa is making in Melbourne is his mild swipe at Roger Federer and his curious hotel injury. Otherwise, it’s business as usual. The last time Nadal dropped a set in the first two rounds of the Aussie Open was in 2007.

5. Kim Clijsters – Since being tied at 5-5 in the first set of her opening match, Clijsters has lost just two of her next 22 games.

6. Andy Murray – Murray dropped his opening set of the tournament to Ryan Harrison. A few stern glances from Ivan Lendl later, the Brit looks comfortable and ready for a possible (and exciting) fourth-round clash with Gael Monfils.

7. Serena Williams – It got a little dicey near the end of her match against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. A better opponent could have taken advantage of Serena’s mental lapse. For now, she’s fine.

8. Ana Ivanovic — She’s winning points on her first serve, avoiding breaks and looks at ease on the court for the first time in years. To listen to Martina Navratilova, it’s all because she’s back with golfer Adam Scott. Whatever it is, Ana’s play, and a good draw, could get her to the fourth round in Melbourne for just the second time in her career.

9. John Isner — Whenever you win a 10-8 final set against a guy you’ve never beat, you deserve an inclusion on any list. Isner has a tall challenge in Feliciano Lopez on Friday (wordplay!). If he gets by that, it could set up a meeting with Rafael Nadal. The last time the two played in a Grand Slam, Isner nearly pulled off a historic upset at Roland Garros. Don’t think that won’t be in the back of Nadal’s ever-swirling mind.

10. Petra Kvitova — The tournament favorite hasn’t played particularly well. That she was able to come back from a break down in the third set shows that her mental game, though shaky, can still withhold some pressures. This bodes well for the rest of the tournament. A scare isn’t always a bad thing.

Inc. Roger Federer — The Fed got a walkover into the third round.

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