Australian Open 2014 Day 4: Heat and rain, but for Del Potro only pain

Day 4 at the 2014 Australian Open turned out to be a marathon day for the organisers as Mother Nature had her way, with searing heat and then rain leading to all sorts of suspensions, rescheduling and delays. When the dust finally settled at close to 2am on Day 5, it was time to take a look back at the day and all that happened. Here are few of the highlights from Day 4:

Rafael Nadal

The ‘usual suspects’ sail through, with a big exception

All current and former champions in action on Day 4 made their way into the third round without too much of a fuss. In the men’s section, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal was made to work hard by his teenage opponent Thanasi Kokkinakis, but still prevailed 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in what was his first full match at this year’s tournament. Also through were four-time champion Roger Federer and three-time runner-up Andy Murray. Federer produced some vintage tennis in the first two sets and held off the challenge of Blaz Kavcic in the third to win 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(4), while Murray won 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 against Vincent Millot of France (more to come on the Murray match later).

In the women’s section, two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka produced a much better performance than the first round as she beat Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova 6-1, 6-4 in her second round encounter. Also through were Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Sharapova, albeit in vastly contrasting fashion. Radwanska, who is still searching for her maiden Grand Slam win, brushed past Olga Govortsova 6-0, 7-5, but Sharapova ‘felt the heat’ as she and Karin Knapp scorched it out under the Melbourne heat for 3 hours and 24 minutes, with the 2008 champion finally wrapping it up 6-3, 4-6, 10-8.

Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens also made it through to the third round after a couple of tough three-set matches, Wozniacki beating Christina McHale and Stephens surviving a massive scare against Ajla Tomljanovic.

The story of the day, however, belonged to Roberto Bautista Agut, best known to Indian tennis fans at least as the man who reached the Chennai Open final last year. Bautista Agut produced the performance of a lifetime as he caused the biggest upset so far of this year’s tournament, beating the No. 5 seed Juan Martin Del Potro 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in one of the final matches of the day.

The result was extremely disappointing for Del Potro, who also lost in the second round of the US Open last year. The Argentine is talked about as a ‘dark horse’ at almost every major championship, but his performances, especially in the hard court Slams, are doing little to justify that tag. Del Potro himself said that he would look to ‘change his negatives into positives,’ and one can only hope that it happens sooner rather than later for one of the game’s most promising players.

Aussie tennis looks to be in good hands

It’s early days in the careers of both Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, but the Aussie teenage duo have sure made a mark at these championships. While both lost their matches to their fancied opponents today, they definitely didn’t go down without a fight. Kokkinakis, who lost to Kyrgios in last year’s boys’ final, was first up on court against World No. 1 and 13-time Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal, an extremely daunting prospect. However, Kokkinakis did not seem fazed and managed to hold his own, especially in the second set, making Nadal work hard for his points. Nadal himself heaped praise on the youngster after the match, earmarking him as one to watch out for in the future.

Kokkinakis’ conqueror in last year’s final, Nick Kyrgios, had it even better against No. 27 seed Benoit Paire. The match, which was the last to finish on the day, was a pulsating five-setter with Kyrgios capturing the first two sets in tie-breaks, only to find the physicality too much to handle, as he capitulated in the next three sets to Paire’s experience and surprisingly calm play under pressure. Paire ultimately won the match 6-7(5), 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to advance to a meeting against Bautista Agut, but not without a scare.

The incredible comeback and the see-sawing

The day also saw two favourites fight their way back into contention in their matches, the latter almost losing it thanks to her volatility. Andy Murray had cruised through the first two sets, but somehow, rather inexplicably, found himself 1-5 down in the third set. While normal tennis players would ride it out and try to make a comeback in the fourth set, Murray instead went on a roll. 23 points later, he had won the match 6-2, 6-2, 7-5, in an incredible display which left the qualifier Millot absolutely shell-shocked.

On the women’s side, it was Sloane Stephens’ turn. Stephens, whose match against Tomljanovic was delayed by four hours because of the heat, started badly as she lost the first set 6-3. Things looked to be on the mend as she strung together an incredible run of games as she took the second set 6-2 and raced to a 3-0 lead in the third. The rain came soon enough though, which was enough to disrupt Stephens’ concentration. Admitting that the lightning ‘scared’ her, she quickly found herself 3-5 down, having lost five games on the trot. Not to worry though, she seemed to say, as she promptly won the next four games, rounding off an incredible 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over her equally erratic opponent.

And finally, stand up and applaud, and raise a glass if you will, to Gilles Simon. It’s hard to believe that the Frenchman was on the verge of not playing the tournament due to an ankle injury last week which left him on crutches. Simon though, who reached the quarterfinals here in 2009, showed tremendous resolve as he hobbled his way to yet another five-set win, following up his first round marathon against Daniel Brands. Simon won 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-2 against former semifinalist Marin Cilic to set up an all French third-round clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. And the potential fourth-round opponent for the winner of that match? Roger Federer.