2012 Australian Open Recap: Serena Moves to Third Round and Djokovic Continues to Dominate
On Day Four of the 2012 Australian Open, top-ranked Serbian and defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic needed only one hour and 42 min. to dispatch of his second round opponent, Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
"I try to not underestimate any opponents in early rounds," Djokovic said. "Santiago came out early hitting the ball quite flat. But I knew that, you know, sooner or later he’s going to drop the rhythm and I just have to hang in there. I’ve done a good job."
Up next for Djokovic is France’s Nicolas Mahut.
Fifteenth-ranked American Andy Roddick was forced to retire against hometown favorite and wild card entry Lleyton Hewitt. Trailing 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, Roddick lunged awkwardly and strained a hamstring. After a visit from the trainers, Roddick attempted to continue, but soon withdrew due to the injury. Hewitt advances to face 23rd-ranked Canadian Milos Raonic in the third round, a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 Day Four winner over Germany’s Philipp Petzschner.
Great Britain’s Andy Murray advances to the third round after his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Murray moves on to play another Frenchman, Michael Llodra, in the third round.
John Isner is all that remains on the men’s singles side of a chance to bring the 2012 title back to U.S. soil. With Roddick withdrawing and top-ranked American Mardy Fish already ousted, Ryan Sweeting was the latest U.S. casualty to fall Down Under in a hard-fought 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 2-6, 3-6 loss to the fifth-ranked Spaniard David Ferrer.
Other notables advancing on Day Four included the French trio of Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga; ninth-ranked Serbian Janko Tipsarevic; 24th-ranked Kei Nishikori from Japan; and 27th-ranked Juan Ignacio Chela from Argentina.
Click here for full results of Day Four action on the men’s side of the draw from the 2012 Australian Open.
On the women’s side, American Serena Williams needed a little more than an hour to earn her 500th career win in her 6-0, 6-4 win over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.
“She just started playing better and doing different things,” said Serena. “[That is] expected when you win the first set 6-0.”
Serena will face Greta Arn of Hungary, a 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 upset winner over the 17th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
Fourth-ranked Russian Maria Sharapova was a 6-0, 6-1 winner over American Jamie Hampton on Day Four. Since winning her third Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, Sharapova has been greeted by disappointment ever since. Missing the event in 2009 due to injury, Sharapova lost to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko in 2010, and was upset by German Andrea Petkovic. Awaiting Sharapova in third round action is 30th-ranked Angelique Kerber of Germany.
Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic advances to the next round as well after her 6-2, 6-3 win over 91st-ranked Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands. Next up for Ivanovic is American Vania King, a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 upset winner over the 15th-ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.
“I feel really comfortable in the environment I have now," said Ivanovic. "I think that’s been the biggest change. It was tough one. It was kind of radical because you always have so many people on your team, but I really feel it’s helped my game a lot, and my mental side as well. It’s been great.”
Other notables advancing on Day Four included ninth-ranked Marion Bartoli of France, number two-ranked Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, seventh-ranked Vera Zvonareva of Russia, 14th-ranked Sabine Lisicki of Germany and Russia’s Maria Kirilenko.
Click here for full results of Day Four action on the women’s side of the draw from the 2012 Australian Open.
