Matches to Watch - Day 3

While Maria Kirilenko managed the biggest upset of the first day when she unseated former champ Sharapova, her boyfriend Igor Andreev came up just a bit short against Roger Federer. After missing some set points in the third set and failing to serve it out to go up a two sets to one lead, Igor wilted in the fourth and Roger was through. But it was a tough match!

The upset that did happen yesterday was Spaniard Marcel Granollers five-set win over top-ten player and French Open finalist Robing Soderling. It looks like Soderling's lingering injuries proved to be his undoing in this tightly contested match. He's the first top ten seed to stumble on either side of the draw, but he played himself ragged in the first few weeks of the year, and his withdrawal from Kooyong did not bode well.

Sam Querrey's pre-Aussie Open performance also did not suggest he'd have a strong showing, and drawing a former finalist in the first round didn't help. Unfortunately, Sam was ushered out by Rainer Schuettler. I'm still hoping to see that his injury didn't effect him too much, and that he can get back to the level he was playing at during the hardcourt swing last summer.

Another American who suffered a devastating loss was Melanie Oudin, who looked to be cruising against Russian seeded player Alla Kudryavtseva, but she stumbled, despite having match points. I had said that Oudin's sophomore year would be tough, and she's off to a less-than-ideal start. But her toughness is her best quality, so expect to see her again down under.

And did I call the Gasquet-Youzhny match or what? Great hitting by both players. It's a shame that the Frenchman seemed to be hindered by an abdominal injury during much of the match, but he gets ushered out at the Aussie Open in another five-set thriller. It's got to be tough to deal with.

Anyway, looking ahead to today's action...

Elena Dementieva v. Justine Henin - This is the match-up of the day, without question. It will be Henin's first match against a top-ten player since her unretirement, and it has the potential to be a classic. Dementieva is a player who is trying to remind everyone that she's here and should be in contention at these tournaments. The BetFair odds put this match at just about even, giving Elena a slight edge. I'll be staying up to watch this one, for sure.

James Blake v. Juan Martin Del Potro - This wouldn't be a close contest, with Del Potro possibly still not having reached the height of his powers and Blake almost certainly in the Autumn of his career, but Del Po may be suffering from some injury problems, which would give the heavy hitting American a chance. You know he wants to prove himself, and this may be his best opportunity. Look for some of the hardest hit forehands of the year in this match.

Andy Roddick v. Tomaz Bellucci - Another young, up-and-coming player stands in the way of the number one American. Bellucci has more conrete results than De Bakker has had on tour, though. Bellucci has excellent ground strokes and an excellent return of serve, which could prove to be a challenge for Andy.

Yanina Wickmeyer v. Flavia Pennetta - You don't usually see two top-twenty players facing off in the second round, but Wickmeyer's ban has resulted in her crazy placement in the draw. She proved she's willing to fight in the first round (both of quallies and the main draw) but will she be exhausted when she comes up against the world's top Italian?

I'm sure that there will be more great matches tonight, but these are the ones that jump out at me for their potential. For what else turns out to be exciting, we'll just have to wait and see.