SUMMER HEAT DOWNUNDER: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

THE MOTHER THAT ROARED

Hard to relax ... Judy Murray.

Hard to relax ... Judy Murray. Photo: AP

The world No.5's entourage was more hindrance than help during the final, writes Peter Hanlon.

OF ALL the vision that should trouble Andy Murray if he can bring himself to press 'Play' and review Sunday night's Melbourne Park massacre, his most cringeworthy moments had nothing to do with hitting a tennis ball.

Judy Murray is a bona fide tennis coach - although not officially that of her son, who split with Miles Maclagan last year and works sporadically with Spaniard Alex Corretja. Like all tennis parents she has every right to attend her son's matches, get up out of her seat and bellow ''Come on!'' with the best of them. But would it really harm his game if she did it from 20 rows back? And if she took his various fitness advisers and human sounding boards with her, and let Murray work his way through matches himself, could he be any more lost for answers or inspiration than he was on Sunday night?

Coaching from the bleachers is officially a no-no in tennis, and on Sunday night, the most telling case for tennis players to submit themselves to a bit of tough love came at the end of the first set, when an agitated Murray raised both hands in a calming motion from his courtside seat and mouthed ''Relax'' to his team. Clearly, it wasn't only Djokovic who was getting the Scot's dander up.

If they weren't there, his sole focus might have been on working out a way to get back into the match, an assignment which the fifth-best player in the world should probably be able to tackle on his own.

The Sydney Morning Herald

smh.com.au

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

DOLGOPOLOV’S COACH – JACK READER

Jack Reader spent the early years of his much-travelled life in Port Lincoln where it has erected a statue of Makybe Diva. Somehow appropriate now that, at this Australian Open, Reader has taken the role of the bush trainer with a once-in a-lifetime good thing.

That Reader's surprising stayer, Ukrainian Alex Dolgopolov, yesterday conquered the fourth seed Robin Soderling over five sets, is the consequence of an unlikely but increasingly successful coach-player alliance between two men who have spent the majority of their lives on the tennis tour.

Dolgopolov was a tennis brat who travelled from tournament to tournament with his father Oleksandr, the coach of an earlier Ukrainian star Andrei Medvedev. Little Alex is still remembered by some of Medvedev's contemporaries, such as yesterday's on-court interviewer Jim Courier, as the kid who would beg for a hit and seldom miss the baseline when he was handed a racquet.

Australian coach Jack Reader with Ukranian player Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Australian coach Jack Reader with Ukranian player Alexandr Dolgopolov. Photo: Wayne Taylor

Apart from a stint in the pub game in New Zealand and a job modelling in an ANZ bank commercial, most of Reader's professional life has been spent at the other end of the tennis spectrum in the game's bush leagues. The coach's well-worn, sun-stained face and habit of starting stories that he realises he probably should not end - at least not for publication - hint at a life lived large in years spent at college in the US, on modest satellite circuits and coaching in Italy and Germany. The nickname Jack The Stripper, recalled yesterday by a contemporary, might be another hint.

''I was a high-class bum, I suppose,'' says Reader. ''Tennis got me travelling. In Port Lincoln it would get me a trip to Adelaide or up the coast to Whyalla. After that it got me around the world. I can speak a few languages, had a good time.''

Reader did not win his first computer point until he was 28, earning a career-high singles ranking of 700 and a doubles rating of 300. But, even then, he knew his future was outside the lines. ''I would coach for three months just to get the money together to play one satellite tournament,'' he says.

Twelve years ago, Reader found himself back in Adelaide where he raised a son as a single father, coached at the Warradale Park Tennis Club and worked with some top juniors. It was on a trip to Italy with a promising Adelaide player Yuri Bezeruk five years ago that Reader first saw Dolgopolov.

The then 17 year-old beat Bezeruk comprehensively and Reader immediately called an Italian agent he knew. ''I said this kid has got the biggest talent in the world,'' says Reader.

Then, two years ago, Reader got a phone call. Dolgopolov had struggled with other coaches since he and his father/coach had, in the Ukrainian's words, ''gotten a bit sick of each other'' and his agent wanted Reader to look after him. ''I thought 'You beauty','' says Reader. ''He lost second round of qualies and I gave him a big serve because I thought he was going back [to Europe]. That's how it started.''

In 2009, Reader coached Dolgopolov from afar using skype and emails, but since December he has travelled with him, overseeing the rising star as his ranking improved from 350 to - after the Australian Open - at least No .34. ''The biggest thing was getting him to get enjoy his tennis again,'' says Reader. ''He grew up on the circuit and I think he expected to be there.''

Yesterday, Dolgopolov looked far more relaxed than the brooding Soderling whose feared forehand buckled in the face of the Ukrainian's nagging game.

When you mention the ''bush trainer'' analogy, Reader smiles. ''People can say what they like … The best coaches are not always the best players. You've got a player with all the strokes and, somehow, you've got to make them come together.''

THEAGE.COM.AU

Monday, January 24, 2011

For Federer, a Coach Who Links Eras of Tennis Greatness

MELBOURNE — Pete Sampras was on the phone or the screen or whatever one is on these days, and Paul Annacone was keeping his friend and former employer informed, his thumbs typing an Australian Open update.

“Just texting Pete; he always likes to see what’s going on, what the conditions are like, who’s playing, that kind of stuff,” Annacone said on Sunday as he walked into the players’ lounge. “I think he just watched Roger. He told me to tell Roger, ‘Good win and good luck.”’

Annacone, a 47-year-old American, is now the most tangible link between two remarkable tennis eras and the two champions who, along with Rod Laver, make every short list of all-time great men’s players.

Annacone coached Sampras from 1995, with one short break, until Sampras officially retired in 2003, and Annacone is now one of Roger Federer’s two coaches along with Severin Luethi, joining up last July on a trial basis before becoming part of the staff with the brief to fit in seamlessly while providing fresh thinking.

A former touring professional who peaked at No. 12 in the world, Annacone is well aware of his good fortune.

“I do feel really lucky,” he said. “Not only have I been with these two guys; I’ve also been with Tim Henman, a perennial top 10 player and one of the best guys ever as a person to walk on a tennis court. So I’ve been with three great players and more importantly three great people, so sometimes I wake up and go ‘Wow’, and I do feel kind of blessed to have had this opportunity.

“But I think part of my good fortune, I hope, is because of my work ethic and personality and the perspective that I view the game with and the history I have soaked up as a bit of a sponge in the last 25 years.”

José Higueras, now a top coach with the United States Tennis Association, also worked briefly with Sampras and then, for a short time, with Federer. But Annacone, who also has been in charge of player development for the U.S.T.A. and the British Lawn Tennis Association, is now in position to make a longer-term impact on both the player of the 1990s and the player of the 2000s.

Annacone said Sampras was enthusiastic about his decision to work with Federer. “His response was, ‘Jeez, that’s great. How many people have gotten to coach him and me? Not a lot.’ And he likes Roger.”

Annacone and Luethi generally take turns traveling, staying in touch by text or telephone so as not to send Federer mixed signals. “That’s how it generally works, but usually whoever is there kind of takes the driver’s seat,” Annacone said.

Luethi, a Swiss who has been Federer’s friend since childhood, was on duty in Doha, Qatar, for Federer’s first official event of the year. But Annacone is on duty here and also plans to be with Federer at the tour events in Indian Wells, California, and Miami. Annacone, who has two grown children, homes in East Hampton, New York, and Topanga, California, near Malibu, said splitting the travel and coaching duties with Luethi suits him well. “To me it’s been really nice, kind of fit like a glove,” he said.

Annacone was a net-rushing player before a herniated disc in his back cut short his career, and both Sampras and Henman were at their most effective moving forward, which is one reason Federer has brought Annacone on board. The goal, clearly, has been not an overhaul but a tweak.

“It’s important to question yourself, and that’s what I’ve always been doing since I got to world No. 1 in 2004,” Federer said Sunday after defeating Tommy Robredo of Spain, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the fourth round.

Annacone said his and Federer’s emphasis was on “just more offensive stuff, using his athleticism.”

“Everyone that watches can see,” he said. “There’s no magic pill, no secret whispering with voodoo dolls going on. It’s about him being one of the few guys who can play a number of different ways at the highest level, so for him it’s about managing that.”

Federer lost in the semifinals of the U.S. Open last year to Novak Djokovic in Annacone’s first major tournament on board. But his results have been, in general, on the upswing, and he has continued to push forward with greater frequency here, winning 36 of 50 points at the net against Robredo. But it has hardly been a routine first week, with Federer requiring five sets to defeat Gilles Simon of France in the second round.

The second week looks particularly daunting this year, with all three men left in Federer’s half of the draw — Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Federer’s quarterfinal opponent Stanislas Wawrinka — in impressive form. Wawrinka, who won the Olympic gold medal in doubles with Federer for Switzerland in 2008, ripped past Andy Roddick, the last American left in singles, in straight sets on Sunday.

“I think it’s hard because you know when the bar is set so high people tend to get sensationalistic about what’s going on, and I think it’s my job to kind of help keep that perspective,” Annacone said. “Roger’s a great player, and he’s been playing well since August and if he wins in Australia, great, and if he doesn’t, that’s fine. There’s nothing broken yet. He’s feeling good. His game is progressing. We’re working on themes, and we kind of just have to keep looking at it that way, but it’s tough because you set a pretty high bar.”

Coaching Federer is a privilege that indeed has a potential dark side. For a man who has won a record 16 Grand Slam singles titles — 2 more than Sampras — the only good-news results are more Grand Slam singles titles. But Annacone, unlike just about anyone else, has been here before. He took over as Sampras’s coach on an interim basis in March 1995, when Annacone’s friend Tim Gullikson, then Sampras’s coach, had become increasingly ill with the brain tumor that would ultimately kill him.

Sampras, at that stage, was already No. 1 but with Annacone’s support, he would win eight more Grand Slam titles, culminating with the 2002 U.S. Open when Sampras, at the age of 31, had not won a major in more than two years and was widely considered in decline.

For Annacone, the big difference between the two is that the multilingual Federer, a 29-year-old Swiss who is now married with twin girls, is much more eager to keep traveling the circuit and sample its cultures than Sampras was at the same age. The commonalities include their ability to make the difficult seem routine.

“They can play at an unbelievably high level efficiently, and even Rafa can’t do that and he’s one of the greatest ever,” Annacone said of Rafael Nadal. “That’s no slight against Rafa. He plays great, but believe me, it takes a lot more out of Rafa to play great than it does out of Roger or Pete.”

Ukrainian Tennis Player Shows Talent at Australian Open

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Saturday, January 22, 2011

MILOS RAONIC

By Rohan Sullivan (CP)

MELBOURNE, Australia — Canadian Milos Raonic's ambitions are as big as his serve.

The 20-year-old qualifier from Thornhill, Ont., announced himself on tennis' world stage on Saturday, sending No. 10 Mikhail Youzhny packing from the Australian Open to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

This is only his second major — he lost in the first round of the last U.S. Open.

The tournament's biggest upset so far meant the largely unknown player was suddenly the centre of attention, his post-match news conference was packed with analysts and critics who wanted to know who he was and where he'd come from.

The questions ranged from family history to who was the top player he would most like to beat.

"All of them," the quietly-spoken Raonic replied with a smile.

The comment appeared to be based more on growing confidence than bravado, as Raonic explained how his game has been coming together as he works on overcoming a tendency to panic on big points, gets more tournament experience and adds more shots to an arsenal he concedes is firmly based around his serve as the biggest weapon. And it's a big one.

Raonic slammed down 31 aces in his 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win against Youzhny, with just two double faults. It was no fluke — he served 21 aces in defeating No. 22 Michael Llodra in the second round, and 27 aces in the first round against Bjorn Phau.

One of the rockets he fired toward Llodra was moving at 230 km/h, the fastest serve of the tournament.

"I feel like I serve like probably one of the top guys on the tour," Raonic said. "It allows me to play more freely also on the return games, because I know most of the time I will be holding. ... I feel it also puts more pressure on the other guy, knowing if I do get up a break, there's a good chance I could serve out a set."

Saturday's win makes Raonic the first Canadian man this century to reach the round of 16 at a major — the last was Daniel Nestor of Toronto at Wimbledon in 1999 — and will elevate him into the top 100 for the first time.

He faces No. 7 David Ferrer in the next round and could meet Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

Youzhny, a U.S. Open semifinalist last year with seven ATP titles, said he knew little of Raonic before they played for the first time on Saturday, and he was shocked by the intensity of his game.

"When you just come into the tour, it's something special, you play every match like it's your last," Youzhny said. "That's why some of the points he played were really, really aggressive. He was really pushing me all the time."

The challenge for Raonic will be to turn that element of surprise into a consistently top-level game, he said.

The sense that Raonic has appeared from almost nowhere is hard to escape.

He was born in the tiny Balkan country of Montenegro, and moved at age three with his family to Canada in 1994. He started playing tennis at eight, and idolized Pete Sampras.

Tennis Canada took him on in 2007, assigning coaches and giving him financial support, and he turned professional in 2008. Coming into the Australian Open, his win-loss record on the elite tour was 6-7, with no titles.

Raonic said his game has steadily improved and cited a few examples: he had match points against Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in 2009 and pushed world No. 15 Nicolas Almagro in a recent exhibition tournament in Spain. He jumped 221 places in the rankings last year, to start 2011 at No. 152.

Raonic moved to Barcelona last November and began training with coach Galo Blanco. His parents are still in Thornhill, though his brother and his sister have both moved back to Montenegro. In both places, he is starting to get noticed.

Saturday's match was broadcast in full on Canada's main sports TV channel — the first that had happened, he said. His fan base is also growing in Montenegro, helped by the profile of his uncle, Branimir Gvozdenovic, a former vice-premier.

"I am following closely the Australian Open," Gvozdenovic told The Associated Press on Saturday. "It is great when such a young man achieves such great results. Naturally, I am very proud of him. He has always been a great boy and an excellent student."

Raonic is still learning his game.

"I know that I'm getting there," he said. "I know I'm doing the right things. I'm playing well in the practices. I just have to start implementing it more and more into the matches. I knew the results would come, and it's showing here."

He plans to use his relative anonymity is an advantage as long as he can, and is not too concerned that it won't last forever.

"When coming up new, not too many players know you and I have sort of an advantage of seeing them play so many hours on TV — it's something I really want to utilize," he said. "But also I feel like I have a big game, and I'm able to impose it even on the top players."

A CANADIAN IN MELBOURNE

Remember the name Milos Raonic. If the 6 foot 5 inch Canadian Tennis player hasn’t caught your eye during this Australian Open summer, its because his explosive service game is yet to feature on one of Melbourne’s park more high profile arenas.

But make no mistake, the 152 ranked player on the ATP tour will almost certainly get his chance to shine on the big stage after producing arguably the biggest upset in the men’s draw to date, defeating the number 10 seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in four sets.

The 6-4 7-5 4-6 6-4 victory was a just result for Raonic, who dominated every facet of the game against Youzhny, who last year made the semi-finals of the French Open.

The 20 year old fired 64 winners, including 31 aces against an opponent ranked more than 140 places higher in the ATP rankings.

No doubt the victory against Youzhny has rounded off a spectacular opening week for Raonic, who has certified himself as the most dominant server at the Australian Open, producing an amazing 79 aces in the tournament, which is the most of any player thus far.

Capable of generating speeds of up to 230km/h, The brutality of Raonic’s serve has paved the way for the Canadian to make his first 4th round appearance at a Grand Slam event. A terrific feat given he is participating in just his second major.

BLEACHER REPORT

Friday, January 21, 2011

MURRY IN SPAIN

Some of you probably know that Rafael Nadal and I have been competitors and good friends since our teenage years, but you may not realise he was a major influence in my decision to leave home at 15 to move to Spain.

As juniors, our countries used to play against each other in team competitions such as the European Winter Cup, though I never actually had to play him as I was a year younger and played No 2 for Britain while he led the Spanish team. But we weren't holding tennis racquets when he said something that led to me moving to Barcelona.

Instead, we were part of a group of guys playing racquetball.

I was asking all the guys in this group who they were practising with and when Nadal said Carlos Moya, it was a big wake-up call.

Back home, because we never had the opportunity to play sport in school - something I think should change given there are great opportunities for people to make a living out of sport - I could only practise for 90 minutes, four days a week with my coach. Yet here was a rival hitting with one of the world's best players and training four or five hours a day for five days a week.

I realised I was not doing enough and knew I had to move. It wasn't something I wanted to do and I knew it would be tough because my older brother, Jamie, had moved to an academy at Cambridge when he was 12 but it didn't really work out for him. He got homesick and wanted to come home. I know my mum and dad were a bit worried about my decisions because they just wanted us to be happy, but after deciding I wanted to play tennis instead of football I needed to give it everything I had.

The hardest time was the first few meals I had when I arrived at the academy in Spain. It was a bit of a culture shock.

I knew only one other guy there - and not that well - so I was walking into the canteen and sitting down alone. And it wasn't even great food. No paella unfortunately! We were just fed pasta and salads. The biggest change, though, was the time we would eat dinner and when we would go to bed. In the UK, most people have dinner at 6pm and I was used to going to bed about nine o'clock. In Spain, people don't eat till then. It was all a bit different, but being able to do school and sport at the same time, instead of just school, was great for me.

Monday, January 17, 2011

FED: 84 MINUTE FIRST ROUND

MELBOURNE, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Roger Federer fired up the Australian Open with a blistering start to his title defence on Monday, bringing some welcome warmth to an unseasonably cool Melbourne Park on opening day.

The first grand slam tournament of the year is famous for its searing heat but a blustery day with the occasional shower had the sweatshirt replacing the T-shirt as the garment of choice among much of the 15,000 crowd on the Rod Laver Arena.

Federer retained his trademark bandana even though the ease of his 6-1 6-1 6-3 victory over Slovakian Lukas Lacko and the cool afternoon air made the threat of sweat interfering with his vision slight.

"I thought I played great," the four-times Australian Open champion and second seed told reporters. "Tried to play offensive from the start and see where it takes me. It didn't work. I got back and played a bit more risky and so forth.

"I thought it was a good match. I don't think he played too bad himself. I saw some talent in him too and that's why I think I was really happy I chose that tactics early on to pressure him."

Federer taking risks meant a treat for the crowd, who witnessed some brilliant shot-making from the 16-times grand slam champion.

It was hard to believe that the Swiss maestro's backhand was once considered a weakness in his game as he stroked impossible looking winners off it from the back of the court to set up a second round meeting with Frenchman Gilles Simon.

Friday, January 14, 2011

OZ ON TSN

Thursday, January 13, 2011

MEN'S OZ SEEDS

(Reuters) - Men's seeds for the 2011 Australian 
Open, which starts at Melbourne Park on Monday.	
  1. Rafael Nadal (Spain)	
  2. Roger Federer (Switzerland)	
  3. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)	
  4. Robin Soderling (Sweden)	
  5. Andy Murray (Britain)	
  6. Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic)	
  7. David Ferrer (Spain)	
  8. Andy Roddick (U.S.)	
  9. Fernando Verdasco (Spain)	
 10. Mikhail Youzhny (Russia)	
 11. Jurgen Melzer (Austria)	
 12. Gael Monfils (France)	
 13. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)	
 14. Nicolas Almagro (Spain)	
 15. Marin Cilic (Croatia)	
 16. Mardy Fish (U.S.)	
 17. Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia)	
 18. Sam Querrey (U.S.)	
 19. Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland)	
 20. John Isner (U.S.)	
 21. Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus)	
 22. Michael Llodra (France)	
 23. Nikolay Davydenko (Russia)	
 24. Ernests Gulbis (Latvia)	
 25. Albert Montanes (Spain)	
 26. Juan Monaco (Argentina)	
 27. David Nalbandian (Argentina)	
 28. Richard Gasquet (France)	
 29. Viktor Troicki (Serbia)	
 30. Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil)	
 31. Feliciano Lopez (Spain)	
 32. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

ANNACONE : TWENTY POSSIBLE

(Reuters) - Swiss world number two Roger Federer could extend his record grand slam tally to 20 if he remains fit and motivated, according to his coach Paul Annacone.

"He can win every tournament he plays, he's probably not going to, but he can win every match he plays and there's not a lot of guys you can say that about," Annacone, a former coach of Pete Sampras and Briton Tim Henman, told the Australian Open website (www.australianopen.com).

"So if he can stay healthy and happy and eager I don't know what the end number would be, but is 20 realistic, sure, why not?"

Defending Australian Open champion Federer hired Annacone after his disappointing quarter-final exit at Wimbledon last year. He has credited the Californian for helping him mount a late-season resurgence, capped by victory over top-ranked rival Rafa Nadal to win the season-ending World Tour Finals.

Annacone, who works with Swiss coach Severin Luthi in the Federer camp, said he had not joined to teach Federer "how to slice bread" but had helped the Swiss on his strategy and motivation.

"He's not all of a sudden going to have a two-handed backhand," he said. "It's about combining the head, heart and talent components of a player, and understanding how they interact, the best way to match up against other players, and ultimately, the best way for them to keep having fun doing it, and the best way to try to get better.

" Roger is very eager to continue improving, so when you see that in someone who's won as much as he has, it's pretty incredible."

Federer, 29, will bid for his 17th grand slam at the Australian Open starting next Monday. He has been in ominous form, kicking off his season with victory at the Qatar Open where he improved with every match and thrashed Russian former top-10 player Nikolay Davydenko in the final.

"His last six months, he's been playing great tennis, had some down time with his family, rebounded last week winning Doha, he's ready to play," said Annacone.

"I don't think I would change much that he's done, his body feels good, his mind feels good, now it's just about getting out there and getting things going."

(Writing by Ian Ransom; Editing by John Mehaffey; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Monday, January 10, 2011

DEL PO SQUEEZES BY LOPEZ

SYDNEY, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Juan Martin del Potro, winning his first match in about a year, survived a first-round battle with three tie-breakers Monday at a tennis tournament in Sydney.

Del Potro, whose play has been limited because of a wrist injury, came away a 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-3) victor over sixth-seeded Feliciano Lopez at the Medibank International tournament.

The injury kept del Potro, who had just two matches since last year's Australian Open, from trying to defend his 2009 U.S. Open championship.

Del Potro and Lopez combined for 41 aces but only two service breaks -- one by each player in the first set -- in battling for 3 hours, 20 minutes. Lopez had one match-point chance at 7-6 in the second-set tie-breaker but del Potro fought that off. Del Potro also saved six break-point chances in the third set.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

DELPO BACK?

From the depths of despair, former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will make his much-anticipated comeback to tennis on Monday at the Sydney International.

One of only two men since 2005 other than living legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to have won a grand slam crown, del Potro has barely been sighted since last January.

A wrist injury sidelined the towering Argentine for eight months and he has had to fight depression to make it back on tour.

"I had some very bad moments last year," he said on Sunday.

"I had my family behind me - and my friends, my coaches. It was very important for me to be here today (back playing).

"I had an operation and I felt very bad last year, but now I have different feelings. I am playing again and hope to play good tennis and to be injury-free."

Ranked fifth in the world before being forced out of the game after last year's Australian Open, del Potro was at his lowest before undergoing surgery.

"Before the surgery because nobody knows my real injury," he said.

The uncertainty was unbearable as del Potro pondered the frightening prospect that his career could be over at just 21.

The 198cm man mountain was reduced to a nervous wreck as doctor after doctor delivered different prognoses.

"I saw many doctors and one says in maybe two weeks I'll recover, another says in two months," del Potro said.

"I made the decision to have surgery and I knew after the surgery that in four to six months I would play again.

"But when you have surgery, you are in the hands of the doctor. You just lay down and they know how they can fix me."

Del Potro ended Federer's five-year US Open reign with a powerhouse five-set triumph over the Swiss superstar in the 2009 final in New York, but has since slumped to 258th in the rankings.

"I have different goals for this year," he said.

"Of course last year when I was in Australia my goal was to be number one before March and now I think my goal is to play well again, that's all."

Del Potro said he was indebted to tournament director Craig Watson for handing him a wildcard into the Sydney event and the South American begins the long journey back against Spanish sixth seed Feliciano Lopez.