Open Boosts Wozniacki At Clijsters

Tennis Betting Lines

Ninth-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli handled fellow Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-0, while German Sabine Lisicki, the 14th seed, advanced with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win against Swiss Stefanie Voegele and 15th-seeded capable Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova bested Czech Klara Zakopalova 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

 

Several other women reached the round of 64, including Israeli Shahar Peer, Americans Vania King and Sloane Stephens, Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, Chinese Zheng Jie, and Aussie favorite Jelena Dokic, who drubbed Russian and fellow former top-10 star Anna Chakvetadze 6-2, 6-1. Zheng drilled American Madison Keys 6-2, 6-1, while King defeated Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 and Stephens stopped Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-4, 6-2.

 

The second round will get underway on Wednesday, including matches for world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, fifth-seeded 2011 Aussie Open runner-up and French Open champion Li Na and 11th-seeded reigning Melbourne titlist Kim Clijsters.

 

Also on Wednesday's schedule are eighth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska, 10th- seeded French Open runner-up and 2010 Roland Garros titlist Francesca Schiavone and 13th-seeded former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic.

 

Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bidding to win his third straight major, defending champion and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia eased through his first-round match Tuesday at the Australian Open. Meanwhile, the man he beat in last year's final, Andy Murray, needed to rally from a first-set loss to win his opening match.

 

The three-time Grand Slam finalist Murray has been the Melbourne runner-up the last two years. He'll meet Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin on Thursday.

 

And American Andy Roddick, a four-time Aussie semifinalist who is seeded 15th at this particular fortnight, had little trouble in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 win over Dutchman Robin Haase.

 

"It took me, you know, a couple games to get into the right rhythm," Djokovic said. "It's a bit difficult conditions. I think it was really the hottest day since I've arrived here, so I'm trying to get used to that."

 

Still, Djokovic bounced back to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and owns four career Grand Slam titles, including his first Aussie championship back in 2008.

 

He is trying to become only the fourth player on the men's side to win three or more Australian Open titles in the Open era (since 1968).

comments

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•    Avanzan los mismo de siempre Del potro, Hwitt, tsonga, berdych y sorprende Fish :O perdio en 2da fase #AustralianOpen

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•    Enjoying Rupert Murdoch tweeting. I remember about 20 years ago when he gave impromptu remarks at an Aussie press conference, spellbinding

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•    Looks like Serena has chosen Andy Roddick for her gold medal run at this year's Olympics..they're playing mixed at Aussie Open #itvtennis

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•    Khloe Kardashian pretends to be famous the same way Andy Roddick pretends to be a tennis player

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•    Obviously big servers can make it to the top (see: Andy Roddick) but Roddick always was a way better mover than Isner is.

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•    #bandsimseeingin2012 Up to now Noel Gallagher Aussie Floyd Show Stone Roses Also doing TITP and eckiefest

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•    Roddick vs Hewitt tomorrow.. hellz yes! #AO

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•    Curran tops card in Bellator's return: Crystal Lake mixed martial arts fighter Pat Curran will challenge featherweight champion Joe W...

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