This week two Australians were sent home by their opponents. On Tuesday at Portoroz, in Slovenia and then at Atlanta, in the USA. It’s not really the results that were disappointing but the way Anastasia Rodionova and Nick Lindahl lost. Had they been more focused on the day we would be writing about two Aussies in the second round at this week’s tournaments.
Rodionova started well against Italian Maria Elena Camerin. She won a tight first set with 6-4, playing better on the decisive moments. Then she lost her concentration in the second set and lost easily 2-6. The Italian player enjoys playing at Portoroz and she has a quarter final to defend here but it was more “Nastya” choking in a match where both opponents were screaming so loud. It was a real show of tempers. The Aussie threw away a massive lead in the third set against Maria Elena. Nastya had a point for 5-0 in the 3rd set and then failed to win any game after wards, losing six games in a row! Rodionova has played quite poorly since she reached the third round of Wimbledon and she missed a great chance against Camerin, who made the second round of a WTA tournament only for the second time this year.
Nick Lindahl made the main draw after a spectacular result in the qualifying rounds, winning three tight sets against Canadian Frank Dancevic and then trashing Olivier Sajous in straight sets. The Australian started okay against Robby Ginepri but missed a lot of opportunities. Even failing to win 1st set tiebreak after a 4-2 lead. Robby said: “It was a little nerve-wracking at first. I had all my friends and family here that never get a chance to see me play, but I felt comfortable after I broke back to make it 3-all. It’s tough out there, it’s pretty hot conditions. Just lucky to get through in straight sets”.
In the doubles competitions, Aussie Jordan Kerr, former champion and last year’s runner-up at Atlanta, was also defeated in straight sets. Jordan teams with British Ross Hutchins but they were beat by South-African/American team Kevin Anderson and Michael Russell 7-6, 6-3.
The only Australian player to win yesterday was veteran Paul Hanley, who started with Simon Aspelin in their title defence at Hamburg, winning after a tight three set thriller 5-7, 6-4, 10-6.