TENNIS:ROGER FEDERER is looking so relaxed at this Australian Open he could be in Melbourne selling tennis sweaters rather than stretching every sinew to win his 17th grand slam. His elegant dismissal of the one-time junior star Lukas Lacko in an hour and 24 minutes on the opening day did little more than loosen up his impossibly lithe frame and give him redundant confidence for his second-round match against Gilles Simon of France tomorrow.
When the Swiss said before the tournament that “I’m living this absolute dream of having become such an incredible player”, even those tempted to sneer at his arrogance had to admit he had a point. And, when reminded that Simon was one of the few players against whom he had a losing record (in Masters events in China and Canada in 2008 and ’09), Federer was monumentally unconcerned.
“If he was to win,” he said, “maybe I would look into what has worked and what has not worked against him in the past.” (Indeed nothing has worked, in terms of results; those two matches were the only times they have met.)
Federer conceded he remembered his defeats better than his wins, but only because “I don’t have as many as I have wins”.
Simon, who dropped a set in beating Lu Yen-hsun, is not naive enough to dwell on any perceived hold he might have on Federer; this is a slam and that is where the Swiss reaches new levels.
If the second round is just another day on court for Federer en route to defending the title he won here against Andy Murray last year, it is packed with more career-defining heft for Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong.
Baltacha, born in Kiev, raised in Scotland and happy in Ipswich, ignored the minor tantrums of the annoying American Jamie Hampton to win 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 and earn a shot at Justine Henin.
Keothavong, born in Hackney to parents who escaped Laos during its war-torn worst, is number two in Britain behind Baltacha, and, playing on the next court, also won through to the second round, beating the Russian Arina Rodionova 7-5, 6-4. She plays the Andrea Petkovic of Germany.
So, for the second year in a row and only the second time since 1991, Britain has more than one woman in the second round of the Australian Open, a crumb of comfort, perhaps, but one worth taking.
Henin says she knows next to nothing about Baltacha (she could not remember seeing her play), and Baltacha admits she probably knows too much about Henin – but she will not be awed by the former world number one. Would she give her respect, though, would she tailor her game to accommodate one of the most formidable competitors in the women’s game?
“No, you can’t,” she said, “because once you give someone respect, that’s it. If they know it, you’re not going to be fully focused on your game.”
She got precious little of it from Hampton, and that, said Baltacha, is as it should be.
“You’ve got to go out there and show no respect. That’s what the girl did today.”
World number one Caroline Wozniacki, who is chasing her first grand slam title, survived a tricky opening assignment as she overcame Gisela Dulko. Dane Wozniacki was pushed by Dulko, who tops the doubles rankings, before securing a 6-3 6-4 win on Rod Laver Arena.
Argentinian Dulko had far greater variety and a defter touch at the net but Wozniacki’s heavier hitting from the back of the court proved decisive.
“Gisela is a tough opponent, especially in the first round. She changes the rhythm quite a bit so it’s tough to get there and play your own game,” said Wozniacki afterwards. “I’m really happy to be through to the next round.”
Baltacha was not fazed by her opponent’s antics (she complained loudly about line calls, belted a ball back that nearly took Baltacha’s head off and finished with three double-faults that all but caused her to explode).
“I was actually chuckling to myself but I had to give her that little glare, like, okay, you’ve nearly hit me. But I did laugh because she did mean it.”
