Hi all - here's your Crisis Center for today, for your commentary and match-calling of the ongoing matches at Melbourne Park. Given the volume of site traffic we are currently experiencing, we request that you keep your comments on-topic, i.e. focused on the day's tennis.
Matches of the Day:
Men: I'm looking forward to the first-rounder between Lleyton Hewitt and former finalist Fernando Gonzalez. Gonzalez possesses a 3-2 head-to-head over Hewitt, having emerged the winner in their third-round encounter in Melbourne last year. In addition, Andy Murray will have the chance to revisit his somewhat legendary first-round match against Andrei Pavel, which occurred in the first round of the 2005 US Open, his second Grand Slam appearance. On that day Murray was a rookie, and a qualifier, but took the match against the veteran in five sets, after a dramatic bout of on-court illness (OK, that's a polite euphemism for what occurred).
In addition, last year's finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga takes on Juan Monaco, James Blake plays an old favourite of the TWIbe (especially MrsSanta), Frank Dancevic, and world number one Rafael Nadal will tackle Christophe Rochus during the evening session on Rod Laver Arena. I'm also fairly sure that some of you will be hanging on every point played during the encounter between Ernests Gulbis and Albert Montanes on Court 11.
Women: I don't think any of us will see the match between Aleksandra Wozniak and Sabine Lisicki, because it's on Court 19. However, both Serena and Venus Williams are in action today, along with Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, and Agnieszka Radwanska.
As always, enjoy today's tennis.
-- Rosangel Valenti