Bethanie Mattek-Sands lifted another back-spinning drop shot that fell over the net like a marionette whose strings were snapped, leaving Agnieszka Radwanska lunging at air.
Radwanska has a well-earned reputation as a shrewd problem solver, but she looked completely bamboozled at times by Mattek-Sands' daring net play and dipping droppers. The colorful American produced an eye-popping 81 winners, but Radwanska refused to crack. Navigating a whipping wind, hot conditions and an inspired opponent, Radwanska reeled off four games in a row to earn a 6-7 (10), 6-4, 6-2 Australian Open first-round victory that spanned three hours.
This was a highly entertaining and uneven match that saw Mattek-Sands play the drop shot with brash devotion against one of the finest finesse players in the game. A shoulder injury limited the 67th-ranked American to five matches after last year's French Open, and she came out looking to play attacking tennis to shorten the points. Knowing Radwanska's second serve is the weakest part of her game, Mattek-Sands had good success cracking her backhand return up the line, following it to net and often concluding points with soft, angled drop volleys. She won 51 of 72 trips to net and played the angles so sharply that even when Radwanska ran down the droppers, she was forced to hit up—where Mattek-Sands was waiting to bump the ball into the open court.
Treating Radwanska's second serve with pure disdain, Mattek-Sands broke twice in storming out to a 5-2 lead before tightening up trying to serve it out. She dropped serve at 5-2 and later squandered four set points, slapping a smash into the top of the net to drop serve for 5-all.
Then it was Radwanska's turn to lose a big lead. She raced out to a 5-1 lead in an eventual breaker, only to see Mattek-Sands string together five consecutive points for a 6-5 advntage. Radwanska then saved two more set points, while Mattek-Sands erased three set points of her own. Finally, at 10-all, Mattek-Sands, channeling the spirit of trick shot artist Mansour Bahrami, used a tantalizing backhand drop shot to set up a backhand volley winner, then slid a serve down the T to end a one-hour, 15-minute rollercoaster ride of a first set. Mattek-Sands produced 41 winners against 33 errors.
The exhaustive effort would be Mattek-Sands' finest of the match. After holding for 2-1 in the second-set, Mattek-Sands left the court to take treatment for an apparent left hip or groin injury. By the seventh game, she wasn’t moving as quickly, and squandered a game point as Radwanska strung together six straight points to take a 5-3 lead. Serving to level the match, the slender Krakow counterpuncher saved two break points and sealed the second set with a clenched fist.
The final set quickly became a formality. The pair exchanged three straight breaks in the first four games, as Radwanska looked fitter and fresher in consolidating the third at love for a 4-2 advantage. Hitting with greater depth on her groundstrokes, Radwanska won most of the long rallies in the final set. A precise forehand pass crosscourt gave her an insurance break and an insurmountable 5-2 lead.
Next up for Radwanska: Argentine qualifier Paula Ormaechea, who defeated Simona Halep in three sets.
—Richard Pagliaro