Stosur’s Open chances rapidly vanishing

World No. 9 Samantha Stosur’s terrible build up to the Australian Open continued yesterday as she was knocked out of the Sydney International by China’s Zheng Jie in the first round. The former US Open champion also crashed out of the first round in Brisbane last week and local hopes the 28-year-old could be Australia’s first women’s champion at Melbourne Park since Christine O’Neil in 1978 now appear increasingly slim. Stosur underwent ankle surgery less than six weeks ago and has appeared rusty, though she has also endured a woeful run in her native country over the last two seasons, winning just once in six matches. The Australian Open, the year’s first grand slam, starts on next Monday. Zheng’s 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 victory in two hours, 43 minutes ensured that she could still set up a possible quarterfinal clash against compatriot Li Na, who was forced into a dogfight in the heat before overcoming American Christina McHale 7-6, 7-5 to also reach the second round. The former French Open champion, runner-up in Sydney last year and winner in 2011, took almost two hours to dispatch her opponent in 30-degree temperatures. Fourth seed Li only arrived in Australia a day earlier, having beaten Klara Zakopalova to win the Shenzhen title, where the temperature outside hovered just above freezing. “I was playing in China, so I have to (get) used to the heat,” Li said of her decision to play Shenzhen and Sydney as she prepared for the Australian Open. “I couldn’t come straightaway to Melbourne. I needed some matches in the heat conditions, otherwise I don’t know what I can do in Melbourne.” While Li struggled acclimatizing, tournament organizers will be keeping a close eye on weather conditions on Tuesday. Sydney is expected to hit a maximum of 43 Celsius as Australia swelters in a heat wave that has sparked raging bush fires. Warm northwest winds are also expected to increase on-court temperatures closer to 50. Officials will provide shading, ice towels and additional water and sports drinks for the players, while staff will work shorter shifts to try to mitigate the effects of the heat. Auckland tennis fans hoping for a rematch of the final of the Paris Masters, however, were left disappointed with fifth seed Jerzy Janowicz beaten by Brian Baker in the first round. The massive Pole, who lost the Paris final to Auckland top seed and champion David Ferrer, produced an error-ridden performance to crash out 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. The world number 26, who did not travel to the Australian Open last year because he could not afford the flights, had to qualify to make the main draw in Paris and beat five top-20 players before losing to Ferrer. Against Baker, however, the 2.03m tall Janowicz was the mark of inconsistency — brilliant for short spurts and then giving the 27-year-old American cheap points. Baker had held three match points while serving at 5-2 in the third set only for the Pole to reel off winner after winner then blast his way through his next service game to make it 5-4. The American then again held three match points at 40-0 in the 10th game before Janowicz drew level at deuce, but his inconsistency again ended his run and Baker calmly drove a backhand down the line to seal the win. “At 40-0 he switched the switch and I don’t know how many points he won in a row, but I managed to get it back,” Baker said in a courtside interview. “Matches like these, if you can close them out, will hopefully build some confidence for the future.” Ferrer was given a bye into the second round and will not take to the court in Auckland until Wednesday, where he will play the winner of Tuesday’s first round clash between France’s Benoit Paire and Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun. Janowicz bows out In Auckland, Jerzy Janowicz’s fairytale rise through the tennis ranks was dealt a blow at the Heineken Open in Auckland yesterday when the Polish fifth seed lost in the opening round to US journeyman Brian Baker. In his first outing since a breakthrough run to reach the final of the Paris Masters last November, Janowicz was defeated 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 after an erratic display in the tournament, a warm-up event for the Australian Open. While he showed glimpses of the giant-killing form that downed five top 20 players in Paris, including Andy Murray, Janowicz committed 51 unforced errors and 10 double faults to hand the match to Baker. He took the first set comfortably but lost concentration early in the second, finally rallying at 5-1 down in the third, when it was too late to stop Baker. “It seemed like he flicked a switch,” the American said. “I don’t know how many points he won in a row but it seemed like about 15. “Luckily I was able to close it out at the end.” Last year’s beaten finalist Olivier Rochus of Belgium defeated Spain’s Albert Ramos 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in blustery conditions that he described as the toughest he had ever played in. “It was very windy and the ball was going all over the place and it was very tricky but I kept my mind very focused and that’s why I won,” he said. Elsewhere, Rochus’ compatriot Xavier Malisse overcame some early resistance from Slovak seventh seed Martin Klizan to notch a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6 win. David Goffin, the third Belgian on center court during the opening day’s play, was not so fortunate, going down 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 to eighth seed Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil. Austria’s Jurgen Melzer will be the only seeded player (sixth) in action when the bottom half of the draw is played on Tuesday, although there will be interest as French wildcard Gael Monfils continues his comeback from a knee injury. Defending champion and top seed David Ferrer of Spain has a bye into the second round, as do Germans Philipp Kohlschreiber and Tommy Haas, seeded two and three respectively, and American fourth seed Sam Querrey. From Arab News