Day Two: Bring The Pirates Back!


Ofcourse, as predicted, when two days worth of first round matches (in a grand slam of all places!) are squeezed into one, it means missing alot of the action. And i'm most insulted that Nadal versus Bogdanovic got a warm-up coverage while all we got to see of Safin versus Rusedki was the match point. Just a few jottings:

• Justine Henin-Hardenne ripped through her first round. So the rumors speak true: we do have a serious Wimbledon contender on our hand. Meng Yuan hadn't a chance, but it's great to see Chinese women emerging so.
• Federer, federer, federer. How do you do it. He breezed by a shaky Richard Gasquet, who looked like a tough contender on paper, but the poor kid is just having a rough year. One wonders whatever happened to the young frenchmen (who apart from Nadal and Monfils, were supposed to set the tennis world on fire circa 2005) to see his ranking plummet to where it is right now. All french eyes are on Monfils, but just you wait, Gasquet will most definitely prove his sorts in a couple of years. On the other hand, Federer played magistically! A bit too magistically, one might add, causing fears of 'peaking' too early in the tournament and running out of gas in the later stages. Or something.
• Andre! The old dog gave us a scare in the first set, losing 2-6 to a certain Mr. Pahanski (whom i have never heard of before, hmpff), but thank God he didn't pull a pete and have to lose in the first round as a retirement gift. No worries, it was just a lack of match play that rusted the edges a bit. Too bad he has that Swiss dude for the fourth round, though.
• Henman had a five-setter against the very talented Soderling. Still, throughout the match, you just knew Henman had it bagged. He just likes to give himself a hard time with all them five-setters. I'd love to see him go far this year (with that brilliant result in Stella Artois this year!) but dang, he's playing that Swiss in the second.
• Is it just me or do these new shorts on Nadal just seem two sizes too big? God, we've grown up watching them pirates whizz through the court. Bring The Pirates Back! No Baggy Rags Please. And did anyone spot our *special* friend in the player box? ;)
• Mathieu lost to the volatile Philoppoussis in four sets. So that's four frenchmen down today: Mathieu, Gasquet, Serra and, yes, Monfils. (well, atleast they beat Spain today.. *sniff*)
• MARAT SAFIN IS THROUGH! WOHOO! Straight Sets, Baby! I know, i know, i know, he might be out in the next round, knowing him but - can a girl not dream! =D Also, Juanqui has beaten fellow spaniard Fernando Vicente to make it through to the second round! Jubilation, i tell you!
• It's sad to see Scrichaphan lose in the first round, for the fourth time in a row.

Tommorrow's Matches to look out for:
David Nalbandian (ARG)[4] vs Arnaud Clement (FRA)

Viktoria Kutuzova (UKR) vs Kim Clijsters (BEL)[2]

Roger Federer (SUI)[1] vs Tim Henman (GBR)

Tommy Robredo (ESP)[11] vs Novak Djokovic (SCG)

Fabrice Santoro (FRA) vs Tomas Berdych (CZE)[13]

Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)[5] vs Feliciano Lopez (ESP)

Mark Philippoussis (AUS) vs Max Mirnyi (BLR)

We leave you with peace, love and Puyol (keep him.)