Both Mens and Womens draw more open this year than any other Aussie Open I can remember. Certainly the top 6 in the men's are the ones to watch (Federer/Nadal/Djokovic/Del Potro/Murray/Davydenko) as well as outsiders like Tsonga/Baghdatis/Hewitt/Verdasco and Gonzalez. The Womens draw is however the bigger draw with Henin comeback alongside compatriot Clijsters to do battle once again with the Williams sisters as well as contenders Safina/Wozniacki/Azaranka/Dementieva et al.
Here's the major news of the Tournament so far:
Maria Sharapova crashes out of the Australian Open
Serena Williams defiant on return to Grand Slams
Ireland's Sorensen makes some history in Melbourne win
Ireland's Louk Sorensen beaten by John Isner
Katie O'Brien reaches Australian Open second round
I'll bring my thoughts on some matches later. Anyone watching so far (Time zone is an issue for most I guess)?
EDIT: Do not post more than 5 links per thread per day. Read rules.
Here's the major news of the Tournament so far:
Maria Sharapova crashes out of the Australian Open
Sharapova slumps to shock defeat
Maria Sharapova was sent crashing out of the Australian Open at the first hurdle, losing 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-4 to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko.
The 2008 champion, seeded 14th, made 77 unforced errors and served 11 double faults as the world number 58 won in three hours and 20 minutes.
Justine Henin beat Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 6-3 in her first Grand Slam match since coming out of retirement.
Second seed Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Kim Clijsters also won.
Henin, who won the Australian Open in 2004, will face fifth seed Elena Dementieva in the second round after the Russian crushed her compatriot Vera Dushevina 6-2 6-1.
Clijsters, a finalist here in 2004 and seeded 15th this year, took just over an hour to see off Canadian qualifier Valerie Tetreault 6-0 6-4.
A bad day's not going to stop me from doing what I love. I'm still going to go back on the court and work hard and perform
Maria Sharapova
Third seed Kuznetsova was also untroubled as she swept past Australia's Anastasia Rodionova with a 6-1 6-2 victory.
The Russian had been deeply worried about her form leading into the tournament - she made an unexpected early exit from the Sydney International - but put that all aside in a clinical performance.
"I was focused today and I think I played a pretty good match," she said.
For Sharapova though, it is back to the drawing board after an error-strewn performance in her first competitive match of 2010.
Kirilenko grew in confidence once it became clear that her childhood friend was still struggling with her serve and mobility around the court.
Sharapova played no singles tennis at all between July 2008 and May 2009 as she recovered from shoulder surgery, and she has now gone out before the third round of her last three Grand Slams.
At times, only her trademark tenacity prolonged the match, which was played under the roof at the Rod Laver Arena because of the wet weather in Melbourne.
A despondent Sharapova said: "I certainly had my chances and just didn't execute.
"When she was up and then I'd get back there, back in the game, I just didn't take advantage of that and I let her control the situation again."
It was Sharapova's earliest exit at a Grand Slam since 2003, and she has managed just one major quarter-final since winning in Melbourne in 2008.
"It's a bad day and you have to get on with your life. There are many worse situations in life," said the former world number one.
Kirilenko added: It's never easy. I'm good friends with Maria, but I tried my best to win today - I came here quite confident."
Henin was playing only her second tournament since making a comeback from an 18-month retirement. The seven-time Grand Slam champion was always in control against her younger rival, wrapping up the match in 73 minutes.
Henin, 27, said: "In the second round I'll have to play very good tennis. Dementieva is number five in the world so it's going to be a great challenge for me to play that kind of match very early in the tournament."
Henin, who won the Australian Open in 2004, retired in May 2008, saying she no longer had the motivation. But soon after Clijsters won the US Open on her own comeback last September, Henin announced that she too would return.
She played her first tournament in Brisbane, losing to Clijsters in the final but showing she had lost few of her skills or her renowned tenacity.
Clijsters felt she was taking plenty of momentum through with her after her successful Brisbane campaign.
But she added: "I think in Brisbane I was a little bit inconsistent once in a while during my matches. That's something that I'm really trying to focus on, trying to make sure I stay consistent.
"Or even when I feel like my level is dropping a little bit, that I jump on it straight away or that I notice it - that's what I'm working on."
Safina , last year's runner-up, was made to battle before beating Magdalena Rybarikova, of Slovakia, 6-4 6-4.
The Russian hit nine double faults and made 39 unforced errors before eventually overcoming her opponent, who is ranked 47th in the world.
She will play either qualifier Regina Kulikova or Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic in her next match.
Safina said: "Let's say it was not an easy first round match. She played very well.
"But I can start to build up much more confidence and using more of my shots. I had some good moments and bad moments, but overall I'm happy I went through, and I'm pretty satisfied with everything."
Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer, the world number 16 who had to qualify for the main draw because she was initially ineligible for the tournament after being banned for missing doping tests, continued her progress after coming through a marathon encounter with Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru, winning 1-6 7-5 10-8.
The second night match on Rod Laver, involving the 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova and Australia's Jelena Dokic, did not go the way the home fans wanted, the Russian winning 6-1 7-5 in a match that finished just before midnight.
The rain pushed 14 women's singles matches into Tuesday, the most high-profile of those being eighth seed Jelena Jankovic's match against Monica Niculescu.
Serena Williams defiant on return to Grand Slams
Ireland's Sorensen makes some history in Melbourne win
Sorensen win rolls back the years
Ireland earned their first Grand Slam singles win in the Open Era as Louk Sorensen beat Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-1 at the Australian Open.
Sorensen, 25, had already done what no other Irish tennis player had managed since Matt Doyle back in 1985 when he made it through the qualifying event.
"I do not know what is going on right now. I have suddenly got so many friend requests on Facebook," he said.
"I am feeling great, it is the biggest achievement of my career so far."
Before Tuesday's breakthrough win, Sorensen was best known as the son of Sean Sorensen, the current captain of the Ireland Davis Cup team, who played in the first round of Wimbledon in 1977, losing to Rod Laver.
Louk was raised in Germany and although his parents now live in Dublin, Sorensen remains in Stuttgart, training and playing in the German tennis league's third division.
"The money's good," he said. "And I can be the number one player [in Ireland]."
Sorensen has won tournaments on the Challenger and Futures Circuit but had to go through the qualifying competition for the Australian Open because his ranking of 284 was too low for an automatic place.
He is the first man from the Republic of Ireland to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam since Doyle lost in the first round in Melbourne in 1985.
Sorensen's second-round match is against American 33rd seed John Isner, who won last week's Auckland International, and will present a whole new challenge for the Irishman.
"I think it was an advantage to come through the qualifiers because I was used to the courts.
"The level between the qualies and the main draw, there is not such a big difference. You just need a bit of luck."
Ireland's Louk Sorensen beaten by John Isner
Katie O'Brien reaches Australian Open second round
Henin defeats Dementieva in epic
Former champion Justine Henin defeated fifth seed Elena Dementieva 7-5 7-6 (8-6) in a thrilling encounter to reach the Australian Open third round.
The Belgian, who came out of retirement this month, twice served for the match before coming through in a tense tie-break after nearly three hours.
"It was a special night," said Henin. "That's why I probably came back on the tour, to live these kind of matches."
Henin's compatriot Kim Clijsters also went through, along with Dinara Safina.
Henin , playing her first Grand Slam event following a 20-month retirement, took the first set on her third set point.
Dementieva struck back in an error-strewn but pulsating second set to take a 4-2 lead but 2004 champion Henin took the next three games and then had a match point while serving for the match.
Dementieva managed to force a tie-break but the Russian then netted a weak drop-shot to hand the Belgian another match point.
Former world number one Henin sealed victory with a volley to end a thrilling contest that had lasted two hours and 50 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
"At the end the nerves got to me," a relieved Henin said. "It was really difficult to close the match out.
"In Brisbane [when she lost in the final to Clijsters] I got the opportunities and didn't take them, and I thought here it would be the same, so I am very happy.
"I couldn't believe I could live the emotions like that."
Dementieva, who had the misfortune to land near the unseeded Henin in the draw, said the Belgian is playing as well as she was before her retirement in May 2008.
"She was moving well and hitting hard. It just doesn't feel like she had the break," said the world number five.
"She was as good as she was before. She's a great player. Playing against her, you really can learn a lot and improve your game.
"We really need these kind of players to increase the level of the game, so it's great to have her back here on the tour."
Former world number one Henin will take on 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova, who earlier beat Sorana Cirstea, in the third round.
Clijsters, a possible quarter-final opponent for Henin,was always in control in a 6-3 6-3 win over world number 99 Tamarine Tanasugarn but could never totally dominate a determined opponent.
"I feel like I'm good enough on the day to beat my opponents," said the Belgian. "It's not my best tennis yet, but hopefully I can save that when it's really necessary."
Second seed Safina saw off Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-3 6-4 in the heat of the afternoon in Melbourne.
Last year's beaten finalist made 40 unforced errors, compared to her opponent's 31, but also hit 31 winners as she came through a scrappy match.
"In some moments I played not bad, but it's good that I won the match and still there is so much room to improve," said the Russian.
"That's such a good thing, you know deep inside you have so much more to bring out.
"I think the serve was pretty good today - and I won. In the next match I can do a little bit more and more."
In Wednesday's early matches there were no problems for the top women in action, although third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was some way off her best despite the convincing 6-2 6-2 scoreline against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Rod Laver Arena.
"I have played for plenty of years already in Grand Slams and even though I'm 24, it feels like I've been here for a while," said the French Open champion.
"I just get extra motivation when I play Slams, this is for what I work for, what I play for. You just enjoy it so much."
Fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki was made to work hard in the first set before easing past Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4 6-2 on Hisense Arena.
"I had a tough opponent, so I was really happy to get through," said the Dane. "I was feeling confident on the court and comfortable.
"I'm really happy about the way things are going and I've been practising hard, so I'm really pleased about the way I'm playing."
Victoria Azarenka , the seventh seed, had no trouble seeing off Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-2 6-0, and ninth seed Vera Zvonareva beat Kristina Kucova by the same score.
Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer continued her recent run of excellent form by knocking out 12th seed Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (7-2) 6-1.
Wickmayer, 20, won the Auckland Classic title earlier this month in her first tournament since a court overturned a one-year ban for breaking doping regulations.
I'll bring my thoughts on some matches later. Anyone watching so far (Time zone is an issue for most I guess)?
EDIT: Do not post more than 5 links per thread per day. Read rules.
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