AUSTRALIAN OPEN

The first major of the 2015 season got underway last night.  Although there were some upsets, many were not unexpected.  The early part of the season finds many players shaking off the rust. Despite time on the practice court, nothing compares to playing in a tournament.  Add to that the level of anxiety created by one’s expectations, and those of the public and you have higher ranked players losing to lower ranked opponents.  However, tennis is fascinating for that very reason, on any given day a much lower ranked player can beat a higher ranked player.  The fact that this is a Major and everyone wants to claim that coveted trophy is an added incentive.  Many players elevate their game, buoyed by the adrenaline of the occasion, unfortunately, only to lose in the next round or two.

Ana Ivanovic lost to Lucie Hradecka, which was not a  surprise.  Sabine Lisicki losing to Kristina Mladenovic was also not a surprise, since she has been struggling for a while to find her top form.  Caroline Garcia defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova. The only surprise was how easily she  won the match.  Angelique Kerber losing to Irina-Camelia Begu was a surprise, especially after she won the second set 6-0.  Belinda Bencic losing to Julia Goerges was a surprise.  Was she overwhelmed by the occasion?    Lucie Safarova losing to Yaroslava Shvedova was not a surprise, as Shvedova is a dangerous opponent and someone struggling with their form may have difficulty beating her.  Carla Suarez Navarro losing to Carina Witthoeft was a surprise.  Alison Riske losing to Oceane Dodin was not a surprise.

Ernests  Gulbis lost to Thanasi  Kokkinakis, the only surprise was that he lost in the fifth set.                                                                                                                                        Jiri Vesely losing to Viktor Troicki was a surprise, given how well he recently performed.

What surprises will day two present for the fans?