So let’s see, where are we? It’s Day 3 and the clouds refuse to move. They’re like a titanic UFO fixed above Melbourne and determined to blot out summer. Around its edges, you can see tantalizingly bright sunshine, but it never gets any closer. By now, the weather has given the tournament the feeling of muted, deferred celebration. All around are kids in shorts and T-shorts and flip-flops, in Aussie flags and green-and-gold uniforms, dressed for what they thought was a going to be a day in the sun. Surprisingly few of them have bothered to cover up in a jacket or cave in and wear jeans instead. Everyone is waiting.
We were given the first classic of the tournament last night, when David Nalbandian defied the local prognosticators who believed that he wouldn’t have the stomach to fight it out with Rusty Hewitt. It was modern men’s tennis at its best, the smooth ball striking of the Argentine matched against the determined counter-punching of the Australian. It was talent against grit, from one corner of the court to the other; there was a mesmerizing quality to the exchanges. Chalk up another great moment to the neutral Aussie surface, which gives both players a chance to employ their best games. And chalk it up to Nalbandian, who could have gone away. He was down two sets to one, a break in the fourth, and was facing another break point. It was do or die time; two breaks down and he was toast. It was the kind of game that a great player finds a way to win and keep himself alive. Normally that’s not Nalbandian. Last night it was.
Today half of the original tournament is gone, and the doubles players have landed (maybe from the UFO above?). Barring rain, I’ll be keeping my eye on Justine Henin, Tomas Berdych, Victoria Azarenka, Robin Haase, a French duke-out between Richard Gasquet and Adrian Mannarino, and Grigor Dimitrov vs. Stan Wawrinka—the former was once coached by the latter’s current coach, Peter Lundgren. There was a little edge in Dimitrov’s voice when he was asked about the situation two nights ago.
I’ll see where that leads, and be back as usual with posts through the day. Stay tuned, stay awake.