Australian Open Day 7: Too Much Hype, Not Enough Flair
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 9:54AM 
Better luck next timeby Kait O'Callahan
The Bernard Tomic hype is out of control. The cover of Sunday Age sports section screams the headline, “We’re behind you!” Turn the page, and you’ll find more. “Can he do it?” asks one cautiously optimistic columnist, whilst another explains how he can, “Tomic to get smart with hero.” We’ve reached the peak of the Tomic hype, and I’ve bought a last minute ticket to see him play Roger Federer.
Our first match of the day sets the tone; anti-climactic. Agnieszka Radwasnka makes 3 unforced errors on her way to the quarter-finals. Her hapless opponent, Julia Goerges, commits 27. The match, unfortunately, was as good as those statistics suggest. While Radwanska plays well, it is hard to take your eyes off the trainwreck that is the Goerges game. She can barely string a few points together, and her backhand has gone completely AWOL. Goerges tweets ‘Shit, it happens,’ after the match.
Did Tomas Berdych honestly believe he was justified in refusing to shake Nicolas Almagro’s hand after their fourth round match? (See video here). Apparently so, according to the Berdych press conference in which he told journalists that Almagro had deliberatly hit a ball at his face. The move had come at crucial time in the four set match; with Berdych at net, Almagro attempted a passing shot that hit Berdych in the arm. Berdych fell down in dramatic fashion, and didn’t accept Almagro’s immediate apology. Boos echoed around Hisense Arena as the victorious Berdych snubbed the Spaniard at the end of the match. Hisense Arena’s patrons - who had been suffering in 32 degree heat - seem to be the ones in the right. I was not one of those patrons; having seen the first two sets, we made a quick getaway to see my favourite Argentinian.
Juan Martin del Potro is striking the ball well again. Philip Kohlschreiber is not. For a match that was expected to be close, based on past matches between the two, it is a huge disappointment. A disappointment for the rest of the crowd, anyhow - I’m almost bouncing in my seat. One young, probably drunk, man is yelling his support for Kohlschreiber a little too enthusiastically. Several members of the crowd tell him to shut up. “Oh come on,” he replies, “Get behind him - you don’t want to see a love and love match do you?” Turns out there are no bagels in del Potro’s win, but I’m sure the bloke is disappointed nonetheless. Del Potro, who will now will return to the top 10* and has reached his first quarterfinal since his US Open win in 2009, cruises through in time for me to make it onto Rod Laver for the highly anticipated night match.
“I think I can get balls down to where Roger probably can’t use his backhand enough.” Bernard Tomic is likely cringing at these words that were thrown around before their fourth round encounter. Not only does Roger Federer make short work of Tomic, he pummels him with backhands up the line frequently. The match, which is a sell-out, starts closely enough, with both men holding serve until 4-4. The Fanatics rolls out their cliche chants and the crowd hold their breath, hoping the local boy will get at least a set. It’s all over quickly. Federer breaks and holds for 6-4 and never looks back. By the second set, Tomic is hanging his head in despair. This time, he’s not foxing. He simply cannot hang with Federer from the baseline, who refuses to get into long backhand slice rallies and instead takes the initiative on almost every point. By the third set, even the Fanatics are quiet. Federer gives a gracious speech after his win, but saves his highest compliments for the man he will meet in the quarters, del Potro. The Fanatics will hope the only remaining Aussie, Lleyton Hewitt, can push Novak Djokovic harder.
After the letdown (for the Aussies) that was Federer-Tomic, there is a deflated atmosphere about the stadium. A third of the seats have been vacated by the time Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic take the court. Jankovic is also listless, and some sloppy play sees her lose the first set 0-6. Not that Wozniacki isn’t looking good; once again the world number one impresses me with an improved forehand, a willingness to come to net, and a backhand that is one of the best in the world. Jankovic steps it up in the second set, and we catch glimpses of what the match could have been. Unfortunately, the Serbian tightens at 5-5, and Wozniacki moves through in straights. She’ll play Kim Clijsters in the quarter-final, and it’ll be interesting to see how her forehand and game hold up.
We get home and turn on the television. A replay of Hewitt and Milos Raonic is showing. The hype rolls on.
* If Richard Gasquet makes it to the final and Juan Martin del Potro loses to Roger Federer he will not be in the top 10.
Photo: Getty Images
Kait O'Callahan also has her own tennis blog Any Given Surface. To follow her on Twitter, click here.
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