Some great line ups for Day Five at the Australian Open in the women’s draw as we look ahead. Both Brits, Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong have now fallen by the wayside, and Kim Clijsters is just looking unstoppable at the moment. Of course it is early days yet, but she is looking the strongest out of the favourites so far. While she and Caroline Wozniacki will remain favourites, there has already been a major seed fall by the wayside, as 7th seed Jelena Jankovic crashed out in the second round. Normally she is one of the best movers, and has a fierce backhand, but she just couldn’t pull it all together. She didn’t look fully confident to be honest, and was really hesitant to go and attack, and she paid the price. Vera Zvonareva (2nd seed) was blitzed in the first set 6-2 by Bojana Jovanovski. Zvonareva bounced back with relative ease though, and is looking more of a threat than really first thought. With Clijsters in the third round already, it is world number one Caroline Wozniacki’s time kick off the action there. She goes in the glamour match against Dominika Cibulkova who is ranked 29th in the world, and could be an interesting test for the Danish starlet. Cibulkova reached the quarter finals of the US Open late last year, her best effort in any Slam since first entering in 2007. Good, exciting young talent, but Wozniacki has looked pretty sharp though, and still sitting in cruise control. You have to back her to get through, but the challenges will start getting much stiffer from here on out.
Victoria Azarenka faces the awesomely named Chanelle Scheeper in the third round, as the Belarusian continues her challenge. Azarenka really has to be pencilled in as one of the most dangerous outside bets to take the title. She should get better and better as the tournament goes on, if she hold her mental game together through these early rounds, matches which she should win with relative ease. There’s a decent path ahead for the number 8 seed and is well worth a look. Elena Baltacha’s conqueror Justine Henin will have a tougher time against Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 23rd seed. Kuznetsova has been a Quarter Finalist a couple of times in Melbourne, and is a two times Grand Slam Champion. Hasn’t really been at her world beating best for some time now, certainly struggled through 2010, so this marks a big challenge for her, and Henin. Justine Henin is one of the favourites for the title, and with her class showing clearly above her early round opponents, it has been hard to judge how far she may go. This is an important one to watch for her progress.
Seriously. What was Venus Williams wearing in her second round match against Sandra Zahlavova? Well the 4th seed got herself caught up in one of the strangest games of the tournament so far. She lost the first set, looked as if she was going to retire because of injury, was barely mobile for the rest of the match, but somehow still won. That is the determination and grit of a champion, but Zahlavova really blew it to be honest, she had a big chance, but made serious errors letting Williams off the hook in the second match, before being totally overwhelmed in the third. Odd match, very loud with the screams of pain from Williams, boisterous grunts from Zahlavova, oh and that dress. This injury could affect her Grand Slam chances of course, but she is going to soldier on. She plays Andrea Petkovic, who really should have been beaten by Britain’s Anne Keothavong, but the Brit really blew her chance. A fit Williams would probably walk this, but if she gets into the situation she did against Zahlavova, Petkovic (ranked 30th) may just have that extra edge of fitness and quality to punish her. Fascinating match up.
Latest Outright Odds
Kim Clijsters: 13/8 at BetFred
Justine Henin: 5/1 at Blue Square
Caroline Wozniacki: 7/1 at Paddy Power
Vera Zvonareva: 10/1 at Paddy Power
Samantha Stosur: 14/1 at 888Sport
Victoria Azarenka: 14/1 at Stan James
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