Hey Ana,
It’s so great that your coming to the brisbane
international tournament because im coming to watch you play!!!!!
I live in brisbane and your my hero!!!
I play tennis too and im pretty good at it!
See you at the tournament
I Hope the Organisers can give a wild card entry to this guy called somdev devvarman (2 time NCAA college champion in the U.S) . His ATP ranking has gone up from 800 to about 240 in 5 months on Atp tour.
2008 Results…
Singles
ATP & Grand Slam QF: Washington
Challenger W: Lexington QF: Vancouver
Future W: U.S.A. F1, U.S.A. F15, U.S.A. F16
Doubles
Future W: U.S.A. F1(w/Huey), U.S.A. F15(w/Huey), U.S.A. F16(w/Huey)
Absolutely fantastic to see that Australia can still stun the world and provide a new tournament, a new word-class venue and attract the world’s top stars. This might silence the critics about tennis being dead in this country!
Dear Ana, you are a v. nice person, great ambassador for the game and i enjoy watching you play and watching your career develop – love having you in brisbane -good luck for the whole australian season regards joyce
Wow I am so excited, the line up for the tournament is absolutely fantastic. This tournament will do wonders for Queensland tennis and allows Queenslander to view first class tennis.
Great work
Looks great was a member at Milton 30 years ago.Met John McEnroe when he played in Brisbane. Played with the Rafters. When Pat was eleven took him to the Roma Open . Now live in Moree NSW and will be bringing my family to the new centre and tournament. It is great to see QLD Tennis getting back on track.
It is a great happening that Brisbane is becoming a big City. With the visit of top tennis players even more people around the world will have an opportunity to find more about our buteful city.
Go Brisbane
You beauty – Rafter and the Arena! I’m aiming at taking precious family to this biggest deal since mini Milton tennis. Can’t wait. Finals courtside tennis (I hope) with my daughter (11) and parents – married 60 years … my mother (80 and with a nasty cancer) and father (87, cabinet maker, who’s body is just tired, but who enjoys a good tennis battle). Bring it on !!
Fantastic for Tennis but would have thought that a bigger stadium holding more than 5500 would have been built. A lot of people will miss out on tickets!!!
Yes! I hope this is televised.. I hope Daniela gets a rematch with Ana. I think she deserved to win that semi-final in Melbourne this year. Good luck to her in 2009! She’s the best!
im one of your million fans that been following your career… such a humble way of wrapping up the season…congratulations! you’re the man! hope to see you next season! good luck and more smashing power!
Brisbane deserves a great Tennis Centre. Finally, we have it…cant w8 to attend and see the International stars coming to and loving QLD.
Let the Games begin…
I was looking around for Daniela when I realised that she would not be representing slovakia in the Hopman Cup, but this makes much more sense. A great chance to improve on her ranking, now Im only hoping that I get to see some of the brisbane international here in melbourne.
GO DANI WE KNOW YOU LOVE AUSTRALIA SO YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! Best of luck.
Great fields for both men and women. Can’t wait to see who starts their season of with a title. I can’t wait!!! Tennis is my life i follow every tournament of the year for both men and women.
I think next year for the brisbane international is going to be a great tournament their is going to be great superstars playing their so it should be a great tournament.
Marko Djokovic should not be given Wildcards just because he is Novak’s brother. If you really think about it, this now takes a possible wildcard away from 2 up and coming Aussie boys who would relish the opportunity… I don’t think its a good move.
the draw is good but no aussies like, ball, guccione, luczak, tomic, sirianni, klein, gorth, smeets, jones theres heeps of aussies but guccione hopefuly a wildcard and luczak or smeets or carsten ball
AFTER ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENIND IN MY COUNTRY YU, TO HAVE ALL THOSE TENNIS PLAYERS IN THE TOP 5 IN THE WORLD JELENA #1, ANA #5, ZIMONJIC #1 DOUBLE PLAYER AND NOVAK #3 SINGLE PLAYER IN THE WORLD , PLUS TIPSAREVIC AND TROICKI, UP AND COMING PLAYERS, MAKES ME PROUD TO SAY: I M A SERBIAN.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THEM IN UPCOMING YEAR TOURNAMENTS!
ZVEZDAS
Ana is a lovely young woman with so much talent & potential. She has an amazing grace about her, in victory as well as defeat. I’m a teacher in America and have followed Ana’s career by watching the Tennis Channel and am so impressed with how well “adjusted” she is amidst her enormous popularity. I’m positive it must be because of her family’s love and support. I feel certain, if she stays healthy, her star has only begun to rise~
Linda Alvarado
Retired High School English Literature Teacher
Florida, USA
I really hope that Djokovic brothers win..And I totally agree with Zvezdas_Bgd!!
I am also Serbian and very proud to see all the great Serbian tennis players winning!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THE SERBIAN PLAYERS IN THIS TOURNAMENT AND EVERY OTHER ONE!
Melinda Czink 103 ranking has a queensland and australian connection being based in Cairns with Ian Barstow( Physio u.q grad) her fiancee and coach .
They have been working with Phil Dent in California and thank Daphne Fancutt for her upfront lefty advice. Melinda is ready to break out to her potential after many yearsof struggle
ana is definitely gonna win a grand slam in 2009….who knows ..maybe even two if she remains consistent..she’s a promising player and we hope for the best to happen!!
I can’t believe that I would be able to see Kei Nishikori in real in Brisbane!!
I was totally gave up to cheer him up in Melbo. so that would be an ausome opportunity to see him!
WOW! Thanks, BNE!
I hope ANA will win the grand slams that hasnt won up to now ; because she is the real talent of tennis as Justine.She has alot more abilities than hiting the ball harder and harder
This is fantastic news. It is even better than free tram travel from Flinders Street Station in Melbourne during the Aussie Open. This will help to make the event more accesssible to all people and we will definitely make use of this. Great Work!!
We had been really hoping for a City Cat option -is any planned for the future? If so, what a lovely way to attend the tournament!
We have always gone to the Australian Open in Melbourne (but have given that up in favour of Brisbane!) and usually take the launch to that on at least one of the days.
WHAT A COUNTRY , HEHEHE SMALL BUT PROUD, PROUD OF OUR TENNIS PLAYERS, JELENA , # 1, ANA#5, NOLE#3 , ZIMONJIC#1 , AND UP AND COMIN PLAYERS, TIPSAREVIC I TROICKI, SMALL COUNTRY BUT GOOD FUTURE IN TENNIS.
MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL TENNIS FANS ALLOWER THE WORLD.
SRETNA NOVA I HRISTO SE RODI MOJIM SRBIMA PO SVETU! BOG VAS SVE BLAGOSLOVIO I CUVAO OD ZLA.
Ana is just starting her way to the top and it’s cool that she’d been tested early. For sure she’ll make lots of adjustments that will put her back on top. I keep on believing on what else she could do with her game. I know there’s a lot more grandslams to celebrate for. So, still looking for a hero? Well, i guess not…already have one! Adje!
Great news offering free public transport. We were planning on going to the Australian Open, but are thrilled to support our new Queensland facility. Can’t wait to see it on opening weekend, and attend the night match. Tennis is the only sport I play and watch.
I love to meet Novak Djokovic.
Is it all right a Grand Pass ticket or I have to buy a stadium seating ticket for using free public transport.
Anyway I want Djokovic to win.
As many others I wait for new season, and of corse to see Ana as the most beoautiful, spectaluar and nice to watch.She is not just nice but also one of the best player in the world. I strongly wish a lot of victories in the new year.
Let me just say what an absolutely fantastic event this will now be. The communication between event organisers and state departments inspires me to do better! A pat on the back! Hooray
Am soooo looking forward to seeing live tennis in Brissie!!! Always dream to go to the Aussie Open..now have next best thing, shame Nadal wasn’t coming!
I agree with Barbara. Extending the CityCat from St Lucia to the Tennyson site should be fast-tracked for the inaugural opening. Great that the new venue is next to the river. I have my tickets to the finals and can’t wait!
Can’t wait, have tickets for the mens’ final, have never seen live tennis before! I am taking my daughter, whom I instilled a love a tennis, spending every new year glued to seven’s summer of tennis. The centre is a real asset to Brisbane, and could not have been named after a greater player and genuinely great person as Pat Rafter, I agree with Kathryn’s comment..Bring it on!
Ana to be runner up in Brisbane, with anyone, to leave the hunger to win Australian Open . It’d come naturaly, after last year runner up…It has to marinate in the head for a year to rip to theperfection. Second finalist in Australian: JJ
I am going to as many days as possible, but definitely the women’s final! It is so exciting that Brisbane finally has a stadium, let alone its own international tournament! It is going to mean a lot to the rising tennis stars in queensland.
Hello Danka your #1 fan here to wish you luck in this 1st tournament of 09. I have faith that u’ll have a better year than 08! Hail Daniela Hantuchova!!!
I would love to see Daniela Hantuchova do well at this tournament have have her season start off well. Lets hope for no injuries!! Good luck to everyone.
I remember Jelena from her first big splash beating Hingis in the first round of Wimbledon.
She was one of my favorites for years and I am
so happy to see her playing back into form. I
wish her all the luck in the world during this
Aussie summer portion of the tour!!!
If there are any more discretionary wildcards available I would hope that Tennis Qld & Tennis Aust or whoever is responsible for the wildcards would give Monika Wejnert one as her results in the last 3 weeks have been far more impressive than Bernard Tomic & Jelena Dokic. Monika (RANKED IN THE 30′S IN AUSTRALIA & over 500 in the world ) has beaten Dokic, Rodianova (both ranked in the top 10 in Aust & in the top 200 in the world) & approximately 10 other players (virtually all older & physically stronger than her) & ranked in the teens & twenties in Australia. This is an incredible achievement that deserves considerably more recognition than has so far been exposed in the media (ITS ALL BEEN ABOUT TOMIC & DOKIC – SO FAR.
Monika and Isabella deserve the other wildcards
especially Monika, she just beat Jelena, last week.
The young up and comming players need these sort of oppertunities if they are going to become successfull senior players.
Yeeees!
Brisbane gonna be Serbian city!
Novak and Ana will win tournaments!
Marko is great prospect, too.
happy holidays Australians, Belgrade and Serbia will watch these great events!
i totaly agree with chris it should be monika ,im not so sure about Isabella maybe somebody els should get it somebody like Ayumi Morita but their are three more wildcards left
Bernard is the most natural tennis player I have ever seen. In winning the Orange bowl 3 times in 3 different age levels, he eclipsed all previous records. At 15 years and 3 months of age he was the youngest to ever win a junior grand slam, when he won the Australian Junior Open this year. Bernard’s talent is internationally recognised. It’s time for Australians to give him the support he deserves.
GREAT!!! I love Jelena since she was 15 years old,and since the first time I saw her playing against Hingis in the 1999 Wimbledon first round I thought she was going to have an incredible future…she was just 15,intelligent,powerfull,she had terrible baseline groundstrokes and her game was pretty complete…
I´m really happy about seeing her coming back from the nothing,no rankings,no training,etc…
I hope this coming 2009 Jelena would be her year…as 2001 or 2002…when she reached the Top 4 in the world…
best wishes for everyone!
GO JELENA!!!!
I am ambivelant towards Jelena. She has acheived so much in her career but has always had a love-hate relationship with Australia. She has come back again, looking fit and most importantly with her tail between her legs and extending an olive branch too her Australian fans. Jelena has not earned this (another) wildcard. I hope that she finds some form and enjoys Brisbane. If she is serious to have one final assualt on the tour and proudly represent Australia then I will back her one more time.
I also think Tennis Australia need to award the remaining wildcards to the girls that did so well in the playoff!
AFL have the same deal with free public transport to the Gabba included in the entry ticket. Who needs the headache and stress of traffic congestion & parking problems. Doubt if I would go to these sporting events without this added bonus as incentive.
Hi,Ana!I wish you all the best in seassen 2009 and I think you will be better in that seassen and win all 4 Grand Slams and Chempionship on the end of seassen and more tournment.LOTS OF LOVE M@RE
fantastic to see 2 performing juniors given a significant wild card main draw entry in the inaugural home championship at the magnificent new Tennis Queensland Tennyson Centre. As the former junior coach for 4 years of ‘bella ,it will inspire not only players and parents but also coaches to continue the difficult and complex tasks in this never ending journey.
For those of us living in the eastern suburbs such as Carindale the transport arrangements for an INTERNATIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT come a very bad second compared to those for a club league football match – bus then train then shuttle bus (or a heck of a long walk particularly for the elderly)as against one bus from Carindale.
YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR LEAD FROM MELBOURNE WHERE PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO THE TENNIS IS EXCELLENT. If we hadn’t purchased tickets we wouldn’t be coming. Never again!!
Hope QR adds day time Corinda-Yerrongpilly service. Much better than a shuttle bus. Also QR could reintroduce the Gold Coast train stopping at Yerongpilly.
Sent home from France for giving up, bad behaviour in the Davis Cup squad, walk off during a match he was down in Perth recently. And he is rewarded with a wildcard??
Surely there are other Queensland players that deserve such an award such as our number one ranked player Smeets who came through qualifying this year at the US Open and took Mardy Fish to four sets or Millman who defeated eventual Aussie Open wildcard winner Ebelthite as well as winning a Men’s Future in Victoria in October.
I agree with Ezequiel, she won the playoff so no
one did better than Jelena. She deserves to have
this wildcard more than anyone. As for her what
can only be described as a troubled relationship
with TA, she’s lucky that she turned out as well
as she has with a father like hers. She has made
her apology and owned up to her previous comments.
Things are sometimes said during the heat of any
competitive situation that are not entirely fair.
In my opinion Jelena still has more potential to
move substantially up the rankings than the other
girls. She’s been #4 in the world, she’s proven that she has what it takes at the highest level of the game. Go Jelena!!!
Great free public transport with ticket, but what about reintroducing the express train from Gold Coast stopped at Yeerongpilly? instead of Cooper Plains! You build a world class tennis centre with no express train even if it was for major events this woulde enhance the experience. Inconvenience for Gold Coast people who now have to change at Beenleigh and wait for the Ferny Grove line. Qld Rail the silence is deafening
Transport needs to be improved for an event that will ‘put Brisbane on the world’s sporting calendar in January’ ….
Agree with Cathy about the Gold Coast train … why was it taken off??? Also how are locals going to park their cars at Yerongpilly to catch the train to work during the event?
Joel lindner should a wildcard hes tough and hes deserves it and I agree with michael so should john millman, tomic should not get it he has not won a pro tournment.
Monica…by far best young prospect in Aussie Land by miles, much better than Tomic and Co. She’s DESERVED Wild Card for Brisbane more than anybody else and it will be shame if She misses. Jelena Dokic…if you ask me …newer, newer again and She is nearly 26…her best is in PAST.
My birthday is Jan 6, so I wish you the best of luck on this tournament. I am sure you can do it.
and be number one again this year. However, if you don’t , I still love u just the way you are.
Les is so right. Furthermore, QR would divert rail traffic through Tennyson in the event of a power failure or mishap between Corinda and the City ( or Park Road and City) It can’t be all that hard for the ‘experts’. Why can’t it be like EKKA week when trains run all day to Exhibition Station?
Hope that Rafter would devote himself more to the tennis in Australia. Just a name being honored is not enough. To commit himself more to help bring up more good tennis player would be most appreciated by the Australians here. Hoping that not just a name being remembered to win 2 Gland Slam, but would be remembered to fully commit to promote the tennis in Australia. The younger generation need Rafter as a mentor to them.
Im glad Emelyn has atleast got a wildcard into the qualifying…she has been making such big steps in her career and deserves to be rewarded!!!
Go all the way Emelyn…you can do it!!!
Daniela, you are the best, I wish you happy new yoear ang great season , and also more better that any season before. Yoa are so pretty, lovely, kind woman, all the best daniela, cheers from Slovakia, , Gelnica,
OMG! I’ve been looking for a pic of Dani cuddling that koala everywhere! ever since I saw her holding that koala in the sports segment of the 5pm channel ten news. cheers
this is gonna be a great lead-up to the AO i reckon, for all the top seeds, players and the like.
Hantuchova is soo great!!! I hope that she will have a great season with a perfect start Here she can beat everybody so i hope that she will win this tournament!!
Hi, Daniela! You are so wonderful and everyone I know likes you the best. I wish you the best and, above all else, a happy and healthy return to the sport.
We should all be proud of the new tennis centre at Tennyson. I went by train and bus and the whole journey was effortless. Thoroughly enjoyed opening ceremony. The centre court, in fact the whole venue, is world class.
Can’t wait for the tournament to begin! Always exciting the beginning of the tennis season.. and Brisbane has managed to attract a stellar field of players.
I shall fly up to Brissy next year to watch!
Good luck
We went to the opening today and it was beyond all expectation. Finally, Brisbane has a truly wonderful tennis facility. What a fantastic day of entertainment. Looking forward to a week of brilliant tennis.
The official opening today was so good,, transport free – all those past great tennis stars, qld premier etc, so queensland (not americanized),, samantha strong and sure, but pat the best ever (should have staged his famous “sorry mate” during play just for fun) – able to get up close to all the courts and see such strong great tennis with plenty of faces we know – thanks for our own tennis centre!
After having been to the old Milton courts for a Davis Cup tie in the 80’s I am impressed with the new facility in Brisbane. It sure is a big step forward for the city.
I hope it also encourages player development, something Aussie tennis really needs right now.
We live on the GCoast, so looking forward to travelling to the tennis, only to discover, Yerrongpilly express line cancelled. I hve a disabled husband, so either we take the Beenleigh route where their is walking involved to Corinda, or we go to Roma St, change to the Ipswich line, direct access to shuttle bus transfer to the centre. I phoned Bne tennis today who informed me that they will be supplying shuttle services from Yerrongpilly for the disabled,eldery, how come QR can’t do the same???
Hey I am Daniel and I am one of 80 ball kid’s at the new tennyson tennis centre and i think that this has gone a long way from the start off building.The players are realy friendly and all of the volunteers and very helpfull and kind.I think that this tennis centre will show Australia what brisbane and Quuensland can do when we are put together as a community.So far the first day has been a success and hopefully and most probably the whole tournment will go with out fail!
I am a huge tennis fan and I bought tickets on the day that they went on sale. I bought my parents 2 tickets for the womens’ final and myself 2 tickets to the mens’ final. I am upset that my elderly parents cannot park somewhere close. They have a red disability tag in their car and they were told today that it needed to be blue. My mum has had 2 heart attacks and suffers from rh arthritis and I thought that they would be able to park close as my mum has trouble moving at times. The centre looks great but more thought needs to go into looking after the people who buy tickets and support the event.
to all those who have worked towards the reality of our new Queensland State Tennis Centre’ a heartfelt thankyou from our family of dedicated tennis enthusiasts. We will will be using the Q.T.C. regularly…..and we only live a 2hour drive away!
I do not think it’s fair that Marko gets in because he is a brother of Novak. Nobody cares and his opponents don’t give a you know what. They will eat him up. He’s out of his league. Besides, he’ll likely get blown out and he is a wasted spot. I doubt fans will even want to see him. He is a satellite level player at best. I rememeber his past result in an ATP event and he was embarrassed.
bernard is very dedicated to doing well in his tennis future for australia and himself.we need to support him as much as possible.he has the potential to be a future australian champion
We all wish Bernard all the very best in his tennis, people who leave negative comments are very un – Australian we should support our young talent. and then they will reward us with loyalty.
I went to the opening on Friday with my step children and we all really enjoyed being part of the opening of this new and brilliant tennis centre. My mother took me to see Sue Barker play Pam Schriver when I was young at Milton and I have never forgotten the atmosphere of watching exciting tennis. Thank goodness we finally have a new tennis centre, bigger and better than ever before. I look forward to attending as many tournament games as possible in the future.
I am going to the first night comp and i am disappointed to find that from carindale i need to take two buses to get to the tennis but cannot get home as no bus services run from the tennis at 10pm,i can get a train to southbank but then what,hopefully in the future a service to the major centre eg garden city, carindale, can be introduced
I don’t understand why Robert Smeets does not even warrant a mention here by your “experts”. As if he did not exist, yet he is a member of the Davis Cup squad. Moreover, he is based in Queensland. He won the Queensland championship in all divisions, under 14, under 16, under 18, and finally the open division.
Good luck to you Ana, one of the greatest, as you start 2009. Now trying to figure out what time that is in Virginia, USA – if it is 8PM in Brisbane on Monday night, that’s 4AM Eastern Standard time, am I correct?……
This is only great news if you live on a train line. We live at Carindale and are used to a great bus shuttle service to and from sporting events. When we purchased tickets we presumed this sort of service would be provided, at the beginning and end of each session. For us to drive to a train station there is either virtually no parking or 2 hour parking so getting there is going to be a major drama and may mean us not bothering next year. To make it worse we bought tickets to the finals for my 83 year old father-in-law for christmas and I now have no idea how we are going to get him there before he is too exhausted to enjoy the game. We would have been happy to pay a premium for a shuttle service or parking for those sessions we are bringing him to, but unless you live on the Beenleigh or Corinda train line there is really no provision for any transport services to the event. Free public transport – Great! Now just add some bus services for people nowhere near a train and it will actually mean something!
the draws are ok for the aussies, but some have tough first round matches, jelena, monika and bernard will have their work cut out, but i hope sam stosur gets her revenge on maria!!!
what about residents of graceville? there is one BCC bus in the morning and none coming home after play is finished. we can catch the train out 2 stops to catch a shuttle bus back past our front door. how daft! the shuttle bus should be picking up enroute between corinda and tennyson. not well thought out.
I saw Mauresmo practice with Dokic on Friday morning together, so I am surprised that she said “I haven’t seen [Dokic] play for a while, so it’s going to be a little bit of a surprise,”.
Hullo/cao/zdravo… Ana.. kako si??? anyway, best wishes for the new year 2009, yes..i know..a Chinese like me knows Serbian…hee hee..and i know all of your fans from your official website, which is http://www.anaivanovic.com will be proud of you, if you win all the way to the finals.. btw, i am one of your devoted fans (friends) from facebook, just in case you cant remember me… i am the one with the Serbian flag as my profile photo…oh well…Dobro vece??
Go Ana !! Let’s start 2009 winning Brisbane and the Australian Open ! I believe you will come back at the 1st position on the rankings You’re the best player in the world
Good luck to 2009 Anci
Mário
I think if Markos will bit Nieminen ,he will start building new self-confidence and…. our dream will start for a new era.(australian open) …you will see.
Magic Monday…thats awesome for all those back at work!! It’ll be Great for us to see Sam Stosur christen Pat Rafter Arena, but why not any of the other big names in Sunday day matches? Once again Magic Monday…all a bit of smoke from the organizers great for the homemeakers and hype tournament dollar I sense.
Whats the point in forking out $25 per ticket for main court seats when there’s only 3 games on it and the womens number 2 seed plays on an outside court, I paid to see the best on centre court not fight with the $9.50 tickets on outside courts, get it right guys you save the best players until during the week when I’m at work, stop patting yourselves on the back and give us value for money, I’m annoyed.
There is Allways someboddy to complain about something, be glad that u have a tournament of that magnitude with all the good players , man and woman.
You are going to see them rested,freshand ready to go.Not on the end of the season all tired and worn out from all the tournament around the world.
GOOD LUCK BRISBANE AND GOD BLESS .
SERBIAN FROM LOS ANGELES
I personally think Sam should be able to go straight through to the 2nd round. We need an Aussie through because it doesn’t look like anyone else is gonna do any better in their draws.
What are you thinking Nathan? If our players can’t win, that’s the way it goes. We can’t change the rules just to suit ourselves. Have some confidence in Sam taking that match anyway
well. nathan was just afraid that sam will lose in the future because sam just lost her final match against kirilenko on last year’s korean open. LOL
Im pretty disappointed about the news.
Heather Toye…Why don’t you drop your elderly parents off to the centre and pick them up again after the match has been completed. Unfortunately not everybodies needs can be accomodated when planning such a venue. It takes a lot of organisation and planning (that you don’t see) that makes something like this new stadium emerge from the ground.
All I can say is wow! at last!
Brisbane was due for this a long time. Venue looks very impressive. I hope it will keep attracting big guns and thus perhaps reigniting tennis fixtures the way they were popular in the past at Milton tennis centre.
kirilenko v stosur would have been a tough match to win first up,sugiyama is alot better match up for sam stosur.It wil give her some confidence to match it with the better players getting a match under her belt,go sam!
A thoroughly enjoyable day at the tennis! The centre and main court are great with the court easy to view from most angles. A couple of comments I would like to make:
- the queue at the start could have moved more rapidly with an increased number of security guards. We were however, informed of why we were waiting and kept up to date.
- information signs about the tennis would have given people something to focus on and an idea of what to expect while in the queue. eg. cameras with lenses over 200mm will be confiscated, access to seats on the main court only allowed every second game
- the official program could be improved by including the draw, a map of the centre and the seeded players
- an information centre inside
- strawberries and cream!
What a fantasic day out! The facilities are incredible. Easy to get around the outside courts with a great atmosphere surrounding all the courts. Well done tennis australia.
Great day,great centre.
Speed up security entry, people really got upset about the long wait.
Huge solid umpire stands on courts cut viewing down on a number of courts.
Some courts had no scoreboards or even signs to say who was playing.
Thank goodness Brisbane again has tennis. The arena is spectacular and the tennis was sensational. The queue to get in was totally unexpected as it went for what felt like miles. More security guards are definitely needed and more food outlets and coffee stands are a must. People should be informed that EFTPOS is not available and there is only one ATM. The queue for the ATM stretched for ever. Bring lots of cash, be patient, and you will have an awesome day.
it was great in the pat rafter arena and especially seeng pat was even better. Great sights from all vantage points. We were stittng in rows up the back and could see great! Long time coming Brisbane!!!!! I also agree with sarah on more warning signs and yes the dacquiris were nice too. Enjoyed my day immensely and being a tennis family made it even more exciting. Just need a better crossing area from train area though but worth the long wait in line!
I am a first time tennis goer ever at 50 and was very very pleased wih the venue.Thought the crowd control was good.Thought that the players could have been introduced to the crowd as I did not know who was who and thought it a little rude.( I only watched outside court matches )
ALSO PLEASE PLEASE get good quality toilet paper in the toilets. Honestly so tacky and most of it was on the floor.
Thanks for the tennis. I will go back next time.
A Great Day Out Brisbane should be proud,only thing I would have liked to see like The Australian Open has a TV Screen relaying matches in Progress on out side courts, so you can leave Ctr Court and visit the outside matches for other matches you want to see.
Extremely poor setup. I live on the Gold Coast and i am so dissappointed. I also bought tickets for my parents (dad disabled) for xmas, now our excitement has turned to stress on how to get there. We don’t want public transport… we just want to drive there… does anyone know the nearest place to the centre that we can park??
hey i dont know that u will become as great as muhammed ali but if u become 50% as great as muhammed ali u will be the most famous person on this planet.i dont know about other planets.
I to am a first time tennis goer. Had a wonderful day. Were lucky enough to get seats in a corporate box (apparently they did not sell to businesses so open to public)so had a fantastic view, although I think all seats would be great viewing.I agree strawberries would have been great. The seat were really comfy but could be slightly bigger in size. They need more rubbish bins, TV screens out side whilst you are waiting to be let in ,in the middle of a game would be great so that you can see what is going on. Whilst there was enough on street parking around the yerongpilly train station, I didn’t see any shuttle buses going from there.(This was advertised in Sunday Mail). The walk from there to the centre is not far 800m and it a pleasant flat walk. It is a shame that the Tennyson station is not opened and that the city cats are not utilised for such an event after all it is only for one week. All in all a great Day. Well done Tennis Australia.
Good Day, Good Play, Excellent Stadium. Biggest problem today was the long, long queue to get in. The bottle neck obviously being the small capacity turnstile gate system. Needs to be doubled for a major event such as this. Made more crowded by the bag inspection area, being so close to the turnstiles. Take a leaf out of Suncorp Stadium, big day events, the bag inspection area is situated further away, so it does not block and restrict the movement through the turnstile area. Or, a second public entry point being looked at for a major event such as this. Food and drink, as usual with these events, overpriced and basic tucker (only reason I ate my doughy $7.50 pizza, was because it cost so much), and again the long queues for basics such as a cup of coffee. I agree with Rhonda of Hawthorne, “More security guards/(i.e. ticket checkers) are definitely needed and more food outlets and coffee stands”. One curious question I have is, I know we had to scan our ticket to get in the venue, but why did we again have to queue and scan our ticket to get out?? Lets hope these are only teething problems.
Had a great day, one suggestion would be score boards on all courts not just show courts as you are not able to here umpire from fences and may not know who it is that is playing.
Great to have tennis in Brisbane.
i agree with all that it was a great day out at the tennis, i have the sunburn to prove it!! the lines to get in were very unexpected and those patrons who wr in line and discovered pre paid tix need to be collected first, were not happy when they had 2 leave and then go 2 the end of the line!!
i agree video screens outside pat rafter arena 2 c centre court action when ur stuck outside wood b good. also i reckon the electronic screens that display players names and scores shood be on all the outside courts, not just show court 1 and 2, and court 14 n 16. it was very hard to hear umpire calls and scores a lot of the time.
tennis qld and tennis australia should be very proud of the facilities and tournament we are about 2 witness. well done!!
Jelena Dokić is a big-match player, so she may be better off playing Mauresmo than someone with a ranking in triple figures. These are the matches she’s been lacking in the last five years – beating Mauresmo would be her biggest win in that time!
Had a great day out yesterday but one thing that needs to be fixed is the long queue to get in….that was ridiculous….two lines at either end would be more sensible than walking from one end to the other…..there needs to be something done quickly about this….maybe two queues not one.we had to walk a mile away to the end of the queue.Other than that when we got in it was great…the facilities are excellent and the views from outside courts are fantastic.The centre court is very well done and you can pretty much see from any seat…well done great design and layout.Overall we had a great day thanks Tennis Australia.one more thing….make sure you buy your tickets before starting to queue in line..
We had a great day at the tennis yesterday. It was a shame that the big screen at Heineken Hill didn’t show any tennis. I also wonder why there are so few women’s toilets??? More are definitely needed. It would be great if the food/drink stalls could be moved away from the outside courts so that more people can watch the games (i.e. Heineeken Hill) How about a big screen with play schedule and score updates somewhere for all to see?
Disappointed, What are the organiser thinking?? I’m going to the 1st night session only to watch Tomic make his ATP debut? I thought the best matches were put on the night sessions? Not in this case..
Agree that it is great that major tennis is back in Brisbane, and enjoyed the day. TA will hopefully overcome a range of teething problems by Thursday (my next scheduled visit), including the queue to access the centre, and PA system & scoreboard glitches.
Some more major problems need attention, including: Public transport – its great that event tickets include public transport, and that no cat parking is provided – but need to ensure additional services, City Cat stop, walkover from Yerongapilly railway station & all GC trains should be stopping at Yerongapilly during the tournament;
Toilets – more needed;
More seating, TV screens and shade trees needed on walkway from station & on outside courts.
Let’s make this the best tournament leading in to the Australian Open!!! Go TA
For less than $10 for a grounds pass this is a steal of a deal to see some very high level tennis. The weather was mild making for a great day of watching tennis. The stadium court looks superb with roof and all. The players played on hardcourts but there were also 4 clay courts and looks to be 4 grass courts on the way for a total of like 23 courts.
Problems that I noticed that hopefully will get corrected in the future include: not opening at 9AM but at 9:15 which caused about a 30 minute wait to enter the grounds. Not enough seating for the mass of people on opening day. Only 3 courts have any seating and there was maybe 8 courts with matches being played. So a couple rows of seats should have been built in on some of the other courts as well as the 3 main courts. No shade on the 2 outer courts that did have seating but strangely the players played in the shade. Umpires should have been positioned on the opposite side as the fans since the umpire chair blocked views. Not enough lines judges including only 1 on each end (how can they see through the net 80 feet away). Many serves were long and/or wide but the umpires rarely over ruled. Food was steep and Coke was $4.50 but you could bring your own food and drink in which we did. Despite all my complaints it was still a great day getting to watch 8 hours of pro tennis for less than $10.
the awesome website has kept magic monday alive for those of us who are “out of towners”. we’ve managed to keep up with all the action and get cattle branded to boot
I watched that match and DOkic could have easily won, She was up 5-3 in the first and had set points each game.
I am so happy shes back and next time she will win, good luck in the aus open.
Dokic put up a great effort and showed that she still has the power and shot range to be a top 20 player. Its only a matter of time before the consistancy and match toughness come back keep up the great work!
Yes, it’s great to have the tennis back in Brisbane. Pity the sails couldn’t extend to cover the spectators as well as the players on Showcourts 1&2. And yes we need that CityCst or at least some ferry access. A good day, though.
Baghdatis is coming from many injuries and this match will not affect his perfomance at Melbourne.
It seems that he did not stand still at crucial break points and his serve did not work.
Nieminen is not so difficult for Baghdatis and the result comes as a surprise but it is a good opportunity for Baghdatis to adjust his game for Melboure. Cyprus is very proud for this player.
Australian climate and sports facilities are very
convenient for Baghdatis and hopefully all will be fine at Melbourne.
What an amazing effort from Jelena today!
She definitely turned back the clock and looks to be approaching the kind of tennis that took her to the top of the world. I really hope she can return to where she rightfully belongs and puts womens tennis in Australia back onto the map. All the best to our most talented Aussie girl of the last couple decades even though she is actually Serbian we still love her!
Dokic really deserved to have won this match or at least a set given she was dominating the play and pushing Mauresmo all over the court with her powerful ground strokes. She just needs to fix up her serving a little and I’m sure she can make back into the top 10 players of the world. But on another note I was a bit disappointing with the lack of crowd support for Jelena. I mean it was one of those matches that could have been swayed by a little crowd encouragement and she didn’t seem to be getting any extra support whatsoever despite her representing Australia. It was almost as if they were playing in a neutral nation or something. Keep up the great work JD
Well done Jarco and Marcos! For a first game after such a long time I would say tha Marcos did quite well:) I am happy to see him running around again! ITs going to be tough work for him this year but he is known to cope very well under pressure:) Well done boy,,Good Luck for the rest of the season
Such an awesome match. So close and I just love watching Jelena on court. I’ve forgotten how good she is to watch. Dokic will definitely be a force by the time Wimbledon rolls around. More matches and fingers crossed for no injuries! And its great to have her back in Oz where she belongs. I agree, the crowd could have arked up a bit more but the tournament is still young. Looking forward to Fed Cup with JD, Sam and Casey.
What happened to my first attempt??
As I said, it’s wonderful to have the tennis back in Brisbane. But shade for the players and not for the poor spectators on Show Courts 1 and 2?? It shouldn’t be all that difficult to provide for both.
I’d have the umpire on the other side of the Show Courts as everybody seemed to be saying. And yes, nobody hanging over the fence on the other side either. Sit on the grass!! Court 2 seemed to be able to organise themselves okay. Why not Court 1?
We do need CityCat transport or at least the ferries. Otherwise transport was excellent.
Great day! Will definitely be back.
OMG! Jelena was playing sooooo good! She is back for sure!! I was stunned by her performance today! so sad she lost, but if she keeps like this, she will dominating once again!!! Love you Jelena!!!
Had a great day yesterday. 2 big problems – the parking area which volunteers were telling people on Saturday was open to the public during the main tournament(like it was the 2 qualifying days) was corporate only, and took around 10 minutes finding a street park. Also lack of view on most of the outside courts. There needs to be at least 1 additonal court with permanent seating around the court. And 3-4 other courts with temporary seating brought in for the event. And unlike a lot of tennis venues the courts are all together with no space in between so you have to watch at the end through the mesh. So it’s difficult to watch players pratice.
Had a great day yesterday and today as well! When my mum looked at the website yesterday we saw that we were on this article! (The photo) I am the little girl in the grey top!!! I saw awesome people playing Tennis!! I will definitely be back next year!! WOW! I can’t believe there is tennis in Brisbane/Queensland!!I love Tennis!!!!!!
congrats jo, u played 2 great matches in 1 day to get to the main draw, and i saw you teach peter polansky a lesson in tennis on sun, hope u get a good draw and have a round 1 win…. good luck!!
How to get there mentioned that Brissie residents were to get free transport but didn’t say the same for Gold Coasters. A pleasant surprise arriving at the train station to find that it’s free for us too, except that because we didn’t know left buying the tickets till the venue so had to pay our way there. Oh well! Great venue will probably swap our annual trip to the Open in Melbourne for Brissie instead!!!!!
Of course that match with Djoko will so hard for Ernest , but there’s nothing impossible . I really hope that Ernests can proof him self as a winner ..
As is often the case at the Open and probably other tennis tournaments, I think the linesmen sometimes forget thy are meant to be watching the lines. I must admit sitting there for such a long time find myself nodding off.
There were a few blatant misses – at least one in the Mauresmo/Dokic match and another in the Isabella Holland match against Safarova. A linesman at the scoreboard end missed an out ball which was out by at least 30mm, he must not have been looking at the time. Isabella knew it was out but without electronic equipment couldn’t do a thing!!!!
Great! I’m glad to see Ana through to the second round!! Good luck to her.
I’m from Mexico, but an enormous congratulation to the tournament! It seems just wonderful and it’s very exciting to see that many people are involved, from tournament organisers to the crowd. Very good job! Hope I can head down under someday and experience this awesome tournament one day!
This year might be the year of Anna. She might be more mature and better armed for patiently maintain the number one. Still it will depend on her wisdom. Best luck, we admire you.
Well done Bernard ! A great start to your senior ATP tournament career. I wish you every success for the future !
…now, Let’s hope the Australian sports media doesn’t place too much pressure on the shoulders of this young fellow too soon. All too often in this country we read, or hear, from our sports media (this web-site excluded) the well trod “expectations of a nation” theme-song and consequential headlines, demanded of our up and coming sports men and women…and those not so young…who would have wanted to be Matthew Hayden going out to bat last Saturday at the SCG…not me…there’s enough psychological pressure in playing the game of tennis (as with most individual sports) point by point, stroke by stroke, as it is, without extra unnecessary media burden. I sincerely hope Bernard Tomic is allowed to develop in the senior ranks at his own pace…without irrelevant comparisons to predecessors in the game and their time frames in achieving success in the open ranks. The seemingly insatiable media appetite for imposing unrealistic expectations for victory and success and the expectations for our young sports men and women and for them to be the quintessential role models of behavior in our community, supposedly to satisfy the demands of the Australian sporting public is all too often too much to bear (and I’m just a reader)! Remember…Bernard is only sixteen years old….still a pup ! PS. I’m not his Mum.
Hi Daniela, I am sorry for Monday’s loss but it is the beginning of the season. So keep on thinking positive and you will be back on track. Good Luck in dougles with Ai on Tuesday . Let’s win the doubles. !!!! I wish the tournaments could be seen on TV or on on-line here in the U.S.A. Bye to my #1 player. Happy New Year 2009! Madelaine
I think Ana herself was a bit anxious, but now that the “rust” has been shaken she should progress with her normal style & grace.
She was a truly fine player at #1 and still is! I do think the injuries hurt her confidence a bit, but she can use this win to build on and get right back to feeling every bit the best player in the world.
She’s so very classy, extremely talented and poised more than anyone else in women’s tennis! Good Luck on your Brisbane run!!
I know Gulbis can take a set off Djokovic if he tries, it’s a matter of keeping it up through best of 3 sets though. It’s gonna be a fun match to watch though, that’s for sure…
Great venue – great atmosphere. Only disappointment is at the Lavazza coffee stands. Why can’t they also provide decaffeinated coffees – any coffee house worth its reputation should be able to sell a FULL range of its products!!!
What a see-saw thriller!!!
I suggest that Jelena Dokic should be given a wild card entry to the main draw at the Sydney’s Medibank classic next week. She showed that Dokic can hang with the top pros, e.g. playing and almost beating Mauresmo in a close 2-set tie-breakers in Brisbane.
Go Dokic go!
Dokic was lucky it was Mauresmo’s 1st match of the year and she was rusty while she;Jelena had 4-5 matches under her belt.I see she still has a stinky attitude.She better tone it down bcuz this attitude of hers will not fly against either Venus;Serena or Maria S.
I purchased my tickets thinking it would be as accessible as the Aust Open. I am bitterly disappointed with the transport arrangements and the lack of communication being given to patrons. I am amazed to see the large carpark not being utilised to its potential and as a Disabled Ticket holder (Red Card)I have to catch a train and walk long distances. This experience has soured my enthusiasm for tennis in Brisbane. I have a medical condition that limits my walking ability yet each session I attend I have to get from the train station and back – an exhausting and threatening experience. Promises of a shuttle service to and from Yeerongpilly station were not forthcoming yet the press and TV indicated that it was to be.I hope that for 2010 patrons are provided with improved travel options and honest communiaction.
Gosh!, Jelena played so well, dominating Mauresmo. Without the double faults she would of won. What was most impressing is her fight in the 2nd set. It would be easy for her to loose 6-0 or 6-1 but she toughed it out. Next time. Hoping she gets a good draw at the Aussie open and gets a win under her belt.
Good one Bernard Tomic you did verry well ,, more games like this you will be a champ ,, Dont forget Australia there a more kids like Tomic out there , give them a chance Tennis Australia spend some bucks on tranning dozens of our Tallented Kids ,,
Jelena Dokic played well even if she didn,t win it looked like she was tied out abit in the sceond round ,and still it good to see here back.i was cheese off went channel seven cut the game short
I thought the line up was great and I think the stadium is awesome.
My only concern being that being from the inner suburbs of North Brisbane I was “encouraged” by organisers to use public transport. I left for the train at 10:10pm and got in my door on the northside at 12:25am. 2 hours and 15 mins when there is no traffic on the roads is a concern. I can fly to the Open in Melbourne in under 2 hours. Time to get this sort of stuff sorted out guys. Would it hurt to put on a train past 10:30 that doesn’t stop at Bowen Hills when we have an ” international event” in our great city??
My husband & I enjoyed a great day yesterday at Rafter arena, only to have it soured by no shuttle transfer to Yeerongpilly railway station after the day session. When I enquired re same, only to be told you just walk!!!?? As my husband is disabled this was not possible, we had to get a taxi to the station. I really got quite upset when told three times by volunteers/bus driver fsor Corinda passengers, you just have to walk???
So many many very elderly spectators complaining of the same thing. All these shuttle services to Corinda, but it appears, ‘don’t want to know’ about transfers to Yeerongpilly. Getting to the venue in the morning, guess we were just lucky, got a transfer with one of the Centres’ Mini Buses, for which we were truly greatful. Shame the same didn’t happen following such great tennis during the day session.
I was there live yes it had its boring moments coz of those unforced errors and double faults. But the intensity of the whole match was awesome. Too bad Dokic couldn’t win it but she will learn from her mistakes and hopefully do better in Sydney and Aus open
Despite my comment/question last night about a shuttle bus service to Yeerpongpilly Rail Station my 84 year old mother has asked that I pass on her thanks for the outstanding manner in which the officials care for her during yesterdays visit.
Albert – there’s a long history across many sports of inexperienced players riding the coat tails of more seasoned players, blood relatives or not.
I’m not sure, though, why people think Marko is a great prospect. His match history is naught, and I’ve only ever seen him hit balls with Novak on the practice courts. I think they decided to do this just for fun, nothing more.
All that said, by the look of it, they opted not to play anyway!
Well done bernard , you have hi-lighted how many juniors in this country have the potential to do well, with the right programs and level of support it takes to move on up.
Keep paving the way for more of our juniors to do the same……
and let there be depth in this country !!
Baghdatis didn’t play bad but Nieminen played a very solid and good match and was better. And now Jarkko knows how to win in the centre court looking for the next tough match Ei ollu hirveesti katsomossa muita suomalaisia meidän lisäks, joten Brisbanen suomalaiset: Jarkko tarvitsee kannustusta!
we ♥ you Ana!! thank you for the great game last night, we’re so proud of you. you have so many fans, you’re gorgeous inside out. can’t wait to see you at the australian open
Dokic has not learnt anything in 5 years. She only has an A-game (hit hard, then harder). Surely we can’t waste more wildcards on Dokic. TA should get their head out of the sand and keep investing in our youth like they have done with Tomic and Klein with a 5 year plan.
bad luck Nole.
i was disapointed to see him loose.
i thought for sure he was going to win.
i hope hes better in the AO. that other guy was rly good tho.
Wow what an upset. 1st round? Too bad. But I think Nole will do well at the Australian Open considering he’s just 10 points behind Roger. I’m sure he will defend his title. Don’t worry Nole, all of your fans will be here to support you. Just stay focus on your game & don’t let the nerves kick in.
Don’t think of the events that just happened. It’s a game, their’s a winner & their’s a loser.
Goodluck at the Australian Open ‘09.
Gulbis is an incredible talent, and considering that Novak was one of the drawcards for this event, i really cannot see why they drew him up against Gulbis in the very 1st round.
Throughout last year Gulbis was consistently drawn up against the top 3 players in the 1st round of the major tournaments – just funny really.
I think this will be his year to shine!
Too bad for Novak though..
I’m so annoyed at channel 7 for stopping the coverage when they did. VERY ANNOYING!!! Disappointing for Djokovic as I am going to the tennis on Thursday and I was looking forward to watching him play (as i just assumed he would get past the first round)
OK Nole, you have “bought” first lesson for 2009. No more beaches, photos….night clubs…etc…fashion posing…
Leave it behind you, crash them all on AO.
Congratulations for young Gulbis !
djokvoic is still the man no matter if he lost to this little guy lol his still the man its first match of the year dsnt matter hes still numbers 3 in the world babyyyyyyyyyy.
Well done Gulbis! Deserved win! Shame on you Chanel 7 though… really terrible who wants the “Sea Princesses” instead of the tennis?! Still I was hoping to see Novak in the SF as I’m going on Saturday.. hope Gulbis gets there now!
Well thanks a lot Djockovic. You’ve put a whole dampener on the tournament, and disappointed so many of your fans, especially the ones like myself who’s only chance to see you was at the Brisbane International.
We’ve spent a lot of money to see you, and you lose in the first round. It obviously doesn’t mean that much to you, as you didn’t have the heart in the match to win.
Good luck in the Australian Open, I can’t guarantee I’ll be watching.
Don’t be disappointed that Novak is no longer in the tournament. Ernest Gulbis is the one to watch out for in this tournament. He was a rising star in 2008 and has stamped his intentions early. He’s the real deal with his awesome game. Expect him to make the final!
I would just like to commend the wildcards handed to Bernard and Brydan.It was a brave move and let’s face it, Guccione, Sirriani, Luczak are all aging aussie players. Let’s give our up and comers a baptism of fire! THat’s the beauty of having a home tournament- being able to blood some of our young talent on the world stage. It is wonderful foresight and is backed by many of Qld’s coaches. Congratulations- a very refreshing attitude, and one that is sorely needed.
djokovic now will have time to get used to his new raquet and gulbis totally deserved it he always got strong players in the beggining and he in part with marin cilic are for me the new future of tennis, while we can enjoy from nadal federer djokovic murray etc..
I Disagree Tristan Brown, qualifying W/Cs would have been also a fantastic handout at this age. As a parent not a coach, I believe players and people must earn their way and learn to fight for things. It is far too easy to go out and not be expected to win. ATP matches are not a training ground for experience, but a reward for the very best who have proved they are prepared to be there. Why have qualifying matches at all otherwise. ? Qualifying is a logical and important step in development. Russia, Serbia, Italy, Sweden, and many of these countries where todays strength are coming from do not have ” Slam Handouts” , these players do have to earn their way.
While I think Brydan and Bernard did a great job under the circumstance, if to get our players on board with W/Cs at all then I think guys like Ball , Guccione , Groth , still in their early 20s are not past their prime by any means , they still have plenty of firing power, and also deserve the same valuable experience, leaving them to qualify was not going to help their confidence in all they have worked for, for so much longer. They are hardly going backwards right now, all making improvement that could have been consolidated with belief behind them. Australians are known to mature late because we don’t just slug from baselines,” thank goodness.” Thank goodness Rafter was not considered as aging in his 20’s ,,
Yes blood the youngest but qualifying would have been a sufficient step up, they would have gained more match play , and may have worked their way into the tournament. At the end of the day we the public would like to have someone left past round one to cheer on at home . If the next generation want to be inspired by tennis we need players getting past first round for them to watch and aspire too. I think Brydan and Bernard have a great future but the steadier the climb the better they will be for it. I feel it is important you print both sides of the coin and what people feel about this. I doubt I am not alone on my view.
Whatever you are doing, Nole, you’re NOT on the right track. I can’t believe how many chances to rise to #2 you have squandered. And you should never give up in any match. You are not respecting the tournament and the audience. Go polish up everything for AO!
I think both players are rusty today, Djoko much rustier than Gulbis though. Congratulations to Gulbis anyway.
Yes, Djokovic using HEAD racquets now….and he come to Australia 3 day’s before the play. Gulbis is fresh and this day better. We will see with Paul-Henri Mathieu:)
Of course Novak Djokovic is much more better player than Gulbis.
OMG !!! I’m latvian and I was watching the game ! I specially woke up @ 6 am lol !
And it was incredible !!! ERNESTS – TU ESI THE BEST !!! We are so happy to see you winning your first game of the season. You really looked good ! Keep up the pace, ERNOOO !
Novak, I hope you find yourself soon, because you looked like a lost child out there.
Novak is a slow starter and Gulbis is a very tough opponent. It looks that he was struggling with confidence. He obviously needs more preparations in order to start the new season properly. He made a mistake coming to Australia as late as Saturday. And it doesn’t seem that he is very confident with his new racket and needs some more time to get used to it.
Congrats to Gulbis and his fans. I hope this win over Nole gives him some confidence.
Great effort by Sirianni,
beating two guys that are ranked in the top 100 in one day and then nearly beating Llodra who is ranked 50 in the world the next day(btw:What is going on with scheduling two matches in one day?!
You don’t even have that at junior level!)
Surely that’s gotta be a wildcard for the Open.
Unfortunately none of the other guys could do similar.
Better luck next week!
Go Stosur you’ll make it back to the Top 30 in no time!
Sorry, Matt, but you’re just plain ridiculous. Djoko is not obliged to you just because you bought an expensive ticket, lol. Even if the match didn’t mean much to him, that doesn’t mean he should be worried about all the people who bought tickets just to see him playing in the secound round – it’s your problem, not his.
Anyway, no one who expected to see Djoko in upcoming rounds shouldn’t be too worried (except for Serbs maybe), ’cause Gulbis is pretty entertaining too and if he beats Mathieu (tough opponent though), he goes through to the 1/4 final. It’s 2:35 AM here in Latvia and a lot of people are still awake as it starts in less than two hours. Sarauj, Ernest!
Upsets like this do happen especially early in the season, this result did not surprise me at all. Gulbis is an impressive player and will continue his rise up the rankings. To all the Djokovic fans don’t despair he will come back stronger and will challenge for the No 1 spot.
Sorry, but it’s you who don’t seem to understand. No player can be blamed for losing a match, it’s not like he did it on purpose. And even if it didn’t mean so much to him, he shouldn’t be criticised just because someone bought a ticket expecting to see him in next round, it’s not his _responsibility_ to go through to 2nd, 3rd., etc. rounds.
Anyway, silly discussion. Keep grieving in Australia, lol. The big match is coming up!
Am happy for Gulbis to win – he played well and deserved it! On the other side of the coin, one would expect the world number 3 to have a better approach to a tournament, particularly one where he was paid appearance money to attend. One word, integrity. Give me the women’s tour any day.
A wonderful match, though I think the match went to the stronger player. I just HOPE that Amelie learns to ALWAYS play like she does when she is down. Down 2-5 in the third set, she really turned it around; and three brilliant plays when Coin’s match points arose.
I thought that the match might as well have been the final of the tournament; both of the girls played brilliantly. Bonne chance Amelie!
Novak was coming off a short preparation and had his mind on other things , like figuring out the greens at Victoria Park. He will peak come Aus open time. As for the integrity word well the organizers of the BI simply made a commercial business decision , appearance moneys are paid all over the world in various sporting events. Are you suggesting that there is more integrity in the womans tour? – im not so sure…..
Nice one Jo ! You obviously have the talent and now have the mental toughness to match as well. Richard’s been playing well so it should be a great match tomorrow. I’d hate to pick a side tho as I enjoy watching you both
Why is there not a regular shuttle bus from Yeerongpilly station? It is a fair hike for elderly people or those who are not able to walk distances, such as my wife who has had knee problems. If a decision has been made that there will be no public parking, there should be shuttles to the complex as there is at Suncorp Stadium.
Go Amelie!!!
Sooooooo excited for that possible match against ivanovic!!!
If it happens, (and i know it will) She’ll most definetaly play her best, especially with all that confidence she has when she’s playing well.
Ana you are so beautiful but you are a fighter too. Because of that reason some watch sponsor take you but you are not good for health becouse i become so afraid what if you lose.
Verdaco is playing better and better since dating Ivanovic, probably she has taught hhim to play better tennis. And he is more motivated, that’s for sure… Thanks to that Spain won the Davis Cup.
We Japanese fans are all watching you closely & earnestly from Japan, Kei. You can make it, and we believe you will.
Why am I not in Bris this week?!
Best wishes for the next match!
Jarkko did so great and he is coming back this year. He knocked out Marcos and this match was very close. Stunning first set from Jarkko and 2. and 3. set were very tight. So go Jakke! Go Finland!
Morning , everybody. Mathematician and shooter Julie Coin is great fighter. Nice to see you together play tennis ! 733 match A.M. and ? match J.C. = horror to the last … thanks to you . Amélie , go finále !!! You see , you shall
at it .
It seems the difference between Mr Tsonga, Ms Maurismo and all the other tennis players in the tournament, is that they want to be here and to win. Apparently Mr Djokovic did not. Good luck everyone.
It was fantastic to be able to watch Kei play so well and win over Berdych, who is a wonderful player, last night (or early this morning our time around 5 am) here in California far away from Beautiful Brisbane !!!
Kei, have fun and keep going in Australia ! Can’t wait to watch him in person in San Jose next month !
Very honoured to have attended that match. She pulled that through with pure heart, and the crowd’s help, of course
Great match, i have to agree with her comment about this new-found mental toughness – very impressed!
Totally agree Cathy B. It was like throwing lambs to the lions. Whilst both Tomic and Klein are good developing players – it would have been far more rewarding to see them work their way through qualifying and earn the right to their wildcards.
I still think that Bernard should have received a qualifying wildcard and not a main draw wildcard. For him to suggest that he can mix it with the big boys when he was handed the opportunity and did not have to fight it out through qualifying like our other more highly ranked Aussies is a bit laughable. Whilst I am sure that Bernard is talented – let’s hope that getting everything so early on doesn’t destroy what potentially could be a promising player.
i am very annoyed that the day matches are the good ones. The night sessions cost the same, you only get 2 matches, and the less interesting matches seem to be scheduled. How come?
This guy just blasted out of nowhere last year, and I’ve been following his career with great interest ever since. Go go go! I’ve got tickets to the final, and I’m crossing my fingers that he makes it all the way.
Congrats Ana for winning that match. I hope that you win the crown so that you will have an advantage going into the Australian Open. Goodluck & besh wishes.
Nice win verdasco. you have the potential to really rise in the rankings. If you can make it to at least the quarterfinals in the Australian, maybe you could be the future Rafael Nadal
It was wonderful seeing that passion and “fight” in Ana! Champions need that hunger to win
She’s such a terrific ambassador for women’s tennis and I think she can win Brisbane. Much luck to Ana when she plays Amelie tomorrow!
It is becoming apparent that Ivanovic’s form has deteriated a great deal since this time last year, and starting the year off without a coach will not help. She claims that she has played against most girls in the competition and thus trusts herself enough to be without a coach…from what we can see it does not seem to be working.
Ana has potential but needs to remind herself that stepping out on court in a pretty dress and looking pretty is not enough to WIN a match.
JELENA all the way for Aus Open!!
What’s the deal with sponsor’s radio station noise pollution coming from marquee adjacent to show court #1? I was in the grandstand opposite the offending noisy tent during VERDASCO vs. ANCIC match on Weds afternoon. I could hear the radio playing clearly. It must have been very distracting for the players. It greatly diminished my enjoyment of watching an otherwise excellent spectacle of world class men’s tennis!
Tournament organisers need to fix this problem!
Wow what a shock!!! Nole crashing out in the 1st round & now Ana in the quarters. I can’t believe it. But it happens for a reason. I mean you win some, you lose some. I hope that Ana & Nole would give their best in the Australian Open. I’m pretty sure they will win the title if they focus well on their game & they will not get distracted.
Go Ana & Nole!!!!
No one can win all matches. The organizers just need to make sure they have plan Bs for these situations. The worst hit is Djoko himself. He lost the chance to get to No 2, just being 20 points behind Federer. Although I didn’t like his excuse “It was my racquet!”. Who put a gun to his head to change brands? You did it for the money boy!
I think he will be allright for AO. A loss in a 250 tournament is not the end of the world.
I was stunned to see Pete Sampras’ name in the comment list. I watched, admired and enjoyed following his career from Jr. days!
He is the absolute epitome of dignity, humility, brilliance on court and a wonderful ambassador for tennis off the court.
Pete, I’m a retired teacher and just about made it to see you play in the US Open years ago, but was suddenly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease which has kept me from doing many things I would love to do, but I’m not giving up hope
Please know I think you are a absolute best man to ever pick up a racket. I was surely hoping for an autograph had I been able to make that match. Take good care of yourself, your lovely wife and those sweet boys. I loved your book!
God Bless you and thank you for giving me so many wonderful memories~
Linda Alvarado,
My grandparents were Greek too!!
Ana doesn’t need to pay any attention to her distractors, she has ALL the right stuff. I think she’s been having trouble with her confidence since her thumb injury. She missed many matches and wasn’t even able to practice for many weeks. She is determined and willing to work hard to climb the mountain again & she will!
Don’t be discouraged Ana, this is only a temporary “hiccup”a and you’ll be back in your true form in no time at all. Keep your pretty chin up and never back down to anyone. There are sunny days ahead for you dear, BELIEVE it, perhaps sooner than you think!
Best of luck in the Assie Open!!!
Souch a great game Amelie – it’s great to see you again in this way – wish you all the best, for the next games, the next tounaments and at least I hope you feel pretty well all the time on the court! Because this is that what we like to see – that you feel good! Greetings from Germany!
I’m so sad becouse Ana lost but I know that she didn’t gave the best od here. Here serve wasn’t good so she have to practise on it so much. Previous match against Vinci took more concentration so there was no time for here to come back. Ana is better player than Mauresmo, that’s fact. I hope to see you in AO final with Sharapova as runner up. Love ANa YoU ArE BeTtEr ThAn MaUrEsMo (just concentrate yourself) And GoOd luck In AO
Amelie Mauresmo was the better player there.She has too much variety for ivanovic.
Dont see the serbian having a good run in AO this year.
Allez Amélie take the whole thing now.Good luck in the semi!
Kei, too bad…
But, you did great for just the start of 2009!!!
Well earned ATP points!!!
We all look forward to seeing you beat seed after seed!!!
And wish you have a healthy and fruitful season to come!!!
I know why she hasn’t got a coach. The coach would be saying,”you can’t lob, you can’t volley, you’ve got no tricks, you are too one-dimensional”. Comments which Anna probably doesn’t want to hear.
A clever player like Mauresmo knows exactly what to do to dismantle Anna’s game.
Anna is one player who needs a coach urgently. She’s no Roger!
it’s not a shocker that Amelie won. she’s a very talented player who has had a rough year and looks to have gotten her groove back. all those rookies need to beware because she still has a lot in her and is looking to get back in the top 10. sit back and watch.. i’m sure she’s going to climb her way back this year.. go amelie!!
it’s not that Ana is overrated so whoever said that has a lot to learn about tennis. she’s a young player with a lot of talent but it takes time to learn your game. things are constantly changing and it’s not as easy as it seems when they’re out there playing.. give her a few more years and i’m sure she will be more consistent.
Morning , everybody . Not until at a time , when to you , Amélie , already dreamed happy tennis-dreams , learnt I’m first from foto about your great gladness ! … Thanks to all , who for us transcribe these happy moment !
Amélie Mauresmo /FRA/ , beaucoup courage et ” vulpine ” tennis !!!
Ana, I’m sad that you lost – but conserve your energy and focus for the Aus Open. You will do well – we have all the confidence in you. And to all the negative comments on here – don’t be so jealous. She is pretty AND talented – its true.
Too bad she was too sad to sign autographs for waiting fans half an hour later. Striding past them completely ignoring them.(Security Guard in tow)
Even in defeat she has a duty to her fans and supporters, not to mention the fact she gets paid appearance money.
What is it with players only signing when they win!? And ignoring fans when they lose?
After all, it’s just one loss and not the end of the world.
Jelena Dokic on the other hand was happy and patient enough to pose for photos with fans and sign balls straight after her loss.
Good on ya Jelena
Ana! It seems as though Ana plays at times like James Blake – as though they are afraid of success. Hopefully this will be the year that they both may win a Grand Slam.
Oh, I should have got the ticket and rooted for you.
You are an amazing and rising star.
Next time you visit Australia, we will definitely go and watch you play.
See you then and take care of your arm, Kei.
Nothing to be jealous of at all- she is a pretty girl and good tennis player. However it is easy to see that her form has suffered immensely over the last year. Makes me agree with some comment on here saying that she is overrated and this hype about her is simply due to her “pretty face” and not necessarily her tennis. She already seems to think highly of herself to think she will do well without a couch…she is a young player who is not as experienced as some of the other players like Muresmo and the Williams sister for example. Therefore she needs a coach as it is these sort of players who expose Ivanovic’s weaknesses.
Jelena Jankovic does not receive anywhere near as much publicity and the media does not make a hype when she plays- she may not be the prettiest tennis player ever but she knows how to play tennis and her personality has won her over many supporters! Ana on the other hand looks like she has forgot that she needs to win matches…she has got to a stage where she struggles even against qualifiers. SHE NEEDS A COACH and she needs one SOON because I agree with previous comment…she is no Federer.
Ana is so pretty, talented and has no reason to be worried becouse this match is not important. I’m sure that you will be more concentrate in AO and you will win it. I hope Bartoli or Sharapova as runner up. GOOD LUCK
Mauresmo you are an incredible player! You can win against Bartolli in the Semis, and of course take the title in the form that you are presently in…your tennis renaissance.
Victoria struggled in the beginning against Lucie Safarova yesterday. However after talking to her coach on court she got the encouragement she needed. Also a couple of lucky breaks off mistakes by the linesmen against Lucie.
Disappointed in Ana but don’t blame her, good inspiration to play when you aren’t well. Good luck in the future.
Bad luck Amelie!! I really enjoyed watching you play Ana yesterday from inside pat rafer areana. It’s a shame you had to exit today’s match the way that you did.
I would be very interested to hear more detail on the nature of Mauresmo’s injury..
However at least it means that Marion can now focus on the final.
Those second serves.. 2 second serve aces.. in 5 games. Impreswsive to say the least. in fact 100% of points won on first and second serves. You cant get better than perfect.
My first time watching my favourite women’s player live….what a disappointment for it to end the way it did! Here’s hoping Amelie recovers and does well at the Oz Open.
Lucky Bartoli. Amelie’s game is good for the sport. Bartoli’s game is a little annoying, hehe. Esp. with her hops and funny serve. However, good luck to her as well.
great combined event[[ie. Aust. Mens and Womens HArdcourt c'ships at same venue for the first time in 11 years plus]]with suprisingly good % of top 30 players in each event. However we have not yet reached the enormous variety and quality of support services as offered constantly by THE OZ OPEN, yet mistakenly, the powers that be decided to charge stadium centre court fees from monday forward that were equivalent to melbourne in these economic times and at an inaugural event. This philosophy of business approach has greatly reduced attendance figures during day sessions right up to and including friday day session. As a senior coach closely involved in Qld., with the first 4 1/2 years of private coaching for both Isabella Holland and Sam Stosur and currently 13 year old Qld Little Masters Champion Jemimah Waugh, I contend there is a fixable problem with the pricing structure. The outside ground passes[[good 4 day package value]]to see the slightly lesser profiled and performing players, does not compensate for the restrictions that it places on coaches and families to introduce their children as frequently as possible to this much larger , more inspiring and even more glamorous picture [depending on individual motivation ].A $35.00 and $50.00 cat A and B respect. would have increased attendance or demand for seats by 30.to 40%. Learn from this error of lost opportunity. A TENNIS SUPPORTER AND LIFETIME OCCUPATION COACH.
I knew Gasquet would win ! The commentators were completely ruling him out but it was only in time for him to play better – and look he won! Everyone knows that you don’t simply win tennis games by being big and athletic there is more to it!
Glad I did not go to this final. Azarenka has learnt from Sharapova!!! Had to turn sound off. Her screaming was absoluting disgusting!! Surely the ref can tell her to close her mouth. What an intiminating performance. Congratulations to Marion Bartoli for keeping her cool playing such a digusting opponent!! It is time the tennis officials did something about it!!!!
Verdasco doesn’t need Ana Ivanovic for motivation. His powerful play has been evident in his performance last yeat at the ATP tours. He keeps improving, and Anna keeps deteriorating. Verdasco is just less known to the Australian audience. Vamos Verdasco!!!
Well done Marion on a great week and a positive attitude.
After her health troubles it would have been easy for her to just hide and rest in the armchair, but instead she worked hard over winter and has came out fighting and playing well this week.
Come on Verdascooo! You are brilliant. I’m 100% sure that you will do well in AO becouse your game yesterday was FANTASTIC. I’m so SUPRISED. Good luck!
good thing i did not watch this match, saw azarenka play earlier in the week, she is such a sharapova wannabe with that stupid screaming, it is really distracting.
bad luck bartoli, next time get your revenge.
Great article. On most websites they are just short pieces, but this was interesting and insightful. If only the result went Bartolis way today though…
Keep up the GREAT work!! I took my Mum and we both had a fantastic time. I couldn’t wipe the grin off Mum’s face! We’re both going next year with our family.
Wow, What a great event. For $10 the ground pass was fantastic value, I got to see great players both train and play, and what an atmosphere around the complex. Will be back next year for sure.
How fortunate we are to have an event such as this one right on our doorstep.
The wait is over and now we can look forward to many years of world class Tennis.
It was a fantastic game to see live at the arena. I thought both players provided great enthusiasm and gamesmanship. It was entertaining. Fernando and Stefanek shook hands and hugged at the end of the match. I think Stefanek simply forgot to thank Fernando.
I attended the semis and finals. Loved the experience – well done to the Tennyson team!
Please consider the following for an even better 2010 tournament:
1. Install large TV screens permanently in the grounds – and hardwired to the electricity system. Those temporary screens you used this year were powered by huge, noisy compressors and you could hear them the whole time even from centre court.
2. Upgrade Tennyson railway station. Have QR divert ALL Shorncliffe trains [which currently finish at South Bank, Corinda or Roma Street] to travel to Corinda via Yerongpilly and Tennyson, replacing the railbus. This would also be patronised by all the residents of Tennyson Reach year-round, not just during tournaments. It would also make it easier for people from ALL rail lines to access the QTC by linking at Roma St [Northern lines], Park Rd [Cleveland line] and Corinda [Ipswich line]. This is a totally plausible solution.
3. Extend CityCat services from St Lucia to Tennyson. Hopefully this is already planned for when the apartments are finished construction.
4. Please include the Draw of the tournament [correct as of Day 1] and a site plan/facilities map in the programme. These were glaring omissions and I ended up with a $9 advertisement brochure.
I’m looking forward to attending many more of your tournaments in the future!
Great tournament but judging by the people being turfed out of seats they had no tickets for on Saturday made me wonder about the disadvantages of the “ezytickets”. Certainly only one can be scanned to get you inside the gate but what is to stop someone making multiple copies of their ticket and then handing them out to friends (who enter with ground passes)? once inside. No usher is going to remember whether e.g. seat 163, row b, in section S208 is already in his legitimate seat.
Great way to control scalping though but a new set of problems has been created.
From where I was sitting, the game was played in fantastic spirit by both players. I’m not sure if anyone who is whinging about Radek’s speech has ever won a big tournament title, then on top of all the emotion had to make a speech in a language no native to them…. think about it… It was a great entertaining match & a well deserved winner.
Its great to see tennis back in Brisbane. A few suggestions for next year to help make the tournament even better. Could you please take into account that Brisbane in January is very hot and humid. More shade around the venue would be appreciated and can something be done to tame the afternoon sun that comes into the arena from around 2.30pm.
Also cool, sunsafe uniforms for the linespeople, etc. would be more appropriate than those heavy trousers and odd-looking navy shirts, zipped right up to the chin, to help promote a summer atmosphere for the tournament.
Would you all be so upset by Stafanek’s win if he was part of the beautiful crowd like Verdasco and Ivanovic? I think not. I happened to see him leaving after the game and congradulated him on his win and he thanked me and shook my hand. Well done Radek. Thanks for coming.
HI
fantastic event. Went to both finals. Stadium is outstanding . Agree with previous entry re screens need to be up and running near the food outlets broadcasting games not sponsor ads! Also the lack of seating outside was appalling. considering poeple want to eat and have a rest after travelling there on public transport the lack of seating was a complete oversight. A few and I mean a few plastic chairs scattered did not meet the huge demand. many people sat down on the cement in the shade as there was nowhere else to sit in shade outside doors 1-3. Go to Aussie open and look at the fantasic seating and shade. Any way a fantastic couple of days and I will eb racing to get finals seats again next year.
great event,great stadium however it was very difficult and time consuming to get there by public transport,i hope next year this improves with the buses and trains coordinating and if the ferry went there it would be ideal,i will go again next year good to see great tennis in brisbane.
It’s nice to know that one of my favorites womens tennis players- Marion Bartoli started 2009 with a remarkable note to be in the finals and eventually the runner-up in this warm-up tournament b4 the Australian Open kicks-off next week. All the best for Marion !!! go!go!go Marion for your first grand slam title!
But, I’m quite sad that my other favorite, Maria Sharapova will not defend her title this year.
radek was excited to win and he almost forgot to thank his coach as well so i dont think he didnt thank verdasco on purpose…he did seem a bit “rude” on the court but come on, wouldnt you do the same if it was you trying to win??? i know i would..
Loved it great Tournament, sat in the upper section great seats but get rid of the glass panels which are annoying in row H. More shade on outside courts needed otherwise cant wait till next year, very impressed
Agree with comments above but would also like to see more score boards on the outside courts,at least two on the main courts & one on those used the first couple of days.
We attended the Thursday night session tickets including the three course meal. The tennis centre is exceptional, the tennis equally as good and the viewing also outstanding. However we were served a meal well below what was acceptable. A real shame and the fact that when we mentioned the poor quality of our meals (my wife and I left half of ours on our plate)the waiter just laughed and continued on his way. Considering the cost of these session tickets it put a real damper on what could have been a perfect night.
We attended the finals and really enjoyed both days so next year we hope to go for the whole week to watch the ’story’ play out in full.
Travelling from Carindale and we ended up driving, but would much rather catch a bus from Carindale Shopping Centre as we do for the soccer & cricket (to the Gabba).
stepanek deserved to win, he has skill and great finesse as well as being entertaining for the crowds. i love his attitude to tennis, its refreshing. go the worm!
this year’s brisbane international were the best three days spent for me so far this year. i thought the railbus service from corinda to the venue was efficient. the atmosphere was lovely and seeing some of my favourites and well known players was the best part. awesome first tournament, and like everyone else i’m looking forward for what 2010’s brisbane international holds
nice tournament nice setup cant wait till they develop and build up the area. have more things to do ine between tennis. and i think the location of the tennis centre is an issue for public transport as it isnt exactly central and the public transport system in brisbane is not up to scratch, too many changeovers required, which in itself isnt an issue but its hardly seamless.
I caught Radek in the semi-finals and love players who come to the net and mix up their game rather than playing totally from the baseline. He played from the heart and I enjoyed every moment he was on court. Great passion!
So excited Andy Roddick is playing at the Brisbane International. He is one of the champion players since the start of the decade. So keen to get tickets to see him play when they are on sale. I think he’ll enjoy Brisbane. Its a big city with a casual feel which sounds like his town of Austin. Your welcome in Brisbane Andy.
Hi, we’re watching the Brisbane Open for the first time. We’re a family (2 adults with 3 boys). What do you recommend when i buy the tickets? There seems to be a day session and a night session with different prices. What will be the best one for us? How about the ground tickets? Does that give us access to all the courts or this is just outside courts and w/in the stadium? Hope you can give me better info before i do my booking.
For hotel, we’re thinking of Marriott. Is that near and accessible to the Q Tennis center?
Yahoo! I’ve waited a long time for a chance to see Kim play, now I have it! Wild horses won’t keep me away – The Brisbane International is going from strength to strength. Keep it up!
I’am so excited that Kim is going to play at the 2010 Brisbane International! I cannot wait to see her play again after her incredible at this year’s US Open.
About 6 of us went from the Gold Coast last year. Two great sessions on the Thursday and Friday. I talked to Steve Ayles last year AND as a result got the GC train to stop at Yeerongpilly station for the week. This is a MUST as messing about with Beenleigh takes too long. The Premier should be approached if the railways are not cooperative. It is not good enough to do surface trains from Beenleigh for an international sporting event.
The 2009 Brisbane International was a great event. However, apart from the main court arena, there was inadequate shade cover to protect spectators from the summer sun. I hope that this shortcoming has been redressed for the 2010 event.
Exciting news about the latest additions to the Brisbane International Tennis line up in James Blake,Gael Monfils and the return of Jelena Dokic and Ana Ivanovic.
I’m sure all who attend the Brisbane International 2010 are in for a real treat.
I for one am looking forward to spending the week at The Brisbane International Tournament and hopefully catching up with some of the players.
Looking forward to see Kim Clijsters play also.
Let’s hope last years mens winner and current world No. 16 Radek Stepanek and womens winner world No.9 Victoria Azarenka will be back to defend their respective titles.
The current field of players is fantastic and will get even better from here on.
What a great tournament last year and so good to see Brisbane on the tennis map once again. Would it be possible to provide shade for the seating on the show courts on the Western side and also provide seating on the Eastern side. i know this would take up a grassed area but it is not so good watching a game through the wire from the grass anyway.
It would be great if Brisbane International could actually tell you what dates the mens quarter and semi finals are going to be held on. I really don’t want to spend over $200 on tickets and hope that I guess the right date!
I have just read that Justine Henin will return to the scene of her 2004 Australian Open triumph following the warm-up event at the Brisbane International.
I agree with Carol’s comment, we want to see the men’s finals as we saw the women’s last year and wanted to experience both, but not having access to these details is off putting in terms of purchasing tickets.
it’s great henin coming to brisbane and it will for fans and her opponents to see what type of form shes in but i would still love for daniela hantuchova to come back and better her performance than last year.
I am so happy that Justine has chosen The Brisbane International as her come back tournament. I look forward to watching Justine again, hitting her wonderful ground strokes especially her beautifully struck backhand. All the best for your second career.
wow what a world class field … in our little corner of the world! Our Brissie summer will certainly prepare the players from the northern hemisphere for the Melbourne weather in the Australian Open.
A real fighter, I know that’s what Dinara is. Take one step at a time Dina, don’t force yourself, your far more important to us than any major title. God Bless Dina, we’ll be praying for your speedy recovery. Take care always!
John Millman should definately get a wildcard into the Brisbane International. Local Brisbane boy who has not been given anywhere near the support other players have. He has had to make it pretty much on his own. The least they can do is give him a go in the Bris Int.
Best of luck in your return. You have plenty of years left to pickup more grand slams like Wimbledon.
You and your coach seem very wise to go after the implementation of higher serve percentage on the first delivery.
A small, wise, focused team serves the best results.
Good luck in Aussie land….
KK
They should have given wild cards to John and Joel last year. Hopefully they end up giving wild cards to them for the qualifiers. That’s the very least they could do.
Really looking forward to the tournamnet since Simon was playing. But now, may forget about watching. Hope Simon is able and given a wildcard the very last minute
Hi Tim, the qualifying event will be held from 1-3 January. The remaining wildcards will be announced on brisbaneinternational.com.au in the coming weeks.
Jr, if you look at the comments on this website I’d say you’d find that quite a few people have in fact heard of john millman….and do care…
John has been doing extremely well since coming off an injury this year. The recent Australian Futures have been his first tournaments back since his injury and out of the six tournaments john has reached two semis and three finals.
At the beginning of 2008 john was sitting outside the worlds top 1000 and 15 months later he reached a career high of 316,if you know much about tennis you will know this is quite an achievement and one that should definitely be recognised.
Not as star studded as last year, with only 1 top 10 player, but still good none the less. Would say that 2 wildcards will be aussies and 1 will be a player returning from injury.
Many of us agree it is about time John Millman got a fair go. He is a lovely bloke and does it pretty much by himself, not being one of the system's chsoen children. Works hard, nice bloke give him a fair go
“starlet”? I think she should be profiled as a “tennis player” – she deserves her sports title, instead of some “starlet” tag/// it's really demeaning for such a great young player… leave this kind of labeling to trash magazines
her b-day is the same as mine lol i love here so much and i watched her play for ages and she is my idol and i now play tennis and have been for about 2 years and i want to go pro.
it is a shame dinara cant participate in brisbane but she will most likely play in 2011 but in the mean time we all just have to wish dinara a speedy recovery and by the way she probably would have taken the title out with ease.
THAT IS SUCH A SHAME AS JUST LOVE HER GAME. I SAW HER AT GOLD COAST AND SHE WAS AWESOME. WELL, HOPE TO SEE YOU ON TV AT AUST OPEN…ALL THE BEST DINARA WE LOVE YOU …
Hi Dinara ! I'm so disapointed for you and for us. I was very impatience to see you to Brisbane. Perhaps you will be to Sydney (Grand chelem) I hope very much ! I wish you will recur to 100%. Good luck and I wish you a very happy new year 2010. Louise
James Blake is awesome! I can't wait to see my favourite player in full flight. With a new coach, Blake seems to playing the best he has in his career. Best of luck James! From your huge fan, Jesse.
Hi James! I can't wait to see his Aussie run. He is my favourite player and I can't wait to see him in fulll flight. With a new coach, Blake seems to playing the best he has in his career. Hopefully, he'll break his Slam best apperancxe of an Aussie Open QF and this prepares him well for it. Best of luck! Your huge fan, Jesse.
I hope you have a really good year this year andy I have supported you for 10 years now since i watched you on tv when playing in houston 250 and this year I saw you beat andy murray in wimbledon i wish you all the best and i will be routing for your in brisbane ,australian open and the whole year
I thought one of the original ideas was to have city cat ferry services extend to the tennis centre – how much more enjoyable that would be, and provide a window to Brisbane by using the City's No.1 attraction (Citycat).
Was anything ever done to deal with the “frying” of spectators in the stadium from direct sun? Clearly there has been a major deficiency in the stadium design, and I'm unsure whether to attend this year for fear of being subject to this extreme discomfort?
We are also planning on coming down from the Sunshine coast. Wondering the best place to park and make use of the free transportation. Is it just the Beenleigh Line that is free, if not how far does the free transportation zone extend? Thanks
The website does not provide the information on the best places to park a car and then get to the venue. It relies on you taking public transport. Please advise the best place to park the car for the day and either take public transport of preferably walk to the tennis.
I think in this case a Wildcard should have been given to an up and coming young player not Molik. Having said that, I'm in more agreeance to her being given a wildcard to the Brisbane International than the Australian Open.
Welcome back, Alicia! I am a huge fan of yours and I hope you will be as successful in your comeback as you were back in 2004 where I saw you win the Nordea Nordic Light Open.
Wouldn't it be great if brisbane transport put on direct buses from major centres (ie Chermside) as they do for other major sporting events?? What's the story State Govt????
Is there a park and ride facility anywhere near the tennis centre? Coming from Gold Coast and heading north after our day at the tennis so would like to drive. Thanks in advance.
Looking forward to the new season starting in less then a week. Good luck to all you nice people in Australia, I will be watching your tournament very closely.
Looking forward to the new season starting in less then a week. Good luck to all you nice people in Australia, I will be watching your tournament very closely.
Free transport is fine if you are near a train station. How about buses as you do for rugby League & Union from Carindale bus Centre ? Or do we have to go to the expense of a cab?
i remember playing john in under 12's.. even back then i knew that one day he would prove to everyone how good he is.. dad made me train so hard after he wiped me off the court.. now i can finally say to him that john was just a far better player than me
Once the wc are given, it's sure that Thomaz Bellucci will be one of the 8 seeds. I think its crucial for him, once he needs a semi-finals effort to be a seed at the AO. I realy think he was one the best players rising in 2009, a top 40 with 21 years old. I believe he will break through the top 20 in 2010.
ALLE JUSTINE Its time she got back in the game. I finally have someone on the women's game to cheer for. With Kim back, as well 21010 will be a yeat for te record books..
Great news that John Millman is in the Brisbane International. Come on Brisbane lets get behind one of our best players. I hope John wins this tournament.
Now I have reason to get back to being updated to the WTA news! When she retired, i lost interest in watching women's tennis…Now, i have the urge again! BRAVO JUSTINE..I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND YOU ARE THE BEAUTY AND PURE TALENT IN THE TENNIS COURTS WORLDWIDE!
Hi Luke, the main draw will be available Saturday afternoon following the draw, which begins at 12 noon. The men's qualifying draws will be available Saturday morning while the women's qualifying draws will be available Friday afternoon. As soon as they are completed they will be posted on brisbaneinternational.com.au
WARM WELCOME JUSTINE.YOU ARE ATRUE CHAMPION.MY SON STOPPED WATCHING TENNIS WHEN U STOPPED TENNIS.WE ARE TOO GLAD THAT U HAVE COME BACK.ALLTHE BEST TO THE ENTIRE SEASON-2010.TRY TO LIFT WIMBLEDON TOO IN YOUR COLLECTIONS
Go Richard. I hope you have a wonderful 2010 and win many tournaments you deserve to as you are one of the best players on tour. We love you here in Australia and it is great to see you back at the Brisbane International. So you go hard and give it all you've got. You have a lot of support.
Go Richard! I hope you win many tournaments in 2010, you deserve it after such a tough year. You have many fans in Australia and I am sure you will do very well in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Good luck to you.
We live in Cleveland & it will take us 1.5hrs. by train or we can drive there in 40mins which we did last year & parked at the Golf Club. It seems with NO parking this year the train in the only option
I am so happy when justine decide to come back. after justine retired in may 2008, I heart been taken away from women tennis. all the best to you, justine. I know you will able to do much better than before…
wow i just cant wait for justine's comeback and knowing her track record and her intelligence its truly a wise decision which she has made with a lot of thought…..Womens tennis will be worth concentrating on(was only watching it since may 2008)
I am really looking forward to the coming year in ladies tennis. Not only are my 2 favoutite tennis players coming back ( Justine & Kim) but also 2 other favourites who haven,t been around for a while….Dokic & Molik. I used to see Alicia Molic & Yelena Dokic at Eastbourne and have really missed both of them at this event
Good luck to Sesil Karatantcheva, she has been working really hard last year after ban, and she deserves to do well on 2010, Im sure really soon she will be back on top 50.
I think Jelena has a great chance to win her first tournment of the year in Brisbane. I hope she doesn't have any physical problem. Out of this, she will be a finalist without any doubt. Anyway, Happy New Year from Spain!
justine u add some life to the women tennis after missing out 1 and the half years….. You are the only one withthe best single backhanders left on the women's tour after mauresmo reitrement, and the wonderful all round game u have makes the match a very interesting one… Hope u have great results for the australia open warm up tournaments and of course australia open itself
It is actually my son in the photo with Kim and what a lovely person she is. She gave a lot of her time to just sit, play and interact with Dylan on Thursday and from the delighted little giggles and smiles from Dylan when Kim participated in his little games was lovely to see. For somebody trying to prepare for an upcoming event her time would be limited and just the fact that she bothered to take time out and visit the ward shows a kind and caring nature. Although Dylan is too young to quite understand just who his visitor was, Kim's time and kind words were greatly appreciated by both myself and my husband, thank you Kim
I hope that you will come to Belgrade (Serbia) for Davis cup match with Novak (our Nole) Djokovic. I am happy that I will have opportunity to watch that match alive. Best wishes, Marjan
Great to have Justin back! With her and Kim playing again,along with the Williams's, we will have a class of players that I think the womens game has not had recently.. looking forward to a great 2010!
Very encouraging words from Jelena. While it will be difficult for her to eclipse the Australian Open 2009, I do feel she can eclipse Brisbane 2009, and 2009 in general.
This is the day many of us have longed for – Justine is back. We can watch the women's game again and expect excitement, entertainment and a game worth watching. Welcome back Champion!!!
are they going to put up the actual order of play for the main courts for sunday and monday today or just the general draw for the whole tournament?! I wanna know who i'm seeing monday!
May 2010 be your year, Justine! Your North Carolina fans are really cheering you on as you mount your return to the tour. Best wishes as you play your way in Brisbane and in the Open!
Hi Patti, the order of play for tomorrow hasn't been finalised yet, as soon as it is it will be published on brisbaneinternational.com.au. The order of play is available the evening before the following day's play.
Dokic still has it, she showed that last year. Only for a bad line-call in the second last game against Safina she would have won that and probably made the final (as Safina did). In my book, she has more natural ability than Sam Stosur and only has to stay fit and keep her focus to get back into the top 20. Let's home she does – go Jelena!
We apologise, but we are currently experiencing some technical difficulties. As soon as the issue is solved the draws will be posted. We apologise for any inconvenience this may be causing.
Sorry guys, we're working on the problem. In the meantime: Clijsters v Garbin, Molik v Makarova, Safarova v Groenefeld, Qualifier v Wozniak, Hantuchova v Qualifier, Peng v Szavay, Bammer v King, Petkovic v Benesova, Kleybanova v Pavlyuchenkova, Errani v Vinci, Bacsinszky v Qualifier, Dokic v Ivanovic, Czink v Hradecka, Govortsova v Zahlova Strycova, Dellacqua v Qualifier, Henin v Petrova
Brisbane Golf Club told me that there is parking the same as last year and Rotary Rocklea are handling it, but your website says there is no parking. I also heard that parking was available at the Golf Club on the radio. It is very confusing.
Why do the men receive more money than the women in tennis? And its not like its a small difference, they earn almost twice as much. Why isn't it equal?
It was really lovely to see Kim with your son ,that's just the real person she is and always has been on the courts,I can't wait to come to Brisbane to watch her play and there is none of the grunting etc that puts one off watching a lot of these other girls,all the best for your son,he's gorgeous.
Ajde Anci…napred…zelimo ti uspesnu 2010.Opet cemo se radovati tvojim uspesima,sigurna sam.Vidim da nas vec mnogo prati ovaj turnir.Srecna Nova godina i Bozic svima i Ani naravno !!!
Good Luck Kim. My husband and I will be coming to the Brisbane International from the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Hopefully, we will see you there. So glad you are making it a second career. You are our favourite and have been for years. Wishing you, your husband and daughter a very happy, healthy, and successful 2010.
What a disappointing result for Kubler. He's been given a WC for the Australian Open but in my opinion it's a bit of a waste and there's about a dozen guys who deserve it more, including all the fellas that had a win yesterday. Well done!
I firmly believe that Jelena will have a better summer in 2010 than she had last year. She finished the year strongly in 2009 with ITF Wins in Athens and Poitiers and a Runner up at Jous Le Tour and is more than ready to Win her first WTA Tournament in Brisbane. The Brisbane Tournament is a stepping stone for another assault on the 2010 Australian Open and a opening match against Ana Ivanovic is a great way to start the Australian Summer of Tennis for Jelena. GO JELENA GO!!! Heres to your first victory in 2010 and another summer to remember!!!
Can you please give us an update on what's happening on the outside courts? When do you expect play to resume after the rain delay? Will play continue into the evening until todays draw is complete, weather permitting? Thanks for your help.
Why is the commentary on AO Series Radio via the Internet about 10 seconds behind the Live Scores widget? Kind of eliminates the sense of suspense as to who wins the next point if you want to see the scoreboard or stats, but also listen to the match….
Play is continuing at Pat Rafter Arena and on Courts 1 and 2, for updates view the Live Scores: http://www.protennislive.com/frameset.asp?year=... Courts 4 and 5 are still wet and play will not resume until they have been dried.
Wonderful commentary from Brisbane. Transmission coming through loud and clear in Horsham, Victoria. Best wishes to Kate and the team from the Kearns and Watt families.
I've been watching and pulling for you since you turned pro! I know last year wasn't as successful as you had hoped, but stay positive & focused and you CAN return to that Championship form! You are a wonderful player and person & I agree Ana is not a 'starlet', save that for the 'rags' at the check out stand at the market~She is a 'star' Ajde Ana!
James is one of the most gracious gentleman on tour. He's always kind & is an excellent player. For someone who has been through SO much it is amazing he's even playing at all! Much success James at Brisbane!! Know you have MANY whom admire and respect you very much~
I think a shuttle service from either Garden City or Carindale to the Tennis Centre would be beneficial for patrons travelling from the southside and south-east. You can go on a shuttle bus for the AFL or Roar games.
I have been watching and pulling for Ana since she turned pro~I know she was disappointed last year, but I have no doubt she can return to her former Championship form! Stay positive and focused Ana! You have MANY whom love, respect and admire your hard work and determined attitude~You are beautiful on the 'inside' as well as the 'outside'~I love your sincere smile Best of luck at Brisbane & the entire 2010 season
Is this some knid of Secret? Having now purchased tickets for Mon and Tues night Rafter stadium sessions, it seems to me that it is still a mystery who actually plays on those nights. Is this a deliberate policy? Is the intent to have some kind of “pot luck” as to who is playing on centre court?
Please respond-is this somewhere on the website I cannot find- or at this stage it is certainly looking as if I will find out-on the night?!?
Very lucky for Alicia to get through this match. Her statistics were horrific! She'll need to lift her game against Clijsters if she hopes to win a few games.
Absolutely wonderful having you back Kim! You are such a genteel & gracious lady and an amazing 'Ambassador' for our sport! I saw you win the USO and was so proud of you and how you represented 'all' working moms You are an excellent player and clearly a terrific mother, Jada is beautiful! Much success at Brisbane and the entire 2010 season!
Andy, so sorry about this latest set-back with your knee~ I know you are eagerly awaiting your first match and I personally think you have a LONG and very fine career ahead of you! You never disappoint and my heart stopped so many times at last year's Wimbledon I nearly fainted!! I was cheering you on!! You will win another, just keep working hard and staying positive~You are truly a credit to the Red, White and Blue Much success at Brisbane and throughout the entire new season~
Hi Ronti, as this tournament is a knockout event, the order of play cannot be completed until the evening before the following day's play. Tournament organisers cannot complete the order of play until match results from the current day's play are decided. As soon as the order of play and draws are available they are posted on the Draws page.
Great comeback from Alicia. It will be interesting to see how she will do against Kim. She has the crowd on her side so we'll have to see what happens.
the times are changing….and not for the best…..years ago at White City in Sydney you would pay $20-$25 for the whole day and night and go to any court you wished including centre court and that was any day except for semis and finals. Watching the champs on TV now is the go as the cost puts watching the champs live for ordinary tennis fans out of reach now.
Ana,Serbia is so proud of you..and of course of Novak,Jelena and Ziki too! We wish you all the best in 2010 and we are sure that you'll win so many tournaments as you planned.. Good luck:)..in Serbian-SAMO ROKAJ!!!:)
I don't know if you are from Brisbane but if so, why didn't you just buy a ticket to go and watch it. There were plenty of vacant seats in Pat Rafter Arena.(Although crowds were way up from last year which was great to see) You missed a great match!
To see great Tennis, you have to spend some money to go see it in such places like Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Rely on TV coverage and you are going to be disappointed every time.
Hate to say it but I think Kim will spank Alicias back side red raw when they play as Kim is at the top of her game and confidently hitting the ball with pin point accuracy.
Man, I'm so glad she's back and I missed her soooo much! She's the salt and pepper of tennis and such a nice and friendly person behind the scene! Go go go, Kim!!!
Let's go Ana!!!! You're the best, and of course you will win this tournament. Good luck to Justine, too. Hope we'll watch Ivanovic vs Henin in the semis…..
All the best Alicia!!! Was sorry to hear you are up against Clijsters so early in the piece as I love you both and were hoping to see you both on Wednesday when I come check out the Brisbane International Event. Anyway hope your win against her is a great one and remember “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie…hoy hoy hoy!!!!
been looking forward to the new tennis season especially the comeback of justine.. will be cheering in front of me tv tomorrow and hopefully say as much allez as possible toi-toi-toi justine…
I agree Jelena has been lucky to have an strong oponent in her first match in Brisbane. That way the rest of her tournament it will be like sliding down the mountain. But no relaxing, because there will be rocks on the way. Good luck!
You can do this Ana!!! Stay positive and focused and 'feel' the power within 'yourself'!!! Much success against Dokic! Many of us will be pulling for you
I would like to say how disappointed i am with tennis qld and translink,you provide no onsite parking,but you do supply free public transport,only trouble is if you would like to get home after the evening games,I am taking my 2 young children tonight and was shocked to find i could get to the centre but not home again as there is no buses after 6pm,is there extra security on the trains because in the past night travel on the train has been risky to say the least
GROUND PASS ONLY $9.90 That is very good, for kids to have chance watch some tennis. PLEASE INFORM STAFF AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN IN MELBOURNE to lower their praces.
Justine Henin's single handed back hand play is great to watch, compared to the double handed play nearly all players seem to have adopted now. She has a different sytle of play.She isn't boring to watch. Go Justine!
Good on you nick. All the best in the rest of the Brisbane International 2010. Good luck in the rest of your carreer. I think you will be a great and outstanding top playing in the years to come. Good Luck
Way To Go Kim. Hope you win the 2010 Brisbane International.I loved it how you ran to the other side of the court with the big and heavy racquet bag on your back to sign some autograpks. I wish you all the best in your come back to tennis and good luck at the Australian Open and beyond.
That was the very definition of an “ugly win”. But a win is a win. Glad Ana is moving on and I am hopeful she will show improvements in her next match. Ajde!
I'm Australian and I seriously don't understand the 'Aussie' + overseas Personality. Are we that desperate to 'adopt' celebrities / sport stars?! Aussie Ana, Aussie Kim [Clijsters] – Roger Federer was coached by two Australian coaches, why don't we make him an honourary Aussie too? That way, we can sincerely claim that we have the best Men's tennis player in the Open Era.
Fantastic news. I hope this is the first of many wins on her comeback trail. Her game is what womens tennis should be like. The Williams sisters are able to dominate with power and don't construct points well and i am glad their reign is coming to an end. Allez Justine, Bonne chance!
Jelena was making Ana look ordinary for most of the match until midway through the third set. Its a shame Jelena didnt take all the opportunities she had. It could have even ended up something like 6-2 6-1. Ana never gave up tho which was a good quality! 11 double faults is too much from Jelena so i hope she works on that.
I was at the tennis today in Brisbane and saw the Jelena/Anna match. How disappointing that Jelena could not carry her great tennis through the entire match and win. It was torturious to watch. Rather a loss by Jelena rather than a win by Ana.
Fantastic match Justine, love watching you play, great to see you playing again, best of luck for the remainder of this tournament, and for the aussie open
Peter Luczak played a great game – well done Peter! Shame about the idiots in the crowd who only turn up to hear the sound of their own voices! They make the tennis painful….like Chinese water torture!! Tonight sounded like a bunch of old codgers!. But all 4 players tonight were terrific, and the Aussies did us proud. !
Mate, I spent few months in Australia, and definitely, only serious brain damaged European, can wish to be called “Aussie”…Kim and Ana, don't like those nicknames, trust me…
221km/hr serve could not be on a losing side. Deserved win, but great to see Luczak playing well for the most of the match. One to look for. Andy will need to improve a bit if he is to win AUS Open.
He is the top 11th ranked Australian player and has played the least amount of Mens Tournaments of 8, edged out by one ranking point by Matthew Ebden (17 tournaments played) His stats for a 17 year old are very impressive to say the least. Check out the ages of the other players ranked ahead of him and how many tournaments they have played.
Totally enjoyed the matches today and tonight on Centre Court. The Aussies did us proud, even if they didn't win tonight. Very pleased to have seen Andy Roddick play and win. His serve was working well. It was his first match back for a while and he will continue to improve back to his best. Keep going Andy!
Today was the first important step in a great summer ahead for our Champion Jelena Dokic. At times we were all mesmerised by some of the ground strokes you played out there. Consistency was the only difference between victory and defeat today. I felt you lost the match, Ana didnt win it. I know you and your team will work on all aspects of your game that prevented a win today and you will be primed for your 1st Rd match at the 2010 Australian Open. The battle begins 18January in the first Grand Slam of 2010 and I know between here and Hobart you will put all the troubles behind you, learn from your matches and move forward in Melbourne. Very Proud as always and with unwavering faith that the best is still ahead for our Champion Jelena Dokic!! GO JELENA GO!!!
Ditto to Mikes comment. John Millman played extremely well in the first set and really brought his A-Game. Just a shame he faded in the second set. I'm sure we will see much more of him in the near future
He's right when he says that his serve got him out of trouble. And Luczak helped him alot too in that tie-break. Not sure how much Roddick deserved to win this one. Too bad for Luczak who played well.
Great win for Henin. To me the match was a little streaky. There was some brilliance from Henin and then there was some not so good shots. Overall she did well to win her comeback match but she has to step it up in order to get some more match wins. I can see her getting to the final if she plays better along with Kim. I'd love to see her and Kim in the final. Would make a great match. Anyway best of luck Henin.
James, I look forward to watching you play a terrific season. Keep healthy — take good care of yourself. I hope you're on the Davis Cup team again this year. That's such a terrific tournament and you shine in it.
Ajdeee Annnnaaaaa..:)) Ana is from Serbia and why do they call Aussie Ana?? Ana said once that it is nice, but she is from Serbia and she is very proud on that…Europeans, especially Serbs don't like that..Trust me, because I am from Serbia..:)) Good luck in next matches Ana..I love you.. Ajdee:D
Roddick is awesome, he deserved to win todays match. I am sure Luczak had his chances but i dont see him serving his way out of trouble. Why are we so upstuck, just cos roddick is american, a win is a win and you only learn from your mistakes….
Nice to read good news about A-Rodd again after a few months because of his knee injury. I have to follow this tournament in this website, because there's a big time difference from my country to Brisbane, and the tournament is not broadcasted here, neither.
I knew she would take them by storm. I mean, she will surely take several slams home this year, none of the top 10 players can compare with her game. Beginning with the Williamses is all about brainless ball bashing. I think if Petrova's words speak volumes. I think This year we can see Justine slam and I am quite sure she'll end the year in the top 10 if not on no.1. The real no.1 at last.
Couldn't agree more poldenus – those idiots in the crowd were embarrasing to Australia and to tennis at this very important tournament trying to raise its profile/attract top-ranked international players. It's one thing to cheer on your favourite player or even a player 'just because they're aussie', but to applaud unforced errors and sing stupid songs is disrespectful to both players… This also happened in Sunday's matches… I am a tennis junkie, but am sick of attending matches that are turned into a country-v-country chant-fest. The AO is just as bad for this kind of behaviour… and only getting worse each year…
As for the match, Luczak should be incredibly pleased with himself – despite struggling to retrun ARod's boomers, he managed to win his serve pretty easily (in the first set) and had he not tightened up in the tiebreak, the match would've got even more interesting… and he came back strong in the second, almost breaking twice…
Of course Andy deserved to win. It doesn't mean the opponent played badly. Amazes me when people say things like KT. The reason why the top 10 are in the top 10 is because they have developed a shot, or shots, that are weapons (be it a serve/return/forehand/backhand…) which they can count on.
I must say you look at johns efforts and last ngiht was a very exhilarating match and you look at Jason Kubler's efforts losing to a nobody comfortably and you question does he really deserve a wildcard in to Australian Open? Well done John nerves looked as if they got to you a bit but you held your game and you wouldn't think you were 307 in the world versing world number 12. I hope you continue with tennis and I'm sure we will see your name in top 10 someday
I think Sarah underestimates the power of playing a top 20 player on Pat Rafter Arena with a full crowd behind you. I'm sure this was a huge factor in allowing John to play some of his best, an opportunity Jason Kubler didnt have. Instead of pitty countrymen against eachother, can't we just support all the efforts by our Australian Players? I'm sure both are deserving of the opportunities being given to them by Tennis Qld & Tennis Aust, the people who are watching them everyday.
Great game from both players. Easy to see why Peter is a davis cup regular. He let his tenis do the talking and justified Hewitt's comments about his position in the Davis Cup team. Well done Peter!
Roddick on track to the semi finals against Thomaz Bellucci! It will be a showdown match, the present against the future! For sure they will reach the semis! Thomaz will be seeded at AO!
Absolutely agree. A bit of that stuff is fine and adds to the atmosphere. But the relentless and moronic chants started to wear very thin. Everyone sitting around us was cringing and moaning about it – why on earth don't the staff do something about it. Just a tap on the shoulder and a suggestion to tone it down a bit – no harm done. The boneheads possibly didn't realise just how annoying and unfunny they were.
You're disappointed Jelena and you should be. Talent + tactics = winning tennis matches. If you only knew how many people are willing you to win all the time. Best of luck in Hobart. Just do it Jelena. Yes you can!
I am really annoyed about the website reports of Tomic and Molik being “crushed” by their opponents today and not appearing good enough to cut the mustard with the other players. Don't you realise that these players need ENCOURAGEMENT and not criticism that tears them and their confidence apart. Tell your reporters to grow up and be more generous in their comments.
gasquet, I wish you luck in the future! hope you at least get to the quarter-finals of brisbane or maybe win it if you can! Good luck for tomorrows match against Matthew Ebden I hope you win. Stay relaxed and bring out your killer backhand and you should be just fine!
hope matt plays well against richard coz i believe he has the game to beat him. win or lose though, i believe he deserves the last AO wildcard. best of luck matt
I'm glad it wasn't just me, Paul! I think it's great to build atmosphere, encourage an underdog and make a few funny comments – I thought the “Use the force, Luczak” was pretty funny, though that came from a different corner, not the clowns up the back… but going on for so long the players have to stop to serve and attempting to taunt Roddick, etc, was just stupid… I was surprised the ump didn't tell them to calm down more often? I noticed they did shut up for a bit when the boys in blue made an appearance, so perhaps they did realise how unwelcome their behaviour was… but suspect it won't change it…
The problem here is, they were crushed. I thought Molik was going to be defeated 6 0 6 0. She was way out of her league against devastatingly in form Clijsters. Having said that we can'r expect too much from her too soon after coming back especially someone like Clijsters who is playing like a top 5 player at present.
With regards to Tomic, I watched that match also and it was painful to watch. Tomic looked flat. It was a boring game to watch and it was almost like they were just having a bit of a practice hit together. Same here though, we can't expect too much from this young gun yet.
Felt bad for Taylor who has been working extremely hard in the lead up to the Brisbane International training for several hours morning and afternoon each day and not a single sighting of Monfils on the practice courts. Too many missed opportunities for Dent tonight who could have closed out the match in 2 having set point in the first.
Well done on beating Zverev Carsten, he is a superb player, but you owned the court. best of luck against roddick, it will come down to who can rally longer, and who serves best on the day
Nice to have Ana back. Still a bit shakey, but still seems very determined and ambitious, which is a good sign. Hope the showdown against Henin happens – it should be an interesting match.
KT has no respect and has bad sportmanship, i am an aussie and its good to see Luczak representing us. But A-Rod is simply the best… and its a well deserved Win..!!
Personally i think that these players are all awesome, people who have nothing nice to say should just keep it to themselves. Tomic is only 17 Yrs old, he would be any 17 yr old. If people think tennis is such an easy sport then why doesn't australia produce more Tennis stars. Its no easy… All the best for TOMIC
Monfils has been trainign in Adelaide with Rasheed which is why you havent' seen him on the practice court in Brisbane. Here was in Adelaide at least until Sunday.
Congratulation Monfils. You played very well last night but Taylor Dent still did not go down with out a fight (76 67 62. good luck today and i wish you all the best in the rest of your carreer. I know you will play verywell at the Brisbane International, I hope you win the whole thing. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not sure interesting is the word. She doesn't even look like a top 50 player at times. She will need to be far more consistent against Henin (if she maes it that far) or any other player in the top 20 at the moment if she doesnt want to be thrashed off the court. She was lucky Jelena Dokic was as patchy as she was the other day or she wouldnt have even made it through the first round.
Why would he want to ask Polish Australian Luczak?? the guy has never won anything or beaten anyone, Australias biggest WC waster, go do your own thing Carsten and good luck.
I love both Kim and Justine, but Justine is my top favourite. Some people just don't seem to appreciate Justine's beautiful personality. Of course she might seem a little sad- the poor girl lost her mother far too early!! Go Jusi!
Yes Justine is a machine everytime she is on the court doesnt mater if she has been off for day or a year she always the same. Havent checked the draw yet but who ever wins between Henin or Clisters will win the tounament the rest of the field are lost in the dust.
Talk about ego and looking too far into the future. Before Ana or Justine can get their rocks off and ride the ego trip, just watch out for Melinda Czink who is engaged to an Australian being her coach – Ian “the battler” Barstow. Ana is a second class citizen compared to our darling of the queensland courts “Melinda”. Although flying under the radar and out of the press – be warned this leftie has the attitude and strength to whip their butts. Bring it on and let the games begin, let those egos fly and the tears fall – come on Melinda – go you good thing. As for her coach and Aussie who was recently nicknamed the “Garden Nome” by fellow coaches, he is known to not hold back and can take the punches of any “panzie” out there. That is not a flower too.
GO DANIELA!!! You deserve this victory for your hard work. Hopefully this can be a good era for you. I believe you have the power to beat Kim and Justine!!! Love your tennis!
Justine is great both on and off the court (sponsored charities and UN involvement). She may not be all giggles and smiles, but her heart and mind are where they should be.
This is Ana's first 1/4 final breakthrough since Indian Wells last year so that means she is improving. As for her game she can't recapture her old form so fast, it takes time but she is on a good comeback trail so don't be miserable repeating that she was lucky. If she is, that is a big plus too, not all players can be lucky!
good on you carsten ball we watched you today at rafter arena and we think your well on your way to the top 100.
we know you might be disapointed but you gave us great tennis to watch. thanks.
to the organiseres of the event we say thank you and for the free train and bus services we say a big thank you because without the free transport to and from the event (we live on the sunshine coast) we may not have been able, financially, been able to go. thank you again.
Very impressive play by Carsten Ball. Played like a top 10 player in the first set. Experience winning points when it most counts is what got Roddick through that first set. Get ready (In my opinion) to see Ball enter the top 100 very soon and make people sit up and take notice.
Just wonderful to see Richard Gasquet back on the court. What a beautiful game he has. I hope he wins his next match, even if I do like Andy also. I am also glad to hear that he was not suspended by the ITF. I though he might have to pay the price for their mistakes with Agassi. I do believe Richard was innocent in this case.
CONGRATULATION JUJU! Well done, I am so happy to see you back on court. The womens tennis really missed such a great player like you are. The womens tennis is now interesting again. I love how you play and can hardly wait to see more and more of you. Good luck with your up coming matches. I am looking forward to more nailbiting moments. All the best, my fingers are always crossed for you and I am always with you!
CONGRATULATION JUJU! Well done, I am so happy to see you back on court. The womens tennis really missed such a great player like you are. The womens tennis is now interesting again. I love how you play and can hardly wait to see more and more of you. Good luck with your up coming matches. I am looking forward to more nailbiting moments. All the best, my fingers are always crossed for you and I am always with you!
Does anyone know if the women's final will be broadcast from 7:00pm at the live site? I notice that Channel 7 will have a delayed broadcast from 9:30pm.
Wow. I didn't watch this match but I was shocked when I read that Baghdatis only managed to win one game! Something must have been wrong with him. Oh well.. . Go Berdych! =)
Justine has returned and with her the nail-biting matches. It made me sooo nervous when she was trailing 0-2 in both sets. Good luck and it doesn't matter my nerves as long as you win each match.
Well done Andy on your win today. Your serve is great to witness live. Carsten Ball, you did Australia proud with your efforts against Roddick today. Andy good luck in your next match.
Getting a players autograph is difficult at the best of times, but the behavior of one father after the double match featuring Roddick & Blake on Wednesday night was downright disgusting (even Andy told him to stop pushing everyone-little kids included- and shoving the giant tennis ball in his face as he would get to him in time.) He got a signature; I didn't because the “grandma” was there too to protect his back and stop anyone else getting near Andy until this man had his signature and then they could both leave. What makes it worse is that he sends his young daughter into the melee to get near the front with the other kids, then he (& grandma) pushes through everyone else, takes the ball off his daughter and proceeds to shove in the players' faces. People like this should be removed to give the honest fan who is willing to wait for the player to get to them, a fair go. Sorry Andy, we Queenslander's aren't all that rude. Hope you come back next year.
allez allez Juju!! it's a dream come true to see you back in action, you have no idea how sad it was when you announced your retirement and now you are back!!! i hoped against hope…truly just kept hoping and now, you go get them girl!!!
Bellucci is 1-1 against Berdych in the head to head. The last one Berdych won at home, 7-5 on the third. It will be an amazing match, I hope Bellucci reach the semis to be seeded at the AO.
Great Victory to Berdych!! He is amazing and he was playing great tenis. He is in good form and I hope that he will be winner against Bellucc. I believe him! The Czech republic is very proud of him!!! GO BERDYCH, GO!!!
will be a very difficult match for Thomaz, but we are in the crowd because the Berdych is very irregular! let's SID, the semi-final hopes. Go Go Bellucci
I so agree with you Aileene – Women's tennis lost its lustre for me when Justine retired at her peak! I'm thrilled to watch her back on the court, she is just amazing!!!!
Why the old photo? I'm sure she'll crash out of Hobart too. All of these losses by good players are very suspicious. I doubt the 11 double faults were legit. Wta tournaments badly need replay cameras on all courts. Imagine a very fit player like Anna chakavatadze getting destroyed by an old 40 plus player who wasn't much in her own era. I'm not buying these beat downs. The modern games needs replay systems for all courts. How about HD cameras?
Yes SO GOOD to have her back Hebe! I just about gave up on womens tennis 20 months ago, it was a sad day…and weeks and months that followed! now we can celebrate Justine!!
yes Jayne womens tennis became a yo-yo see-saw game after she left, and i totally lost interest. there was no one i admired. Justine is just such an exciting amazing player and there is so much to admire in her! i've long been waiting for her to come play on our shores…maybe one fine day now let's hope she goes on to greater heights! have you seen her new official website?? it's way cool!!!
Ana Ivanovic looks very hungry during the first set and the second set when she was up with four games to zero. Maybe, too excitement destroyed her game and that's why the young Russian leveled it up and forced a very tight tiebreaker.
Ana Ivanovic showed great play and confidence during the tiebreaker and that was all enough to outlast the young Russian.
Ana Ivanovic, I love you! If only I can marry you, I'll do it in a jiff. hehehe
I was there… Berdych was playing incredibly 'crisp' (er, can't think of a good word, but very clean shots)… really showed a whole 'nother level, overpowered him completely and Baghdatis just couldn't even get 'into' the match or play his strategy if he had one! Was a bit disappointing/surprising… I thought it'd be a lot closer…
Congrats Justine. As a huge fan, I always used to relish getting up early or staying up until the middle of the night to watch your non-US matches live – no doubt I'll try to find a live stream of your match tonight. My heart was broken when you retired, and the WTA has suffered much since then. Here's to a successful run over the next several years!
This is Ana's first 1/2 final breakthrough since Indian Wells last year so that means she is improving and I didn't doubt about her victory today. And some people are so pathetic saying that she is lucky and that the crowd helped her win, I'm sure it did give her support but all the victories she accomplished here she owns exclusively to herself and even If she is lucky, that is a big plus too, not all players can be!
Congratulations Ana and Andrea on reaching the semi finals. Now you can both go and celebrate Orthodox Xmas with family. Wishing all Serbian and Russian tennis players a very merry Xmas. Mir Boziji, Hristos se rodi. (Meaning Peace of God, Christ is born!”)
She looked great, except for that little collapse in the 2nd set. She is showing lots os progress and good signs. 2010 will be better than 2009. Now I hope she cna play well against Henin as well! Ajde!
So glad to hear your match, even though I believe tennis is to be watched not heard. I look forward to a final with you in it. Go for it all this season.
I totally agree with you, D.I. The fact that people that are saying she won only because of the crowd is ridiculous. I saw her play in the 2009 us open when she lost in the first round. The crowd was out of their seats cheering for her every time she won a point, yet she still lost the match. the crowd has nothing to do with whether she wins or loses no matter how much we cheer for her.
justine will be womens number 1 by the time she wins the australian open she has lost none of her abilty she is the best womens tennis plater i have seen for a long while
Oh gosh… I hope she beats Ivanovic more easily than she beat Czink today. I swear my heart stopped multiple times today. Go Justine!!! All the way to the title!
Oh I think a win is a win, a huge confidence builder when you are trying to find your form again. Ana is HUGELY popular with many across the globe and I think having the crowd cheering for you is emotional 'icing' on the cake! I am personally so pleased for her and her mental toughness this week. I know it's been hard shaking off the rust, but if she can manage to stay 'healthy' I truly believe she will return to her Championship playing She absolutely has all the skills required, just a bit more hard work and staying mentally tough too & we'll see her lifting more trophies in the future! You have many pulling for you Ana! You are a lovely Champion and congratulations on your newest Humanitarian Award..You are MOST deserving of it with all the energy, time, money and 'hands on' hard work you give your “Schools Against Violence” program in Belgrade and also your work with UNICEF! Always stay true to yourself and you'll never be 'so' disappointed that you can't handle it~ MUCH success tomorrow against Henin!!!!!
Man is this going to be great, clijsters vs safarova, safarova has a huge ego and talent, but im going with CLijsters and Gael vs James, im going the more egomatic and athletic Monfils for that one ONE FIRST
ditto – it brought back memories of so many close matches from the past, but the important thing is that Justine won in the end. I notice she's hitting very hard but very much down the middle of the court. I think she needs to use the angles more but perhaps she's not confident to do that just yet. Here's hoping for another victory against Ivanovic. Well played Justine x
I hope so too…I had to stop watching the match and distract myself with other things around the house to calm my nerves. Anyways I'm glad she's through… Please many, many ALLEZ for tomorrow…go for it. Isn't it annoying (again) from channel 7 to cut this match at 5:30?? it's an insult.
Queensland Tennis Centre is a public transport venue and as such it doesn't have any public parking sites. The nearest drop off locations would be next to Yerongpilly train station or in the little roundabout next to where King Arthur Tce begins.
What a fab performance, the game had everything from both sides. At times either could have finished it but the gods of concentration set in. Credit to Justine for the win after the lay off, but equal credit should go to Melinda for beating all those knockers that showed no respect and counted her as a nothing. The girl has power, and a developing mind set to crack the top 10. Obviously a late bloomer but a solid performer on the way up.
Good to see the commentators change their tune in the second set after they incorrectly predicted gloom and doom. Well done to both and what a show for tennis, great to watch even if a few basic errors it made it great viewing for the non tennis player.
justine, I've never had any interest in tennis until i watched you play. i could watch you play tennis for hours. i think your a great player and im glad you have returned to the the game you love. good luck for the rest of the year and keep doing what you do best. hope one day i can watch you play live. all the best,
yes vas-y Gael ! tu vas le faire ma caille ! je t'ai vu face a Dent dans “l'arene” et tu merites ! j'ai pas vu ton match face a Blake mais c'etait pas un morceau facile c'est clair…continue ! joue et fais toi plaisir ca nous fera plaisir !
oh j'aurais tant aime voir ce match ! je t'ai vu face a Dent et la GG ! battre Blake, fantastique…t'es en forme ! continue et fais toi plaisir…ca nous fera plaisir ! je vais venir te supporter samedi ma caille…d'ici la, fais gaffe a tes doigts et a ton epaule ^_-
Well done Gael ! you did a great job against Dent (he hits the ball pretty hard this fellow hey !) I just regret I could not see you today since Blake is also fairly tough. I'll be cheering up for you on Satursday though…in the meantime, take it easy on your fingers and shoulder,,, allez mon grand tu peux le faire ! t'as la classe !
Was a great match between Clijsters and Safarova. I like Clijsters but Safarova has won me over as a new fan with her fighting never say die attitude and her sporting behaviour acknowledging a good shot from her opponent etc I look forward to seeing Safarova play in Melbourne.
I respect Stepanek for his skills and deft hands but he seriously needs to improve his personality. I am yet to meet anybody who likes him as a person. Apart from that he certainly knows how to scrap and he is a smart player.
Was a great match to watch. Shame James Blake didn't progress but never mind. Should be a good match now between Monfils and Stepanek. I look forward to it.
i love james,gael and andy these guy are my favroite players to wacth with gael it's always a treat like on a hot summer day and you are looking for some that cool and refreshing. james is one of the guy when his game is on it hot like a bag of pop corn that just been popped . i hope this year will be better for him and he back in the top10 were he belongs. andy hope this year you win a slam. i seen you wrok really hard and hang in their . this you will be the last man standing with great victory.
Monfils is 3/1 against stepanek though (stepanek's only win against him was a retirement from Monfils). He also beat him in their last tournamet in Paris last year.
Why can't we get live matches on tennis channel. I am ready to cancel tennis channel. I pay extra for tennis channel and all I am seeing is rewinds. Not worth what I pay for the channel to see games that are already complete.
Well if she didn't do this to our Slovak hope I would say well done. :0), no seriously, she outplayed Daniela, who clearly underestimated her and it cost her a match. If she plays aggressively she can surprise Kim by all means. Safarova made her dig very very deep so Petkovic can do the same or even more… We're in it for a thriller, folks!
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered and help make my maiden volunteer job at the Brisbane International a great joy. I will miss you all. See you next year!! A special thanks to Deb and Michelle, my supervisors for the last week. You both are fantastic, wonderfull people. Thanks Michelle and Rose fo
September 17th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
wow this stadium is really taking off!! bring on the inaugural brisbane open!!
September 17th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
excellent, looking forward to watching the tournament.
September 18th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Hey Ana,
It’s so great that your coming to the brisbane
international tournament because im coming to watch you play!!!!!
I live in brisbane and your my hero!!!
I play tennis too and im pretty good at it!
See you at the tournament
P.S
You Rock
September 18th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
This is one of the Best things that’s ever happened to Brisbane – great for tourism & fabulous for the people of BrisVegas!!
September 19th, 2008 at 3:05 am
Nole wil rock the Australia again
NAPRED SRBIJA
September 19th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Go Tsonga! What an amazing player to watch.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
NICE!!!…with these in the tourney i kno itz gonna b AWSM
…
September 20th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I can’t wait to see you.
you are great.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 am
I just can’t wait for this tournament as I have wished Brissie had tennis here for years! How really exciting!!
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:52 am
Go Nole! Srbija do Brizbejna!
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Great to have this tournament in Brisbane. Went to the Aussie Open this year, it will be good to see good tennis in our own backyard.
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I am looking forward to meet Novak Djokovic.
He is so talented and so attractive.
AJDE NOLE.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:08 am
wooo hooo
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Great to see the new centre almost up and running – Qld Tennis is back baby!!!!!
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Go Nole Go!!! NAPRED NOLE! Svi, Svi, Svi smo uz tebe!
All the Best and let the Best (Nole) Win!!!
September 24th, 2008 at 7:52 am
I am an avid tennis fan … I live just up the road from the Tennyson Tennis Centre … I WILL be there! Bring It On…!!!!
September 24th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I Hope the Organisers can give a wild card entry to this guy called somdev devvarman (2 time NCAA college champion in the U.S) . His ATP ranking has gone up from 800 to about 240 in 5 months on Atp tour.
2008 Results…
Singles
ATP & Grand Slam QF: Washington
Challenger W: Lexington QF: Vancouver
Future W: U.S.A. F1, U.S.A. F15, U.S.A. F16
Doubles
Future W: U.S.A. F1(w/Huey), U.S.A. F15(w/Huey), U.S.A. F16(w/Huey)
Also beaten several top-100 players this year.
Cheers
sanju
September 25th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Absolutely fantastic to see that Australia can still stun the world and provide a new tournament, a new word-class venue and attract the world’s top stars. This might silence the critics about tennis being dead in this country!
Well done Brisbane and the ATP and WTA tours!
September 26th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Can’t wait for our next holiday in BrisVegas so we can visit the new tennis centre !! Saw it taking shape early this year — Brissie rocks, woohoo !!
September 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Thank goodness I am moving to Brisbane!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 am
Dear Ana, you are a v. nice person, great ambassador for the game and i enjoy watching you play and watching your career develop – love having you in brisbane -good luck for the whole australian season regards joyce
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:59 pm
The cost of tickets is good particularly the ground passes.
It would be good to know when the quarter finals are on – presumably thursday so that tickets can be purchased for the correct sessions.
Thanks.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Got mine! Yay! Looking forward to it…
October 9th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
ana ivanovic rocks
October 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
djokovic is the best!!!!
serbs are dominating the tennis world
October 10th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
I can’t wait. It’s about time we got to see some top quality tennis in Brisbane. I’m going for sure. Can’t wait to see who’s coming.
October 14th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Wow I am so excited, the line up for the tournament is absolutely fantastic. This tournament will do wonders for Queensland tennis and allows Queenslander to view first class tennis.
Great work
October 14th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Fantastic news about Marcos Baghdatis playing in BrisVegas….can’t wait to see him in action !!!
October 14th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Looking forward to seeing Baghdatis play….
October 14th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Looking forward to it…..
October 15th, 2008 at 11:31 am
cant wait!
October 16th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
i love chinese jie zheng and na li!they are very talented!i would like to watch the games of them!hope to see them in Brisbane!
October 17th, 2008 at 9:36 am
My mate from work and I just bought our tickets!!!
FINALS PACKAGE!!!
Cant wait!
October 17th, 2008 at 10:47 am
How gorgeous is Marocs Baghdatis – he has the biggest smile! I hope him in the finals!
October 17th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
This will be a red letter day for Queensland tennis fans to see international tennis return to Brisbane in this magnificent new tennis centre.
October 17th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Go NOVAK & ANA .
Well be there to suport u .
AJDE Srbija !!
October 20th, 2008 at 11:54 am
This is so exciting.. yes if you build it.. we will come.. and now that Marcos Baghdatis is playing, I had to buy more tickets!!
MARCOS BAGHDATIS PLAYING IN BRISBANE AT THE FIRST EVER BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
October 20th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I Can’t wait, and i hope that there will be whellchair ascess for me
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Looks great was a member at Milton 30 years ago.Met John McEnroe when he played in Brisbane. Played with the Rafters. When Pat was eleven took him to the Roma Open . Now live in Moree NSW and will be bringing my family to the new centre and tournament. It is great to see QLD Tennis getting back on track.
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Excited about the stars and great tennis coming to Brisbane and that it will at good ticket prices.
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
i cant wait, hoepfully this tourney will also get broadcast on tv.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:00 pm
It is a great happening that Brisbane is becoming a big City. With the visit of top tennis players even more people around the world will have an opportunity to find more about our buteful city.
Go Brisbane
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Fabulous guys. Great to see some real value in a sporting event. Congrats!!!
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
You beauty – Rafter and the Arena! I’m aiming at taking precious family to this biggest deal since mini Milton tennis. Can’t wait. Finals courtside tennis (I hope) with my daughter (11) and parents – married 60 years … my mother (80 and with a nasty cancer) and father (87, cabinet maker, who’s body is just tired, but who enjoys a good tennis battle). Bring it on !!
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Fantastic for Tennis but would have thought that a bigger stadium holding more than 5500 would have been built. A lot of people will miss out on tickets!!!
October 24th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
WAITED 40 YEARS FOR THIS – BUT NOW HERE ITS GREAT
October 27th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Can’t wait to get there, however, does the roof remain closed at all times. I have a skin complaint and can’t sit out in the weather.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:27 am
To!!!!!!!!!!!!! Srbija!!!!
October 29th, 2008 at 10:56 am
This will put Queensland back on the world stage as the centre is world class
November 3rd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Yay this is gonna be a good tournament! Go Sammy Stosur and Ana Ivanovic!
November 9th, 2008 at 4:02 am
na li is a good player,i love her match.it’s cool to watch her matches!
November 12th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
YEWWW.. i can’t wait to go! As soon as the tickets were put up for sale i got my dad to go and buy some. CAN’T WAIT!!!!!
November 12th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
john millman should get a wildcard instead of tomic
cant wait
November 14th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Yes! I hope this is televised.. I hope Daniela gets a rematch with Ana. I think she deserved to win that semi-final in Melbourne this year. Good luck to her in 2009! She’s the best!
November 14th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
WOW is ookin great.. Can not wait for the fun to start.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Bravo!
November 18th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I personally believe that Marko has some hope to win however, his brother Novak is more experienced by my opinion – SAY HE WILL DEFINITELY WIN!
November 19th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
GO DANI!!!!!!
November 20th, 2008 at 7:02 am
No he will not win…
November 20th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
im one of your million fans that been following your career… such a humble way of wrapping up the season…congratulations! you’re the man! hope to see you next season! good luck and more smashing power!
November 21st, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Brisbane deserves a great Tennis Centre. Finally, we have it…cant w8 to attend and see the International stars coming to and loving QLD.
Let the Games begin…
November 23rd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I was looking around for Daniela when I realised that she would not be representing slovakia in the Hopman Cup, but this makes much more sense. A great chance to improve on her ranking, now Im only hoping that I get to see some of the brisbane international here in melbourne.
GO DANI WE KNOW YOU LOVE AUSTRALIA SO YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! Best of luck.
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:21 pm
hey daniela
cant wait to see at the brisbane international, i am such a big fan of yours and i also play tennis
November 24th, 2008 at 2:10 am
Go Li Na! You are the BEST!
November 25th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
My tickets have arrived for Tuesday the 6th. So looking forward to it got a day pass and night session. yaaaaaaaaaaaay
November 25th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Will this be covered on ‘ Pay-TV ‘? Domestic TV ? or / None of the Above’ ……….
November 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Nole will win
November 26th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Uh? Isn’t Marko only partnering Novak in the doubles? How can one of them win?
November 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I hope she will defend her title.
November 27th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Jo is the best!!congrats and hope you’ll have the same success in australia!
take the title jo!
November 29th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Looking forward to this -went to the Gold Coast every year- Go Sam
November 29th, 2008 at 11:05 am
love to watch you play
November 29th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Marko is playing in the open doubles and singles in the Junior Championship. Should be awesome!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Glad that the entry list has been released
At least fans will know which players will be playing the event.
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I have been waiting for the entry list and I feel that it is an exciting 1st Tournament field! I can’t wait for the tennis!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I, also, am glad that the list has been released. I have been waiting, but now that it is out, I am very excited about the new tournament
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:02 am
Great field
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:09 am
Awesome! Go Baghdatis and Mauresmo!! With both a day & night ticket – I only hope I get to see them in action!
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
My first time as an on the spot spectator. Usually I watch on TV Thanks for the opportunity of being present at the Brisbane International.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Great fields for both men and women. Can’t wait to see who starts their season of with a title. I can’t wait!!! Tennis is my life i follow every tournament of the year for both men and women.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I think next year for the brisbane international is going to be a great tournament their is going to be great superstars playing their so it should be a great tournament.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
t looks fabulous guys…well done. Cant wait to be sitting in the Pat Rafter Stadium.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Have to come and see my cro boy ancic play!!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Ivanovic, Azarenka, Hantuchova, Bondarenko, Mauresmo, Stosur, Kirilenko. Good enough Womens field.
Novak, Tsonga, Ancic, Fish and Gulbis are the people i’ll be watching in the mens side
December 4th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Already got tix to the finals.
Cant wait. gonna be mad.
The womens have a better line up than the mens. but cant wait.
December 5th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Will be cheering for her all the way, go LI!
December 5th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Li and Gasquet!Fantastic tour!
December 6th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Marko Djokovic should not be given Wildcards just because he is Novak’s brother. If you really think about it, this now takes a possible wildcard away from 2 up and coming Aussie boys who would relish the opportunity… I don’t think its a good move.
December 6th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
the djokovic brothers will not win…this is doubles, they have poor “doubles skills”
December 7th, 2008 at 4:09 am
yeaaaah…finally out…GO GO Maria ana Ana!…will be a great tournament at the beginning of season!
December 7th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
the draw is good but no aussies like, ball, guccione, luczak, tomic, sirianni, klein, gorth, smeets, jones theres heeps of aussies but guccione hopefuly a wildcard and luczak or smeets or carsten ball
December 8th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Daniela win Brisbane…
December 8th, 2008 at 10:25 am
AFTER ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENIND IN MY COUNTRY YU, TO HAVE ALL THOSE TENNIS PLAYERS IN THE TOP 5 IN THE WORLD JELENA #1, ANA #5, ZIMONJIC #1 DOUBLE PLAYER AND NOVAK #3 SINGLE PLAYER IN THE WORLD , PLUS TIPSAREVIC AND TROICKI, UP AND COMING PLAYERS, MAKES ME PROUD TO SAY: I M A SERBIAN.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THEM IN UPCOMING YEAR TOURNAMENTS!
ZVEZDAS
December 8th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Good to see Brisbane coming alive with tennis once again.
December 9th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I wanted to go to the Aussie Open…but this is the next best thing!! Closer to home and way cheaper. Thankyou
December 10th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Ana is a lovely young woman with so much talent & potential. She has an amazing grace about her, in victory as well as defeat. I’m a teacher in America and have followed Ana’s career by watching the Tennis Channel and am so impressed with how well “adjusted” she is amidst her enormous popularity. I’m positive it must be because of her family’s love and support. I feel certain, if she stays healthy, her star has only begun to rise~
Linda Alvarado
Retired High School English Literature Teacher
Florida, USA
December 10th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Hi Daniela, I hope you’re enjoying your time off and the holidays. Looking forward to seeing you in the new year 09. Brisbane Win!!!!
December 10th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Am certainly looking forward to see Ana in Australia! =)
December 10th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Go Tsonga!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Poli is right but the match will still be entertaining because of Novak’s style and passion!
December 10th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I really hope that Djokovic brothers win..And I totally agree with Zvezdas_Bgd!!
I am also Serbian and very proud to see all the great Serbian tennis players winning!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THE SERBIAN PLAYERS IN THIS TOURNAMENT AND EVERY OTHER ONE!
December 11th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Wow!! Nicely done!
December 11th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Melinda Czink 103 ranking has a queensland and australian connection being based in Cairns with Ian Barstow( Physio u.q grad) her fiancee and coach .
They have been working with Phil Dent in California and thank Daphne Fancutt for her upfront lefty advice. Melinda is ready to break out to her potential after many yearsof struggle
December 11th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
ana is definitely gonna win a grand slam in 2009….who knows ..maybe even two if she remains consistent..she’s a promising player and we hope for the best to happen!!
December 12th, 2008 at 11:07 am
good go jarmilla glad to see you have done so well at the tail end of the year
December 13th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I can’t believe that I would be able to see Kei Nishikori in real in Brisbane!!
I was totally gave up to cheer him up in Melbo. so that would be an ausome opportunity to see him!
WOW! Thanks, BNE!
December 14th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
looks mint, can’t wait
December 14th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I hope ANA will win the grand slams that hasnt won up to now ; because she is the real talent of tennis as Justine.She has alot more abilities than hiting the ball harder and harder
December 14th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
GO THE SERBS!!!
MAKE US PROUD AS ALWAYS
ANA AND NOVAK 4EVA
December 15th, 2008 at 9:01 am
This is fantastic news. It is even better than free tram travel from Flinders Street Station in Melbourne during the Aussie Open. This will help to make the event more accesssible to all people and we will definitely make use of this. Great Work!!
December 16th, 2008 at 12:20 am
What suburb is this? It looks really good.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Ana is great woman and sportsman. I hope she will be healthy and win many, many titules. Ajdeee!!!!
December 16th, 2008 at 10:02 am
We had been really hoping for a City Cat option -is any planned for the future? If so, what a lovely way to attend the tournament!
We have always gone to the Australian Open in Melbourne (but have given that up in favour of Brisbane!) and usually take the launch to that on at least one of the days.
December 16th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Congratulations Brisbane International and Translink.
I’ve already worked out my journey using public transport.
Thank you,
Sandra
December 16th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Go Novak !!!!
You are the champion !
December 16th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Yes, this is good news, and good thinking. Good job, organisers.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I believe Ivanovic will wont one or two tournament
December 16th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Yay I hope she shines through.
I wish they would change her status on the sonyericson site from SVK back to australian, same with Anastasia ROdionova she isnt russian anymore.
December 17th, 2008 at 4:00 am
WHAT A COUNTRY , HEHEHE SMALL BUT PROUD, PROUD OF OUR TENNIS PLAYERS, JELENA , # 1, ANA#5, NOLE#3 , ZIMONJIC#1 , AND UP AND COMIN PLAYERS, TIPSAREVIC I TROICKI, SMALL COUNTRY BUT GOOD FUTURE IN TENNIS.
MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL TENNIS FANS ALLOWER THE WORLD.
SRETNA NOVA I HRISTO SE RODI MOJIM SRBIMA PO SVETU! BOG VAS SVE BLAGOSLOVIO I CUVAO OD ZLA.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:25 am
great fantastic, pity i will miss out as we have moved to NZ for a ski break
December 17th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Ana is just starting her way to the top and it’s cool that she’d been tested early. For sure she’ll make lots of adjustments that will put her back on top. I keep on believing on what else she could do with her game. I know there’s a lot more grandslams to celebrate for. So, still looking for a hero? Well, i guess not…already have one! Adje!
December 17th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Go Nole! Boost confidence before going into Aus Open!
And I’ll cheer for Nishikori, Ana, Li and Peng!
December 17th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Great news offering free public transport. We were planning on going to the Australian Open, but are thrilled to support our new Queensland facility. Can’t wait to see it on opening weekend, and attend the night match. Tennis is the only sport I play and watch.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:36 am
I love to meet Novak Djokovic.
Is it all right a Grand Pass ticket or I have to buy a stadium seating ticket for using free public transport.
Anyway I want Djokovic to win.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Go Novak.
AJDE NOLE.
I admire you Novak.
You are the best.
Good Luck.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Go Marcos. I am so happy to see you play again .
You can win. Make us again proud here in Cyprus.
December 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Go Wilfred SOnga and richard gasquet and juan carlos ferrero
You guys are the best and you guys ae one of my favourite players can’t wait to meet you guys!!
December 18th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
This is in Tennyson!!
i live just up the road!!!
drive past everyday… ^_^
December 18th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Hi .I also wait to see you- only on TV becouse is too far to go. I don´t have enaugh money and time. I hope you stay on top for many years
December 19th, 2008 at 3:00 am
As many others I wait for new season, and of corse to see Ana as the most beoautiful, spectaluar and nice to watch.She is not just nice but also one of the best player in the world. I strongly wish a lot of victories in the new year.
December 19th, 2008 at 4:32 am
Ana for life!
December 19th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Let me just say what an absolutely fantastic event this will now be. The communication between event organisers and state departments inspires me to do better! A pat on the back! Hooray
December 20th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Am soooo looking forward to seeing live tennis in Brissie!!! Always dream to go to the Aussie Open..now have next best thing, shame Nadal wasn’t coming!
December 21st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Go Ana and Novak!
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:00 am
I agree with Barbara. Extending the CityCat from St Lucia to the Tennyson site should be fast-tracked for the inaugural opening. Great that the new venue is next to the river. I have my tickets to the finals and can’t wait!
December 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
I cant wait to see the finals.
plz plz plz Ivanovic make the final
:)
so excited.
December 22nd, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Yes I agree Michael, give a wildcard to John Millman.
December 22nd, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Me too, i am going to day one.
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:36 am
u al luck guys; have the chance to watch ANA ; a real tennis talent
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:48 am
I will be in Australia just to see Ana Ivanovic! I love the way she plays, it´s wonderful.
Ana, you have lots of Brazilian fans! Good Luck!
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Can’t wait, have tickets for the mens’ final, have never seen live tennis before! I am taking my daughter, whom I instilled a love a tennis, spending every new year glued to seven’s summer of tennis. The centre is a real asset to Brisbane, and could not have been named after a greater player and genuinely great person as Pat Rafter, I agree with Kathryn’s comment..Bring it on!
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Ana to be runner up in Brisbane, with anyone, to leave the hunger to win Australian Open
. It’d come naturaly, after last year runner up…It has to marinate in the head for a year to rip to theperfection. Second finalist in Australian: JJ 
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Hopefully Monika Wejnert and Isabella Holland get the other 2 wildcard spots.
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I am going to as many days as possible, but definitely the women’s final! It is so exciting that Brisbane finally has a stadium, let alone its own international tournament! It is going to mean a lot to the rising tennis stars in queensland.
December 24th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Hello Danka your #1 fan here to wish you luck in this 1st tournament of 09. I have faith that u’ll have a better year than 08! Hail Daniela Hantuchova!!!
December 24th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
It will be a good experinece for Novak and Marko to team up together, no matter what the result… good luck!!!
December 24th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I would love to see Daniela Hantuchova do well at this tournament have have her season start off well. Lets hope for no injuries!!
Good luck to everyone.
December 24th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I remember Jelena from her first big splash beating Hingis in the first round of Wimbledon.
She was one of my favorites for years and I am
so happy to see her playing back into form. I
wish her all the luck in the world during this
Aussie summer portion of the tour!!!
December 24th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Stosur to win her first tour title
December 24th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
If there are any more discretionary wildcards available I would hope that Tennis Qld & Tennis Aust or whoever is responsible for the wildcards would give Monika Wejnert one as her results in the last 3 weeks have been far more impressive than Bernard Tomic & Jelena Dokic. Monika (RANKED IN THE 30′S IN AUSTRALIA & over 500 in the world ) has beaten Dokic, Rodianova (both ranked in the top 10 in Aust & in the top 200 in the world) & approximately 10 other players (virtually all older & physically stronger than her) & ranked in the teens & twenties in Australia. This is an incredible achievement that deserves considerably more recognition than has so far been exposed in the media (ITS ALL BEEN ABOUT TOMIC & DOKIC – SO FAR.
December 24th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
give the wildcard too john millman he won a pro tournment in victoria
December 24th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
tomic, the aussie dream??
December 25th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Daniela, you’re always the No.1 player in my heart, lots of fans support you forever!Come on Daniela, you can ,you can !!!
December 25th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I fully agree with Chris
Monika and Isabella deserve the other wildcards
especially Monika, she just beat Jelena, last week.
The young up and comming players need these sort of oppertunities if they are going to become successfull senior players.
December 26th, 2008 at 12:53 am
GO JELENA!!!!, … went to watch her twice at the Aussie Open Wildcard playoff last week! Shes playing quiet well, so hopefully she can go a long way.
December 26th, 2008 at 6:49 am
C’MON NOVAK, YOU’RE THE BEST!
December 26th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Telling everyone to support the Brisbane International – must make sure we keep it here.
December 26th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Yeeees!
Brisbane gonna be Serbian city!
Novak and Ana will win tournaments!
Marko is great prospect, too.
happy holidays Australians, Belgrade and Serbia will watch these great events!
December 26th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I am so happy to see Jelena coming back.
I do wish her the very best luck!
She had a tremendous talent and I am sure it is still there.
GO Jelena!!!
December 27th, 2008 at 1:14 am
Mens competision will be high!!
Baghdatis will not be seeded but if he is in a good condition will play as seeded
December 27th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
yeh you’re right on michael – give a wildcard to John Millman. great player and a local boy as well.
December 27th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
i totaly agree with chris it should be monika ,im not so sure about Isabella maybe somebody els should get it somebody like Ayumi Morita but their are three more wildcards left
im supporting Ana go Anci!!!!!!!!!
December 27th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Give the wildcard to matheson klein!
hes da man!
December 27th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Bernard is the most natural tennis player I have ever seen. In winning the Orange bowl 3 times in 3 different age levels, he eclipsed all previous records. At 15 years and 3 months of age he was the youngest to ever win a junior grand slam, when he won the Australian Junior Open this year. Bernard’s talent is internationally recognised. It’s time for Australians to give him the support he deserves.
December 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Go Ana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 28th, 2008 at 11:25 am
GREAT!!! I love Jelena since she was 15 years old,and since the first time I saw her playing against Hingis in the 1999 Wimbledon first round I thought she was going to have an incredible future…she was just 15,intelligent,powerfull,she had terrible baseline groundstrokes and her game was pretty complete…
I´m really happy about seeing her coming back from the nothing,no rankings,no training,etc…
I hope this coming 2009 Jelena would be her year…as 2001 or 2002…when she reached the Top 4 in the world…
best wishes for everyone!
GO JELENA!!!!
December 28th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I would love to see Novak’s match but I don’t know when he will play so I can’t but a ticket yet.
Go Novak.
AJDE NOLE.
You are the best.
December 28th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I am ambivelant towards Jelena. She has acheived so much in her career but has always had a love-hate relationship with Australia. She has come back again, looking fit and most importantly with her tail between her legs and extending an olive branch too her Australian fans. Jelena has not earned this (another) wildcard. I hope that she finds some form and enjoys Brisbane. If she is serious to have one final assualt on the tour and proudly represent Australia then I will back her one more time.
I also think Tennis Australia need to award the remaining wildcards to the girls that did so well in the playoff!
December 29th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Great to see Jelena coming back into some form. Best of luck in the Open. Lets hope 2009 sees her rise back up through the rankings.
December 29th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Bring it on Tomic. When he’s competing in the final rounds of the slams in 4-5 years, no-one will be complaining.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Great to have the big stars, but we need to promote our own like Samantha Stosur. Fantastic the prices are reasonable.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:56 am
You deserve to win, Daniela.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
AFL have the same deal with free public transport to the Gabba included in the entry ticket. Who needs the headache and stress of traffic congestion & parking problems. Doubt if I would go to these sporting events without this added bonus as incentive.
December 29th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
That is my birthday…so good luck Ana and make me a nice present with your first victory of the year 2009!
December 29th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Hi,Ana!I wish you all the best in seassen 2009 and I think you will be better in that seassen and win all 4 Grand Slams and Chempionship on the end of seassen and more tournment.LOTS OF LOVE M@RE
December 30th, 2008 at 4:59 am
fantastic to see 2 performing juniors given a significant wild card main draw entry in the inaugural home championship at the magnificent new Tennis Queensland Tennyson Centre. As the former junior coach for 4 years of ‘bella ,it will inspire not only players and parents but also coaches to continue the difficult and complex tasks in this never ending journey.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:50 am
looking foreward to seeing you hopefully winning
December 30th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Good luck to both girls in their 1st WTA Event
Both worthy WC recipients.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:03 am
What a start for this new tourney. Hopefully the match will be an entertaining but quick passage for Ana into the next round. Ajde!
December 30th, 2008 at 8:14 am
you right Mitchell,but she also made very well in the Play-off!
December 30th, 2008 at 8:47 am
For those of us living in the eastern suburbs such as Carindale the transport arrangements for an INTERNATIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT come a very bad second compared to those for a club league football match – bus then train then shuttle bus (or a heck of a long walk particularly for the elderly)as against one bus from Carindale.
YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR LEAD FROM MELBOURNE WHERE PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO THE TENNIS IS EXCELLENT. If we hadn’t purchased tickets we wouldn’t be coming. Never again!!
December 30th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Hope QR adds day time Corinda-Yerrongpilly service. Much better than a shuttle bus. Also QR could reintroduce the Gold Coast train stopping at Yerongpilly.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
AJDE NOLE!
December 30th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
This is good but a lot of the volunteers have to be there before the shuttle buses start.
Has anyone though of the Ball Kids?
December 31st, 2008 at 8:56 am
Ajde ANA! Come on!
December 31st, 2008 at 9:09 am
So hoping Monica would get a W/C having seen her playing off 15th Dec.Wish her the very best of luck for 2009 she deserves it. VB
December 31st, 2008 at 10:41 am
Sent home from France for giving up, bad behaviour in the Davis Cup squad, walk off during a match he was down in Perth recently. And he is rewarded with a wildcard??
Surely there are other Queensland players that deserve such an award such as our number one ranked player Smeets who came through qualifying this year at the US Open and took Mardy Fish to four sets or Millman who defeated eventual Aussie Open wildcard winner Ebelthite as well as winning a Men’s Future in Victoria in October.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:39 am
I agree with Ezequiel, she won the playoff so no
one did better than Jelena. She deserves to have
this wildcard more than anyone. As for her what
can only be described as a troubled relationship
with TA, she’s lucky that she turned out as well
as she has with a father like hers. She has made
her apology and owned up to her previous comments.
Things are sometimes said during the heat of any
competitive situation that are not entirely fair.
In my opinion Jelena still has more potential to
move substantially up the rankings than the other
girls. She’s been #4 in the world, she’s proven that she has what it takes at the highest level of the game. Go Jelena!!!
December 31st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Great free public transport with ticket, but what about reintroducing the express train from Gold Coast stopped at Yeerongpilly? instead of Cooper Plains! You build a world class tennis centre with no express train even if it was for major events this woulde enhance the experience. Inconvenience for Gold Coast people who now have to change at Beenleigh and wait for the Ferny Grove line. Qld Rail the silence is deafening
December 31st, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Go Ana! Great to see you back in Oz again and hopefully you can go one better than you did at last year’s Australian Open
December 31st, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Transport needs to be improved for an event that will ‘put Brisbane on the world’s sporting calendar in January’ ….
Agree with Cathy about the Gold Coast train … why was it taken off??? Also how are locals going to park their cars at Yerongpilly to catch the train to work during the event?
December 31st, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Tomic does have the support of the Australian public. Good luck to him in Brisbane and it’s a smart move by the tournament organisers
December 31st, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Joel lindner should a wildcard hes tough and hes deserves it and I agree with michael so should john millman, tomic should not get it he has not won a pro tournment.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Monica…by far best young prospect in Aussie Land by miles, much better than Tomic and Co. She’s DESERVED Wild Card for Brisbane more than anybody else and it will be shame if She misses. Jelena Dokic…if you ask me …newer, newer again and She is nearly 26…her best is in PAST.
December 31st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
My birthday is Jan 6, so I wish you the best of luck on this tournament. I am sure you can do it.
and be number one again this year. However, if you don’t , I still love u just the way you are.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Anna ia a good player, frendly and good looking girl. I hope that she will sucsseed and retrive No 1 position. Good luck Anna.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Onya Bernard. Good for him to experience his first official tour event in his home state
January 1st, 2009 at 12:18 am
Marcos i am sure, you will have good results in brisbane.
January 1st, 2009 at 1:03 am
Hello Anna Helly hope that you see for yourself Championship tournament championship Brisbane, Australia soon
January 1st, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Les is so right. Furthermore, QR would divert rail traffic through Tennyson in the event of a power failure or mishap between Corinda and the City ( or Park Road and City) It can’t be all that hard for the ‘experts’. Why can’t it be like EKKA week when trains run all day to Exhibition Station?
January 1st, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Hai The Next Greatest !
I’m Indonesian.
I like The greateset, Mohammad Ali.and I like the next greatest…J.W. Tsonga !
Bravo!
January 1st, 2009 at 6:54 pm
hopefully john Millman and Robert smeets will at least get a wildcard into qualies
January 1st, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Looks like Monique has recovered from that injury yay hope she pulls through.
January 1st, 2009 at 8:16 pm
What a shame this occasion will not have Rod Laver and Roy Emerson present – both Queenslanders and the best legends of Australian Tennis.
January 1st, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Hope that Rafter would devote himself more to the tennis in Australia. Just a name being honored is not enough. To commit himself more to help bring up more good tennis player would be most appreciated by the Australians here. Hoping that not just a name being remembered to win 2 Gland Slam, but would be remembered to fully commit to promote the tennis in Australia. The younger generation need Rafter as a mentor to them.
January 1st, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Im glad Emelyn has atleast got a wildcard into the qualifying…she has been making such big steps in her career and deserves to be rewarded!!!
Go all the way Emelyn…you can do it!!!
January 1st, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Daniela, you are the best, I wish you happy new yoear ang great season , and also more better that any season before. Yoa are so pretty, lovely, kind woman, all the best daniela, cheers from Slovakia, , Gelnica,
She is the one and only
January 1st, 2009 at 9:13 pm
lets hope as many aussies as possible get through quallies, and we can get some more locals into the main draw.
January 1st, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Can anyone tell me whether the following British Girls are playing in the Qualifiers?
Elena Baltacha (WTA Rank 136)
Katie O’Brien (WTA Rank 159)
Have a great tournament!!
January 1st, 2009 at 9:58 pm
C’mon Li!!! Guess it’ll be a banner year for you;)
David from Poland
January 1st, 2009 at 10:32 pm
OMG! I’ve been looking for a pic of Dani cuddling that koala everywhere! ever since I saw her holding that koala in the sports segment of the 5pm channel ten news. cheers
this is gonna be a great lead-up to the AO i reckon, for all the top seeds, players and the like.
January 1st, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Australia is your place to rock!!!
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:31 am
good luck Marcos
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:51 am
Go Melanie South. Hopefully she does well because she is an up and coming british player. She is now ranked 110 in the world
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:35 am
Go, Sesil, Go!!!
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:42 am
Wishing everyone concerned the very best of luck and much success upon the opening of the Pat Rafter Arena.
And especially good luck to Marion Bartoli for this tournament.
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:46 am
Hantuchova is soo great!!! I hope that she will have a great season with a perfect start
Here she can beat everybody so i hope that she will win this tournament!!
January 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 am
Daniela wish you a happy new year and a successful season because you are one of my favorite wta players and I want to see you again in top10!
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 am
Hi, Daniela! You are so wonderful and everyone I know likes you the best. I wish you the best and, above all else, a happy and healthy return to the sport.
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
We should all be proud of the new tennis centre at Tennyson. I went by train and bus and the whole journey was effortless. Thoroughly enjoyed opening ceremony. The centre court, in fact the whole venue, is world class.
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Can’t wait for the tournament to begin! Always exciting the beginning of the tennis season.. and Brisbane has managed to attract a stellar field of players.
I shall fly up to Brissy next year to watch!
Good luck
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:11 pm
We went to the opening today and it was beyond all expectation. Finally, Brisbane has a truly wonderful tennis facility. What a fantastic day of entertainment. Looking forward to a week of brilliant tennis.
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:59 pm
The official opening today was so good,, transport free – all those past great tennis stars, qld premier etc, so queensland (not americanized),, samantha strong and sure, but pat the best ever (should have staged his famous “sorry mate” during play just for fun) – able to get up close to all the courts and see such strong great tennis with plenty of faces we know – thanks for our own tennis centre!
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
After having been to the old Milton courts for a Davis Cup tie in the 80’s I am impressed with the new facility in Brisbane. It sure is a big step forward for the city.
I hope it also encourages player development, something Aussie tennis really needs right now.
I look forward to following the action next week.
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:14 pm
We live on the GCoast, so looking forward to travelling to the tennis, only to discover, Yerrongpilly express line cancelled. I hve a disabled husband, so either we take the Beenleigh route where their is walking involved to Corinda, or we go to Roma St, change to the Ipswich line, direct access to shuttle bus transfer to the centre. I phoned Bne tennis today who informed me that they will be supplying shuttle services from Yerrongpilly for the disabled,eldery, how come QR can’t do the same???
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:18 pm
It will be good to see Tomic in action in Brisbane. I remember first seeing him as a 14 year old.
For the future of Australian tennis he needs to do well, but that is a big weight to carry.
Perhaps we should not expect too much for the next few years and see if he can surprise us much the same way that Hewitt did.
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Again give a wildcard to John Millman he is a hard and tough player
January 2nd, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Yay!! Go Nole!! =) I can’t wait to see him and Marko partner up! I’ve never seen Marko play before so I look forward to it! Go Ana aswell!!
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Great Result. Well done Sophie
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
How did he go against Johnny James?From what I saw,maybe he needs a little more physical development.Maybe he is just a little young yet.
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Hey I am Daniel and I am one of 80 ball kid’s at the new tennyson tennis centre and i think that this has gone a long way from the start off building.The players are realy friendly and all of the volunteers and very helpfull and kind.I think that this tennis centre will show Australia what brisbane and Quuensland can do when we are put together as a community.So far the first day has been a success and hopefully and most probably the whole tournment will go with out fail!
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
I am a huge tennis fan and I bought tickets on the day that they went on sale. I bought my parents 2 tickets for the womens’ final and myself 2 tickets to the mens’ final. I am upset that my elderly parents cannot park somewhere close. They have a red disability tag in their car and they were told today that it needed to be blue. My mum has had 2 heart attacks and suffers from rh arthritis and I thought that they would be able to park close as my mum has trouble moving at times. The centre looks great but more thought needs to go into looking after the people who buy tickets and support the event.
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I reckon its gonna take a lot to knock “muhammad Ali” out
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Thank you for foto of Marcos Baghdatis.I wish Marcos good luck in Brisbane.
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:10 am
nice come back!
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:29 am
Draw looks pretty good. I might watch a match or two to get ready for the Aussi Open.
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:01 am
Nice to see Marion again following the off season break.
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:05 am
to all those who have worked towards the reality of our new Queensland State Tennis Centre’ a heartfelt thankyou from our family of dedicated tennis enthusiasts. We will will be using the Q.T.C. regularly…..and we only live a 2hour drive away!
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 am
Its great to see Jelena again. She will be in the top 20 this year. Go Jelena!
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:54 am
I do not think it’s fair that Marko gets in because he is a brother of Novak. Nobody cares and his opponents don’t give a you know what. They will eat him up. He’s out of his league. Besides, he’ll likely get blown out and he is a wasted spot. I doubt fans will even want to see him. He is a satellite level player at best. I rememeber his past result in an ATP event and he was embarrassed.
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:58 am
bernard is very dedicated to doing well in his tennis future for australia and himself.we need to support him as much as possible.he has the potential to be a future australian champion
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
How about shuttle buses running from Garden City Indooroopilly and Carindale direct to the Tennis Centre as happens with events at Suncorp stadium.
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
why isnt john millman in and how did mark V make it…??
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
We all wish Bernard all the very best in his tennis, people who leave negative comments are very un – Australian we should support our young talent. and then they will reward us with loyalty.
Go Hard Bernard!!
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:04 am
Will Emelyn Starr get a main draw wild card like all the other semi finalists from the wildcard playoffs?
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:06 am
Do do other young australians who don’t get anywhere near the amount of support bernard gets
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:06 am
I went to the opening on Friday with my step children and we all really enjoyed being part of the opening of this new and brilliant tennis centre. My mother took me to see Sue Barker play Pam Schriver when I was young at Milton and I have never forgotten the atmosphere of watching exciting tennis. Thank goodness we finally have a new tennis centre, bigger and better than ever before. I look forward to attending as many tournament games as possible in the future.
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:10 am
I am going to the first night comp and i am disappointed to find that from carindale i need to take two buses to get to the tennis but cannot get home as no bus services run from the tennis at 10pm,i can get a train to southbank but then what,hopefully in the future a service to the major centre eg garden city, carindale, can be introduced
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I don’t understand why Robert Smeets does not even warrant a mention here by your “experts”. As if he did not exist, yet he is a member of the Davis Cup squad. Moreover, he is based in Queensland. He won the Queensland championship in all divisions, under 14, under 16, under 18, and finally the open division.
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Good luck to you Ana, one of the greatest, as you start 2009. Now trying to figure out what time that is in Virginia, USA – if it is 8PM in Brisbane on Monday night, that’s 4AM Eastern Standard time, am I correct?……
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Hey Daniela,
) haha and secondly all the best in tournament, hope u win and hope u r enjoying at the moment rainy Brisbane 
firstly, happy nameday
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:11 pm
It’s raining?
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
What a joke The Gooch must play the qualies. You Aussies don’t want to see other Aussies going far in the draws, it seems.
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Do your thing, Ana Ivanovic. Show the whole world that you are still the top tennis seed and the most stunning superstar! Good Luck.
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Yes it’s been raining.
Go Joe Sirianni!!!!
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:40 pm
This is only great news if you live on a train line. We live at Carindale and are used to a great bus shuttle service to and from sporting events. When we purchased tickets we presumed this sort of service would be provided, at the beginning and end of each session. For us to drive to a train station there is either virtually no parking or 2 hour parking so getting there is going to be a major drama and may mean us not bothering next year. To make it worse we bought tickets to the finals for my 83 year old father-in-law for christmas and I now have no idea how we are going to get him there before he is too exhausted to enjoy the game. We would have been happy to pay a premium for a shuttle service or parking for those sessions we are bringing him to, but unless you live on the Beenleigh or Corinda train line there is really no provision for any transport services to the event. Free public transport – Great! Now just add some bus services for people nowhere near a train and it will actually mean something!
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Opening ceremony… brilliant
Venue….. brilliant
Queensland…. brilliant
Julien the pom x
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:49 pm
the draws are ok for the aussies, but some have tough first round matches, jelena, monika and bernard will have their work cut out, but i hope sam stosur gets her revenge on maria!!!
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:58 pm
what about residents of graceville? there is one BCC bus in the morning and none coming home after play is finished. we can catch the train out 2 stops to catch a shuttle bus back past our front door. how daft! the shuttle bus should be picking up enroute between corinda and tennyson. not well thought out.
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Go JELENA DOKIC, YOU WILL BE BACK AT THE TOP 20 BY THE END OF THE YEAR
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I saw Mauresmo practice with Dokic on Friday morning together, so I am surprised that she said “I haven’t seen [Dokic] play for a while, so it’s going to be a little bit of a surprise,”.
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Hullo/cao/zdravo… Ana.. kako si??? anyway, best wishes for the new year 2009, yes..i know..a Chinese like me knows Serbian…hee hee..and i know all of your fans from your official website, which is http://www.anaivanovic.com will be proud of you, if you win all the way to the finals.. btw, i am one of your devoted fans (friends) from facebook, just in case you cant remember me… i am the one with the Serbian flag as my profile photo…oh well…Dobro vece??
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I hope Ana Ivanovic wins Brisbane
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:10 pm
God bless you, Ivanovic!
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Go Ana !! Let’s start 2009 winning Brisbane and the Australian Open ! I believe you will come back at the 1st position on the rankings
You’re the best player in the world 
Good luck to 2009 Anci
Mário
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Ajde Ana !
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Go Baghdatis!!
January 4th, 2009 at 12:15 am
I think if Markos will bit Nieminen ,he will start building new self-confidence and…. our dream will start for a new era.(australian open) …you will see.
January 4th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Maria Kirilenko GO GO GO!!!!
Maria IST THE BEST!!!
January 4th, 2009 at 6:26 am
Hi,
Ana Ivanovic and Fernando Verdasco in first
night session…..
incredible…
January 4th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Magic Monday…thats awesome for all those back at work!! It’ll be Great for us to see Sam Stosur christen Pat Rafter Arena, but why not any of the other big names in Sunday day matches? Once again Magic Monday…all a bit of smoke from the organizers great for the homemeakers and hype tournament dollar I sense.
January 4th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Whats the point in forking out $25 per ticket for main court seats when there’s only 3 games on it and the womens number 2 seed plays on an outside court, I paid to see the best on centre court not fight with the $9.50 tickets on outside courts, get it right guys you save the best players until during the week when I’m at work, stop patting yourselves on the back and give us value for money, I’m annoyed.
January 4th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Wonderful complex. Have been to Melbourne last two years and hope to be in Brisbane for some matches this year.
January 4th, 2009 at 11:41 am
There is Allways someboddy to complain about something, be glad that u have a tournament of that magnitude with all the good players , man and woman.
You are going to see them rested,freshand ready to go.Not on the end of the season all tired and worn out from all the tournament around the world.
GOOD LUCK BRISBANE AND GOD BLESS .
SERBIAN FROM LOS ANGELES
January 4th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
GO FOR IT ANNA…!!!…
January 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Well done Sam! Keep up the great work into your next match and claim another scalp. Your ranking is sure to come down.
January 4th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I really hope Novak is playing on the Tuesday!!!!
Have they released the other draws yet?
January 4th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I personally think Sam should be able to go straight through to the 2nd round. We need an Aussie through because it doesn’t look like anyone else is gonna do any better in their draws.
January 4th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Daniela is definately one of the players i see winning this alsong with Ana Ivanovic or Amelie Mauresmo. You go girls
January 4th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
this stadium look awesome juz lie the OZ open in vic
January 4th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
awesome!!!
January 4th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
GOOD LUCK TSONGA YOUR AWESOME
January 4th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
What are you thinking Nathan? If our players can’t win, that’s the way it goes. We can’t change the rules just to suit ourselves. Have some confidence in Sam taking that match anyway
January 4th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I disagree sam should play a first round match otherwise it wouldn’t be fair on everyone else.
January 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
i’m sorry to see Peng made a failure starting 2009,good luck!
January 4th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Good on ya!
January 4th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
January 4th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Go ANA!! You are the best and you can re-claim the #1 spot as well as win the Australian open!!
January 4th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Good Looking Party.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
well. nathan was just afraid that sam will lose in the future because sam just lost her final match against kirilenko on last year’s korean open. LOL
Im pretty disappointed about the news.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Heather Toye…Why don’t you drop your elderly parents off to the centre and pick them up again after the match has been completed. Unfortunately not everybodies needs can be accomodated when planning such a venue. It takes a lot of organisation and planning (that you don’t see) that makes something like this new stadium emerge from the ground.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
All I can say is wow! at last!
Brisbane was due for this a long time. Venue looks very impressive. I hope it will keep attracting big guns and thus perhaps reigniting tennis fixtures the way they were popular in the past at Milton tennis centre.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Tough Draw ? Like a W/C is protection from that in a mens ATP event.
Try qualifying, makes one a better player !!
Go Joe…….
January 4th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Hopefully organisers will be able to get the City Cat on board for the future – fantastic way to get to the event.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
come on g unit!
January 4th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
this guy is a human!
January 4th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
it all looks a bit squashed in
January 4th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
kirilenko v stosur would have been a tough match to win first up,sugiyama is alot better match up for sam stosur.It wil give her some confidence to match it with the better players getting a match under her belt,go sam!
January 4th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
A thoroughly enjoyable day at the tennis! The centre and main court are great with the court easy to view from most angles. A couple of comments I would like to make:
- the queue at the start could have moved more rapidly with an increased number of security guards. We were however, informed of why we were waiting and kept up to date.
- information signs about the tennis would have given people something to focus on and an idea of what to expect while in the queue. eg. cameras with lenses over 200mm will be confiscated, access to seats on the main court only allowed every second game
- the official program could be improved by including the draw, a map of the centre and the seeded players
- an information centre inside
- strawberries and cream!
Thanks Queensland tennis for a great day out!
January 4th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
What a fantasic day out! The facilities are incredible. Easy to get around the outside courts with a great atmosphere surrounding all the courts. Well done tennis australia.
January 4th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
I had a great day and really enjoyed the tennis! Thankyou for bringing us such a wonderful event on our own turf :]
January 4th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Great day,great centre.
Speed up security entry, people really got upset about the long wait.
Huge solid umpire stands on courts cut viewing down on a number of courts.
Some courts had no scoreboards or even signs to say who was playing.
January 4th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
good luck for all the players
January 4th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Thank goodness Brisbane again has tennis. The arena is spectacular and the tennis was sensational. The queue to get in was totally unexpected as it went for what felt like miles. More security guards are definitely needed and more food outlets and coffee stands are a must. People should be informed that EFTPOS is not available and there is only one ATM. The queue for the ATM stretched for ever. Bring lots of cash, be patient, and you will have an awesome day.
January 4th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
it was great in the pat rafter arena and especially seeng pat was even better. Great sights from all vantage points. We were stittng in rows up the back and could see great! Long time coming Brisbane!!!!! I also agree with sarah on more warning signs and yes the dacquiris were nice too. Enjoyed my day immensely and being a tennis family made it even more exciting. Just need a better crossing area from train area though but worth the long wait in line!
January 4th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
too noleeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!nole champion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!idemo da odbranimo titulu u melburn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 4th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
I am a first time tennis goer ever at 50 and was very very pleased wih the venue.Thought the crowd control was good.Thought that the players could have been introduced to the crowd as I did not know who was who and thought it a little rude.( I only watched outside court matches )
ALSO PLEASE PLEASE get good quality toilet paper in the toilets. Honestly so tacky and most of it was on the floor.
Thanks for the tennis. I will go back next time.
January 4th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
A Great Day Out Brisbane should be proud,only thing I would have liked to see like The Australian Open has a TV Screen relaying matches in Progress on out side courts, so you can leave Ctr Court and visit the outside matches for other matches you want to see.
January 4th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Best of luck to Marcos Baghdatis!
January 4th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Go Tsonga, u r the best!!!
January 4th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Extremely poor setup. I live on the Gold Coast and i am so dissappointed. I also bought tickets for my parents (dad disabled) for xmas, now our excitement has turned to stress on how to get there. We don’t want public transport… we just want to drive there… does anyone know the nearest place to the centre that we can park??
January 4th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
hey i dont know that u will become as great as muhammed ali but if u become 50% as great as muhammed ali u will be the most famous person on this planet.i dont know about other planets.
January 4th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I to am a first time tennis goer. Had a wonderful day. Were lucky enough to get seats in a corporate box (apparently they did not sell to businesses so open to public)so had a fantastic view, although I think all seats would be great viewing.I agree strawberries would have been great. The seat were really comfy but could be slightly bigger in size. They need more rubbish bins, TV screens out side whilst you are waiting to be let in ,in the middle of a game would be great so that you can see what is going on. Whilst there was enough on street parking around the yerongpilly train station, I didn’t see any shuttle buses going from there.(This was advertised in Sunday Mail). The walk from there to the centre is not far 800m and it a pleasant flat walk. It is a shame that the Tennyson station is not opened and that the city cats are not utilised for such an event after all it is only for one week. All in all a great Day. Well done Tennis Australia.
January 4th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Good Day, Good Play, Excellent Stadium. Biggest problem today was the long, long queue to get in. The bottle neck obviously being the small capacity turnstile gate system. Needs to be doubled for a major event such as this. Made more crowded by the bag inspection area, being so close to the turnstiles. Take a leaf out of Suncorp Stadium, big day events, the bag inspection area is situated further away, so it does not block and restrict the movement through the turnstile area. Or, a second public entry point being looked at for a major event such as this. Food and drink, as usual with these events, overpriced and basic tucker (only reason I ate my doughy $7.50 pizza, was because it cost so much), and again the long queues for basics such as a cup of coffee. I agree with Rhonda of Hawthorne, “More security guards/(i.e. ticket checkers) are definitely needed and more food outlets and coffee stands”. One curious question I have is, I know we had to scan our ticket to get in the venue, but why did we again have to queue and scan our ticket to get out?? Lets hope these are only teething problems.
January 4th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
HAhahaha no offense chris but Ivanovic is so much better than Hantuchova so there is no way she can win this tournament
January 4th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Had a great day, one suggestion would be score boards on all courts not just show courts as you are not able to here umpire from fences and may not know who it is that is playing.
Great to have tennis in Brisbane.
January 4th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
i agree with all that it was a great day out at the tennis, i have the sunburn to prove it!! the lines to get in were very unexpected and those patrons who wr in line and discovered pre paid tix need to be collected first, were not happy when they had 2 leave and then go 2 the end of the line!!
i agree video screens outside pat rafter arena 2 c centre court action when ur stuck outside wood b good. also i reckon the electronic screens that display players names and scores shood be on all the outside courts, not just show court 1 and 2, and court 14 n 16. it was very hard to hear umpire calls and scores a lot of the time.
tennis qld and tennis australia should be very proud of the facilities and tournament we are about 2 witness. well done!!
January 5th, 2009 at 2:06 am
PFFF, who cares about PENG!!! wahhoo for Gajdosova =) shes an Aussie no matter what they put beside her name on the draw !!!
January 5th, 2009 at 2:38 am
GO ANA!!!!!!!! Srecno!
January 5th, 2009 at 2:39 am
Hail Daniela Hantuchova!!!! Good luck in ur 1st round match vs Sara Errani! you can do it we all have faith in ya go Danka!!!
January 5th, 2009 at 4:29 am
Go, Mardy! I’d like you to win the championsheep!
January 5th, 2009 at 4:31 am
Jelena Dokić is a big-match player, so she may be better off playing Mauresmo than someone with a ranking in triple figures. These are the matches she’s been lacking in the last five years – beating Mauresmo would be her biggest win in that time!
January 5th, 2009 at 5:05 am
But she’s playing for Australia, not her country Serbia? Why?
January 5th, 2009 at 5:36 am
Good luck dokic and tomic…. god knows you will need it!!
January 5th, 2009 at 6:13 am
Amelie good luck, I wish you my best, to Marcos too!!!
January 5th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Had a great day out yesterday but one thing that needs to be fixed is the long queue to get in….that was ridiculous….two lines at either end would be more sensible than walking from one end to the other…..there needs to be something done quickly about this….maybe two queues not one.we had to walk a mile away to the end of the queue.Other than that when we got in it was great…the facilities are excellent and the views from outside courts are fantastic.The centre court is very well done and you can pretty much see from any seat…well done great design and layout.Overall we had a great day thanks Tennis Australia.one more thing….make sure you buy your tickets before starting to queue in line..
January 5th, 2009 at 8:22 am
We had a great day at the tennis yesterday. It was a shame that the big screen at Heineken Hill didn’t show any tennis. I also wonder why there are so few women’s toilets??? More are definitely needed. It would be great if the food/drink stalls could be moved away from the outside courts so that more people can watch the games (i.e. Heineeken Hill) How about a big screen with play schedule and score updates somewhere for all to see?
January 5th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Disappointed, What are the organiser thinking?? I’m going to the 1st night session only to watch Tomic make his ATP debut? I thought the best matches were put on the night sessions? Not in this case..
January 5th, 2009 at 9:38 am
AJDE, ANA!
January 5th, 2009 at 9:47 am
good luck to the serb and cypriot
January 5th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I am going to the tennis tomorrow….can you take your own food and popper juices in??
January 5th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Agree that it is great that major tennis is back in Brisbane, and enjoyed the day. TA will hopefully overcome a range of teething problems by Thursday (my next scheduled visit), including the queue to access the centre, and PA system & scoreboard glitches.
Some more major problems need attention, including: Public transport – its great that event tickets include public transport, and that no cat parking is provided – but need to ensure additional services, City Cat stop, walkover from Yerongapilly railway station & all GC trains should be stopping at Yerongapilly during the tournament;
Toilets – more needed;
More seating, TV screens and shade trees needed on walkway from station & on outside courts.
Let’s make this the best tournament leading in to the Australian Open!!! Go TA
January 5th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Let’s go Ana you are the best! Best wishes! Good Luck!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:24 am
The stadium looks sharp! Can’t wait to head down Wednesday night
January 5th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Gajdosova is an arrogant player. She hardly made any improvement in her tennis skills in the past 3 years.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
For less than $10 for a grounds pass this is a steal of a deal to see some very high level tennis. The weather was mild making for a great day of watching tennis. The stadium court looks superb with roof and all. The players played on hardcourts but there were also 4 clay courts and looks to be 4 grass courts on the way for a total of like 23 courts.
Problems that I noticed that hopefully will get corrected in the future include: not opening at 9AM but at 9:15 which caused about a 30 minute wait to enter the grounds. Not enough seating for the mass of people on opening day. Only 3 courts have any seating and there was maybe 8 courts with matches being played. So a couple rows of seats should have been built in on some of the other courts as well as the 3 main courts. No shade on the 2 outer courts that did have seating but strangely the players played in the shade. Umpires should have been positioned on the opposite side as the fans since the umpire chair blocked views. Not enough lines judges including only 1 on each end (how can they see through the net 80 feet away). Many serves were long and/or wide but the umpires rarely over ruled. Food was steep and Coke was $4.50 but you could bring your own food and drink in which we did. Despite all my complaints it was still a great day getting to watch 8 hours of pro tennis for less than $10.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
the awesome website has kept magic monday alive for those of us who are “out of towners”. we’ve managed to keep up with all the action and get cattle branded to boot
January 5th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Go Ana!!!!!!!!! I hope u win the brisbane tournament
January 5th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
AJDE ANA!!! THIS TOURNEY IS YOURS GIRL COME ON!!
January 5th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I watched that match and DOkic could have easily won, She was up 5-3 in the first and had set points each game.
I am so happy shes back and next time she will win, good luck in the aus open.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Dokic put up a great effort and showed that she still has the power and shot range to be a top 20 player. Its only a matter of time before the consistancy and match toughness come back keep up the great work!
January 5th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Yes, it’s great to have the tennis back in Brisbane. Pity the sails couldn’t extend to cover the spectators as well as the players on Showcourts 1&2. And yes we need that CityCst or at least some ferry access. A good day, though.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Good Luck Ana!
January 5th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Have a nice day.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
go ana and novak!!!!! xoxoxox
January 5th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
i watched this game
& sam stosur is incredible, what a comeback
& a truly great perfomance.
i hope sam does well in the aussie summer
January 5th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Baghdatis is coming from many injuries and this match will not affect his perfomance at Melbourne.
It seems that he did not stand still at crucial break points and his serve did not work.
Nieminen is not so difficult for Baghdatis and the result comes as a surprise but it is a good opportunity for Baghdatis to adjust his game for Melboure. Cyprus is very proud for this player.
Australian climate and sports facilities are very
convenient for Baghdatis and hopefully all will be fine at Melbourne.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
What an amazing effort from Jelena today!
She definitely turned back the clock and looks to be approaching the kind of tennis that took her to the top of the world. I really hope she can return to where she rightfully belongs and puts womens tennis in Australia back onto the map. All the best to our most talented Aussie girl of the last couple decades even though she is actually Serbian we still love her!
January 5th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Dokic really deserved to have won this match or at least a set given she was dominating the play and pushing Mauresmo all over the court with her powerful ground strokes. She just needs to fix up her serving a little and I’m sure she can make back into the top 10 players of the world. But on another note I was a bit disappointing with the lack of crowd support for Jelena. I mean it was one of those matches that could have been swayed by a little crowd encouragement and she didn’t seem to be getting any extra support whatsoever despite her representing Australia. It was almost as if they were playing in a neutral nation or something. Keep up the great work JD
January 5th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Well done Jarco and Marcos! For a first game after such a long time I would say tha Marcos did quite well:) I am happy to see him running around again! ITs going to be tough work for him this year but he is known to cope very well under pressure:) Well done boy,,Good Luck for the rest of the season
January 5th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Such an awesome match. So close and I just love watching Jelena on court. I’ve forgotten how good she is to watch. Dokic will definitely be a force by the time Wimbledon rolls around. More matches and fingers crossed for no injuries! And its great to have her back in Oz where she belongs. I agree, the crowd could have arked up a bit more but the tournament is still young. Looking forward to Fed Cup with JD, Sam and Casey.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Watch for Bobby Reynolds out of qualifying; he’s poised for a breakout year.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
What happened to my first attempt??
As I said, it’s wonderful to have the tennis back in Brisbane. But shade for the players and not for the poor spectators on Show Courts 1 and 2?? It shouldn’t be all that difficult to provide for both.
I’d have the umpire on the other side of the Show Courts as everybody seemed to be saying. And yes, nobody hanging over the fence on the other side either. Sit on the grass!! Court 2 seemed to be able to organise themselves okay. Why not Court 1?
We do need CityCat transport or at least the ferries. Otherwise transport was excellent.
Great day! Will definitely be back.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
You will Be Number(1)
January 5th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
OMG! Jelena was playing sooooo good! She is back for sure!! I was stunned by her performance today! so sad she lost, but if she keeps like this, she will dominating once again!!! Love you Jelena!!!
January 5th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Ana’s off to a solid start! She is so classy and I hope she wins the Championship!
January 5th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Had a great day yesterday. 2 big problems – the parking area which volunteers were telling people on Saturday was open to the public during the main tournament(like it was the 2 qualifying days) was corporate only, and took around 10 minutes finding a street park. Also lack of view on most of the outside courts. There needs to be at least 1 additonal court with permanent seating around the court. And 3-4 other courts with temporary seating brought in for the event. And unlike a lot of tennis venues the courts are all together with no space in between so you have to watch at the end through the mesh. So it’s difficult to watch players pratice.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Why u people say something like “Marcos did quite well” and “Nieminen is not so difficult for Baghdatis and the result comes as a surprise”
Jarkko Nieminen Is The Man Of This Year. Ok I understand Marcos did well, not 6-0 6-0 as it should be. Give Your thanks to whom earn it
January 5th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Had a great day yesterday and today as well! When my mum looked at the website yesterday we saw that we were on this article! (The photo) I am the little girl in the grey top!!! I saw awesome people playing Tennis!! I will definitely be back next year!! WOW! I can’t believe there is tennis in Brisbane/Queensland!!I love Tennis!!!!!!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Well done, Jarkko! As a finalist in last years tournament he knows how to play in Adelaine. Hope he goes all the way to the final also this year!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Great ! Ajde Ana !
January 5th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Bravo Ana!!!GO SERBS!!!!!!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Congratulationssssss Ana! Good Luck! You are the best!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
congrats jo, u played 2 great matches in 1 day to get to the main draw, and i saw you teach peter polansky a lesson in tennis on sun, hope u get a good draw and have a round 1 win…. good luck!!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
I haven’t seen the match highlights, but I’ve seen the interview after the match, and I feel really sorry for Jelena and her unlucky loss today.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
How to get there mentioned that Brissie residents were to get free transport but didn’t say the same for Gold Coasters. A pleasant surprise arriving at the train station to find that it’s free for us too, except that because we didn’t know left buying the tickets till the venue so had to pay our way there. Oh well! Great venue will probably swap our annual trip to the Open in Melbourne for Brissie instead!!!!!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Of course that match with Djoko will so hard for Ernest , but there’s nothing impossible . I really hope that Ernests can proof him self as a winner ..
All The Best ..
January 5th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
As is often the case at the Open and probably other tennis tournaments, I think the linesmen sometimes forget thy are meant to be watching the lines. I must admit sitting there for such a long time find myself nodding off.
There were a few blatant misses – at least one in the Mauresmo/Dokic match and another in the Isabella Holland match against Safarova. A linesman at the scoreboard end missed an out ball which was out by at least 30mm, he must not have been looking at the time. Isabella knew it was out but without electronic equipment couldn’t do a thing!!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Great! I’m glad to see Ana through to the second round!! Good luck to her.
I’m from Mexico, but an enormous congratulation to the tournament! It seems just wonderful and it’s very exciting to see that many people are involved, from tournament organisers to the crowd. Very good job! Hope I can head down under someday and experience this awesome tournament one day!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:33 am
we should all be proud of tomic getting into a tournament like the Brisbane international. its a good learning point for him, he’s only young
January 6th, 2009 at 12:39 am
I like Verdasco very much ,his left hand is a big reback!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:48 am
This year might be the year of Anna. She might be more mature and better armed for patiently maintain the number one. Still it will depend on her wisdom. Best luck, we admire you.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:52 am
DJOKOVIC You’re the best of the best!
Nothing can stop you!
January 6th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Well done Bernard ! A great start to your senior ATP tournament career. I wish you every success for the future !
…now, Let’s hope the Australian sports media doesn’t place too much pressure on the shoulders of this young fellow too soon. All too often in this country we read, or hear, from our sports media (this web-site excluded) the well trod “expectations of a nation” theme-song and consequential headlines, demanded of our up and coming sports men and women…and those not so young…who would have wanted to be Matthew Hayden going out to bat last Saturday at the SCG…not me…there’s enough psychological pressure in playing the game of tennis (as with most individual sports) point by point, stroke by stroke, as it is, without extra unnecessary media burden. I sincerely hope Bernard Tomic is allowed to develop in the senior ranks at his own pace…without irrelevant comparisons to predecessors in the game and their time frames in achieving success in the open ranks. The seemingly insatiable media appetite for imposing unrealistic expectations for victory and success and the expectations for our young sports men and women and for them to be the quintessential role models of behavior in our community, supposedly to satisfy the demands of the Australian sporting public is all too often too much to bear (and I’m just a reader)! Remember…Bernard is only sixteen years old….still a pup ! PS. I’m not his Mum.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:48 am
I knew it not good enough
John millman would of done better
January 6th, 2009 at 2:27 am
Good luck Ferrero!!!
Come on!!!
kisses from Spain.
January 6th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Fly, Gulbis, fly!!! Bring us to a happy land!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 3:28 am
Hi Daniela, I am sorry for Monday’s loss but it is the beginning of the season. So keep on thinking positive and you will be back on track. Good Luck in dougles with Ai on Tuesday . Let’s win the doubles. !!!! I wish the tournaments could be seen on TV or on on-line here in the U.S.A. Bye to my #1 player. Happy New Year 2009! Madelaine
January 6th, 2009 at 4:06 am
I think Ana herself was a bit anxious, but now that the “rust” has been shaken she should progress with her normal style & grace.
She was a truly fine player at #1 and still is! I do think the injuries hurt her confidence a bit, but she can use this win to build on and get right back to feeling every bit the best player in the world.
She’s so very classy, extremely talented and poised more than anyone else in women’s tennis! Good Luck on your Brisbane run!!
January 6th, 2009 at 5:01 am
I know Gulbis can take a set off Djokovic if he tries, it’s a matter of keeping it up through best of 3 sets though. It’s gonna be a fun match to watch though, that’s for sure…
January 6th, 2009 at 5:07 am
Great venue – great atmosphere. Only disappointment is at the Lavazza coffee stands. Why can’t they also provide decaffeinated coffees – any coffee house worth its reputation should be able to sell a FULL range of its products!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 5:13 am
great matches! =)
January 6th, 2009 at 5:49 am
What a see-saw thriller!!!
I suggest that Jelena Dokic should be given a wild card entry to the main draw at the Sydney’s Medibank classic next week. She showed that Dokic can hang with the top pros, e.g. playing and almost beating Mauresmo in a close 2-set tie-breakers in Brisbane.
Go Dokic go!
January 6th, 2009 at 5:54 am
Dokic was lucky it was Mauresmo’s 1st match of the year and she was rusty while she;Jelena had 4-5 matches under her belt.I see she still has a stinky attitude.She better tone it down bcuz this attitude of hers will not fly against either Venus;Serena or Maria S.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:22 am
I purchased my tickets thinking it would be as accessible as the Aust Open. I am bitterly disappointed with the transport arrangements and the lack of communication being given to patrons. I am amazed to see the large carpark not being utilised to its potential and as a Disabled Ticket holder (Red Card)I have to catch a train and walk long distances. This experience has soured my enthusiasm for tennis in Brisbane. I have a medical condition that limits my walking ability yet each session I attend I have to get from the train station and back – an exhausting and threatening experience. Promises of a shuttle service to and from Yeerongpilly station were not forthcoming yet the press and TV indicated that it was to be.I hope that for 2010 patrons are provided with improved travel options and honest communiaction.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:26 am
Well done , Amélie ! Greeting from Europe to you !!!
January 6th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Great pictures for a great day of tennis. It’s great to see Jelena Dokic back and playing strong tennis for Australia once more!
January 6th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Gosh!, Jelena played so well, dominating Mauresmo. Without the double faults she would of won. What was most impressing is her fight in the 2nd set. It would be easy for her to loose 6-0 or 6-1 but she toughed it out. Next time. Hoping she gets a good draw at the Aussie open and gets a win under her belt.
January 6th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Go Amelie!!!!!
Great win for your first game of the year
Good luck with the rest of the Australian circuit will be cheering for you!!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Good one Bernard Tomic you did verry well ,, more games like this you will be a champ ,, Dont forget Australia there a more kids like Tomic out there , give them a chance Tennis Australia spend some bucks on tranning dozens of our Tallented Kids ,,
January 6th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Tomic should go back to boys tennis
January 6th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Jelena Dokic played well even if she didn,t win it looked like she was tied out abit in the sceond round ,and still it good to see here back.i was cheese off went channel seven cut the game short
January 6th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Great night for Tennis in Brisbane!
I thought the line up was great and I think the stadium is awesome.
My only concern being that being from the inner suburbs of North Brisbane I was “encouraged” by organisers to use public transport. I left for the train at 10:10pm and got in my door on the northside at 12:25am. 2 hours and 15 mins when there is no traffic on the roads is a concern. I can fly to the Open in Melbourne in under 2 hours. Time to get this sort of stuff sorted out guys. Would it hurt to put on a train past 10:30 that doesn’t stop at Bowen Hills when we have an ” international event” in our great city??
January 6th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Dear Novak.
All the Best.
Keep smiling and enjoy the matches.
You are the best.
Ajde Nole.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:33 am
My husband & I enjoyed a great day yesterday at Rafter arena, only to have it soured by no shuttle transfer to Yeerongpilly railway station after the day session. When I enquired re same, only to be told you just walk!!!?? As my husband is disabled this was not possible, we had to get a taxi to the station. I really got quite upset when told three times by volunteers/bus driver fsor Corinda passengers, you just have to walk???
So many many very elderly spectators complaining of the same thing. All these shuttle services to Corinda, but it appears, ‘don’t want to know’ about transfers to Yeerongpilly. Getting to the venue in the morning, guess we were just lucky, got a transfer with one of the Centres’ Mini Buses, for which we were truly greatful. Shame the same didn’t happen following such great tennis during the day session.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I was there live yes it had its boring moments coz of those unforced errors and double faults. But the intensity of the whole match was awesome. Too bad Dokic couldn’t win it but she will learn from her mistakes and hopefully do better in Sydney and Aus open
January 6th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Ajdeee NOLE!!!♥♥
January 6th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Despite my comment/question last night about a shuttle bus service to Yeerpongpilly Rail Station my 84 year old mother has asked that I pass on her thanks for the outstanding manner in which the officials care for her during yesterdays visit.
January 6th, 2009 at 10:13 am
c’mon ana you can win after all your the tennis queen
ye well done on winning she is a really great player hope she wins all her matches
January 6th, 2009 at 10:41 am
What a wonderful Event, i had the time of my life at the Brisbane International watching Sam Stosur play.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Ajde Nole, svi te voleee!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
January 6th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Albert – there’s a long history across many sports of inexperienced players riding the coat tails of more seasoned players, blood relatives or not.
I’m not sure, though, why people think Marko is a great prospect. His match history is naught, and I’ve only ever seen him hit balls with Novak on the practice courts. I think they decided to do this just for fun, nothing more.
All that said, by the look of it, they opted not to play anyway!
January 6th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Well done bernard , you have hi-lighted how many juniors in this country have the potential to do well, with the right programs and level of support it takes to move on up.
Keep paving the way for more of our juniors to do the same……
and let there be depth in this country !!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Baghdatis didn’t play bad but Nieminen played a very solid and good match and was better. And now Jarkko knows how to win in the centre court looking for the next tough match
Ei ollu hirveesti katsomossa muita suomalaisia meidän lisäks, joten Brisbanen suomalaiset: Jarkko tarvitsee kannustusta!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Djokovic using head racquets now?
January 6th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
we ♥ you Ana!! thank you for the great game last night, we’re so proud of you. you have so many fans, you’re gorgeous inside out. can’t wait to see you at the australian open
January 6th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Dokic has not learnt anything in 5 years. She only has an A-game (hit hard, then harder). Surely we can’t waste more wildcards on Dokic. TA should get their head out of the sand and keep investing in our youth like they have done with Tomic and Klein with a 5 year plan.
January 6th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Love the lost bit “a woman’s mind is just anti-logic”- she said it herself!
January 6th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I can’t believe channel 7 stopped the coverage when they did. Hopeless.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
bad luck Nole.
i was disapointed to see him loose.
i thought for sure he was going to win.
i hope hes better in the AO. that other guy was rly good tho.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
It’s ok. First match of the year is always tricky.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Perhaps it was the new racqeut change?
Brilliant show by “The Gull”.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Gulbis is the future of world tennis. I had a feeling he would do this.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Great Gulbis well done!
January 6th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Feel kinda sorry for Djoko, but Gulbis seemed more confident than ever and totally deserved it. Par lielu Latviju!
January 6th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
i can’t believe nole lost!!!!!
is this the end of him from brisbane???
January 6th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Noooooooo
we are so sad for you Nole – but better luck to you for the Aust Open
xox
January 6th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Malacis Ernest!Sarauj Latvija! Good job and best of luck in the future!
January 6th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Novack just looked distracted the whole match, hopfully he does better in the Australia Open.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
He lets his head get the better of him. He needs to focus more & mature a little as well. Otherwise he is often superb.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
You are so witty. Don’t think Novak will be laughing today.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Wow what an upset. 1st round? Too bad. But I think Nole will do well at the Australian Open considering he’s just 10 points behind Roger. I’m sure he will defend his title. Don’t worry Nole, all of your fans will be here to support you. Just stay focus on your game & don’t let the nerves kick in.
Don’t think of the events that just happened. It’s a game, their’s a winner & their’s a loser.
Goodluck at the Australian Open ‘09.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Gulbis is an incredible talent, and considering that Novak was one of the drawcards for this event, i really cannot see why they drew him up against Gulbis in the very 1st round.
Throughout last year Gulbis was consistently drawn up against the top 3 players in the 1st round of the major tournaments – just funny really.
I think this will be his year to shine!
Too bad for Novak though..
January 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Ernests, LATVIA are PROUD and we all woke up early and saw your biggest win so far !!! Thank You and thanks God
January 6th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Ernest is better!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Very tough first round draw. Happy to see Gulbis do well, though, he’s a great talent and has a beautiful head of hair.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
No doubts- Gulbis is getting better and better- are you ready to see Gulbis wining AO?
January 6th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Malacis, Ernest!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
congrats to gulbis. he actually did play much better than Novack and he deserved the win!
January 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Feel the heat Novak! Tsonga is laughing
January 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Nole, you did not play today. We hope you will do great at AO.
We still love you and suport you. Go for #1 in 2009. We believe in you.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Gulbis was awesome today I thought djokovic was going to win
January 6th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I was appalled at 7’s coverage. It cut out half thru the 2nd set. And no night coverage simply below average.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I’m so annoyed at channel 7 for stopping the coverage when they did. VERY ANNOYING!!! Disappointing for Djokovic as I am going to the tennis on Thursday and I was looking forward to watching him play (as i just assumed he would get past the first round)
January 6th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Shame on channel 7 for stopping the coverage when they did. Absolutely Disgraceful.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Sesil…..you rock girl!Show your best!I love youuuu….
January 6th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Gulbis really is the future of tennis!!!
GULBIS IR LABAAKAIS!!!!!!! Sarauj Latvija!!!! [:
January 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
OK Nole, you have “bought” first lesson for 2009. No more beaches, photos….night clubs…etc…fashion posing…
Leave it behind you, crash them all on AO.
Congratulations for young Gulbis !
January 6th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
great play by Gulbis. Probably, the next top 10 player. I`m so sorry, but this is not your lucky day Nole. I hope you will shine on AO.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
djokvoic is still the man no matter if he lost to this little guy lol his still the man its first match of the year dsnt matter hes still numbers 3 in the world babyyyyyyyyyy.
SRBIJAAAAAAAAA DO TOKIJA
ly noleeeeeeeee
January 6th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Although i am latvian,I always like Noles attitude, respect. but ofcourse this win means a lot to Gulbis.. and to his country!
January 6th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Well done Gulbis! Deserved win! Shame on you Chanel 7 though… really terrible who wants the “Sea Princesses” instead of the tennis?! Still I was hoping to see Novak in the SF as I’m going on Saturday.. hope Gulbis gets there now!
January 6th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Well thanks a lot Djockovic. You’ve put a whole dampener on the tournament, and disappointed so many of your fans, especially the ones like myself who’s only chance to see you was at the Brisbane International.
We’ve spent a lot of money to see you, and you lose in the first round. It obviously doesn’t mean that much to you, as you didn’t have the heart in the match to win.
Good luck in the Australian Open, I can’t guarantee I’ll be watching.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Sesil,all the best dear!Good luck and wanna see you against Pironkova in QF!
January 6th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I totally agree with FedererBulgaria – this will be a ‘dream come through’ game for whole Bulgaria. Lots of luck to Sesil and Tzveti.
January 6th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Gulbis close friend of Djokovic, since years. Always hard for both to play against each other.
But Gulbis is strong player and deserved the win.
Congrats Ernests!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Ok.
Today Gulbis made good job, but I can’t see him in top 10.
He is a little bit nervous in his game..
Great start for season and for Ernest.
January 6th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Don’t be disappointed that Novak is no longer in the tournament. Ernest Gulbis is the one to watch out for in this tournament. He was a rising star in 2008 and has stamped his intentions early. He’s the real deal with his awesome game. Expect him to make the final!
January 6th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Noel,
maybe next yr come early so you don’t look like you just got off the plane…..mind you you were beaten by the player on the day
January 6th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Matt – your are a sore person to say that about Novak. Give the guy a break. I hope he does well in the Aussie Open.
January 6th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
WOW .. See guys I told you .. I had a ggod feeling about my favorite player in tennis Ernets ,,
That he could do it .. and now he did ..
what amazing player .. Go ahead Ernooo
January 6th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
he did it on purpose.
gives him more energy left to win the AO
January 6th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
I would just like to commend the wildcards handed to Bernard and Brydan.It was a brave move and let’s face it, Guccione, Sirriani, Luczak are all aging aussie players. Let’s give our up and comers a baptism of fire! THat’s the beauty of having a home tournament- being able to blood some of our young talent on the world stage. It is wonderful foresight and is backed by many of Qld’s coaches. Congratulations- a very refreshing attitude, and one that is sorely needed.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Latvija!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I think there is no ill-intention or malice by Azarenka. She seems to have a really good personaility and sportsmanship.
January 6th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Channel 7 should be ashamed!!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
djokovic now will have time to get used to his new raquet and gulbis totally deserved it he always got strong players in the beggining and he in part with marin cilic are for me the new future of tennis, while we can enjoy from nadal federer djokovic murray etc..
January 6th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Anastasia – I am not a “sore” person. I just spent a lot money to see him, and for him to lose in the first round is very disappointing.
And like the reports are saying, he seemed very disinterested in the match, and showed no heart.
I continue to stand by everything I have said.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I Disagree Tristan Brown, qualifying W/Cs would have been also a fantastic handout at this age. As a parent not a coach, I believe players and people must earn their way and learn to fight for things. It is far too easy to go out and not be expected to win. ATP matches are not a training ground for experience, but a reward for the very best who have proved they are prepared to be there. Why have qualifying matches at all otherwise. ? Qualifying is a logical and important step in development. Russia, Serbia, Italy, Sweden, and many of these countries where todays strength are coming from do not have ” Slam Handouts” , these players do have to earn their way.
While I think Brydan and Bernard did a great job under the circumstance, if to get our players on board with W/Cs at all then I think guys like Ball , Guccione , Groth , still in their early 20s are not past their prime by any means , they still have plenty of firing power, and also deserve the same valuable experience, leaving them to qualify was not going to help their confidence in all they have worked for, for so much longer. They are hardly going backwards right now, all making improvement that could have been consolidated with belief behind them. Australians are known to mature late because we don’t just slug from baselines,” thank goodness.” Thank goodness Rafter was not considered as aging in his 20’s ,,
Yes blood the youngest but qualifying would have been a sufficient step up, they would have gained more match play , and may have worked their way into the tournament. At the end of the day we the public would like to have someone left past round one to cheer on at home . If the next generation want to be inspired by tennis we need players getting past first round for them to watch and aspire too. I think Brydan and Bernard have a great future but the steadier the climb the better they will be for it. I feel it is important you print both sides of the coin and what people feel about this. I doubt I am not alone on my view.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Whatever you are doing, Nole, you’re NOT on the right track. I can’t believe how many chances to rise to #2 you have squandered. And you should never give up in any match. You are not respecting the tournament and the audience. Go polish up everything for AO!
I think both players are rusty today, Djoko much rustier than Gulbis though. Congratulations to Gulbis anyway.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Yes, Djokovic using HEAD racquets now….and he come to Australia 3 day’s before the play. Gulbis is fresh and this day better. We will see with Paul-Henri Mathieu:)
Of course Novak Djokovic is much more better player than Gulbis.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Great! it was timeeee!! my bet’s goes on Ana Ivanovic!
January 7th, 2009 at 12:48 am
OMG !!! I’m latvian and I was watching the game ! I specially woke up @ 6 am lol !
We are so happy to see you winning your first game of the season. You really looked good ! Keep up the pace, ERNOOO !
And it was incredible !!! ERNESTS – TU ESI THE BEST !!!
January 7th, 2009 at 1:21 am
I had a feeling that Gulbis would win….he had some amazing games at Grand Slams and ATP tours last year. He is sure the one to watch!
January 7th, 2009 at 2:04 am
THIS IS VERY GOOD DJOKING….
NOLE YOU ARE STILL THE BEST!
LOVE YOU,H…..S SE R…I!
January 7th, 2009 at 4:26 am
Djokovic wasn’t as good as hi knows to be, but hi wasn’t bad too. Today, Gulbis was better.
January 7th, 2009 at 5:21 am
Well done, Ernest! You were simply better today
Good luck in the next matches.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:45 am
This came as a shock! Hope Nole recovers and plays better in the Australian Open!
On the plus side, he has now accepted a wildcard entry into the Sydney tournament!! Definitely going to go check out his match!
January 7th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Novak, I hope you find yourself soon, because you looked like a lost child out there.
Novak is a slow starter and Gulbis is a very tough opponent. It looks that he was struggling with confidence. He obviously needs more preparations in order to start the new season properly. He made a mistake coming to Australia as late as Saturday. And it doesn’t seem that he is very confident with his new racket and needs some more time to get used to it.
Congrats to Gulbis and his fans. I hope this win over Nole gives him some confidence.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Keep it up Jo don’t let the frustration get to you and play your natural game!
January 7th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Great effort by Sirianni,
beating two guys that are ranked in the top 100 in one day and then nearly beating Llodra who is ranked 50 in the world the next day(btw:What is going on with scheduling two matches in one day?!
You don’t even have that at junior level!)
Surely that’s gotta be a wildcard for the Open.
Unfortunately none of the other guys could do similar.
Better luck next week!
Go Stosur you’ll make it back to the Top 30 in no time!
January 7th, 2009 at 10:03 am
go Tsonga
January 7th, 2009 at 10:04 am
I agree with Stuart (1st comment)
it was in the climax of the match and channel 7 killed it just for deal or no deal…
so much for serious sports coverage
January 7th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Sorry, Matt, but you’re just plain ridiculous. Djoko is not obliged to you just because you bought an expensive ticket, lol. Even if the match didn’t mean much to him, that doesn’t mean he should be worried about all the people who bought tickets just to see him playing in the secound round – it’s your problem, not his.
Anyway, no one who expected to see Djoko in upcoming rounds shouldn’t be too worried (except for Serbs maybe), ’cause Gulbis is pretty entertaining too and if he beats Mathieu (tough opponent though), he goes through to the 1/4 final. It’s 2:35 AM here in Latvia and a lot of people are still awake as it starts in less than two hours. Sarauj, Ernest!
January 7th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Not just Latvia, all of the region is proud of you and been following your carrier for a while. Keep on going! Latviesu laba liaudis!
January 7th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Can’t wait for the next big day at the Brisbane International!
January 7th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Upsets like this do happen especially early in the season, this result did not surprise me at all. Gulbis is an impressive player and will continue his rise up the rankings. To all the Djokovic fans don’t despair he will come back stronger and will challenge for the No 1 spot.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I’m not saying he’s obliged to me. He’s obliged to his fans, and he’s let them down.
You don’t seem to understand… Keep enjoying yourself in Latvia lolol!
January 7th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Tomas Tomas Tomas Tomas Tomas BERDYCH!
Tomas BERDYCH
Tomas BERDYCH!
January 7th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Sorry, but it’s you who don’t seem to understand. No player can be blamed for losing a match, it’s not like he did it on purpose. And even if it didn’t mean so much to him, he shouldn’t be criticised just because someone bought a ticket expecting to see him in next round, it’s not his _responsibility_ to go through to 2nd, 3rd., etc. rounds.
Anyway, silly discussion. Keep grieving in Australia, lol. The big match is coming up!
January 7th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Any idea who’ll be playing tomorrow?
January 7th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Am happy for Gulbis to win – he played well and deserved it! On the other side of the coin, one would expect the world number 3 to have a better approach to a tournament, particularly one where he was paid appearance money to attend. One word, integrity. Give me the women’s tour any day.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Wow! A thoroughly enjoyable game. ‘Our Aussie Jam’ played unbelievably well and provided exciting tennis. Hope she has success in AO.
January 7th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
so excited for mauresmo vs. possible ana ivanovic match.
GO AMELIE!
i hope she learns to be confident in herself more often as the commentators say, because she is untouchable when she’s confident.
January 7th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
A wonderful match, though I think the match went to the stronger player. I just HOPE that Amelie learns to ALWAYS play like she does when she is down. Down 2-5 in the third set, she really turned it around; and three brilliant plays when Coin’s match points arose.
I thought that the match might as well have been the final of the tournament; both of the girls played brilliantly. Bonne chance Amelie!
January 7th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Common, Kei! I believe you’re the one who bring men’s pro tennis to upper level in next 10 years!
January 7th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
KEI KEI KEI KEI KEI KEI Nishikori!
KEI Nishikori !
I know Berdych will very strong, but KEI is amazing 19 years boy!!
Please watch his great jumping stroke. His name is Air-K !
Tonight, something will happen in Pat Rafter Arena…
January 7th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
ike ike ike ike nishikori kei!!
January 7th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
I strongly disagree with Sandy’s commnets.
Novak was coming off a short preparation and had his mind on other things , like figuring out the greens at Victoria Park. He will peak come Aus open time. As for the integrity word well the organizers of the BI simply made a commercial business decision , appearance moneys are paid all over the world in various sporting events. Are you suggesting that there is more integrity in the womans tour? – im not so sure…..
RAOFLMAO
THE DOC
January 7th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Nice one Jo ! You obviously have the talent and now have the mental toughness to match as well. Richard’s been playing well so it should be a great match tomorrow. I’d hate to pick a side tho as I enjoy watching you both
January 7th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Oh no… Ancic is too cute!
January 7th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Good luck Ana!!!
January 7th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Why is there not a regular shuttle bus from Yeerongpilly station? It is a fair hike for elderly people or those who are not able to walk distances, such as my wife who has had knee problems. If a decision has been made that there will be no public parking, there should be shuttles to the complex as there is at Suncorp Stadium.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
I’d like to have a hit with Fernando as well.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Go Amelie!!!
Sooooooo excited for that possible match against ivanovic!!!
If it happens, (and i know it will) She’ll most definetaly play her best, especially with all that confidence she has when she’s playing well.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Watched your matches Sophie. Keep fit and you will be No 1 in Australia one day. Love your backhand!!
January 7th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
bad luck danka, still love you!xxxxx
January 7th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
AJDE ANA YOU ARE THE BEST! BEST WISHES
January 7th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
phew, that was close. So glad she made it through!!! I hope she wins the next one with a little bit more ease.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
hooray on behalf of all men, and tennis lovers
January 7th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Richard Will win tomorrow…..
Go Richard you’re the best
January 7th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Ana you are so beautiful but you are a fighter too. Because of that reason some watch sponsor take you but you are not good for health becouse i become so afraid what if you lose.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
go Ana! i hope you do well in the quarters!
i keep myself updated in the online scoring. i think the match was nerve-wracking!
goodluck! i believe you can win this!
January 8th, 2009 at 12:37 am
where are all the latvians who were yesterday affirming that Gulbis was going to be the next champion?
January 8th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Verdaco is playing better and better since dating Ivanovic, probably she has taught hhim to play better tennis. And he is more motivated, that’s for sure… Thanks to that Spain won the Davis Cup.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:10 am
See you in final on Saturday Ana but first you should change a dress!
January 8th, 2009 at 1:24 am
OMG CLOSE!!!! HORRIBLE LINE CALLS BUT.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Great job Kei! Knew you would do it!! Keep on going through to the Final!
January 8th, 2009 at 1:54 am
Great game Daniela and Ai. Keep on winning all the way to the final. Good Luck Thursday!!! YEAH!!!! Madelaine
January 8th, 2009 at 2:02 am
We Japanese fans are all watching you closely & earnestly from Japan, Kei. You can make it, and we believe you will.
Why am I not in Bris this week?!
Best wishes for the next match!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Go Nishi!!!!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:13 am
Nice pics
Ajde Ana !
January 8th, 2009 at 4:16 am
ADJEEE!!! congrats anci!!
January 8th, 2009 at 4:24 am
WELL DONE ANA!! YOU ARE THE BEST ABSOLUTY!!!
I hope you do well in the quarters!
good luck!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:10 am
Jarkko did so great and he is coming back this year. He knocked out Marcos and this match was very close. Stunning first set from Jarkko and 2. and 3. set were very tight. So go Jakke! Go Finland!
January 8th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Kei-kun, Gan-BaRe!!!
Oh-En Si-Te-Ru Yo!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Congratulations! Ana
January 8th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Morning , everybody. Mathematician and shooter Julie Coin is great fighter. Nice to see you together play tennis ! 733 match A.M. and ? match J.C. = horror to the last … thanks to you . Amélie , go finále !!! You see , you shall
at it .
January 8th, 2009 at 7:40 am
It seems the difference between Mr Tsonga, Ms Maurismo and all the other tennis players in the tournament, is that they want to be here and to win. Apparently Mr Djokovic did not. Good luck everyone.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Allez momo
January 8th, 2009 at 8:54 am
It was fantastic to be able to watch Kei play so well and win over Berdych, who is a wonderful player, last night (or early this morning our time around 5 am) here in California far away from Beautiful Brisbane !!!
Kei, have fun and keep going in Australia ! Can’t wait to watch him in person in San Jose next month !
January 8th, 2009 at 9:17 am
MARIO ANCIC RULEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 9:27 am
bit disappointed, had tickets to tonight and was looking forward to maybe seeing tsonga vs gasquet
January 8th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Very honoured to have attended that match. She pulled that through with pure heart, and the crowd’s help, of course
Great match, i have to agree with her comment about this new-found mental toughness – very impressed!
January 8th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Go Tsonga!~
January 8th, 2009 at 10:06 am
bad luck Roberta! Thanks for a very entertaining match. I think you deserved a win. Good luck in the future
January 8th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Well done Kei! We are so proud of you.
Say hi to Glenn from us….
January 8th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
KEI! u will be No.1!
加油！
January 8th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Go! Go! Kei-chan.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Totally agree Cathy B. It was like throwing lambs to the lions. Whilst both Tomic and Klein are good developing players – it would have been far more rewarding to see them work their way through qualifying and earn the right to their wildcards.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I still think that Bernard should have received a qualifying wildcard and not a main draw wildcard. For him to suggest that he can mix it with the big boys when he was handed the opportunity and did not have to fight it out through qualifying like our other more highly ranked Aussies is a bit laughable. Whilst I am sure that Bernard is talented – let’s hope that getting everything so early on doesn’t destroy what potentially could be a promising player.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
i am very annoyed that the day matches are the good ones. The night sessions cost the same, you only get 2 matches, and the less interesting matches seem to be scheduled. How come?
January 8th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
ana you are so hot and u played really good
January 8th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
A star in the making!
January 8th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Looking forward to it.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Marion seems so relaxed at this tournament, smiling now and then, and judt quietly going about her tennis.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Bad luck? I think she needs much, much more than just luck. Get real!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Fantastic! You are the No.1!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Tsonga you are amazing and you are by far my favorite tennis player! I know you will win this tournament and good luck in the Austrialian Open!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Yeah Amelie!!!!
You are the best
Go Girl!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
This guy just blasted out of nowhere last year, and I’ve been following his career with great interest ever since. Go go go! I’ve got tickets to the final, and I’m crossing my fingers that he makes it all the way.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
The match between Marion Bartoli and Tathiana Garbin will be worth more than your entry fee.
What do you expect to get for 10 bucks?
January 8th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Congrats Ana for winning that match. I hope that you win the crown so that you will have an advantage going into the Australian Open. Goodluck & besh wishes.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
From the photo it looks like she squashed her nose.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
anyone knows the errani result?
January 8th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Nice win verdasco. you have the potential to really rise in the rankings. If you can make it to at least the quarterfinals in the Australian, maybe you could be the future Rafael Nadal
January 8th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
It was wonderful seeing that passion and “fight” in Ana! Champions need that hunger to win
She’s such a terrific ambassador for women’s tennis and I think she can win Brisbane. Much luck to Ana when she plays Amelie tomorrow!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I love Amelie! Nice to see her wining!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Yep! Amelie are back!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Amelie made it look like she was the world number 1 again. Wonderful strokes performed beautifully.
Ana wasn’t on song today, so I hope to see her perform better over the coming year; you can’t take anything away from Mauresmo’s performance though.
That’s what you needed Amelie. Bonne chance!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
very good match
come on amelie !
January 8th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
It is becoming apparent that Ivanovic’s form has deteriated a great deal since this time last year, and starting the year off without a coach will not help. She claims that she has played against most girls in the competition and thus trusts herself enough to be without a coach…from what we can see it does not seem to be working.
Ana has potential but needs to remind herself that stepping out on court in a pretty dress and looking pretty is not enough to WIN a match.
JELENA all the way for Aus Open!!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
amelie mauresmo – 2009.
watch out.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
What’s the deal with sponsor’s radio station noise pollution coming from marquee adjacent to show court #1? I was in the grandstand opposite the offending noisy tent during VERDASCO vs. ANCIC match on Weds afternoon. I could hear the radio playing clearly. It must have been very distracting for the players. It greatly diminished my enjoyment of watching an otherwise excellent spectacle of world class men’s tennis!
Tournament organisers need to fix this problem!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
He will!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I am so dissappointed, I only wanted to see Ana! I’m going to the finals but I really don’t want to go anymore!!!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Amelie to win Aust Open with Jelena runner up!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Azarenka is the only seed to no have droped a set so far so i think she can take out the title on saturday
January 8th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I am very sad cause Ana lost !!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Ivanovic is so overrated
January 8th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Wow what a shock!!! Nole crashing out in the 1st round & now Ana in the quarters. I can’t believe it. But it happens for a reason. I mean you win some, you lose some. I hope that Ana & Nole would give their best in the Australian Open. I’m pretty sure they will win the title if they focus well on their game & they will not get distracted.
Go Ana & Nole!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Let’s see what will happen in the ausopen!
January 8th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Ana Ivanovic is an over rated show pony – and what is with the ball toss ? – Jelena put up a better fight against Mauresmo – Go Jelena !
January 8th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
No one can win all matches. The organizers just need to make sure they have plan Bs for these situations. The worst hit is Djoko himself. He lost the chance to get to No 2, just being 20 points behind Federer. Although I didn’t like his excuse “It was my racquet!”. Who put a gun to his head to change brands? You did it for the money boy!
I think he will be allright for AO. A loss in a 250 tournament is not the end of the world.
Well done Gulbis!
January 8th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I also recommend a haircut!
January 8th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Geez, Ana Ivanovic. What happen to you? Please work even hard the next time around. Hope you can still make it on Australian Open Finals!
January 8th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Hard Luck Ana
Today was not ur day and better next time.
Hope u will get into ur shape in the next tournament in Sydney and wish u all the best to get the tournament.
Good Luck
January 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
allez, amelie!
the new coach and off-season trainings are paying out. all the way to the finals!
January 8th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
I was stunned to see Pete Sampras’ name in the comment list. I watched, admired and enjoyed following his career from Jr. days!
He is the absolute epitome of dignity, humility, brilliance on court and a wonderful ambassador for tennis off the court.
Pete, I’m a retired teacher and just about made it to see you play in the US Open years ago, but was suddenly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease which has kept me from doing many things I would love to do, but I’m not giving up hope
Please know I think you are a absolute best man to ever pick up a racket. I was surely hoping for an autograph had I been able to make that match. Take good care of yourself, your lovely wife and those sweet boys. I loved your book!
God Bless you and thank you for giving me so many wonderful memories~
Linda Alvarado,
My grandparents were Greek too!!
January 8th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
This is Azarenka’s chance to win her first tittle….
January 8th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Ana doesn’t need to pay any attention to her distractors, she has ALL the right stuff. I think she’s been having trouble with her confidence since her thumb injury. She missed many matches and wasn’t even able to practice for many weeks. She is determined and willing to work hard to climb the mountain again & she will!
Don’t be discouraged Ana, this is only a temporary “hiccup”a and you’ll be back in your true form in no time at all. Keep your pretty chin up and never back down to anyone. There are sunny days ahead for you dear, BELIEVE it, perhaps sooner than you think!
Best of luck in the Assie Open!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
bad luck ana,
does anyone know when Gasquet plays Tsonga?
thanks.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Souch a great game Amelie – it’s great to see you again in this way – wish you all the best, for the next games, the next tounaments and at least I hope you feel pretty well all the time on the court! Because this is that what we like to see – that you feel good! Greetings from Germany!
January 8th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Can anyone tell me i got ticket on Sat for men’s semi final 11am? Will I be able to see Men’s double as well? Thanks alot
January 8th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Oh well it doesnt matter, neither will beat the Williams sisters
January 8th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Bad Luck Nishi!!!!
Cmon Lleyton!!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I’m so sad becouse Ana lost but I know that she didn’t gave the best od here. Here serve wasn’t good so she have to practise on it so much. Previous match against Vinci took more concentration so there was no time for here to come back. Ana is better player than Mauresmo, that’s fact. I hope to see you in AO final with Sharapova as runner up. Love ANa YoU ArE BeTtEr ThAn MaUrEsMo (just concentrate yourself) And GoOd luck In AO
January 9th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Proud of Marion.
Amelie has a great record, and will probably be the betting favorite, but that suits us just fine.
Now Marion is so composed and indomitable. Show them more Marion!
January 9th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Amelie Mauresmo was the better player there.She has too much variety for ivanovic.
Dont see the serbian having a good run in AO this year.
Allez Amélie take the whole thing now.Good luck in the semi!
January 9th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Kei, too bad…
But, you did great for just the start of 2009!!!
Well earned ATP points!!!
We all look forward to seeing you beat seed after seed!!!
And wish you have a healthy and fruitful season to come!!!
Gan-Ba-Re, Air Kei!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 2:10 am
Good Luck Amelie!!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 2:17 am
I know why she hasn’t got a coach. The coach would be saying,”you can’t lob, you can’t volley, you’ve got no tricks, you are too one-dimensional”. Comments which Anna probably doesn’t want to hear.
A clever player like Mauresmo knows exactly what to do to dismantle Anna’s game.
Anna is one player who needs a coach urgently. She’s no Roger!
des hoad
January 9th, 2009 at 3:25 am
I LOVE Nole
January 9th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Yeah Amelie is BACK!!!!
Great win love watching you play
Good luck today & for rest Aust tour
Amelie to win her 3rd slam Aust Open!!!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 7:19 am
ABOUT WHO IS BETTER DECIDES ON THE COURT !!!
January 9th, 2009 at 7:19 am
it’s not a shocker that Amelie won. she’s a very talented player who has had a rough year and looks to have gotten her groove back. all those rookies need to beware because she still has a lot in her and is looking to get back in the top 10. sit back and watch.. i’m sure she’s going to climb her way back this year.. go amelie!!
January 9th, 2009 at 7:22 am
it’s not that Ana is overrated so whoever said that has a lot to learn about tennis. she’s a young player with a lot of talent but it takes time to learn your game. things are constantly changing and it’s not as easy as it seems when they’re out there playing.. give her a few more years and i’m sure she will be more consistent.
January 9th, 2009 at 7:25 am
pity free trasport from sunshine coast not included rail great buses no
January 9th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Amelie you are great! I was sure for your victory against Ivanovic! I look forward to see you live in Paris next month (holding the Aus Open triumph)!
January 9th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Morning , everybody . Not until at a time , when to you , Amélie , already dreamed happy tennis-dreams , learnt I’m first from foto about your great gladness ! … Thanks to all , who for us transcribe these happy moment !
Amélie Mauresmo /FRA/ , beaucoup courage et ” vulpine ” tennis !!!
January 9th, 2009 at 7:58 am
This was a top class match by any standards- a real thriller
January 9th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Ana, I’m sad that you lost – but conserve your energy and focus for the Aus Open. You will do well – we have all the confidence in you. And to all the negative comments on here – don’t be so jealous. She is pretty AND talented – its true.
January 9th, 2009 at 8:38 am
come on Ana, you will win the next time,
January 9th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Too bad she was too sad to sign autographs for waiting fans half an hour later. Striding past them completely ignoring them.(Security Guard in tow)
Even in defeat she has a duty to her fans and supporters, not to mention the fact she gets paid appearance money.
What is it with players only signing when they win!? And ignoring fans when they lose?
After all, it’s just one loss and not the end of the world.
Jelena Dokic on the other hand was happy and patient enough to pose for photos with fans and sign balls straight after her loss.
Good on ya Jelena
January 9th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Ana! It seems as though Ana plays at times like James Blake – as though they are afraid of success. Hopefully this will be the year that they both may win a Grand Slam.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Nishi, you have a future.
Looking forward to seeing you again, Kei.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Amelie, so nice to see you in the form again. wish you all the best this season…with you on the court we all have reason to watch tennis again
January 9th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Tsonga is gorgeous and I love the way he celebrates every time he won! <3
January 9th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Great shots – How about Garbin’s expression!
January 9th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Great shots – How about that expression of Garbin!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Great session.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Great tournament!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Oh, I should have got the ticket and rooted for you.
You are an amazing and rising star.
Next time you visit Australia, we will definitely go and watch you play.
See you then and take care of your arm, Kei.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Air-Kei,
You are an amazing and rising star.
Next time you visit Australia, I will definitely get ticket and watch you play in person.
Take care of your condition.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Way to go Mauresmo!!! We’ve missed you!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Good Luck to you Amelie! You can do it!
-Evelyn
January 9th, 2009 at 11:42 am
anita you’re still # 1 for us, keep that on mind
:)
January 9th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Ana Rocks !!!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Mauresmo is looking in fine form!! Keep it up.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Nothing to be jealous of at all- she is a pretty girl and good tennis player. However it is easy to see that her form has suffered immensely over the last year. Makes me agree with some comment on here saying that she is overrated and this hype about her is simply due to her “pretty face” and not necessarily her tennis. She already seems to think highly of herself to think she will do well without a couch…she is a young player who is not as experienced as some of the other players like Muresmo and the Williams sister for example. Therefore she needs a coach as it is these sort of players who expose Ivanovic’s weaknesses.
Jelena Jankovic does not receive anywhere near as much publicity and the media does not make a hype when she plays- she may not be the prettiest tennis player ever but she knows how to play tennis and her personality has won her over many supporters! Ana on the other hand looks like she has forgot that she needs to win matches…she has got to a stage where she struggles even against qualifiers. SHE NEEDS A COACH and she needs one SOON because I agree with previous comment…she is no Federer.
JANKOVIC to win Aus Open 09!!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Ana is so pretty, talented and has no reason to be worried becouse this match is not important. I’m sure that you will be more concentrate in AO and you will win it. I hope Bartoli or Sharapova as runner up. GOOD LUCK
January 9th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
GO MAURESMO!
you can do this.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
i hope amelie wins brisbane international. great player.
go france.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Congrats. I hope you win the tittle
January 9th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Well done vicki!!! I hope you go all the way. Viva Belarus
January 9th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Watched the game and Victoria did very well
January 9th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Gutsy player who will probably win the final whoever she faces. A girl with talent!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Mauresmo will take out the title in Brisbane im sure!
January 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Mauresmo you are an incredible player! You can win against Bartolli in the Semis, and of course take the title in the form that you are presently in…your tennis renaissance.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Victoria struggled in the beginning against Lucie Safarova yesterday. However after talking to her coach on court she got the encouragement she needed. Also a couple of lucky breaks off mistakes by the linesmen against Lucie.
Disappointed in Ana but don’t blame her, good inspiration to play when you aren’t well. Good luck in the future.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Bonne Chance Marion! Give Momo what you gave Davenport.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Are you serious?
January 9th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Jarmila looks so pretty there. She and Sam Groth certainly do make a most striking couple!
January 9th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
amelie, please recover before the australian open.
and please keep your confidence from the ivanovic match, just believe you’re still capable.
i hope azarenka wins in the final.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Bad luck Amelie!! I really enjoyed watching you play Ana yesterday from inside pat rafer areana. It’s a shame you had to exit today’s match the way that you did.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I would be very interested to hear more detail on the nature of Mauresmo’s injury..
However at least it means that Marion can now focus on the final.
Those second serves.. 2 second serve aces.. in 5 games. Impreswsive to say the least. in fact 100% of points won on first and second serves. You cant get better than perfect.
Well done Marion.
January 9th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Keep going Amelie! Go all the way and take the title and several more this year. True tennis fans have missed you – and there’s a lot of us!
January 9th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
My first time watching my favourite women’s player live….what a disappointment for it to end the way it did! Here’s hoping Amelie recovers and does well at the Oz Open.
January 9th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Lucky Bartoli. Amelie’s game is good for the sport. Bartoli’s game is a little annoying, hehe. Esp. with her hops and funny serve. However, good luck to her as well.
January 9th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Dear Amélie ! Good health and see you soon !!!
January 9th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
amelie, nothing to say, I m sad:(
January 9th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
i’m going to wish with all my heart that you recover, amelie, and push hard at the australian open. you deserve one last real chance
January 9th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Courage Amélie! Les français sont aussi avec toi!
January 9th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Fully deserved. Gasquet played fairly well, but I was quite concerned with the errors from Tsonga in the 3rd set.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Congratulations Bartoli! Your two-handed forhand and your serve are brilliant! Goog Luck!
January 10th, 2009 at 12:15 am
GO Bartoli.
i’m with you.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:18 am
Your performance in brisbane excited me.
We all love your tennis!
Go! Kei.
You’re great!
Next Australia, I will cheer you through Internet from Japan.
January 10th, 2009 at 7:28 am
You’re good Marion, you’re my second favourite to win the Brisbane when it started, second to Sam Stosur hehe
January 10th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I knew Marion was unwell, but it is quite an eye opener to hear the full extent and to now know a little bit more about the cause.
It’s great to see her in good health.
Good luck Marion.
And good luck to Amelie also, on her preparation for the Aussie Open.
January 10th, 2009 at 10:10 am
great combined event[[ie. Aust. Mens and Womens HArdcourt c'ships at same venue for the first time in 11 years plus]]with suprisingly good % of top 30 players in each event. However we have not yet reached the enormous variety and quality of support services as offered constantly by THE OZ OPEN, yet mistakenly, the powers that be decided to charge stadium centre court fees from monday forward that were equivalent to melbourne in these economic times and at an inaugural event. This philosophy of business approach has greatly reduced attendance figures during day sessions right up to and including friday day session. As a senior coach closely involved in Qld., with the first 4 1/2 years of private coaching for both Isabella Holland and Sam Stosur and currently 13 year old Qld Little Masters Champion Jemimah Waugh, I contend there is a fixable problem with the pricing structure. The outside ground passes[[good 4 day package value]]to see the slightly lesser profiled and performing players, does not compensate for the restrictions that it places on coaches and families to introduce their children as frequently as possible to this much larger , more inspiring and even more glamorous picture [depending on individual motivation ].A $35.00 and $50.00 cat A and B respect. would have increased attendance or demand for seats by 30.to 40%. Learn from this error of lost opportunity. A TENNIS SUPPORTER AND LIFETIME OCCUPATION COACH.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:30 am
I knew Gasquet would win ! The commentators were completely ruling him out but it was only in time for him to play better – and look he won! Everyone knows that you don’t simply win tennis games by being big and athletic there is more to it!
January 10th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Go…Go… Bartoli!
January 10th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Lets Go Aza!!!
January 10th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
GO AZARENKA!!
win your first title! you deserve it girl
plus you are f-i-e-r-c-e
January 10th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
GOO VERDASCOOOO! GOOD LUCK! I WISH THE BEST TO YOU AND ANA!
January 10th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
GO AZARENKA!!! Your amazing, I LOVE your fighting spirit. You deserve this title
January 10th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Verdasco for the win!
January 10th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Ana Ivanovic is stunning!
January 10th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
good luck
January 10th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Huh, he dates Ana. Can he possibly have more motivation? I don’t think so.
January 10th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
stepanek was so entertaining and hilarious
i am oficially now a Fan
I HOPE HE WINS!
and also that picture is gold, hahaha
January 10th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
go marion.if you win this title you amagazinate many confiance for australian open
January 10th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Go Azarenka!
January 10th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Go, Fernando!
January 10th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
YES. Finaly Miss Victoria “Vika” Azarenka had her 1.st WTA Tournament victory ever. Big congratulation to Miss Azarenka.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
I dont think it will matter who plays (that it wasnt tsonga or djockovic) in the finals, both are excellent tennis players …. good luck to them both
January 10th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Glad I did not go to this final. Azarenka has learnt from Sharapova!!! Had to turn sound off. Her screaming was absoluting disgusting!! Surely the ref can tell her to close her mouth. What an intiminating performance. Congratulations to Marion Bartoli for keeping her cool playing such a digusting opponent!! It is time the tennis officials did something about it!!!!
January 10th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Vamos Verdasco! You can do it again. Be as tough as a Spanish bull! I look forward to seeing you play at Melbourne Park!!!
January 10th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Verdasco doesn’t need Ana Ivanovic for motivation. His powerful play has been evident in his performance last yeat at the ATP tours. He keeps improving, and Anna keeps deteriorating. Verdasco is just less known to the Australian audience. Vamos Verdasco!!!
January 10th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Congrats on winning your first title
January 10th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
azarenka will be the next world number 1.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I So wanted bartoli win this!
January 10th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Congratulations to Vika.
Well done Marion on a great week and a positive attitude.
After her health troubles it would have been easy for her to just hide and rest in the armchair, but instead she worked hard over winter and has came out fighting and playing well this week.
Chin up Braveheart!
January 11th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Hey Fernando,you are now Serbian son in law so you have to win tomorrow-for Ana and all of us!
January 11th, 2009 at 5:35 am
I think that Carol Barber has to turn sound off. His screaming was absolutely disgusting and should close his disgusting mouth.
January 11th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Come on Verdascooo! You are brilliant. I’m 100% sure that you will do well in AO becouse your game yesterday was FANTASTIC. I’m so SUPRISED. Good luck!
January 11th, 2009 at 8:18 am
good thing i did not watch this match, saw azarenka play earlier in the week, she is such a sharapova wannabe with that stupid screaming, it is really distracting.
bad luck bartoli, next time get your revenge.
January 11th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Great article. On most websites they are just short pieces, but this was interesting and insightful. If only the result went Bartolis way today though…
January 11th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Go Radek Stephanek
January 11th, 2009 at 11:33 am
GOOD LUCK VERDASCO
January 11th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I think Verdasco will win the final, but he’ll have to play with great accuracy for it.
I agree with Ian: most of the top-30 players met in Brisbane.
January 11th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Hope you win Verdasco
January 11th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
GO VERDASCO!!!! i hate stepanek, he is a clown.
January 11th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
radek defeated verdasco
January 11th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Keep up the GREAT work!! I took my Mum and we both had a fantastic time. I couldn’t wipe the grin off Mum’s face! We’re both going next year with our family.
January 11th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
what an arrogant winner. he didn’t even thank his opponent. fernando thanked stefanek in the FIRST place – shows who the real man is.
January 11th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I don’t think he’s arrogant, just overwhelmed by his win
January 11th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
i thought he was VERY VERY rude during the game
January 11th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
“Gamesmanship triumphs over finesse and talent.” (just a guess: thankfully I forgot to tune in)
January 11th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Congratulation Vika!
you deserve it!
January 11th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
As a ballboy in this event im very happy with how the event went.
it was a great experience and i’ll be back next year
January 11th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Nothing rude about him. Just emotions and heart!
January 11th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Wow, What a great event. For $10 the ground pass was fantastic value, I got to see great players both train and play, and what an atmosphere around the complex. Will be back next year for sure.
January 11th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
How fortunate we are to have an event such as this one right on our doorstep.
The wait is over and now we can look forward to many years of world class Tennis.
http://protennisplayers.blogspot.com/
January 11th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
What a great final.
A well deserved win by Radek Stepanek.
I look forward to seeing him come back and play next year.
http://protennisplayers.blogspot.com/
January 11th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
give a 30 yr old veteran some respect, his emotive gesturing entertain the crowd well and deserve the victory!!!
January 11th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Congratulations to Vika. She realy deserves this title. I think she is doing well and has good future.
Former manager of Vika Azarenka and Olga Govortsova
Dr.Vladimir Voitovitch, Ph.MD
January 12th, 2009 at 1:05 am
I’m so disapointed. Stepanek’s attitude was terrible. Please tell me if someone agree with me!
January 12th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Sore losers. Suck it up, THE WORM did it.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:41 am
It was a fantastic game to see live at the arena. I thought both players provided great enthusiasm and gamesmanship. It was entertaining. Fernando and Stefanek shook hands and hugged at the end of the match. I think Stefanek simply forgot to thank Fernando.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I attended the semis and finals. Loved the experience – well done to the Tennyson team!
Please consider the following for an even better 2010 tournament:
1. Install large TV screens permanently in the grounds – and hardwired to the electricity system. Those temporary screens you used this year were powered by huge, noisy compressors and you could hear them the whole time even from centre court.
2. Upgrade Tennyson railway station. Have QR divert ALL Shorncliffe trains [which currently finish at South Bank, Corinda or Roma Street] to travel to Corinda via Yerongpilly and Tennyson, replacing the railbus. This would also be patronised by all the residents of Tennyson Reach year-round, not just during tournaments. It would also make it easier for people from ALL rail lines to access the QTC by linking at Roma St [Northern lines], Park Rd [Cleveland line] and Corinda [Ipswich line]. This is a totally plausible solution.
3. Extend CityCat services from St Lucia to Tennyson. Hopefully this is already planned for when the apartments are finished construction.
4. Please include the Draw of the tournament [correct as of Day 1] and a site plan/facilities map in the programme. These were glaring omissions and I ended up with a $9 advertisement brochure.
I’m looking forward to attending many more of your tournaments in the future!
Cheers
January 12th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Great tournament but judging by the people being turfed out of seats they had no tickets for on Saturday made me wonder about the disadvantages of the “ezytickets”. Certainly only one can be scanned to get you inside the gate but what is to stop someone making multiple copies of their ticket and then handing them out to friends (who enter with ground passes)? once inside. No usher is going to remember whether e.g. seat 163, row b, in section S208 is already in his legitimate seat.
Great way to control scalping though but a new set of problems has been created.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
From where I was sitting, the game was played in fantastic spirit by both players. I’m not sure if anyone who is whinging about Radek’s speech has ever won a big tournament title, then on top of all the emotion had to make a speech in a language no native to them…. think about it… It was a great entertaining match & a well deserved winner.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Its great to see tennis back in Brisbane. A few suggestions for next year to help make the tournament even better. Could you please take into account that Brisbane in January is very hot and humid. More shade around the venue would be appreciated and can something be done to tame the afternoon sun that comes into the arena from around 2.30pm.
Also cool, sunsafe uniforms for the linespeople, etc. would be more appropriate than those heavy trousers and odd-looking navy shirts, zipped right up to the chin, to help promote a summer atmosphere for the tournament.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Would you all be so upset by Stafanek’s win if he was part of the beautiful crowd like Verdasco and Ivanovic? I think not. I happened to see him leaving after the game and congradulated him on his win and he thanked me and shook my hand. Well done Radek. Thanks for coming.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
HI
fantastic event. Went to both finals. Stadium is outstanding . Agree with previous entry re screens need to be up and running near the food outlets broadcasting games not sponsor ads! Also the lack of seating outside was appalling. considering poeple want to eat and have a rest after travelling there on public transport the lack of seating was a complete oversight. A few and I mean a few plastic chairs scattered did not meet the huge demand. many people sat down on the cement in the shade as there was nowhere else to sit in shade outside doors 1-3. Go to Aussie open and look at the fantasic seating and shade. Any way a fantastic couple of days and I will eb racing to get finals seats again next year.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
great event,great stadium however it was very difficult and time consuming to get there by public transport,i hope next year this improves with the buses and trains coordinating and if the ferry went there it would be ideal,i will go again next year good to see great tennis in brisbane.
January 13th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
GO FERRRR!!! Be confident, you are the best. We
love you!!
Tu tia cubana y toda la familia
January 13th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
It’s nice to know that one of my favorites womens tennis players- Marion Bartoli started 2009 with a remarkable note to be in the finals and eventually the runner-up in this warm-up tournament b4 the Australian Open kicks-off next week. All the best for Marion !!! go!go!go Marion for your first grand slam title!
But, I’m quite sad that my other favorite, Maria Sharapova will not defend her title this year.
January 13th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
It’s nice to know that Marion started the 2009 campaign with a high note being the finalist in this tournament.
Go Marion! just be consistent with your game and go for your first Grand Slam title!!
January 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
radek was excited to win and he almost forgot to thank his coach as well so i dont think he didnt thank verdasco on purpose…he did seem a bit “rude” on the court but come on, wouldnt you do the same if it was you trying to win??? i know i would..
January 13th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Loved it great Tournament, sat in the upper section great seats but get rid of the glass panels which are annoying in row H. More shade on outside courts needed otherwise cant wait till next year, very impressed
January 14th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Agree with comments above but would also like to see more score boards on the outside courts,at least two on the main courts & one on those used the first couple of days.
January 14th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
We attended the Thursday night session tickets including the three course meal. The tennis centre is exceptional, the tennis equally as good and the viewing also outstanding. However we were served a meal well below what was acceptable. A real shame and the fact that when we mentioned the poor quality of our meals (my wife and I left half of ours on our plate)the waiter just laughed and continued on his way. Considering the cost of these session tickets it put a real damper on what could have been a perfect night.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
We attended the finals and really enjoyed both days so next year we hope to go for the whole week to watch the ’story’ play out in full.
Travelling from Carindale and we ended up driving, but would much rather catch a bus from Carindale Shopping Centre as we do for the soccer & cricket (to the Gabba).
Can’t wait for 2010!
January 15th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
stepanek deserved to win, he has skill and great finesse as well as being entertaining for the crowds. i love his attitude to tennis, its refreshing. go the worm!
January 15th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
this year’s brisbane international were the best three days spent for me so far this year. i thought the railbus service from corinda to the venue was efficient. the atmosphere was lovely and seeing some of my favourites and well known players was the best part. awesome first tournament, and like everyone else i’m looking forward for what 2010’s brisbane international holds
January 15th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
nice tournament nice setup cant wait till they develop and build up the area. have more things to do ine between tennis. and i think the location of the tennis centre is an issue for public transport as it isnt exactly central and the public transport system in brisbane is not up to scratch, too many changeovers required, which in itself isnt an issue but its hardly seamless.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I caught Radek in the semi-finals and love players who come to the net and mix up their game rather than playing totally from the baseline. He played from the heart and I enjoyed every moment he was on court. Great passion!
August 8th, 2009 at 12:00 am
So excited Andy Roddick is playing at the Brisbane International. He is one of the champion players since the start of the decade. So keen to get tickets to see him play when they are on sale. I think he’ll enjoy Brisbane. Its a big city with a casual feel which sounds like his town of Austin. Your welcome in Brisbane Andy.
August 8th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Andy Roddick is not a Roger Federer, and will never be able to!!!!
August 8th, 2009 at 6:38 am
That’s great Andy is playing Brisbane,love the video too!
August 8th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
What great news Andy Roddick is playing here. Looking forward to see him play.
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
This is great news! Does anyone know if Ernests Gulbis, the djoker slayer will play? What are the chances of him playing again next year?
September 18th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Never thought we’d get to see Kim in Oz again! Will be there with a Belgian delegation to cheer her on!
September 18th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Hi, we’re watching the Brisbane Open for the first time. We’re a family (2 adults with 3 boys). What do you recommend when i buy the tickets? There seems to be a day session and a night session with different prices. What will be the best one for us? How about the ground tickets? Does that give us access to all the courts or this is just outside courts and w/in the stadium? Hope you can give me better info before i do my booking.
For hotel, we’re thinking of Marriott. Is that near and accessible to the Q Tennis center?
thanks,
September 18th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Yahoo! I’ve waited a long time for a chance to see Kim play, now I have it! Wild horses won’t keep me away – The Brisbane International is going from strength to strength. Keep it up!
September 18th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Great news for Brisbane,it will be worth going to the international just to see Kim. If she needs a tour guide while she is here i will be available.
September 18th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I’am so excited that Kim is going to play at the 2010 Brisbane International!
I cannot wait to see her play again after her incredible at this year’s US Open.
September 19th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
This is fanctastic news. Glad to see Kim making a comeback. I can’t wait to see her play.
September 27th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Kim is so great,so it will be great to see her play in Brisbane.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:18 am
About 6 of us went from the Gold Coast last year. Two great sessions on the Thursday and Friday. I talked to Steve Ayles last year AND as a result got the GC train to stop at Yeerongpilly station for the week. This is a MUST as messing about with Beenleigh takes too long. The Premier should be approached if the railways are not cooperative. It is not good enough to do surface trains from Beenleigh for an international sporting event.
With best wishes
Graham
October 8th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
The 2009 Brisbane International was a great event. However, apart from the main court arena, there was inadequate shade cover to protect spectators from the summer sun. I hope that this shortcoming has been redressed for the 2010 event.
October 8th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Exciting news about the latest additions to the Brisbane International Tennis line up in James Blake,Gael Monfils and the return of Jelena Dokic and Ana Ivanovic.
I’m sure all who attend the Brisbane International 2010 are in for a real treat.
I for one am looking forward to spending the week at The Brisbane International Tournament and hopefully catching up with some of the players.
Looking forward to see Kim Clijsters play also.
Let’s hope last years mens winner and current world No. 16 Radek Stepanek and womens winner world No.9 Victoria Azarenka will be back to defend their respective titles.
The current field of players is fantastic and will get even better from here on.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
What a great tournament last year and so good to see Brisbane on the tennis map once again. Would it be possible to provide shade for the seating on the show courts on the Western side and also provide seating on the Eastern side. i know this would take up a grassed area but it is not so good watching a game through the wire from the grass anyway.
October 10th, 2009 at 5:08 am
I think you are the best. Life is a jounery and you can do anything you put your mind to. All the best my dear.
October 13th, 2009 at 2:02 am
i am so excited for Bribane 2010.we all miss you already Ana.we hope you all best.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:06 am
It would be great if Brisbane International could actually tell you what dates the mens quarter and semi finals are going to be held on. I really don’t want to spend over $200 on tickets and hope that I guess the right date!
October 14th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I have just read that Justine Henin will return to the scene of her 2004 Australian Open triumph following the warm-up event at the Brisbane International.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
It is going to be a big field of players, but i just hope Daniela Hantuchova can come back this year.
October 16th, 2009 at 12:42 am
@ Carol – I think the 1/4s are on the Friday and the semis on the Saturday. If last year is anything to go by anyway.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I agree with Carol’s comment, we want to see the men’s finals as we saw the women’s last year and wanted to experience both, but not having access to these details is off putting in terms of purchasing tickets.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:50 am
to the whiners leaving comments about not knowing when the finals are.. took me less then 1 minute to locate the information: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/Content/pdf/AO2010-BrisbaneFAQ.pdf
October 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Yay Anci!
October 21st, 2009 at 8:53 am
it’s great henin coming to brisbane and it will for fans and her opponents to see what type of form shes in but i would still love for daniela hantuchova to come back and better her performance than last year.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:58 am
As much as Jane thinks she is being helpful, the document she has linked does not advise the dates of the mens 1/4’s and 1/2’s.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
The times of the semi finals (men’s and women’s)is not published and unable to find out when they are on. There is no contact phone or email listed.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:55 pm
This is great news- good luck Justine.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
woop woop oh yeah!
October 21st, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I am so happy that Justine has chosen The Brisbane International as her come back tournament. I look forward to watching Justine again, hitting her wonderful ground strokes especially her beautifully struck backhand. All the best for your second career.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:47 pm
wow what a world class field … in our little corner of the world! Our Brissie summer will certainly prepare the players from the northern hemisphere for the Melbourne weather in the Australian Open.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Why not just buy a series ticket!?
October 25th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Allez Justine!! Tu es mon heroine!!
October 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
We love you Justine!!
Go get the top ranking again!!
October 26th, 2009 at 10:10 am
great news. good luck in brisbane and your second career, justine.
October 26th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
hope she wins it!!
October 27th, 2009 at 2:02 am
juju is back! she’ll win for sure
October 27th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Scheduling information for Brisbane International 2010 is available on the Session Times page: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/event-guide/playing-times
October 29th, 2009 at 6:45 am
I am holidays out of town until 10 jan but still want to go with my family to the mens final. Can the mens final ticket be bought by itself?
October 30th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Hi Bob – It is possible to buy the Men’s final ticket by itself (subject to availability). Go to http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx?sh=BRISINTD10&view=ao to book tickets. The Men’s final is on during the day on January 10.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
A real fighter, I know that’s what Dinara is. Take one step at a time Dina, don’t force yourself, your far more important to us than any major title. God Bless Dina, we’ll be praying for your speedy recovery. Take care always!
October 30th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
What about john millman
He’s been threw a injury this and he has done well
Local boy 2
November 1st, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Juju so glad you’ve chosen to return to the tour in Brisbane – you’ve been greatly missed by your many fans!
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 am
so we got to wait till 2010 to see Ana back……… its a bit long but its ok………. i wish her all the and hope she wins………
November 7th, 2009 at 6:06 am
justine henin ewer!!!
November 9th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
At #392 I doubt many have heard of John Milman or unfortunately, care at the moment.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:39 am
i doubt she will win, those young comers will smocked her lol
November 15th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Give a wildcard to john millman if the best player in Brisbane can’t get into the brisbane international it should be called the Tokyo international
He deserves it
November 17th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
John Millman should definately get a wildcard into the Brisbane International. Local Brisbane boy who has not been given anywhere near the support other players have. He has had to make it pretty much on his own. The least they can do is give him a go in the Bris Int.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Hey- form is temporary, a tennis player’s technique doesn’t fade!
Justine’s superior tennis skills will give those “young comers” problems.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Tourney looks good so far.
Best of luck to a strong draw and fan support…
November 18th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Women’s tennis was never the same after Jusine left. Go and take your place on top of the rankings.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Best of luck in your return. You have plenty of years left to pickup more grand slams like Wimbledon.
You and your coach seem very wise to go after the implementation of higher serve percentage on the first delivery.
A small, wise, focused team serves the best results.
Good luck in Aussie land….
KK
November 21st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
They should have given wild cards to John and Joel last year. Hopefully they end up giving wild cards to them for the qualifiers. That’s the very least they could do.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 am
My bet is they give a wildcard to Jason Kubler?
Sure he may be a great junior but can he really compete against men at the highest level?
Hopefully they dont waste a wildcard hoping that these young kids may fluke a round. Give it to guys that have a chance!
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
YES! Perfect! Belgium back on top. I hope for a final between Kim and Justine.
Best of luck,
B Coppens from… Belgium
November 25th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
I disagree Rob Smeets beat him today and he has lost the first round of 2 futures in a row.
I agree with timmy, give a wildcard to John Millman.
Great Player and local boy or Rob Smeets the experienced player
November 25th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Yea i Agree with Ak and Timmy
John Millman has had it tough and he could get there with help
or
give it to Rob Smeets he has played in almost all of the grand slams
Jr Are you no.392?
November 26th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Is Simon still playing? He’s not on the official list….
November 26th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Looking forward to seeing Justine and Kim!
November 26th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
@Dana – Simon is injured so he’s not on the list.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Awesome!!! Can’t waint! this summer’s going to be GREAT!!!
November 26th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Will the doubles and qualifiers players be announced soon?
November 26th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Where is maestro John Millman
he is the best player in brisbane
November 26th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Yeah I agree with timmy and michael
John is the best player in brisbane and he needs a break which he deserves.
And
Atleast give a wildcard into the qaulies for Rob Smeets and joel lindner
November 26th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
What a great line up – lets hope Dokic can play above her ranking.
November 26th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Wheres John Millman?
He is the BEST player in brisbane
November 26th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
YAY, PETER IS PLAYING!!! I wish I could go see him play…but television is better than nothing. =D They’d better televise his match(es)…
November 27th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Really looking forward to the tournamnet since Simon was playing. But now, may forget about watching. Hope Simon is able and given a wildcard the very last minute
November 27th, 2009 at 1:38 am
i love horacio zeballos. hope he wins it all
November 27th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Hi Tim, the qualifying event will be held from 1-3 January. The remaining wildcards will be announced on brisbaneinternational.com.au in the coming weeks.
November 27th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Good Luck for Thomaz Bellucci
November 27th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I heard Verdasco was coming back… not confirmed yet or is that the FINAL list?
November 27th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Hi Ging, there are still some wildcards to be announced in the coming weeks and the qualifiers event.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Womens field looking great, not alot of big names in the mens field though what a shame..
November 28th, 2009 at 6:12 am
I cannot wait to see Justine play!!!! I have waited for this moment for 1 year and a half and I hopes she comes back in style!! GOOOOO Juju!!!
November 28th, 2009 at 6:53 am
will andy murray be playing? hes not on the list. thanks
November 28th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Thanks, Darren… so we shall wait & see…
November 28th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Jr, if you look at the comments on this website I’d say you’d find that quite a few people have in fact heard of john millman….and do care…
John has been doing extremely well since coming off an injury this year. The recent Australian Futures have been his first tournaments back since his injury and out of the six tournaments john has reached two semis and three finals.
At the beginning of 2008 john was sitting outside the worlds top 1000 and 15 months later he reached a career high of 316,if you know much about tennis you will know this is quite an achievement and one that should definitely be recognised.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Not as star studded as last year, with only 1 top 10 player, but still good none the less. Would say that 2 wildcards will be aussies and 1 will be a player returning from injury.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Hope Marion Bartoli enters the tourney.
November 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Quote ” 18. claire Says:
November 28th, 2009 at 6:53 am
will andy murray be playing? hes not on the list. thanks ”
Like you said, he’s not on the list so that answers your question. And I’m sure he won’t be playing the qualies.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
YEA i agree with Michael
John millman he won a tournament last week and made the final the week before
November 30th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Yea i agree
John would a great prospect for the future if he gets help from tennis aust and the ais
December 1st, 2009 at 9:39 am
Wow so excited to see Roddick is playing here in Brisbane.
Would love to go and watch him play the only thing is not sure what days i should book tickets?
Help Anyone?
December 1st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
i would pay $1000 to waych john millman play
December 1st, 2009 at 10:45 pm
ooohhhhh i cant wait to see Ana again back in the court
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:28 am
Please let me play.
December 6th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Ajde Ana ! Good Luck in Brisbane.
December 9th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Many of us agree it is about time John Millman got a fair go. He is a lovely bloke and does it pretty much by himself, not being one of the system's chsoen children. Works hard, nice bloke give him a fair go
December 9th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Agree with Michale Bill and Mark – lets get see John Millman play
December 10th, 2009 at 6:49 am
great to have Kim back with us!
December 10th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
“starlet”? I think she should be profiled as a “tennis player” – she deserves her sports title, instead of some “starlet” tag/// it's really demeaning for such a great young player… leave this kind of labeling to trash magazines
December 10th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I've just read that Russian-born, newly-Aussiefied, Anastasia Rodionova is playing…
December 10th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
WOW! What a fantastick line up. But…………….no American women in the draw, which I find quite unusual. So lets' hear it for Kim (Formerly Aussie Kim).
December 11th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
her b-day is the same as mine lol
i love here so much and i watched her play for ages and she is my idol and i now play tennis and have been for about 2 years and i want to go pro.
December 12th, 2009 at 7:13 am
it is a shame dinara cant participate in brisbane but she will most likely play in 2011 but in the mean time we all just have to wish dinara a speedy recovery and by the way she probably would have taken the title out with ease.
December 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
THAT IS SUCH A SHAME AS JUST LOVE HER GAME. I SAW HER AT GOLD COAST AND SHE WAS AWESOME. WELL, HOPE TO SEE YOU ON TV AT AUST OPEN…ALL THE BEST DINARA WE LOVE YOU …
BRISBANE FAN
December 13th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Hi Dinara ! I'm so disapointed for you and for us. I was very impatience to see you to Brisbane. Perhaps you will be to Sydney (Grand chelem) I hope very much ! I wish you will recur to 100%. Good luck and I wish you a very happy new year 2010.
Louise
December 15th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Look it is a shame that Dinaras not here, but like the article says Brisbane does have star quality with the likes of………. Jelena Dokic!
December 16th, 2009 at 10:49 am
James Blake is awesome! I can't wait to see my favourite player in full flight. With a new coach, Blake seems to playing the best he has in his career. Best of luck James! From your huge fan, Jesse.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Hi James! I can't wait to see his Aussie run. He is my favourite player and I can't wait to see him in fulll flight. With a new coach, Blake seems to playing the best he has in his career. Hopefully, he'll break his Slam best apperancxe of an Aussie Open QF and this prepares him well for it. Best of luck! Your huge fan, Jesse.
December 18th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Long Way To Go, My friend Has Been Playing For 11 years and Shes 16, you Dont just become pro overnight, work hard
December 18th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
surely local boy john millman deserves a wildcard into the brisbane international following his impressive quarter final win in the AO play-off.
December 19th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I wish Roger Federer would come to the Brisbane International. It'd be my only chance to see him play!
December 20th, 2009 at 9:17 am
December 20th, 2009 at 9:30 am
who has entered the women's qualifying field for the tournament. They should have the commitment list by now and it should be posted.
December 20th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Let John Millman play he has the runs on the board.
December 21st, 2009 at 11:22 am
Hi Joseph, this list has not been finalised as yet. As soon as it is it will be posted on brisbaneinternational.com.au.
December 21st, 2009 at 9:28 pm
That is really convenient, hey what is the difference between Cat A and Cat B tickets?
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:15 am
The defending champion Vika Azarenka isn't in the list ?
PS : why Justine Hénin is the first in the list ? Has she a special ranking ? She will be seed number one ?
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:31 am
Hi Seb, the list is in no particular order. Seeds will be announced in the week before the tournament.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:44 am
Hi John, Category A tickets are in the lower level, while Category B tickets are in the upper level. Check out the map of Pat Rafter Arena: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/wp-cont...
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
can we get off at tennyson train station and walk
December 22nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Check out the getting there page for more info: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/event-g...
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Ana the best!
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:59 am
I hope you have a really good year this year andy I have supported you for 10 years now since i watched you on tv when playing in houston 250 and this year I saw you beat andy murray in wimbledon i wish you all the best and i will be routing for your in brisbane ,australian open and the whole year
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Just checking – it mentions that the qualifying event on 1 and 2 jan are free – is there anything to pay to get into the centre?
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
where the heck was Fish the last half of '09? He let his ranking drop to #56! Xtra long honeymoon?
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
The free trains are great thanks. Are the shuttle taxis free also, if not how much do they cost?
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:11 pm
It would be lovely as the event gets bigger to see free transport extend to the use of buses from Chermside direct to the Tennis Centre.
December 24th, 2009 at 11:15 am
We are travelling down by car from the Sunshine Coast for the day session on Thursday. Where is the best place to park and how do we get to the venue.
December 24th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I thought one of the original ideas was to have city cat ferry services extend to the tennis centre – how much more enjoyable that would be, and provide a window to Brisbane by using the City's No.1 attraction (Citycat).
Was anything ever done to deal with the “frying” of spectators in the stadium from direct sun? Clearly there has been a major deficiency in the stadium design, and I'm unsure whether to attend this year for fear of being subject to this extreme discomfort?
December 24th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Please indicate the options for car parking at the event – will this still be possible at the Golf Club as it was last year?
December 25th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
We are also planning on coming down from the Sunshine coast. Wondering the best place to park and make use of the free transportation. Is it just the Beenleigh Line that is free, if not how far does the free transportation zone extend? Thanks
December 26th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Hi Marion, check out the public transport info here: http://www.translink.com.au/event.php?id=100
December 26th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Hi Richard, take a look at our Getting There page: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/event-g...
December 26th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Hi John, check out the details here: http://www.translink.com.au/event.php?id=100
December 26th, 2009 at 11:26 am
wear a hat
December 26th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
That is awesome
Cant wait & hope to meet molik around somwhere
I think dellacqua should get the last wildcard. Shes awesome
December 26th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
The website does not provide the information on the best places to park a car and then get to the venue. It relies on you taking public transport. Please advise the best place to park the car for the day and either take public transport of preferably walk to the tennis.
December 26th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Fantastic for Alicia, Fantastic for Tennis, Fantastic for lovers of tennis. It will be great to see her play. Can't wait.
December 26th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I think in this case a Wildcard should have been given to an up and coming young player not Molik. Having said that, I'm in more agreeance to her being given a wildcard to the Brisbane International than the Australian Open.
December 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
So Tennis Australia adopts a “Youth Policy” and then gives a wildcard to Molik! Im confused?
December 26th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Are you able to use public transportation for free if you have a “Grounds Pass” or do you need a “Session” Ticket?
December 26th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Will we be able to have a look in Pat Rafter Arena if we attend the qualifying matches ?
December 26th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Welcome back, Alicia! I am a huge fan of yours and I hope you will be as successful in your comeback as you were back in 2004 where I saw you win the Nordea Nordic Light Open.
December 26th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Welcome back, Justine, a real New Year treat
December 27th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
I agree with tennis coach moliks time is up!
December 27th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Well Deserved, no doubt she has the potential to challenge any player she draws.
GL Casey
December 27th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
When do the mens wildcards get announced? I hope Johnny Millman gets one!
December 28th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Wouldn't it be great if brisbane transport put on direct buses from major centres (ie Chermside) as they do for other major sporting events?? What's the story State Govt????
December 28th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Good Luck Casey!!
When will the qualifying wildcards be announced?
December 28th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Better play safe than risk further injury.. I'm sure Dinara will bounce back full of energy to win a few majors in 2010.
December 28th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
It actually is in a order
December 29th, 2009 at 11:12 am
This is a great reward for john and I am sure he will do well. I commend tennis australia on this decision. Go John
December 29th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I was just wondering if you are able to take food in to the Tennis Center. Look forward to your answer. Thank You
December 29th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Right ON!
December 29th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Hi Denis, take a look at the car parking page in the Event Guide: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/event-g...
December 29th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Hi Lyndell, yes you can bring in your own food, but check the conditions of sale and entry for guidelines: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/tickets...
December 29th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Is there a park and ride facility anywhere near the tennis centre? Coming from Gold Coast and heading north after our day at the tennis so would like to drive. Thanks in advance.
December 29th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Is entry to the qualifying rounds on Friday, 1 January free?
December 29th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I was wondering how to find the program for the wheelchair tennis….will you put up a draw or event times on the website?
December 29th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Regards from Croatia,
Looking forward to the new season starting in less then a week. Good luck to all you nice people in Australia, I will be watching your tournament very closely.
Sasa from Zagreb, Croatia
December 29th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Regards from Croatia,
Looking forward to the new season starting in less then a week. Good luck to all you nice people in Australia, I will be watching your tournament very closely.
Sasa from Zagreb, Croatia
December 29th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Free transport is fine if you are near a train station. How about buses as you do for rugby League & Union from Carindale bus Centre ? Or do we have to go to the expense of a cab?
December 29th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
I have watched john progress from a young age and knew as I watched him play that he would be the next star, he really good you know.
On ya John
December 29th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
wow john this is fantastic news for you. im so glad that you are getting rewarded for your efforts this year..
as ronnie coleman once said “Errrrbody wanna be a bodybuilder….But don't nobody want to lift heavy aaaazzz weights!”
you are lifting them heavy aaaazzz weights.. keep grinding big guy
December 29th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I will be catching train from Ipswich to Corinda. How long will it take to get from Corinda to the Stadium?
December 29th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
i remember playing john in under 12's.. even back then i knew that one day he would prove to everyone how good he is.. dad made me train so hard after he wiped me off the court.. now i can finally say to him that john was just a far better player than me
December 29th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Once the wc are given, it's sure that Thomaz Bellucci will be one of the 8 seeds. I think its crucial for him, once he needs a semi-finals effort to be a seed at the AO. I realy think he was one the best players rising in 2009, a top 40 with 21 years old. I believe he will break through the top 20 in 2010.
December 30th, 2009 at 2:18 am
Ms. Hennin will add more excitement to ladies game. Wish her all the best!
December 30th, 2009 at 2:40 am
It is so nice to have you back Justine. Just in time for some fun for your fan. Good luck over there. Just enjoy and be happy.
December 30th, 2009 at 9:16 am
ALLE JUSTINE Its time she got back in the game. I finally have someone on the women's game to cheer for. With Kim back, as well 21010 will be a yeat for te record books..
December 30th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Great news that John Millman is in the Brisbane International. Come on Brisbane lets get behind one of our best players. I hope John wins this tournament.
December 30th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Good to hear Bernard Tomic has got the last mens wildcard. Should be a good tournament.
December 30th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Now I have reason to get back to being updated to the WTA news! When she retired, i lost interest in watching women's tennis…Now, i have the urge again! BRAVO JUSTINE..I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND YOU ARE THE BEAUTY AND PURE TALENT IN THE TENNIS COURTS WORLDWIDE!
December 30th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Good luck Bernard! I hope you will have a great season!
December 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Hi, is it possible to find out what times the Qualifying and Main Draws will be available?
Thanks
December 30th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
aww..the pics are so sweet…hope she comes back and wins the tournament!
December 30th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Hi Luke, the main draw will be available Saturday afternoon following the draw, which begins at 12 noon. The men's qualifying draws will be available Saturday morning while the women's qualifying draws will be available Friday afternoon. As soon as they are completed they will be posted on brisbaneinternational.com.au
December 30th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
WARM WELCOME JUSTINE.YOU ARE ATRUE CHAMPION.MY SON STOPPED WATCHING TENNIS WHEN U STOPPED TENNIS.WE ARE TOO GLAD THAT U HAVE COME BACK.ALLTHE BEST TO THE ENTIRE SEASON-2010.TRY TO LIFT WIMBLEDON TOO IN YOUR COLLECTIONS
December 30th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Good Luck to all the players and have a safe trip going to the venue. Enjoy the game.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:05 am
y doesnt bojana jovanovski get any wildcards shes ranked like 138 i think and ahes 17 years old
December 31st, 2009 at 7:25 am
if only i could get some of his hight… i stopped growing already 2 years ago and i'm waaaaay too short
December 31st, 2009 at 9:32 am
Go Richard. I hope you have a wonderful 2010 and win many tournaments you deserve to as you are one of the best players on tour. We love you here in Australia and it is great to see you back at the Brisbane International. So you go hard and give it all you've got. You have a lot of support.
December 31st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Hope Bernard does well, we need more aussie youngters.
December 31st, 2009 at 10:35 am
Go Richard! I hope you win many tournaments in 2010, you deserve it after such a tough year. You have many fans in Australia and I am sure you will do very well in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Good luck to you.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:22 am
what about our rising star in SA did he get a wild card
December 31st, 2009 at 3:42 pm
YAY RICHARD! can't wait to see you do wellll
December 31st, 2009 at 4:47 pm
We live in Cleveland & it will take us 1.5hrs. by train or we can drive there in 40mins which we did last year & parked at the Golf Club. It seems with NO parking this year the train in the only option
December 31st, 2009 at 4:51 pm
I am so happy when justine decide to come back. after justine retired in may 2008, I heart been taken away from women tennis. all the best to you, justine. I know you will able to do much better than before…
December 31st, 2009 at 6:45 pm
ohh so sweet u 2 are made for each other! LOL
December 31st, 2009 at 8:16 pm
wow i just cant wait for justine's comeback and knowing her track record and her intelligence its truly a wise decision which she has made with a lot of thought…..Womens tennis will be worth concentrating on(was only watching it since may 2008)
December 31st, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Thank you Justine for returning to tennis. You're making so many hardcore tennis fans happy by giving us beautiful winning tennis again!
God Bless!
December 31st, 2009 at 9:42 pm
go voskoboeva…i love her
December 31st, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Run to your Victory Justine Henin
Congrate to your new days for future tennis
December 31st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
We love Baggy and wish him all the best both in Brisbane and all other tournaments in 2010
January 1st, 2010 at 2:11 am
I am really looking forward to the coming year in ladies tennis. Not only are my 2 favoutite tennis players coming back ( Justine & Kim) but also 2 other favourites who haven,t been around for a while….Dokic & Molik. I used to see Alicia Molic & Yelena Dokic at Eastbourne and have really missed both of them at this event
January 1st, 2010 at 3:09 am
Don't forget about the Canadian! GO HEIDI GO! 2009 was only the start of all the good things to come! CANADA LOVES YOU!
January 1st, 2010 at 3:54 am
All Belgium is with you. VAs y Juju
LPX
January 1st, 2010 at 4:41 am
I hope Daniela Hantuchova win Brisbane, because she is the best and she also had prepared very well in Mexico
January 1st, 2010 at 5:30 am
I'm so excited tennis is back! Yippee~
January 1st, 2010 at 5:57 am
Good luck to Sesil Karatantcheva, she has been working really hard last year after ban, and she deserves to do well on 2010, Im sure really soon she will be back on top 50.
Best wishes!
January 1st, 2010 at 6:25 am
Go Roddick!!! You are the best player.Take the first trophy in 2010.
January 1st, 2010 at 6:28 am
I think Jelena has a great chance to win her first tournment of the year in Brisbane. I hope she doesn't have any physical problem. Out of this, she will be a finalist without any doubt. Anyway, Happy New Year from Spain!
January 1st, 2010 at 9:05 am
Go Daniela Hantuchova!!! Happy Holidays!!!
your NYC Fan
Madelaine
January 1st, 2010 at 9:05 am
justine u add some life to the women tennis after missing out 1 and the half years….. You are the only one withthe best single backhanders left on the women's tour after mauresmo reitrement, and the wonderful all round game u have makes the match a very interesting one… Hope u have great results for the australia open warm up tournaments and of course australia open itself
January 1st, 2010 at 9:07 am
Daniela Hantuchova
Good to see you online. Good Luck in Brisbane this week. I wish they would show the matches on TV in USA!!!!
Madelaine
January 1st, 2010 at 10:57 am
i hope hantuchova takes out the title because she deserves to take out a title due to her not having won a title in two years
January 1st, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Go Marcos!! We will be rooting for you!
January 1st, 2010 at 6:49 pm
What Happened to Vania King?? I thought she was top seed in the qualiflying> Is she now in the main draw
January 1st, 2010 at 7:32 pm
How did Krajicek the match?
January 1st, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Well done Jelena, Im sure I speak on behalf of all aussies when I say welcome back to 2010 and we cant wait to see you in Brisbane!
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:06 am
It is actually my son in the photo with Kim and what a lovely person she is. She gave a lot of her time to just sit, play and interact with Dylan on Thursday and from the delighted little giggles and smiles from Dylan when Kim participated in his little games was lovely to see. For somebody trying to prepare for an upcoming event her time would be limited and just the fact that she bothered to take time out and visit the ward shows a kind and caring nature. Although Dylan is too young to quite understand just who his visitor was, Kim's time and kind words were greatly appreciated by both myself and my husband, thank you Kim
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 am
Good luck, Jelena! Also, she was born in Croatia, not Serbia.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:09 am
Go Andy! Best Player on Earth! I have his signature, towel, and shirt last year. Happy New Year Andy!!!! Super Biggest Fan on Earth
January 2nd, 2010 at 5:49 am
I hope that you will come to Belgrade (Serbia) for Davis cup match with Novak (our Nole) Djokovic. I am happy that I will have opportunity to watch that match alive.
Best wishes,
Marjan
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:13 am
lovely Nadia's pic. Hope she can get a good draw.
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:18 am
Is there any reason this article doesn't say what time the draw will be held in the Mall?
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:42 am
Great to have Justin back! With her and Kim playing again,along with the Williams's, we will have a class of players that I think the womens game has not had recently..
looking forward to a great 2010!
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:21 am
Very encouraging words from Jelena. While it will be difficult for her to eclipse the Australian Open 2009, I do feel she can eclipse Brisbane 2009, and 2009 in general.
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
I am a strong follower of this tennis star. I trust her very much. I expect she will get to the finals. My best regards
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:55 am
It's from 12-1 pm.
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:39 am
This is the day many of us have longed for – Justine is back. We can watch the women's game again and expect excitement, entertainment and a game worth watching. Welcome back Champion!!!
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:17 am
Ana you can do it…
Srbija do Brizbejna…..:)
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:41 am
Where can you get live scores of the Qualifying results for the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament.
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:50 am
Why do the women receive more money than the men in the qualifying draw???????
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:41 pm
are they going to put up the actual order of play for the main courts for sunday and monday today or just the general draw for the whole tournament?! I wanna know who i'm seeing monday!
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
WHOA THAT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE I THINK SHE HAS CHOSEN TO COME BACK
SHE MUST OF SEEN KIM CLIJSTERS WIN THE US OPEN
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:30 pm
I love you. Good luck not only for the australian open series but for the whole year. hope to see back in the top 20, maybe even 10, soon!
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Best wishes from North Carolina, Justine! 2010 is your year! Good luck as you mount your come back to the tour.
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
May 2010 be your year, Justine! Your North Carolina fans are really cheering you on as you mount your return to the tour. Best wishes as you play your way in Brisbane and in the Open!
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Hi Matt, yes the order of play for Monday will be available on Sunday. Tomorrow's order of play will be available later tonight.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:15 pm
when will the draw be up online?
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Not too late I hope!!! I just wanna know when Roddick is playing so i can get tickets for the right day!!!
January 2nd, 2010 at 3:36 pm
The draws will be available shortly, they will be posted as soon as they are available.
January 2nd, 2010 at 3:39 pm
he could be a footy player! :O he could play for the GC team nxt year too, lol.
January 2nd, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Who's going to win? we are going for Paul Henri-Mathieu!
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Hi Patti, the order of play for tomorrow hasn't been finalised yet, as soon as it is it will be published on brisbaneinternational.com.au. The order of play is available the evening before the following day's play.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Ugh, why did Ana Ivanovic have to get such a tough draw? The girl can't catch a break.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Dokic still has it, she showed that last year. Only for a bad line-call in the second last game against Safina she would have won that and probably made the final (as Safina did). In my book, she has more natural ability than Sam Stosur and only has to stay fit and keep her focus to get back into the top 20. Let's home she does – go Jelena!
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:50 pm
That is right. She was actually born in what is now Croatia (old Yugoslavia) but she has Serbian parents.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Where is the draw? How did you know that Ana got a tough draw?
January 2nd, 2010 at 5:08 pm
We apologise, but we are currently experiencing some technical difficulties. As soon as the issue is solved the draws will be posted. We apologise for any inconvenience this may be causing.
January 2nd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Tennis Australia, Where is the draw? We hve been waiting for last 2 hrs
January 2nd, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Sorry guys, we're working on the problem. In the meantime:
Clijsters v Garbin, Molik v Makarova, Safarova v Groenefeld, Qualifier v Wozniak, Hantuchova v Qualifier, Peng v Szavay, Bammer v King, Petkovic v Benesova, Kleybanova v Pavlyuchenkova, Errani v Vinci, Bacsinszky v Qualifier, Dokic v Ivanovic, Czink v Hradecka, Govortsova v Zahlova Strycova, Dellacqua v Qualifier, Henin v Petrova
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Damn Paul-Henri isn't playing. Is it normally the top half of the draws on the first day or is it random?
Henin vs. Petrova
Querrey vs. Blake
Ivanovic vs. Dokic
Fish vs Baghdatis
Gasquet vs. Nieminen
Awesome first round matches!
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Brisbane Golf Club told me that there is parking the same as last year and Rotary Rocklea are handling it, but your website says there is no parking. I also heard that parking was available at the Golf Club on the radio. It is very confusing.
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Does anyone know who is playing on Monday night?
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:18 pm
I looked at the men's draw and cannot find Gilles Simon. I remember reading that he was signed on to come to Brisbane International. Any news on that?
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Who is playing Monday night?
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Why do the men receive more money than the women in tennis? And its not like its a small difference, they earn almost twice as much. Why isn't it equal?
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:52 pm
It was really lovely to see Kim with your son ,that's just the real person she is and always has been on the courts,I can't wait to come to Brisbane to watch her play and there is none of the grunting etc that puts one off watching a lot of these other girls,all the best for your son,he's gorgeous.
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:04 pm
eagerly awaiting the order of play for Monday Day session. When will this be posted??
Have been waiting for ages
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:16 pm
The order of play for Monday will be posted on Sunday.
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:16 pm
The order of play for Monday will be posted on Sunday.
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Where is the order of play for Sunday?????
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:24 pm
It's on the Draws page.
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Good luck Justine! I'm glad you're back on tour!
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:25 pm
massive 216km/hr serve by Mr Linder, Roddick would be dithering in fear
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Lets go Ana.You are the best.
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Ajde bre Ana!
Sve najbolje ti zelim i vrati se tamo gde ti je i mesto.
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:56 pm
We are going to Brisbane International on Monday and Wednesday. When can we find out who is going to play?
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:40 am
Hi Janice, the order of play is available the evening before the following day's play.
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:00 am
What happen to Gilles Simon ? I don't see his name on the draw
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:36 am
Can anyone tell me when is Ana due to play? Will Eurosport follow all matches?
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:42 am
Good on ya Joe!
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:00 am
comme on kimmeke
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:01 am
great pictures. i like to see players having fun away from the courts.
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:37 am
Radujem se da te vidim na terenu. Zelim ti uspeh. Takodje srecnu Novu godinu. Da budes zdrava, uspesna i sve u svemu srecna. Tanja
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:36 am
Why is there no mention of the 1st match on Pat Ratfer Arena?
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:58 am
Come on Nadia Petrova. Don't be intimidated by past fame!! Beat Justine!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:39 am
cant wait goin to be there monday and tuesday nite. go kim clijsters and jelena dokic
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:06 am
The first match is a qualifying match only and not apart of the men's main draw.
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:07 am
Does anyone know what time a day session pass expires? Cheers
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:10 am
Srecna Nova Godina Ana,zelim ti sve najbolje i da pobeds Australian Open ove godine bre.Puno pozdrava od Mire iz Sydney.
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:33 am
Ajde Anci…napred…zelimo ti uspesnu 2010.Opet cemo se radovati tvojim uspesima,sigurna sam.Vidim da nas vec mnogo prati ovaj turnir.Srecna Nova godina i Bozic svima i Ani naravno !!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:51 am
Good Luck Kim. My husband and I will be coming to the Brisbane International from the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Hopefully, we will see you there. So glad you are making it a second career. You are our favourite and have been for years. Wishing you, your husband and daughter a very happy, healthy, and successful 2010.
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:11 am
Ajde Ana. Da na najbolji moguci nacin zapocnes godinu, pa da se vrlo brzo nadjes u vrhu gde ti je svakako i mesto. Sve najbolje u novoj godini!
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:18 am
Ana is the best
I love her
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Go “Aussie” Ana…Adam Scott will be more than happy…but there is another “Aussie” too…Jelena Dokic. I hope they both perform well in Brisbane.
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:17 am
What a disappointing result for Kubler. He's been given a WC for the Australian Open but in my opinion it's a bit of a waste and there's about a dozen guys who deserve it more, including all the fellas that had a win yesterday. Well done!
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:23 am
Can you tell me when Ana Ivanovic play? Please…….
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:32 am
Where can I check the schedule of play for today???
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:07 am
hey ana, wishing you good luck at the brisbane international play your best xx
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:20 am
The order of play is on to the Draws page.
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:35 am
Ajde Ana!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Hi – which tv channel will be showing the matches?
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:50 pm
I firmly believe that Jelena will have a better summer in 2010 than she had last year. She finished the year strongly in 2009 with ITF Wins in Athens and Poitiers and a Runner up at Jous Le Tour and is more than ready to Win her first WTA Tournament in Brisbane.
The Brisbane Tournament is a stepping stone for another assault on the 2010 Australian Open and a opening match against Ana Ivanovic is a great way to start the Australian Summer of Tennis for Jelena.
GO JELENA GO!!!
Heres to your first victory in 2010 and another summer to remember!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:40 pm
go go Roddick.. I can sense you'll get another grand slam this year…
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
best of luck Ana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Isn't it storming at the tennis centre? It's raining mighty hard in the city.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Hi, excellent service!
Can you please give us an update on what's happening on the outside courts? When do you expect play to resume after the rain delay? Will play continue into the evening until todays draw is complete, weather permitting? Thanks for your help.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Why is the commentary on AO Series Radio via the Internet about 10 seconds behind the Live Scores widget? Kind of eliminates the sense of suspense as to who wins the next point if you want to see the scoreboard or stats, but also listen to the match….
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Play is continuing at Pat Rafter Arena and on Courts 1 and 2, for updates view the Live Scores: http://www.protennislive.com/frameset.asp?year=...
Courts 4 and 5 are still wet and play will not resume until they have been dried.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Enjoying listening to your broadcast of my favourite KIM. I'm in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Where can we got the order of play for Monday and Tuesday?
January 3rd, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Hi Lucy, the order of play is available the evening before the following day's play.
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Wonderful commentary from Brisbane. Transmission coming through loud and clear in Horsham, Victoria. Best wishes to Kate and the team from the Kearns and Watt families.
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Ok, but where it will be available?. Because I could not find it for today.
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Thanks!…. I found it!
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:59 pm
I've been watching and pulling for you since you turned pro! I know last year wasn't as successful as you had hoped, but stay positive & focused and you CAN return to that Championship form! You are a wonderful player and person & I agree Ana is not a 'starlet', save that for the 'rags' at the check out stand at the market~She is a 'star'
Ajde Ana!
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
James is one of the most gracious gentleman on tour. He's always kind & is an excellent player. For someone who has been through SO much it is amazing he's even playing at all!
Much success James at Brisbane!! Know you have MANY whom admire and respect you very much~
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I think a shuttle service from either Garden City or Carindale to the Tennis Centre would be beneficial for patrons travelling from the southside and south-east. You can go on a shuttle bus for the AFL or Roar games.
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:17 pm
I have been watching and pulling for Ana since she turned pro~I know she was disappointed last year, but I have no doubt she can return to her former Championship form! Stay positive and focused Ana! You have MANY whom love, respect and admire your hard work and determined attitude~You are beautiful on the 'inside' as well as the 'outside'~I love your sincere smile
Best of luck at Brisbane & the entire 2010 season
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:22 pm
I would like to know: WHO is playing and WHEN?
Is this some knid of Secret? Having now purchased tickets for Mon and Tues night Rafter stadium sessions, it seems to me that it is still a mystery who actually plays on those nights. Is this a deliberate policy? Is the intent to have some kind of “pot luck” as to who is playing on centre court?
Please respond-is this somewhere on the website I cannot find- or at this stage it is certainly looking as if I will find out-on the night?!?
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Very lucky for Alicia to get through this match. Her statistics were horrific! She'll need to lift her game against Clijsters if she hopes to win a few games.
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Absolutely wonderful having you back Kim! You are such a genteel & gracious lady and an amazing 'Ambassador' for our sport!
You are an excellent player and clearly a terrific mother, Jada is beautiful!
I saw you win the USO and was so proud of you and how you represented 'all' working moms
Much success at Brisbane and the entire 2010 season!
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Andy, so sorry about this latest set-back with your knee~ I know you are eagerly awaiting your first match and I personally think you have a LONG and very fine career ahead of you! You never disappoint and my heart stopped so many times at last year's Wimbledon I nearly fainted!! I was cheering you on!! You will win another, just keep working hard and staying positive~You are truly a credit to the Red, White and Blue
Much success at Brisbane and throughout the entire new season~
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Still waiting for the order of play for tomorrow night!
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Hi Ronti, as this tournament is a knockout event, the order of play cannot be completed until the evening before the following day's play. Tournament organisers cannot complete the order of play until match results from the current day's play are decided. As soon as the order of play and draws are available they are posted on the Draws page.
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:44 pm
When are we going to see the schedule for tomorrow, I am going on Monday night and would like to know who I will be watching?
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Allez Gasquet!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:19 pm
God save the queen Clijsters! She's fantastic!
Come on, Kim!
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Love to see Henin and also Clijsters coming back
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Cmon Ana!
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
hi,ana you are the best,the only thing you need is to focus on the game.wish you best.
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Ajde Ana! Your comeback to the top begins tomorrow!
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm
cmon ana, win match
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:35 pm
go ana! u can win the tournament!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:41 pm
tennis australia,
when will the official order of play for monday be released?
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Jeremy Chardy will play in night session today or t
he will play tomorrow morning???
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Interesting that this “highly anticipated match” was played when most of us didn't even have coverage today!
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Great comeback from Alicia. It will be interesting to see how she will do against Kim. She has the crowd on her side so we'll have to see what happens.
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Bonne chance à vous et surtout une très très bonne année 2010.
Que la meilleure gagne
Un gros calin à Duce de la part de Baloo (teckel) de Belgique
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:31 pm
the times are changing….and not for the best…..years ago at White City in Sydney you would pay $20-$25 for the whole day and night and go to any court you wished including centre court and that was any day except for semis and finals. Watching the champs on TV now is the go as the cost puts watching the champs live for ordinary tennis fans out of reach now.
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Great win Alicia! We wish you all the best for your game against Kim Clijsters and we bet you're on a winning streak! Go Alicia, Go!
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Ana,Serbia is so proud of you..and of course of Novak,Jelena and Ziki too!
We wish you all the best in 2010 and we are sure that you'll win so many tournaments as you planned..
Good luck:)..in Serbian-SAMO ROKAJ!!!:)
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Go Jelena!! you can do it!
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Go Jelena!! you can do it!
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:01 pm
I don't know if you are from Brisbane but if so, why didn't you just buy a ticket to go and watch it. There were plenty of vacant seats in Pat Rafter Arena.(Although crowds were way up from last year which was great to see)
You missed a great match!
To see great Tennis, you have to spend some money to go see it in such places like Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Rely on TV coverage and you are going to be disappointed every time.
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Hate to say it but I think Kim will spank Alicias back side red raw when they play as Kim is at the top of her game and confidently hitting the ball with pin point accuracy.
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Man, I'm so glad she's back and I missed her soooo much! She's the salt and pepper of tennis and such a nice and friendly person behind the scene! Go go go, Kim!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Ana, Serbia is so proud of you..and of course Novak, Jelena and Ziki too.
All the best in 2010.SAMO ROKAJ:))
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Let's go Ana!!!!
You're the best, and of course you will win this tournament. Good luck to Justine, too. Hope we'll watch Ivanovic vs Henin in the semis…..
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Oh gosh, I feel sorry for Petrova, drawing Henin. Have to say, I'm cheering for Henin though!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Your comment make really not much sence for a Belgian supporter , we want to support “our” Kim
cheers
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:53 pm
All the best Alicia!!! Was sorry to hear you are up against Clijsters so early in the piece as I love you both and were hoping to see you both on Wednesday when I come check out the Brisbane International Event. Anyway hope your win against her is a great one and remember “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie…hoy hoy hoy!!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 pm
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!
LIVE! new live tomorrow 4th.jan.2010
Justine Henin ..allez..she come again
Come to conquer Victory in her hands
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:28 pm
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!JUSTINE HENIN
You love to play@you love to win
Please let's go..Fight with your Might!
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:32 pm
been looking forward to the new tennis season especially the comeback of justine..
will be cheering in front of me tv tomorrow and hopefully say as much allez as possible
toi-toi-toi justine…
January 4th, 2010 at 2:29 am
i love jelena (tennisticly speaking) and strongly hope she will be back in 2010 as 1 of the 10 best in the world !!!! go, jelena !!!
January 4th, 2010 at 3:27 am
Tapez votre commentaire ici. Monfils va! ! !
January 4th, 2010 at 3:53 am
Go Justine!!! You can win this tournament on your comeback. Can't wait to watch you play again.
January 4th, 2010 at 3:58 am
come on ana you'll win tomorow !!
January 4th, 2010 at 4:36 am
Go Kim, your my favorite!
January 4th, 2010 at 4:54 am
Hope… you will come back with the best performance this year 2010.
I love you Ana, go go go!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 5:27 am
I agree Jelena has been lucky to have an strong oponent in her first match in Brisbane. That way the rest of her tournament it will be like sliding down the mountain. But no relaxing, because there will be rocks on the way. Good luck!
January 4th, 2010 at 6:19 am
Good luck to Ivanovic!
January 4th, 2010 at 6:40 am
CONGRATULATIONS TO NICE KIM , I LIKE U VERY MUCH
January 4th, 2010 at 6:42 am
KIM I LIKE YOU SO MUCH , GO ON KIM, ALLEZ KIM , VAMOS KIM
January 4th, 2010 at 6:49 am
woohoo got tickets 4 tonight, bring it on!
January 4th, 2010 at 7:13 am
Ana play for serbia…….You can do it……ti to mozes….Do pobede…Ajde…..
January 4th, 2010 at 7:14 am
You can do this Ana!!! Stay positive and focused and 'feel' the power within 'yourself'!!!
Much success against Dokic!
Many of us will be pulling for you
January 4th, 2010 at 7:51 am
Marco good luck…xxxxx
January 4th, 2010 at 8:30 am
GOOD LUCK TO DANIELA HANTUCHOVA TODAY!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Go jelaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
January 4th, 2010 at 9:21 am
go jelaaaaaaaaaaa…
January 4th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Too bad I can't watch it cos I am at work, but at least I can follow the scores online. Glad tennis is back again!!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 9:38 am
I would like to say how disappointed i am with tennis qld and translink,you provide no onsite parking,but you do supply free public transport,only trouble is if you would like to get home after the evening games,I am taking my 2 young children tonight and was shocked to find i could get to the centre but not home again as there is no buses after 6pm,is there extra security on the trains because in the past night travel on the train has been risky to say the least
January 4th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Good Luck Arod
January 4th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Can't wait to see Justine in action.
January 4th, 2010 at 10:53 am
GROUND PASS ONLY $9.90 That is very good, for kids to have chance watch some tennis. PLEASE INFORM STAFF AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN IN MELBOURNE to lower their praces.
January 4th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Justine Henin's single handed back hand play is great to watch, compared to the double handed play nearly all players seem to have adopted now.
She has a different sytle of play.She isn't boring to watch.
Go Justine!
January 4th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Go johnny millman!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
hope malisse gets in as LL.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
good luck to Justine Henin against Petrova.
January 4th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Listening in Dubai.. although great commentary, is there any television coverage??
January 4th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
gasquet, you are the best !!!
January 4th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
nice
January 4th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Poor Richie…I'm glad he's on his way back up! =]
January 4th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
hello Ana,i love you so much.And keep fighting,focusing on you game.you will find find the way to get back.wish you best.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Good on you Richard. You played so well today. Congratulations. That backhand was awesome. I know you will win the final in Brisbane 2010.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Good on you nick. All the best in the rest of the Brisbane International 2010. Good luck in the rest of your carreer. I think you will be a great and outstanding top playing in the years to come. Good Luck
January 4th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Way To Go Kim. Hope you win the 2010 Brisbane International.I loved it how you ran to the other side of the court with the big and heavy racquet bag on your back to sign some autograpks. I wish you all the best in your come back to tennis and good luck at the Australian Open and beyond.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
That was the very definition of an “ugly win”. But a win is a win. Glad Ana is moving on and I am hopeful she will show improvements in her next match. Ajde!
January 4th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Yeah im with you JoGeens. Its great to see Kim Clijsters back in action and in great shape after having a baby.
January 4th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
ivanovic is so hot
January 4th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I'm Australian and I seriously don't understand the 'Aussie' + overseas Personality. Are we that desperate to 'adopt' celebrities / sport stars?! Aussie Ana, Aussie Kim [Clijsters] – Roger Federer was coached by two Australian coaches, why don't we make him an honourary Aussie too? That way, we can sincerely claim that we have the best Men's tennis player in the Open Era.
January 4th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Read my lips: before the end of the year the 2 Belgians will have reclaimed the 2 topspots on the world ranking.
January 4th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Tom, you rock. Kim Clijsters all the way!!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Fantastic news. I hope this is the first of many wins on her comeback trail. Her game is what womens tennis should be like. The Williams sisters are able to dominate with power and don't construct points well and i am glad their reign is coming to an end. Allez Justine, Bonne chance!
January 4th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Allez juju
January 4th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Oh,,,I Don't Like Anna Ivanovic,,,Poor Jelena Dokic,,,Go Dokic,,,!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Henin.. You can do it. Try to the champion.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Ana, Srbi iz Brizbana su uz tebe!! Volimo te i veoma smo ponosni na tebe. You are the best!
January 4th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Good luck Andy
January 4th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Go Justine!!! We're happy to have you back!
January 4th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Jelena was making Ana look ordinary for most of the match until midway through the third set. Its a shame Jelena didnt take all the opportunities she had. It could have even ended up something like 6-2 6-1. Ana never gave up tho which was a good quality! 11 double faults is too much from Jelena so i hope she works on that.
January 4th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Ivanovic just keeps getting hotter. Also, how over-rated is Tomic.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
I was at the tennis today in Brisbane and saw the Jelena/Anna match. How disappointing that Jelena could not carry her great tennis through the entire match and win. It was torturious to watch. Rather a loss by Jelena rather than a win by Ana.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Bravo Ana….sjajno je videti te kako opet pobedjujes…<3 Ana
January 4th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Fantastic match Justine, love watching you play, great to see you playing again, best of luck for the remainder of this tournament, and for the aussie open
January 4th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
well done Justine you showed that you are a true champion you go girl
January 4th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Peter Luczak played a great game – well done Peter! Shame about the idiots in the crowd who only turn up to hear the sound of their own voices! They make the tennis painful….like Chinese water torture!! Tonight sounded like a bunch of old codgers!.
But all 4 players tonight were terrific, and the Aussies did us proud. !
January 5th, 2010 at 12:08 am
Mate, I spent few months in Australia, and definitely, only serious brain damaged European, can wish to be called “Aussie”…Kim and Ana, don't like those nicknames, trust me…
January 5th, 2010 at 12:26 am
John played soooooo well and was up to the challenge. Great game.
he deserves the last WC into the AO
January 5th, 2010 at 12:44 am
221km/hr serve could not be on a losing side. Deserved win, but great to see Luczak playing well for the most of the match. One to look for.
Andy will need to improve a bit if he is to win AUS Open.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:58 am
Tomic is not overated at all. If you do your research and know your Tennis check out his stats.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Singles.as...
He is the top 11th ranked Australian player and has played the least amount of Mens Tournaments of 8, edged out by one ranking point by Matthew Ebden (17 tournaments played) His stats for a 17 year old are very impressive to say the least.
Check out the ages of the other players ranked ahead of him and how many tournaments they have played.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:04 am
Sorry to see Dokic lose. Good Luck next tournament. Ana is not from Australia why do they call her Aussie Ana!!
January 5th, 2010 at 1:06 am
comon just,in i like the way you play,gogo,go,go
January 5th, 2010 at 1:07 am
Totally enjoyed the matches today and tonight on Centre Court. The Aussies did us proud, even if they didn't win tonight. Very pleased to have seen Andy Roddick play and win. His serve was working well. It was his first match back for a while and he will continue to improve back to his best. Keep going Andy!
January 5th, 2010 at 1:08 am
Today was the first important step in a great summer ahead for our Champion Jelena Dokic. At times we were all mesmerised by some of the ground strokes you played out there. Consistency was the only difference between victory and defeat today. I felt you lost the match, Ana didnt win it. I know you and your team will work on all aspects of your game that prevented a win today and you will be primed for your 1st Rd match at the 2010 Australian Open. The battle begins 18January in the first Grand Slam of 2010 and I know between here and Hobart you will put all the troubles behind you, learn from your matches and move forward in Melbourne.
Very Proud as always and with unwavering faith that the best is still ahead for our Champion Jelena Dokic!!
GO JELENA GO!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 1:09 am
well done Just,in go fot it champion.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:22 am
Ditto to Mikes comment. John Millman played extremely well in the first set and really brought his A-Game. Just a shame he faded in the second set. I'm sure we will see much more of him in the near future
January 5th, 2010 at 1:27 am
AJDE ANA
Good Luck for today's match
January 5th, 2010 at 1:33 am
Are you serious??? It was a really really BAD match…
January 5th, 2010 at 1:35 am
He's right when he says that his serve got him out of trouble. And Luczak helped him alot too in that tie-break. Not sure how much Roddick deserved to win this one. Too bad for Luczak who played well.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:51 am
Go, Andy..!
January 5th, 2010 at 2:26 am
Great win for Henin. To me the match was a little streaky. There was some brilliance from Henin and then there was some not so good shots. Overall she did well to win her comeback match but she has to step it up in order to get some more match wins. I can see her getting to the final if she plays better along with Kim. I'd love to see her and Kim in the final. Would make a great match.
Anyway best of luck Henin.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:46 am
James, I hope you have a very successful season. You deserve it. Go USA Davis Cup, too.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:50 am
James, I look forward to watching you play a terrific season. Keep healthy — take good care of yourself. I hope you're on the Davis Cup team again this year. That's such a terrific tournament and you shine in it.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:13 am
Ajdeee Annnnaaaaa..:))
Ana is from Serbia and why do they call Aussie Ana?? Ana said once that it is nice, but she is from Serbia and she is very proud on that…Europeans, especially Serbs don't like that..Trust me, because I am from Serbia..:)) Good luck in next matches Ana..I love you.. Ajdee:D
January 5th, 2010 at 3:51 am
Roddick is awesome, he deserved to win todays match. I am sure Luczak had his chances but i dont see him serving his way out of trouble. Why are we so upstuck, just cos roddick is american, a win is a win and you only learn from your mistakes….
January 5th, 2010 at 6:14 am
Nice to read good news about A-Rodd again after a few months because of his knee injury. I have to follow this tournament in this website, because there's a big time difference from my country to Brisbane, and the tournament is not broadcasted here, neither.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:01 am
I Love Gael Monfils – what a character!
January 5th, 2010 at 7:06 am
Good Win Andy! Just 4 more to go.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:40 am
I knew she would take them by storm. I mean, she will surely take several slams home this year, none of the top 10 players can compare with her game. Beginning with the Williamses is all about brainless ball bashing. I think if Petrova's words speak volumes. I think This year we can see Justine slam and I am quite sure she'll end the year in the top 10 if not on no.1. The real no.1 at last.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:07 am
-bad luck jelena
Ana, ti ci ce probudila!!
well done; now just keep going!!
January 5th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Lovely pics….especially marcos one…:)
January 5th, 2010 at 8:54 am
La patronne est de retour
January 5th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Couldn't agree more poldenus – those idiots in the crowd were embarrasing to Australia and to tennis at this very important tournament trying to raise its profile/attract top-ranked international players. It's one thing to cheer on your favourite player or even a player 'just because they're aussie', but to applaud unforced errors and sing stupid songs is disrespectful to both players… This also happened in Sunday's matches… I am a tennis junkie, but am sick of attending matches that are turned into a country-v-country chant-fest. The AO is just as bad for this kind of behaviour… and only getting worse each year…
As for the match, Luczak should be incredibly pleased with himself – despite struggling to retrun ARod's boomers, he managed to win his serve pretty easily (in the first set) and had he not tightened up in the tiebreak, the match would've got even more interesting… and he came back strong in the second, almost breaking twice…
Great match; shame about the bogans…
January 5th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Of course Andy deserved to win. It doesn't mean the opponent played badly. Amazes me when people say things like KT. The reason why the top 10 are in the top 10 is because they have developed a shot, or shots, that are weapons (be it a serve/return/forehand/backhand…) which they can count on.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:02 am
I must say you look at johns efforts and last ngiht was a very exhilarating match and you look at Jason Kubler's efforts losing to a nobody comfortably and you question does he really deserve a wildcard in to Australian Open? Well done John nerves looked as if they got to you a bit but you held your game and you wouldn't think you were 307 in the world versing world number 12. I hope you continue with tennis and I'm sure we will see your name in top 10 someday
January 5th, 2010 at 10:04 am
I started watching women's tennis now that Justine returns, what a classy act, it was worth getting up at 5 Am to watch. Allez Justine.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:18 am
It was a good match for a tennis player who hadn't played for more than 18 months^^
January 5th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I think Sarah underestimates the power of playing a top 20 player on Pat Rafter Arena with a full crowd behind you. I'm sure this was a huge factor in allowing John to play some of his best, an opportunity Jason Kubler didnt have. Instead of pitty countrymen against eachother, can't we just support all the efforts by our Australian Players? I'm sure both are deserving of the opportunities being given to them by Tennis Qld & Tennis Aust, the people who are watching them everyday.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Great game from both players. Easy to see why Peter is a davis cup regular. He let his tenis do the talking and justified Hewitt's comments about his position in the Davis Cup team. Well done Peter!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Roddick on track to the semi finals against Thomaz Bellucci! It will be a showdown match, the present against the future! For sure they will reach the semis! Thomaz will be seeded at AO!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Hey Guy's, it is Tuesday – how about updating the web-site. Still only getting MONDAY'S schedule and news. Also no “live” scores feed??
January 5th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Yeah Daniela!!! See you next match!!
Madelaine
January 5th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Go Alicia. Go all the way
January 5th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Hey Rusty, try refreshing your browser (press F5), the draws and order of play were updated yesterday.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Nice to read good news about Andy again after a few months because of his knee injury.Good win Andy.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
i hope kimmie wins today….
January 5th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Why is the price money for the man almost dubbel??
January 5th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Absolutely agree. A bit of that stuff is fine and adds to the atmosphere. But the relentless and moronic chants started to wear very thin. Everyone sitting around us was cringing and moaning about it – why on earth don't the staff do something about it. Just a tap on the shoulder and a suggestion to tone it down a bit – no harm done. The boneheads possibly didn't realise just how annoying and unfunny they were.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
haha love him he sooo tres cool yo….!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
not surprising….a long way from beating anyone in the Top 200. Just doesn't have player smarts. Prefer Ebden any day
January 5th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
You're disappointed Jelena and you should be.
Talent + tactics = winning tennis matches.
If you only knew how many people are willing you to win all the time.
Best of luck in Hobart.
Just do it Jelena. Yes you can!
January 5th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Congratulations Marcos – Great start to the year. Let's hope it is a sign of things to come.
January 5th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
A great performance by Marcos. We look forward to another stong display against Berdych – and for the rest of the year!
January 5th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
John played out of his skin against the world no.12
I agree with mike give him a AO WC
January 5th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Personally, I was surprised that Molik even made it past the first round.
January 5th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
ΜΑΡΚΟ, ΣΥΓΧΑΡΗΤΗΡΙΑ!!! ΣΥΝΕΧΙΣΕ ΕΤΣΙ
January 5th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
I agree witrh Michael and Mike. An AO WC is deserved. An upcoming Aussie player who plays his heart out.
January 5th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
WOOO, CLIJSTERS FOR 2010 OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Played a great game today
January 5th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Anddddddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to win AUS OPEN 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUU.
January 5th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Well done Marcos!
Great start!
January 5th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Great win Matt….Go the west aussies…hopefully now TA will give you a wildcard for AO!!
January 5th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
she is the best ,better than all the rest
January 5th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Bravo Marcos, ZHTO Cyprus
January 5th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
I am really annoyed about the website reports of Tomic and Molik being “crushed” by their opponents today and not appearing good enough to cut the mustard with the other players. Don't you realise that these players need ENCOURAGEMENT and not criticism that tears them and their confidence apart. Tell your reporters to grow up and be more generous in their comments.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
ajde ana znamo da mozes da se vratis i da igras kao 2008 na roland garrosu .. <3
January 5th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
love cyprus love marcos!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
gasquet, I wish you luck in the future! hope you at least get to the quarter-finals of brisbane or maybe win it if you can! Good luck for tomorrows match against Matthew Ebden I hope you win. Stay relaxed and bring out your killer backhand and you should be just fine!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
he is too concerned about the image needs to learn some manners is he another mcinroe??
January 5th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Justine is great-GrEaT-GREAT!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
hope matt plays well against richard coz i believe he has the game to beat him. win or lose though, i believe he deserves the last AO wildcard. best of luck matt
January 5th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
I'm glad it wasn't just me, Paul! I think it's great to build atmosphere, encourage an underdog and make a few funny comments – I thought the “Use the force, Luczak” was pretty funny, though that came from a different corner, not the clowns up the back… but going on for so long the players have to stop to serve and attempting to taunt Roddick, etc, was just stupid… I was surprised the ump didn't tell them to calm down more often? I noticed they did shut up for a bit when the boys in blue made an appearance, so perhaps they did realise how unwelcome their behaviour was… but suspect it won't change it…
January 5th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Hopefully year 2010 will be the one to give you and Cyprus a Grand Slam win!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
go marcos good luck its time for #1
January 5th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
marco eisai trella me tis kyprou ti fanella,
marco you are chief with cyprus teeshirt if
marco yera me tsampouka
marco strong with attitude
January 5th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
ΜΠΡΑΒΟ ΠΑΓΔΑΤΑΡΑ ΕΙΜΑΣΤΕ ΜΑΖΙ ΣΟΥ . Η ΝΕΑ ΣΤΟΛΗ ΚΑΤΑΠΛΗΚΤΙΚΗ Η ΚΥΠΡΟΣ ΟΛΗ ΜΑΖΙ ΣΟΥ ! ΟΠΟΥ ΠΑΣ ΕΙΜΑΣΤΕ ΜΑΖΙ ΣΟΥ
January 6th, 2010 at 12:01 am
Entertaining match. Great performance from Baghdatis.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:41 am
John Millman was goiven a wild card days ago.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:49 am
The problem here is, they were crushed. I thought Molik was going to be defeated 6 0 6 0. She was way out of her league against devastatingly in form Clijsters. Having said that we can'r expect too much from her too soon after coming back especially someone like Clijsters who is playing like a top 5 player at present.
With regards to Tomic, I watched that match also and it was painful to watch. Tomic looked flat. It was a boring game to watch and it was almost like they were just having a bit of a practice hit together. Same here though, we can't expect too much from this young gun yet.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:58 am
Felt bad for Taylor who has been working extremely hard in the lead up to the Brisbane International training for several hours morning and afternoon each day and not a single sighting of Monfils on the practice courts. Too many missed opportunities for Dent tonight who could have closed out the match in 2 having set point in the first.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:04 am
YESSSSSSSSS MARCO!!!! im so happy, your going to do great at the Aussie!!!!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:16 am
yea u rock ivanovic win brisbane
January 6th, 2010 at 1:21 am
what a nonsense! If somebody plays a third set why is that described as 'scare'?! She did well in the last set…
January 6th, 2010 at 1:25 am
Well if she dose meet justine in the semi's she is going to LOSE !
January 6th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Belgium will rule again
January 6th, 2010 at 1:31 am
Anci please don't scare us like that again! Phew!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:37 am
Serbian queen won again………Serbia is with you……final nothing less..
Ajmo Ana mozes ti to….
January 6th, 2010 at 1:41 am
Justine or Kim? I'd bet my money on Justine.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:02 am
Bravo Anci…idemo dalje !!!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:13 am
GO ANA!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:13 am
Well done on beating Zverev Carsten, he is a superb player, but you owned the court. best of luck against roddick, it will come down to who can rally longer, and who serves best on the day
January 6th, 2010 at 2:20 am
Bravo Ana,3 more matches to win
Navijamo za tebe 
))
January 6th, 2010 at 2:27 am
Congrats Ana! Please continue winning. We missed this alot.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:29 am
Nice to have Ana back. Still a bit shakey, but still seems very determined and ambitious, which is a good sign. Hope the showdown against Henin happens – it should be an interesting match.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:34 am
KT has no respect and has bad sportmanship, i am an aussie and its good to see Luczak representing us. But A-Rod is simply the best… and its a well deserved Win..!!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:43 am
Personally i think that these players are all awesome, people who have nothing nice to say should just keep it to themselves. Tomic is only 17 Yrs old, he would be any 17 yr old. If people think tennis is such an easy sport then why doesn't australia produce more Tennis stars. Its no easy… All the best for TOMIC
January 6th, 2010 at 2:53 am
when she must play to henin she has no chance at all
January 6th, 2010 at 3:58 am
You may be right. I hope not. Henin may be in Kim's class as a tennis player but nowhere near Kim's class in any other aspect!
January 6th, 2010 at 5:59 am
go ana show everyone that you are not only a pretty face and a cute body
again be number one
January 6th, 2010 at 7:37 am
Welcome back, Anci.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Mpravo Markos!
January 6th, 2010 at 9:17 am
John, your family would be so proud of you… I can't wait to hear Shona talking so proudly of you. Fantastic accomplishment.
January 6th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Monfils has been trainign in Adelaide with Rasheed which is why you havent' seen him on the practice court in Brisbane. Here was in Adelaide at least until Sunday.
January 6th, 2010 at 9:58 am
bit presumptuous…. especially seeing as she served like a slug… id bet against it
January 6th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Bravo Ana… just continue like this ! Hard matches like that help to win in confidenty … hope u win this tournament!! Come on Ana
January 6th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Congratulation Monfils. You played very well last night but Taylor Dent still did not go down with out a fight (76 67 62. good luck today and i wish you all the best in the rest of your carreer. I know you will play verywell at the Brisbane International, I hope you win the whole thing. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:32 am
I'm not sure interesting is the word. She doesn't even look like a top 50 player at times. She will need to be far more consistent against Henin (if she maes it that far) or any other player in the top 20 at the moment if she doesnt want to be thrashed off the court. She was lucky Jelena Dokic was as patchy as she was the other day or she wouldnt have even made it through the first round.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:44 am
well Bill, we all have our opinions and that is yours.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Why would he want to ask Polish Australian Luczak?? the guy has never won anything or beaten anyone, Australias biggest WC waster, go do your own thing Carsten and good luck.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Henin may win it….but Kim ALWAYS WINS THE HEART OF THE PEOPLE!
January 6th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
I love both Kim and Justine, but Justine is my top favourite. Some people just don't seem to appreciate Justine's beautiful personality. Of course she might seem a little sad- the poor girl lost her mother far too early!! Go Jusi!
January 6th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
WHOLE LIMBURG(belgium) LOVES KIM.
SHES OUR NUMBER ONE.
PS: the whole world loves our KIM
January 6th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Jelena, your one of my most favourite players- remember ranking is only a number- your tennis is great. Have the best of luck at the Australian Open.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Yes Justine is a machine everytime she is on the court doesnt mater if she has been off for day or a year she always the same. Havent checked the draw yet but who ever wins between Henin or Clisters will win the tounament the rest of the field are lost in the dust.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
you can win this entire thing go Ana
January 6th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Talk about ego and looking too far into the future. Before Ana or Justine can get their rocks off and ride the ego trip, just watch out for Melinda Czink who is engaged to an Australian being her coach – Ian “the battler” Barstow. Ana is a second class citizen compared to our darling of the queensland courts “Melinda”. Although flying under the radar and out of the press – be warned this leftie has the attitude and strength to whip their butts. Bring it on and let the games begin, let those egos fly and the tears fall – come on Melinda – go you good thing. As for her coach and Aussie who was recently nicknamed the “Garden Nome” by fellow coaches, he is known to not hold back and can take the punches of any “panzie” out there. That is not a flower too.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Daniela played an amazing match & was a deserved winner. Way to go!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
GO DANIELA!!! You deserve this victory for your hard work. Hopefully this can be a good era for you. I believe you have the power to beat Kim and Justine!!! Love your tennis!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Justine is great both on and off the court (sponsored charities and UN involvement). She may not be all giggles and smiles, but her heart and mind are where they should be.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Hi Can anyone tell me in the Womens quarter finals is 2 matches played during the day and 2 at night or 3 during the day and 1 at night. Thanks
January 6th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Dr. Claesen, that may be so, if the whole world is all from flanders.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
YEAH DANIELA!!!! I knew you could do it! Keep going. GOOD LUCK in the next match.I know it's in you do win!!
January 6th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
This is Ana's first 1/4 final breakthrough since Indian Wells last year so that means she is improving. As for her game she can't recapture her old form so fast, it takes time but she is on a good comeback trail so don't be miserable repeating that she was lucky. If she is, that is a big plus too, not all players can be lucky!
January 6th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
I was there Sunday and saw monfils practicing
January 6th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Absolutely right!
January 6th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Felicitaciones Gael!
January 6th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
COME ON ANDY!!!
Bea Gasquet in the quarterfinals
January 6th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Good win Andy!!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Good win Andy!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Go andy!!! You're the best player out there, go all the way!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
I LOVE Justine and i hope she is already Win in Brisbane! Good Luck Juju.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Love the pics! Ana has an amazing tan!
January 6th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
good on you carsten ball we watched you today at rafter arena and we think your well on your way to the top 100.
we know you might be disapointed but you gave us great tennis to watch. thanks.
to the organiseres of the event we say thank you and for the free train and bus services we say a big thank you because without the free transport to and from the event (we live on the sunshine coast) we may not have been able, financially, been able to go. thank you again.
jenny and ted
January 6th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Tennis Australia can not ignore john millman now after this performance?
January 6th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
bravo justine we houden van je
January 6th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
If you look at the trouble Dolgopolov Jr gave to world #12 Stepanek it's really no shame Tomic lost to him.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Very impressive play by Carsten Ball. Played like a top 10 player in the first set.
Experience winning points when it most counts is what got Roddick through that first set.
Get ready (In my opinion) to see Ball enter the top 100 very soon and make people sit up and take notice.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I was there Sunday also but didn't see him. But then again I was on Centre Court watching the matches all day.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Just wonderful to see Richard Gasquet back on the court. What a beautiful game he has. I hope he wins his next match, even if I do like Andy also. I am also glad to hear that he was not suspended by the ITF. I though he might have to pay the price for their mistakes with Agassi. I do believe Richard was innocent in this case.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
CONGRATULATION JUJU!
Well done, I am so happy to see you back on court. The womens tennis really missed such a great player like you are. The womens tennis is now interesting again. I love how you play and can hardly wait to see more and more of you.
Good luck with your up coming matches.
I am looking forward to more nailbiting moments.
All the best, my fingers are always crossed for you and I am always with you!
ALLEZ JUJU!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
CONGRATULATION JUJU!
Well done, I am so happy to see you back on court. The womens tennis really missed such a great player like you are. The womens tennis is now interesting again. I love how you play and can hardly wait to see more and more of you.
Good luck with your up coming matches.
I am looking forward to more nailbiting moments.
All the best, my fingers are always crossed for you and I am always with you!
ALLEZ JUJU!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
u r the best!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
u r the best!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 6th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Make it to the final and win it Justine! Allez allez allez.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Make it to the final and win it Justine! Allez allez allez.
January 7th, 2010 at 12:02 am
Does anyone know if the women's final will be broadcast from 7:00pm at the live site? I notice that Channel 7 will have a delayed broadcast from 9:30pm.
January 7th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Wow. I didn't watch this match but I was shocked when I read that Baghdatis only managed to win one game! Something must have been wrong with him. Oh well.. .
Go Berdych! =)
January 7th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Justine has returned and with her the nail-biting matches. It made me sooo nervous when she was trailing 0-2 in both sets.
Good luck and it doesn't matter my nerves as long as you win each match.
January 7th, 2010 at 1:21 am
Well done Andy on your win today. Your serve is great to witness live. Carsten Ball, you did Australia proud with your efforts against Roddick today. Andy good luck in your next match.
January 7th, 2010 at 1:30 am
Getting a players autograph is difficult at the best of times, but the behavior of one father after the double match featuring Roddick & Blake on Wednesday night was downright disgusting (even Andy told him to stop pushing everyone-little kids included- and shoving the giant tennis ball in his face as he would get to him in time.) He got a signature; I didn't because the “grandma” was there too to protect his back and stop anyone else getting near Andy until this man had his signature and then they could both leave. What makes it worse is that he sends his young daughter into the melee to get near the front with the other kids, then he (& grandma) pushes through everyone else, takes the ball off his daughter and proceeds to shove in the players' faces. People like this should be removed to give the honest fan who is willing to wait for the player to get to them, a fair go. Sorry Andy, we Queenslander's aren't all that rude. Hope you come back next year.
January 7th, 2010 at 2:05 am
allez allez Juju!! it's a dream come true to see you back in action, you have no idea how sad it was when you announced your retirement and now you are back!!! i hoped against hope…truly just kept hoping and now, you go get them girl!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 2:30 am
I totally agree Aileene. Justine is playing so well in this tournament. It's so good to have her back.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:07 am
Bellucci is 1-1 against Berdych in the head to head. The last one Berdych won at home, 7-5 on the third. It will be an amazing match, I hope Bellucci reach the semis to be seeded at the AO.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:12 am
ik ben er zeker van dat wij een Belgische finale krijgen en dan gaan we de fenomenale juju zien,because she is the best,better than all the rest
January 7th, 2010 at 5:45 am
Great Victory to Berdych!! He is amazing and he was playing great tenis. He is in good form and I hope that he will be winner against Bellucc. I believe him! The Czech republic is very proud of him!!! GO BERDYCH, GO!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 6:29 am
It is so nice to see Ana back and healthy. She is such a credit to the game.
January 7th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Ana is the most beautiful sport women in the world
I love her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 10:39 am
will be a very difficult match for Thomaz, but we are in the crowd because the Berdych is very irregular! let's SID, the semi-final hopes. Go Go Bellucci
January 7th, 2010 at 11:03 am
I so agree with you Aileene – Women's tennis lost its lustre for me when Justine retired at her peak! I'm thrilled to watch her back on the court, she is just amazing!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Why the old photo? I'm sure she'll crash out of Hobart too. All of these losses by good players are very suspicious. I doubt the 11 double faults were legit. Wta tournaments badly need replay cameras on all courts. Imagine a very fit player like Anna chakavatadze getting destroyed by an old 40 plus player who wasn't much in her own era. I'm not buying these beat downs. The modern games needs replay systems for all courts. How about HD cameras?
January 7th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Ana is cute, sweet, beautiful ANGEL…..
January 7th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
i love
dokic she is an amazing person and great tennis player i dont like her dad tho what he did to her was really not acceptable
January 7th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Yes SO GOOD to have her back Hebe!
I just about gave up on womens tennis 20 months ago, it was a sad day…and weeks and months that followed! now we can celebrate Justine!!
January 7th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
yes Jayne womens tennis became a yo-yo see-saw game after she left, and i totally lost interest. there was no one i admired. Justine is just such an exciting amazing player and there is so much to admire in her! i've long been waiting for her to come play on our shores…maybe one fine day
now let's hope she goes on to greater heights! have you seen her new official website?? it's way cool!!! 
January 7th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Great job for Ana i knew she could do it good luck in the semi. Number one fan
January 7th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Let's go ana, is the perfect way to start the new year.
January 7th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Ana Ivanovic looks very hungry during the first set and the second set when she was up with four games to zero. Maybe, too excitement destroyed her game and that's why the young Russian leveled it up and forced a very tight tiebreaker.
Ana Ivanovic showed great play and confidence during the tiebreaker and that was all enough to outlast the young Russian.
Ana Ivanovic, I love you! If only I can marry you, I'll do it in a jiff. hehehe
January 7th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
I was there… Berdych was playing incredibly 'crisp' (er, can't think of a good word, but very clean shots)… really showed a whole 'nother level, overpowered him completely and Baghdatis just couldn't even get 'into' the match or play his strategy if he had one! Was a bit disappointing/surprising… I thought it'd be a lot closer…
January 7th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Will the screen stay there for the AO? Would be fabulous to emulate Fed Square for those of us who can't make it to Melb this year…
January 7th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
We do in Canada!
January 7th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Congrats Justine. As a huge fan, I always used to relish getting up early or staying up until the middle of the night to watch your non-US matches live – no doubt I'll try to find a live stream of your match tonight. My heart was broken when you retired, and the WTA has suffered much since then. Here's to a successful run over the next several years!
January 7th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
This is Ana's first 1/2 final breakthrough since Indian Wells last year so that means she is improving and I didn't doubt about her victory today. And some people are so pathetic saying that she is lucky and that the crowd helped her win, I'm sure it did give her support but all the victories she accomplished here she owns exclusively to herself and even If she is lucky, that is a big plus too, not all players can be!
January 7th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Хајде! Ана!
Goodluck to your semis!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Congratulations Ana and Andrea on reaching the semi finals. Now you can both go and celebrate Orthodox Xmas with family. Wishing all Serbian and Russian tennis players a very merry Xmas. Mir Boziji, Hristos se rodi. (Meaning Peace of God, Christ is born!”)
All the best for the semi's for Ana and Andrea.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
hi..ana good luck for semis…..i love u………
January 7th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Go Richard you can beat Andy Roddick. You can win the final. You are the best. Good luck.
January 7th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Congrats Ana on making the semi's today!
She looked great, except for that little collapse in the 2nd set. She is showing lots os progress and good signs. 2010 will be better than 2009. Now I hope she cna play well against Henin as well! Ajde!
January 7th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
So glad to hear your match, even though I believe tennis is to be watched not heard. I look forward to a final with you in it. Go for it all this season.
January 7th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
I totally agree with you, D.I. The fact that people that are saying she won only because of the crowd is ridiculous. I saw her play in the 2009 us open when she lost in the first round. The crowd was out of their seats cheering for her every time she won a point, yet she still lost the match. the crowd has nothing to do with whether she wins or loses no matter how much we cheer for her.
January 7th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
justine will be womens number 1 by the time she wins the australian open she has lost none of her abilty she is the best womens tennis plater i have seen for a long while
January 7th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Hey, its so nice to listen to your live commentary which gives me an experience like watching it on TV even at work
Great work ppl.
January 7th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Can't wait for a Stepanek and Roddick final!
January 7th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Yes, me too
January 7th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Congratualtions to Andrea – great game, the “Arena” is waiting for your next step to go. Good luck!
January 7th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
You rock Andrea. Hope you kick Kims.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Yes, Melissa, you are totally right, sometimes cheering can be helpful only mentally, but all is up to the player…:)
January 7th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
ana better sort out that serve cause justine will kill her tomorrow otherwise
January 7th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Congrats to Ana for winning today. However, since she's playing Henin in the semis, I can't cheer for her =(
Still, if Ana wins, I won't be too upset, since I like them both =) But I'll be cheering for Justine.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
thankgod justine is back. women's tennis sucked without her
January 7th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Congratulations Ana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
it s correct!
January 7th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
She's back and better than ever
woooooooooooooo GO CLIJSTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Oh gosh… I hope she beats Ivanovic more easily than she beat Czink today. I swear my heart stopped multiple times today.
Go Justine!!! All the way to the title!
January 7th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Oh I think a win is a win, a huge confidence builder when you are trying to find your form again. Ana is HUGELY popular with many across the globe and I think having the crowd cheering for you is emotional 'icing' on the cake!
She absolutely has all the skills required, just a bit more hard work and staying mentally tough too & we'll see her lifting more trophies in the future!
I am personally so pleased for her and her mental toughness this week. I know it's been hard shaking off the rust, but if she can manage to stay 'healthy' I truly believe she will return to her Championship playing
You have many pulling for you Ana! You are a lovely Champion and congratulations on your newest Humanitarian Award..You are MOST deserving of it with all the energy, time, money and 'hands on' hard work you give your “Schools Against Violence” program in Belgrade and also your work with UNICEF! Always stay true to yourself and you'll never be 'so' disappointed that you can't handle it~
MUCH success tomorrow against Henin!!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Bravo for winning, but Justine be gentle to your fans. A little more TLC, and less CPR!
January 7th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
You're writing about Kim Clijsters like she's already through to the semi-finals. Not if Lucie Šafářová has anything to say about it!
January 7th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
well done Justine! you had us at the edge of our seats but none the less pulled through in the end
. good luck in the semi-finals.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Too many errors =( Good luck tomorrow, Justine!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
same me…= =
January 7th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Yayyyyy… Love henin very much
January 7th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Such a close matchup. She almost broke Czink at 5-4.
January 7th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
I'll always be with you!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
I cannot find a site map for parking or a drop off site for patrons. Please advise me
Lyn
January 7th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
should be a tough match for both
January 7th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Forget it!
January 7th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Justine vs Ana head-to-head is 4-0. I hope after tomorrow, it will be 5-0.
Allez Justine! Go win your first tournament.
January 7th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Man is this going to be great, clijsters vs safarova, safarova has a huge ego and talent, but im going with CLijsters and Gael vs James, im going the more egomatic and athletic Monfils for that one ONE FIRST
January 7th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
ditto – it brought back memories of so many close matches from the past, but the important thing is that Justine won in the end. I notice she's hitting very hard but very much down the middle of the court. I think she needs to use the angles more but perhaps she's not confident to do that just yet. Here's hoping for another victory against Ivanovic. Well played Justine x
January 7th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
I hope so too…I had to stop watching the match and distract myself with other things around the house to calm my nerves. Anyways I'm glad she's through…
Please many, many ALLEZ for tomorrow…go for it.
Isn't it annoying (again) from channel 7 to cut this match at 5:30?? it's an insult.
January 7th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Hi Lyn,
Queensland Tennis Centre is a public transport venue and as such it doesn't have any public parking sites. The nearest drop off locations would be next to Yerongpilly train station or in the little roundabout next to where King Arthur Tce begins.
January 7th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
What a fab performance, the game had everything from both sides. At times either could have finished it but the gods of concentration set in. Credit to Justine for the win after the lay off, but equal credit should go to Melinda for beating all those knockers that showed no respect and counted her as a nothing. The girl has power, and a developing mind set to crack the top 10. Obviously a late bloomer but a solid performer on the way up.
Good to see the commentators change their tune in the second set after they incorrectly predicted gloom and doom. Well done to both and what a show for tennis, great to watch even if a few basic errors it made it great viewing for the non tennis player.
January 7th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
justine,
I've never had any interest in tennis until i watched you play. i could watch you play tennis for hours. i think your a great player and im glad you have returned to the the game you love. good luck for the rest of the year and keep doing what you do best. hope one day i can watch you play live.
all the best,
michelle
January 7th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
YAY KIMMY! still and always will be aussie kim.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:47 am
yes vas-y Gael ! tu vas le faire ma caille ! je t'ai vu face a Dent dans “l'arene” et tu merites ! j'ai pas vu ton match face a Blake mais c'etait pas un morceau facile c'est clair…continue ! joue et fais toi plaisir ca nous fera plaisir !
January 8th, 2010 at 12:55 am
oh j'aurais tant aime voir ce match ! je t'ai vu face a Dent et la GG ! battre Blake, fantastique…t'es en forme ! continue et fais toi plaisir…ca nous fera plaisir !
je vais venir te supporter samedi ma caille…d'ici la, fais gaffe a tes doigts et a ton epaule ^_-
January 8th, 2010 at 12:59 am
Well done Gael ! you did a great job against Dent (he hits the ball pretty hard this fellow hey !) I just regret I could not see you today since Blake is also fairly tough. I'll be cheering up for you on Satursday though…in the meantime, take it easy on your fingers and shoulder,,,
allez mon grand tu peux le faire ! t'as la classe !
January 8th, 2010 at 1:18 am
J'adore Monfils!!! Go, go, go…
January 8th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Was a great match between Clijsters and Safarova. I like Clijsters but Safarova has won me over as a new fan with her fighting never say die attitude and her sporting behaviour acknowledging a good shot from her opponent etc
I look forward to seeing Safarova play in Melbourne.
January 8th, 2010 at 1:35 am
I respect Stepanek for his skills and deft hands but he seriously needs to improve his personality. I am yet to meet anybody who likes him as a person.
Apart from that he certainly knows how to scrap and he is a smart player.
January 8th, 2010 at 1:45 am
What a great match. I really enjoyed watching the two of them compete.
January 8th, 2010 at 1:50 am
Was a great match to watch. Shame James Blake didn't progress but never mind. Should be a good match now between Monfils and Stepanek. I look forward to it.
January 8th, 2010 at 2:53 am
i love james,gael and andy these guy are my favroite players to wacth with gael it's always a treat like on a hot summer day and you are looking for some that cool and refreshing. james is one of the guy when his game is on it hot like a bag of pop corn that just been popped . i hope this year will be better for him and he back in the top10 were he belongs. andy hope this year you win a slam. i seen you wrok really hard and hang in their . this you will be the last man standing with great victory.
January 8th, 2010 at 3:33 am
Welcome back, Ana
You are the best.
Justine is only the one brick in the wall.
Ajde.
January 8th, 2010 at 3:56 am
Ana is the best and is very beautiful.
January 8th, 2010 at 3:58 am
Ana is the best is very beautiful and I love the pics.
January 8th, 2010 at 4:01 am
Ana is the best
January 8th, 2010 at 5:04 am
CZ Konečné Berdych vs Stepanek
:-):-):-)
January 8th, 2010 at 5:07 am
Hope Justine will go far and high this year.
Vive Justine !
January 8th, 2010 at 6:17 am
Monfils is 3/1 against stepanek though (stepanek's only win against him was a retirement from Monfils). He also beat him in their last tournamet in Paris last year.
January 8th, 2010 at 6:22 am
YOU GO GIRL ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL!!!
January 8th, 2010 at 7:26 am
Why can't we get live matches on tennis channel. I am ready to cancel tennis channel. I pay extra for tennis channel and all I am seeing is rewinds. Not worth what I pay for the channel to see games that are already complete.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:29 am
Allez Monfil!!
January 8th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Well if she didn't do this to our Slovak hope I would say well done. :0), no seriously, she outplayed Daniela, who clearly underestimated her and it cost her a match. If she plays aggressively she can surprise Kim by all means. Safarova made her dig very very deep so Petkovic can do the same or even more…
We're in it for a thriller, folks!
January 8th, 2010 at 9:51 am
when is andy playing??? i wanna watch?
January 8th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered and help make my maiden volunteer job at the Brisbane International a great joy. I will miss you all. See you next year!! A special thanks to Deb and Michelle, my supervisors for the last week. You both are fantastic, wonderfull people. Thanks Michelle and Rose fo