In Review: The Best Of Day Three
By Chris Oddo Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Join us each day throughout the Australian Open as we reflect on the moments that made the day special in Melbourne..
1. Nalbandian Gets Raw Deal, Keeps Dignity
A great victory by John Isner was needlessly tainted by a horrible call by umpire Kader Nouni. People will be talking about this one for days, but what they won’t be talking about was the way that David Nalbandian behaved on his way off the court. He did it with dignity, thanking the crowd, and keeping his composure. Impressive, even if he did throw a few racquets during the match.
There are times when we envy professional tennis players for their prowess, for their seemingly magical ability to crush the ball and to run forever. But this wasn’t one of them. Watching Nalbandian suffer the consequences of a match-wrecking call, with an overwhelming foe like Isner ready to drive him into the hardcourt when he was down, all I could feel was sympathy. Credit Nalbandian for showing a restraint at the conclusion of a truly heartbreaking loss. A lot of lesser men would have lost their cool and caused an ugly scene. Nalbandian, to his credit, did not.
2. Tomic’s Junk
Bernard Tomic was wildly entertaining once again on Wednesday evening in Melbourne, as he methodically defused power-hitter Sam Querrey with a steady diet of sticky slice, sneaky angles, and hypnotizing soft-balls. Who knows how far Tomic will take his quirky game in the next few years. All we can know right now is that he’s gaining in confidence, and he’s giving the Aussie faithful a renewed sense of hope.
It’s already been a great ride for the youngest player in the top 50, and it promises to get even wilder when Tomic meets fellow unorthodox player Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round.
3. The Warrior Mentality of John Isner
He may look like he’s about to tank late in these marathon matches, but when you examine closely, you’ll see that there is no quit in John Isner. Ultimately what defines a great tennis player is how they handle the big moments in matches, how they deal with the pressure, and how they react to adversity. Isner is fantastic on all counts. He may get labeled as nothing but a huge server, but there is infinitely more to this tall drink of water than meets the eye. He’s shrewd, gutty, competitive, and clutch. He’s calm, focused, and he will keep serving bombs until his arm falls off. Simply put, he’s a warrior.
4. Baghdatis: Simply Smashing!
I know it will be considered as poor behavior by many, but Marcos Baghdatis showed why he is one of most beloved players on tour when he went on a racquet-breaking tirade during a changeover against Stan Wawrinka last night. He was down two sets and a break, and rather than go quietly into the night, Baghdatis broke all the racquets in his bag except for one (even ones with the plastic wrapper still on them). The crowd went wild, and guess what? Baghdatis broke Stan Wawrinka in the very next game, and went on to win the set.
Now that’s entertainment!