The Reuters Boys

My back is on the blink again after shimmying to try and avoid bumping into a guy who was crossing the road but looking behind him the other day. I therefore didn't want to do a great deal, but wasn't going to decline lunch which we enjoyed with Greg and Oss.

We fly to Thailand tomorrow.

Jean

Tennis Again (2)

In the last match of the evening, Marcus Baghdatis was pitted against the American, Mardy Fish. Although the latter had the faster first serve, often at over two hundred kilometres an hour, Baghdatis was able to place his serve well, which was mre effective. His strokes from the baseline were more accurate and he had the added advantage of his famous band of travelling supporters who were extremely vociferous between points - more like a football crowd - but behaved impeccably during play. The Cypriot won 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Jean

Tennis Again (1)

We had tickets for the evening session but arrived early thinking we might pick up some action on the outside courts, maybe some fast, exciting men’s doubles. In the event, we were accosted by a couple who were leaving the Rod Laver Arena early and asked if we’d like their corporate tickets for the remainder of the afternoon. So we saw the last set of the Jankovic - Sugiyama match in comfortable seats, which the top seed from Serbia, won 6-4, 6-4.



On to the evening and first match up was between Ana Ivanovo (seeded 5) and Alisa Kleybanova, which the 29th seed won 7-5, 6-7, 6-2. She played the better tennis in the first set, but came unstuck in the second as all of the vociferous spectators in the crowd were shouting for the Serbian, and cheering the Russian errors. The umpire had to intervene to ask people not to disturb the players between first and second serve.


Kleybanova held her nerve in the third though, with her heavy first serve and searing ground strokes. The majority of the crowd applauded a worthy winner.

Jean