Friday, January 25
Last updated at 12:20 pm EST
AUSTRALIAN PRESS
Tsonga ready for his own rumble - Melbourne Age
He took his ringside seat to see Muhammad Ali in boxing's famous Rumble in the Jungle on October 30, 1974. More than 33 years on, Didier Tsonga boarded a plane to watch his son play in his own "rumble".Back then, he would have had no clue to the curious twist in which his son, Jo-Wilfried - although excelling in a different sport - would be compared to the greatest exponent of the sweet science.
MARIA Sharapova cleaned up at the Australian Open. She didn't lose a set. She beat a former No. 1, the reigning No. 1 and in yesterday's peculiarly flat final, the new No. 2, Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, convincingly. She dispatched haunting memories of last year's final, in which she was humiliated by Serena Williams. She hushed the crowd she knew was barracking for her opponent, one that Australians have adopted expediently.Finally, Sharapova won the least likely spoils of all, the tennis public's affection, when she spoke from the heart of the protracted illness and death of her coach's mother last year. "Tennis became so small in everyone's perspective then," she said during the presentation
AUSTRALIA'S Bernard Tomic last night became the youngest ever male winner of a junior grand slam title after taking out the Australian Open junior championship against Taiwan's Tsung-Hua Yang with a thrilling three-set victory.
A REVIEW of the Australian Open's night session policy will result in next year's women's final taking place at night as another night session is added to the schedule, due mainly to the power of television.
Federer was refusing to hit the panic button."I will definitely reflect on what happened. I mean, considering my illness, I'm sort of happy with the result here.
"Of course, I've created a monster, so I need to always win every tournament. But semis is still, you know, pretty good. I'll analyse and see if I have to make some changes next year. But honestly, I think I did play pretty good.
AUSTRALIAN Jessica Moore's remarkable fortnight at the Australian Open has come to an end after losing her juniors singles final in straight sets.
Argentinian sensation Guillermo Vilas still talks as good a game as he played and is happy to discuss his love affair with Kooyong's grass, poetry and investing in property.
IN THE wake of an upset some had anticipated, yet most still found difficult to comprehend, it remained difficult to tell which proposition was more shocking — that Novak Djokovic or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will win the Australian Open tomorrow night, or that Roger Federer will not.
THERE'S growing discontent within the diehard Australian tennis fraternity about the increasing commercialisation of Tennis Australia under chief executive Steve Wood....A prime example is in its latest annual report. Page three includes a two-page section under the headline, Key Moments And Awards. They list the highlights of the tennis year for this country. Honourable mentions go to Todd Woodbridge for appearing on Dancing With The Stars. There are two photographs of Woodbridge appearing on the Channel Seven program. Mark Philippoussis gets a run for starring in another Channel Seven promotion, The Age Of Love.
...Under Tiley's blueprint, any events not organised by an independent promoter by 2010 will cease to exist. No promoter will agree to run anything at a loss so the tournaments will die. It's vital for Tennis Australia to support Challengers, Satellites and Futures but they do not appear to be prepared to do so.
ALL sporting eras must end. As surely as every lob, however high, however perfect, must eventually land, Roger Federer would one day lose at the Australian Open. But who would have thought it would end so meekly, with only a belated whimper of complaint, from perhaps the best tennis player to ever hold a racquet?
MARIA SHARAPOVA's camp is leaving nothing to chance before today's Australian Open final against Ana Ivanovic, with the Russian's practice partner mimicking the controversial squeaking noises made by the Serbian when returning serve.During an hour-long practice session at Melbourne Park yesterday, Sharapova, who is favoured to add a third major to her Wimbledon and US Open crowns, had her hitting partner make the same squeaking noises that on Thursday outraged Ivanovic's semi-final opponent Daniela Hantuchova.
A MYSTERIOUS scrap of paper ripped up by Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova moments after she won the women's singles title has emerged as an ingredient in her victory.Sharapova told the Sunday Herald Sun last night that the scrap was "good luck paper" given to her by a close friend whom she would not identify.
She said the paper had nothing written on it and was nothing to do with superstition - but would not elaborate.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Wires
STILL reeling from his Open semi-final defeat at the hands of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal was further humbled yesterday when he arrived at Melbourne airport.The Barcelona-bound Nadal could only get a business-class seat as far as Singapore and faced the prospect of being pushed to the back of the plane for the connecting journey to Frankfurt.
Magazines this Month
