All Beginnings Are Difficult: Day 1 Australian Open Qualies

It's that time of year where the Aus Open qualies and for the first time there was a lack of anticipation but was hoping that would change once I entered the grounds, alas this did not happen.


2018 was a pretty poor year besudes John Millman beating Roger Federer at the US Open to make the quarter finals. The overnight success where his father Ron The Fox Millman cemented legendary status fielding all the media requests. It hasn't changed John and it won't, he has solid people around him.


John and the Fox

The coolest Japanese man of all time Taro Daniel won a title out of nowhere in Istaanbul doing a Marvel celebration and coming back from 04 in the 3rd against Rogerio Dutra Silva in the quarter finals. Diego Schwartzman was just being Diego Schwartzman.


Schwartzman

Changes

Before we start on the qualies action these are the lowlights. Davis Cup has ended and what has been put in its place is an absolute joke. Can't say Davis Cup is special when all the special elements have been taken away. If they agreed to paly it every 2 years in odd years, it would not clash with the Olympics which the ITF make a big deak out of. The Pique Cup is a joke, just a cash grab which needs to fail.

This leads into my next point the players are not consulted at all about these changes. The vast majority are against the Pique Cup. The Australian Open decides to have a 5th set tiebreaker which is garbage. In a major players should be breaking to wn a 5th set in a major not rely on a crapshoot. Then the organisers have a Champions Tie Break which is rubbish, sure Wimbledon had a hybrid solution but it's better than what's on offer. The mental aspect is takem away, as they know the end is coming and the fitness is part of this great sport.




Qualifying for some reason was changed from Tuesday to Friday for reasons that are unknown just like the extensive consultation about the tiebrakers that allegedly that happened from the tournament organisers. None of the players were asked yes that includes Sascha Zverev, Nadal and Severin Luthi stated Federer was not asked. Who was clamouring for the change it was definitely commercial interests, this is where you need an organisation that has the skill to balance the interests out. With the qualifying finishing on Friday, some will play their next match on Tuesday, they will be able to go to Phillip Island and back, then off on the Great Ocean Road return and still have time to prepare. So, no the organisers did not stop, collaborate and listen to all parties necessary.

Day 1 qualifying

Rola vs. Pavlasek

Rola who is coached by Grega Zemlja one of the blogger's favourtires. In the past year he has opened up an academy where Rola is playing out of. Looking to turn promising juniors into pros but of course getting better facilities is a challenge.


Rola

Rola served well , moving the ball around the service box and using his forehand to attack Pavlasek's backhand which is mostly slice and not of the Estrella Burgos kind. He is most notable for being an ex of Petra Kvitova, not that this is a bad thing in itself.

Pavlasek was very passive but holding comfortably as well as Rola was serving in the 1st set, he was returning like Karlovic and not on a good day. In the 12th game with Pavlasek serving to take into the tiebreaker. Rola starts hitting some solid returns, waiting for the inevitable short ball from Pavlasek and took the set 7-5.

The 2nd set begins in the same way but Rola is returning better overall. Once they get into the rallies the greater weight of shot from Rola exposed the Czech's backhand and ran out a comfortable winner in the end with a small wobble while serving it out.

Brown vs. Berlcoq

Total contrast between the flair of Brown and the grinding of Berlocq. In his first service game, Brown was not switched on and got broken. For the first 5 games Berlocq hardly made an unforced error and Brown was getting frustrated but was getting more balls into the court. Berlocq deservedly took the 1st set which lead to Brown being more aggressive and not necessarily in ballbashing mode.

In the 2nd set Brown gets on a roll, not missing many serves, dominating with the forehand and moving forward to knock the volleys off. Brown is tough to stop when he is riding that momentum train, whereas Berlccq the level between best and worst isn't as extreme as Brown who takes the 2nd set.


Dustin Brown

Brown got an early break in the 3rd and was sailing along fairly comfortably on serve, while playing way too many dropshots and not having a great success ratio. Berlocq is tougher than $2 steak and gives nothing away, manages to break back. The match is Berlocq's grunting and grinding against Dreddy's serve/colleying, 200km/h forehands, slice and drop shots.

Berlocq serving at 5-5 40-0 up. Brown hits the backspin drop shot one bounce on Berlocq's side & bounces on Brown's side, from there Dreddy rides the momentum train breaks Berlocq and serves out the match. There was a proper warm embrace at the end of the match.

Talking Points

Good to see Steve Darcis back around the courts he was at the De Greef match.

Janko Tipsarevic sighting has been confirmed and Viktor Troicki smiling they were watching the Serbian derby.

Chris Eubanks saw the last set of his match and like his game. His forehand takeback is similar to Lukas Rosol, apart from that he is a lot quicker and doesn't have Rosol's on court temperament.

Domi Thiem was watching his compatriot Ofner win his match.

Casper Ruud played an absolute shit match today, pretty much it was just cheap errors and most of them were rally balls. Laaksonen was solid, but he did what was necessary since Ruud thought it was still Christmas with all the presents he was handing out.

The final set champions tiebreak is rubbish as witnessed with the initial one played in the Jung match. It was dumb then and it's dumb noiw.

Tomorrow will be a fun day have Robert, Lorenzi, Dutra Silva, Gimeno-Traver, Baghdatis and Rosol all gracing the courts at some stage.