Help
6/21/10 4:34 AM | Cheryl Murray
No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic will kick off his 2010 Wimbledon campaign on Monday. He will be joined by surprise Halle champion Lleyton Hewitt.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Maximo Gonzalez
Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt received a huge seeding bump from the All-England Club after his run to the title in Halle a week ago. The Aussie is ranked 26 in the world, but Wimbledon awarded him the No. 15 seed. Hewitt is brimming with confidence coming into the Championships. The Aussie defeated Roger Federer in the final in Halle for the first time in 15 straight outings.
Hewitt’s first round opponent is No. 159 Maximo Gonzalez from Argentina. Like many South American players, Gonzalez prefers clay. All of his activity in 2010 coming into Wimbledon has been on the dirt. Hewitt should come through this match easily.
Novak Djokovic vs. Olivier Rochus
The draw was not kind to Novak Djokovic. The Serbian world No. 3 will take on Belgium’s Olivier Rochus on the opening day of play at the All-England Club. Rochus enjoys a 3-1 head-to-head over Djokovic; the Serb’s single win occurred on the grass courts of Halle last year.
Djokovic has a number of problems coming into this match. Most importantly, he has not been playing good tennis this season. The clay season was a bust for the most part, and he comes into Wimbledon off a dismal showing at Queen’s Club, where he lost in the round of 16 to Xavier Malisse.
Djokovic should be able to pull this match out, but it will likely take some work for the Serb.
Find the latest tennis odds at Unibet.com
Tell a friend »
berdych beat hewitt 7-5 6-3 in the exhibition match at the hurlingam club yesterday
vamosrafa , 6/21/10 1:55 PM
Djokovic starts his Wimbledon campaign with an ace.
stu , 6/21/10 7:28 PM
Perhaps a good omen, stu. :)
smr , 6/21/10 7:45 PM
he can't break, too bad.
rfzr , 6/21/10 7:52 PM
and now he goes into annoyed mode and gets broken ... first set goes to rochus most likely ... typical djokovic.
rfzr , 6/21/10 7:57 PM
don't forget who we're talking about here, smr...
stu , 6/21/10 7:58 PM
i still think he's playing well though...
stu , 6/21/10 8:00 PM
Why does Novak have a problem with little Rochus?
smr , 6/21/10 8:13 PM
kind of a pity this first set - i think Nole was the better player throughout, except that one game on his own serve....
his stats are good too - 70+% first and second serves, 4 aces, no DFs, lots of winners..won more receiving points than rochus...
i guess this is tennis for ya...
stu , 6/21/10 8:15 PM
coz little rochus has a big heart and big djokovic has a small one.
rfzr , 6/21/10 8:15 PM
Why does Novak have a problem with little Rochus?
smr , 6/21/10 8:13 PM
Because they are both just counter punchers, and if Nole's serve is not on, then it's very much who out-punches the other.
nadline , 6/21/10 8:19 PM
Umm...Novak Djokovic is "just a counter-puncher"?!!!! this coming from a Rafa fan?!!!!
stu , 6/21/10 8:22 PM
Little Rochus can also be a big bully, and big Djoker is a little tentative...
stu , 6/21/10 8:24 PM
Rafa has spin!!!!!!!!!!!
nadline , 6/21/10 8:27 PM
Hewitt has dropped the first set against Gonzalez 7.5.
nadline , 6/21/10 8:30 PM
counter-puncher spin.
rfzr , 6/21/10 8:31 PM
Djokovic is winning this wimbledon. He is back his serve is back................
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 8:32 PM
Well there ... Novak fighting back against the "big bully".
smr , 6/21/10 8:32 PM
While I agree that Nole is becoming more defensive off-late (probably something to do with his recent loss of self confidence), his style is high-risk tennis and his natural game is offensive. Rafa is a counter puncher. With spin, I'll give you that.
stu , 6/21/10 8:34 PM
OK... funny part of day is gone... is it now my turn to bite the nails...
zare , 6/21/10 8:35 PM
rochus is going to get kicked badly in the coming sets. No matter who he plays djoker will kick them all excpet fed and nadal. but he will win against fed and nadal this time
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 8:35 PM
Not that this is the right thread ... but i've always considered Rafa's game a little bit undefinable. (too much stuff to try and include).
smr , 6/21/10 8:36 PM
haha sathisht79, kind of funny you saying that while he's still a set down :)
stu , 6/21/10 8:36 PM
Looks like Hewitt is kicking his own bully.
smr , 6/21/10 8:37 PM
...after light warming up in first set... now we are on fire here... double break for Nole...
...and I almost forgot...:
AJDEEEE NOLEEEEEEEE....!!!!!!
zare , 6/21/10 8:37 PM
he is a set down but he played well and lost it bcos of casual play than anything ofcourse not still fully conf on game but I can see it coming back to 2007/2008 level
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 8:38 PM
8 aces!!!! 8 ACES !!! ...
NOLE I love you.... please don't give me false hope... is your service back!!!
zare , 6/21/10 8:41 PM
Agree. I've said it about 10 times already but ill say it again coz I'm excited. i think Djoker is playing well, especially for one of his first competitive matches this season on grass. if he keeps this up i might have to reevaluate my R4 prediction for him.
stu , 6/21/10 8:41 PM
more importantly, zare, no DFs for 2 sets!
stu , 6/21/10 8:42 PM
stu - he is not going out on r4, he is the champion this time. I can sense it in his game and he wants it back he will kick hewitt r4 (if hewitt reaches there like in 2008 AUS open)
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 8:43 PM
well not quite 2 full sets :(
stu , 6/21/10 8:44 PM
winners incl. service 46...UE 15.... well that's the nice stats...
zare , 6/21/10 8:47 PM
okay WTF?
stu , 6/21/10 8:49 PM
Ahhhhh Stu, Stu... we better watch what we are talking... remember Meltzer???
zare , 6/21/10 8:50 PM
nole gets broken instead of finishing the set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????????????????
rfzr , 6/21/10 8:50 PM
thats wat we call experimenting r casual play
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 8:50 PM
won't be forgetting Melzer for a while, zare...but we never learn! his first two service games today were enough for me to see him winning the Championship!
stu , 6/21/10 8:52 PM
he just wanted to start set 3 on serve
stu , 6/21/10 8:53 PM
he needs to play aggressive and come to the net more ...
rfzr , 6/21/10 8:54 PM
and not to get broken ;)
rfzr , 6/21/10 8:59 PM
At least Hewitt's showing who's boss...
stu , 6/21/10 9:13 PM
he is awesome isn't he?
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 9:13 PM
Hewitt? or are we still being delusional about Nole?
stu , 6/21/10 9:15 PM
nole............
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 9:16 PM
i kinda have a bad feeling today ...
rfzr , 6/21/10 9:19 PM
wow. i can't believe he didn't take that chance to equalize.
horrible, horrible sense of deja vu.
stu , 6/21/10 9:24 PM
dont worry fellas he is enjoyin out there
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 9:29 PM
he will find a way to win this in 5, right?
stu , 6/21/10 9:29 PM
Again... no plan of game... to defensive... Rochus is catching everything...
Like Nole is afraid of Rochus forehand... to long points and with no idea what to do he's trying dropshots... and it doesn't work...
WAKE UP NOLE!!!!
zare , 6/21/10 9:31 PM
stu, call me disheartened but i don't think so.
rfzr , 6/21/10 9:32 PM
"he is enjoyin out there..."
WHAT MATCH ARE YOU LOOKING SATHISHT???
zare , 6/21/10 9:33 PM
i think he is bipolar. i really do.
stu , 6/21/10 9:33 PM
wow is he in TEARS?! stop feeling sorry for yourself when you're playing like a fking amateur!!!!
stu , 6/21/10 9:36 PM
OMG that Rochus truly is a bully! :(
smr , 6/21/10 9:38 PM
Well chance for Nole... go to locker room and find your game!!!
Settle the things in your head Nole!!!!
zare , 6/21/10 9:39 PM
zare - dont feel 2 much. he is going to win this championship. god has intervened to regroup his mind again see I told u there is no stopping him this time
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 9:40 PM
ha ha sathisht79, hats off to your optimism.
rfzr , 6/21/10 9:44 PM
Hewitt has gone through.
smr , 6/21/10 9:47 PM
im convinced he has bipolar disorder. a number of sports people are believed to suffer from it, and a number of creative geniuses as well (such as Van Gogh acc to Wikipedia).
Symptoms: http://www.medic8.com/mental-health/bipolar/symptoms.htm
Or some other mental problem - like when he looked at Melzer across the net (knowing subconsciously that Rafa was next) he got flashbacks of Rafa and Madrid.
stu , 6/21/10 9:49 PM
Why is play interrupted?
smr , 6/21/10 9:51 PM
Oh, closing the roof?
smr , 6/21/10 9:53 PM
so any guesses as to which Nole we will see on the other side?
stu , 6/21/10 9:55 PM
stu, that's an easy question, don't underestimate us :)
rfzr , 6/21/10 9:58 PM
according to many research, if a bipolar person exhibits high frequency of fluctuation like wat we are seeing in djoker even within points now, that is a sign of an end to destroy the soft side of the bipolar.
so the more aggressive djoker is abt to emerge from locker. like they say darkest hr is just b4 the dawn so those who want 2 join djoker band now, this is the time
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 9:59 PM
haha! well, that makes one of us :(
stu , 6/21/10 10:00 PM
sathisht, wanna share whatever it is you're smoking?
stu , 6/21/10 10:01 PM
and give nole a puff ;)
rfzr , 6/21/10 10:04 PM
Wat do u think I am doing now
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 10:07 PM
uh oh. dejected face is back.
stu , 6/21/10 10:09 PM
pity me, everything's against me...this roof thing could be a good thing but i refuse to look at it that way
stu , 6/21/10 10:10 PM
if anybody needs confidence think like this in indoors djoker rules and this is kind of like that
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 10:17 PM
sathisht, your optimism is endearing.
smr , 6/21/10 10:23 PM
nole needs to break early otherwise ...
rfzr , 6/21/10 10:28 PM
please don't turn the mind off again anytime soon.
stu , 6/21/10 10:29 PM
the early break makes me kinda nervous actually. he will start relaxing again.
stu , 6/21/10 10:36 PM
now you get to appreciate roger, he came back from dead literally.
rfzr , 6/21/10 10:39 PM
Roger, Rafa, Hewitt, pre-2009 Nole....
stu , 6/21/10 10:41 PM
yep rafa too, he has an iron will.
rfzr , 6/21/10 10:42 PM
someone wanna explain why he gives a wry grin everytime he DFs?
stu , 6/21/10 10:56 PM
Benito (Nole and Rafa's PR guy) looking on very nervously as Djokovic double faults once more.
smr , 6/21/10 10:57 PM
just look at nole's physio, he looks like he has just seen the ghost.
rfzr , 6/21/10 10:59 PM
yeah someone was saying earlier that Mirka's expression is a way to gauge how serious Fed's losing position is...I think Nole's entire box serves the same purpose. Probably because they know when the illness/ injury/ health issue has kicked in.
stu , 6/21/10 11:03 PM
okay. someone tell me he is not losing his serve now.
stu , 6/21/10 11:13 PM
well the clutch serving is not too bad...
stu , 6/21/10 11:18 PM
2 in a row.
smr , 6/21/10 11:18 PM
Nole. Focus. Concentrate. And please be confident.
stu , 6/21/10 11:20 PM
yeaaaaah!!!!!
Here we go Nole....
zare , 6/21/10 11:21 PM
i can't watch. will come back and look at the score later. godspeed, Nole.
stu , 6/21/10 11:30 PM
yea BABY! :D
stu , 6/21/10 11:54 PM
i should've shut up sooner, perhaps he would have finished the job earlier :)
rfzr , 6/21/10 11:57 PM
wat did I tell you all
sathisht79 , 6/21/10 11:59 PM
haha sathisht, we'll see if the rest of your prediction comes true :)
well, 17 aces, 96 winners and the W at the end. i'll take it!
stu , 6/22/10 12:03 AM
ok, i'm confident now he is going tol beat hewitt ;)
rfzr , 6/22/10 12:03 AM
After almost 4 hours... after 136854 breaks... Nole is thru....
THANKS A LOT Mr. Pasquale MARIA... for that unfair time warning... in that moment Nole was determined to winn!!!
zare , 6/22/10 12:03 AM
good match....may b he needs such matches go start feeling confident again...dent will surely test him, dent can play well on grass..
vamosrafa , 6/22/10 2:08 AM
stu, sathisht, zare, rfzr - thanks a lot for that! u guys were highly entertaining :)
man, i was feeling sorry last night for all the fed-fans, how worried they must be..but nole was the same! if i knew just how nail-biting this match was gonna be, i wouldnt have slept so soundly!
so 96 winners sounds awesome, though the 17 aces sounds even better considering how crappy he's been serving lately. so hardly any double faults i hope?
i hereby declare that i will stay up, no matter the time, to watch djokovic play. cant afford to miss this anymore!
mriiidula , 6/22/10 3:45 AM
man, those at center court wouldve really got their money's worth last night. 2 five set men's matches, 1 tight two setter for the women's match, and the latest ever wimbledon finish. not bad at all.
mriiidula , 6/22/10 3:50 AM
mriiidula, seems like a safe declaration to me. there won't be too many sleepless nights. and we would totally enjoy your company here :D
I actually enjoyed the match - high drama, lots of awkward falls, jumps, applause for the opponents' shots, teary pleas to the heavens (from guess who), missed drop shots, shots too high for Ollie, too fast for Nole. More than a few glimpses of the form we are waiting for with a ridiculous number of winners off both wings. When he's playing well, he comes up with _awesome_ shots. And then goes thru phases when he misses the easiest ones....
Lots of DFs after set 2 for a total of 12. However, he dug himself out of quite a few holes with well placed 1st/ 2nd serve aces. With Nole you can't assume he will get better with every match, but if he does, I'm hopeful!
I wish I could be on center court on any one of these nights!
stu , 6/22/10 5:34 AM
thats dramatic! wish i was watching - i'll be there for the next match! although i hope he's either opening proceedings or else its the weekend - or else i'll be a zombie at work the next day!
12 DFs! that sounds like a lot at first, but pretty decent if u think about how bad his serving has been lately. plus it was 12 over 5 sets. and the aces count is larger, so at least he's improving!
oh i know about his phases - it can be damn frustrating to watch when he misses those simple shots, and then u wonder just how he can make those amazing ones. it all balances in the end i guess.
i've read that he was all dejected as they were asked to get off the court for the roof-closing, and yet came back out with fully thought-out plan, changing his tactics and everything, which worked. that shows his mental state - at least he's in it to win it. big improvement compared to his attitude at some previous interview where he said he'd hope to win this tournament 'in a couple of years'.
mriiidula , 6/22/10 7:27 AM
he started pretty well and clean but then fell victim to his mentality. if he can clean up those goof ups we should be in the position to enjoy his deep run.
rfzr , 6/22/10 8:04 AM
OK... we survived... same goes for Fed fans...
This Wimby promises a lot!!!
It was scary... it was dramatic, but.... GOD... I LOVE THIS SPORT... even if it costs me 1 and half Marlboro, two joints, few aspirins and tranquilizers and bottle of votka!!!
zare , 6/22/10 12:57 PM
LaughMyAssOff @ zare.
But 12 Double Faults = 3 games, its just show how pathetic Nole's serve these days.
forgive my ignorance but do you mean weeds with that "two joints"?
Raindrops , 6/22/10 1:19 PM
...hehehe...
.. probably I misspelled but there are kids around here.... just joking... :-))))
zare , 6/22/10 5:38 PM
Scan QR code to access Unibet mobile.
Bet on Sports wherever you are and whenever you like, with Unibet's quick and simple mobile client you can place bets, check results and see live odds.
For more info about QR codes & scanners click here.
Contact us
/ About us
/ Cookies
/ Recommended links
/ Advertise
/ Sitemap
Tennistalk v1.5.0
Disclaimer © 2001-2012, Moneytainment Media Ltd - All rights reserved
May I add Hewitt is playing in court 2. (even though it is technically not the real one)
clayking , 6/21/10 10:44 AM