by Bobby Chintapalli, Contributing Writer
The Australian Open’s here, which means it’s time to convince ourselves that friends and sleep are overrated and time to scrutinize the draw. Changing fortunes and returning players give us popcorn matches earlier every year, and this year's no exception. Here are some of the best first-round matches to watch.
Let’s face it – God just likes some people better than others.
How else do you explain a former No. 1 who practically broke her back and is hurtling down the rankings drawing as her first opponent a former No. 1 who’s winning everything in sight and zooming up the rankings?
Each will make her ninth appearance here and, on paper, face her toughest first-round opponent yet. Both have been to the final before. Something else they have in common is a bad experience the last time around. I can’t think of a verb to sufficiently describe what Nadia Petrova did to Clijsters – I just know I never woke up to a more shocking score (6-0, 6-1). Safina got one round farther but retired owing to the back issue that plagued her much of last year.
They faced off here in 2004, when Clijsters won easily. But things change… and change again. When Clijsters returned in 2009 she commented on how much Safina had improved during her absence. “In the past you could kind of doubt that she was really into her game. I think she's really figured it out now.” A year later, as Clijsters herself remarked, things didn’t look so good for Safina.
Clijsters is expected to win this match and – based on betting odds – this tournament. But she was also expected to win Sydney, and Li Na had other plans.
Safina’s not back to her No. 1 self and lost badly to Marion Bartoli only this week. Yet she’s not playing with the back issue of last year or the pressure of the year before. If the exclamation marks she’s unleashed on Twitter are anything to go by, she is playing with more happiness. A warm and fuzzy feeling alone won’t win her two sets, but it can’t hurt.
No matter the opponent Caroline Wozniacki's first match would have made this list. She’s world No. 1, and the WTA's current question No. 1 is whether/when she'll win a Slam. Most want to see if she lives up to the ranking; a few can’t wait to harass her if she doesn't.
Increasingly we live in a tennis world where there is no greater crime than reaching No. 1 without a Slam, and a player who has the audacity to commit this crime is guilty until proven innocent. (The situation is annoying, boring… and a story for another day.)
What matters now is that the singles No. 1 will play the doubles No. 1.
It won’t be the first time, not even in Melbourne. Wozniacki’s first main draw opponent here, in 2008, was Gisela Dulko. Dulko was ranked higher, but Wozniacki won 6-1, 6-1.
Rather than dwell on that score Dulko will want to remember that last year she beat Ana Ivanovic, a player once in Wozniacki’s (ranking) shoes. (And at the Wimbledon before that she beat Maria Sharapova.) Plus Wozniacki, who played last year like pressure is a privilege, played this week in Sydney like maybe it’s just the name of a book. Then of course there’s this month's Hong Kong exhibition, where she won one game against Vera Zvonareva.
Still Wozniacki’s No. 1 for a reason, and it’s not perfect attendance. You have to think she’ll win this, but will you be shocked if she doesn't?
This one’s on here because of the players more than the matchup (it's been one-sided).
Tanasugarn has played in the main draw more than anyone else – 14 times. That’s once more than Patty Schnyder. (Those two, along with Venus Williams, are the only players here who’ve played more than 50 Slams.) Tanasugarn, 33, was also the oldest singles title winner last year.
And you may have heard of Maria Sharapova? She’ll be playing with a new racquet and a new coach. There’s that new Nike dress too. But the gigantic new rock on her left hand? If Auckland's any indication she won't wear it during the match. You know that thing can’t be very aerodynamic.
One final tidbit (courtesy of the WTA's Kevin Fischer): Sharapova has won three career doubles title. Guess who she won two of them with?
If you think this one’s on here because 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm is the oldest player in the draw and my hero, you’re partly right.
It’s also because it should be a quality match between a wily veteran and a wily youngster. We won’t ooh and aah as we glance over at the serve speed meter, but we’ll likely enjoy the balls hit crazy early, the fun drop shots (unless you-know-how goes overboard), the variety.
Radwanska has that seeding number by her name, but Date-Krumm’s no stranger to it. Back when Bill Clinton was President, she was ranked as high as No. 4. Date-Krumm also has twice as many titles and a higher career win percentage. Also Radwanska ended last season a little early with a foot injury she thought might keep her out of this tournament.
Considering that and the fact that they’ve never played each other before, this one’s hard to call. Your pick?