Talk About Tennis 2.0

Goffin let me down too..

You just knew when Murray won the 1st set that this was going to go 5...

Continuing the theme I harped on at last year's Australian Open, Berrettini is money in pressure matches when he has a chance to win. If it's close, he wins unless he is playing an all-time great.

Murray was so close to finishing him off, but Berrettini hit an incredible (somewhat lucky, probably) volley at 7-7 in the fourth-set tiebreak and closed it out 9-7 to take this to a fifth.

Berrettini missed a sitter on match point; Murray eventually held.
Now 5-5 in the 5th.

Obviously, an early candidate for Match of the Year. There will be better, but it has been excellent.

So of course Berrettini misses one of the easiest match point shots I've ever seen to blow the match.

But I agree with ponchi--a very high quality match. Murray was the better player for most of it, but Berrettini's serve was untouchable for most of the final three sets. When the serve faltered in the tiebreak, Murray got the big win he richly deserved.

Gutsy win by the 'old man'...
I'm glad it finished with a 4 point difference in the 5th set tiebreak. I think all final set tiebreaks should have to be won with at least a 4 point difference, as that leaves less to chance (although match point in this match was a net cord!).

That match point sitter that Berrettini blew at 5-4 in the 5th, though...

.

Jabeur and Zidansek have split the first 2 sets - Jabeur won the first in a tiebreak, and Zidansek won the second 6-4.
Zidansek has played really well... and Jabeur has been quite inconsistent, with several more unforced errors than usual.
Onto the third...

Meanwhile, some rain came shortly after the Murray - Berrettini match, and all of the matches on courts without roofs have been stopped for about 2 hours now.
First they stopped for a couple of hours because of the heat, and then because of the rain. Rain can be an issue at any outdoor tournament - but the heat is often an issue at the Aussie Open. It's time to start thinking seriously about playing the this tournament at a different time of the year - or in an Australian city with cooler temperatures, if such exists.

Zidansek just didn't believe she could win this match, and Jabeur won the 3rd set easily and quickly.
Too bad - it was a really interesting match for 2 sets.

Ben Shelton saved a match point and goes on to win his AO debut match in a 5th set tiebreak.

This is rather funny...

Is That a....?

Deuce wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 12:25 pm This is rather funny...

Is That a....?

It is funny when you realize what he was trying to draw...