TENNIS Live

Australian Open - 1st Round - Men

No comments yet - Leave a comment

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
SwitzerlandR Federer677--
ItalyA Seppi165--

Live Comments

  1. 5-7 - THAT'S IT! Game, set and match to Federer as Seppi overhits his forehand one final time. It's a victory that was a lot harder than the 6-1, 7-6, 7-5 scoreline implies. Thanks for joining us today, we'll be back at midnight with all the action from the second day here in Melbourne. See you then!

  2. - - The second seed snatches another match point, but Seppi denies it with a beautiful cross-court forehand that leaves Federer no reply. But seconds later it's a fourth match point as Federer comes to the net and wins with a backhand volley.

  3. - - Federer goes for the killer blow - BUT IT'S LONG! It's yet another deuce game.

  4. - - Seppi is serving to stay in the match again... and gives away another match point! It's 30-40!

  5. 5-6 - A trio of weak forehands in to the net see Seppi lose first his break point and then the game. That's a shame, he had a real opporunity there but keeps blowing those chances against the mis-firing legend.

  6. - - Great wrong-footing by Seppi and he earns break point.

  7. - - Federer loses the first two points on his serve, but gets them back and it's 30-30.

  8. 5-5 - Federer goes for the winner down the right and it looks good - but is called out. Yet he doesn't appeal the decision, in an act of true sportsmanship, and Seppi rescues the game.

  9. - - 30-30 as Seppi overhits a straightforward forehand... A couple more slips and it's over - AND THERE'S THE FIRST OF THEM! Another overhit shot and it's 30-40, match point!!

  10. - - Lovely passing shot down the line at 15-15 from Seppi, fooling Federer into leaving it before the ball curled back in to court.

  11. 4-5 - First Seppi and then Federer smash through service games in a matter of seconds, and all of a sudden the Italian finds himself having to serve to stay in the match!

  12. 3-4 - Roger powers to 40-0 and, after being interrupted briefly by a lovely passing shot from Seppi, finishes off the game. He needs a break to finish off the match, though.

  13. 3-3 - Another unforced error, this time from Federer, makes it advantage to Seppi but the world number two then comes to the net to register a great volleyed winner. Seppi gets the advantage back, and then wins the game after a magnificent rally which he dominates with a brilliant variety of long and short shots. Honours even.

  14. - - With the game at deuce after Seppi's tired shot almost doesn't make the net, the Italian then nets again while attempting a backhand winner down the line... and after saving the break point after Federer mis-hits, he nets once more under minimal pressure. The unforced errors are piling up.

  15. - - Two stunning points from Seppi, both won with sublime dipping forehand cross-courts, take him to 40-15 in the sixth game... but he promptly double-faults!

  16. 2-3 - Two net points from Federer take him quickly out of the deuce game and in to a 3-2 lead in the set.

  17. - - At 15-30 Seppi yet again finds the net under almost no pressure. Maybe that's unfair - it's the pressure of needing to play to the absolute limits of his skill to have a chance against Federer. But the Swiss then messes up (again) and we're at deuce.

  18. 2-2 - A double-fault from Seppi puts Federer 30-30, but then two poor shots from the Swiss player hand the game to his opponent. Federer has really lost that exquisite timing and form that he hinted at during the first set.

  19. - - Seppi has had several chances to take Federer down a notch here, not least at the end of the last set where he wasted several chances. And once again he's wasted his chances in this last game, consistently faulting when under little pressure.

  20. 1-2 - The unforced error from Seppi shuts down the danger as he puts a regulation forehand in to the middle of the tram lines. Federer then rushes in to the net on the next point and finally finishes the game off.

  21. - - Break point saved when Seppi nets, but another one offered as Federer does the same... and it's saved again as Seppi nets once more. This is the game that nobody wants to win!

  22. - - The break is still on: Seppi nets after a rally which saw him always on the back foot, and nets again, but then Federer hits a pair of awful shots to hand another break point to his opponent.

  23. - - The Italian is showing a heartening amount of fight, taking Federer to deuce... and then the Swiss player double faults! Is the break on?

  24. 1-1 - A nicely played game from Seppi, holding his serve to 15.

  25. 0-1 - Federer blasts his way through the first game of the third - and at this rate very likely final - set of the match.

  26. 6-7 - Federer takes the second of his three set points for a 7-4 victory in the tie-break, and he's somehow muddled his way to winning a set that could easily have gone the other way. Will that prove to have been Seppi's best chance to start building an upset?

  27. - - Seppi seems to have it back when he aces, but Federer's challenge shows the ball was well long and the Swiss has three set points.

  28. - - Seppi loses the next point on his serve and is looking down the wrong side of a 5-3 deficit here...

  29. - - Great wrong-footing passing shot by Seppi to give him the point against Serve, and it's 3-3.

  30. - - First blood to the second seed as Seppi nets at 2-1 - but the Italian holds his nerve in next rally. 3-2 to Federer.

  31. - - The tie-break starts calmly, going with serve on the first three points, albeit only after a lengthy rally. 2-1 to Federer.

  32. - - The Swiss player gets back to advantage as Seppi mis-hits that tricky second serve, and Federer quickly closes out the game to set up a tie break.

  33. - - Advantage Federer now - but then the Swiss player double faults! Unbelievable!

  34. - - Seppi thinks he's hit a winner at 30-40... but it's ruled out and the challenge shows that it was literally just a millimetre away! So close to taking the set!!!

  35. - - Seppi asks for a review on a Federer serve - and he's correct, it was long! He then wins a brilliant point after Federer runs in a bit too close and is lobbed superbly. 15-30!

  36. 6-5 - Seppi blasts through his service game almost as quickly as Federer did in the previous one, and the Italian has at least guaranteed himself a chance at a tie break in this set. Considering that he's actually won more points than his opponent so far in this set - 36 to 32 - that suggests he could easily take the set off the world number two.

  37. 5-5 - The 2007 Aussie Open champ finds his serve timing again, blowing Seppi away to love in the 10th game of the set.

  38. 5-4 - Another wobbly one from Seppi, but he wins the game in the end. The stats show that the percentage of Federer's first serves that he's getting in has dropped to just 46% in this second set, compared to nearly 70% in the first set. And Seppi's decision to risk everything by coming in to the net is paying off, helping him hold more easily.

  39. 4-4 - Federer struggles slightly in the eighth game of the set, missing almost all of his first serves - but Seppi doesn't quite have enough to take advantage of the high-kicking Federer second serve. The Swiss ace holds to 30.

  40. 4-3 - The underdog manages to get over the line, but it takes everything for him to do so even when he's getting his first serves in. But he's still in the match for the moment!

  41. - - The game goes to deuce before Seppi gets the advantage after a well-timed net run. But he volleys long on the next point and it's back to deuce.

  42. - - The Italian is on the ropes in his next service game, losing a couple of quick points and even when he's in a position to smash he needs three goes at it to score.

  43. 3-3 - Federer holds very well yet again.

  44. 3-2 - Seppi gets taken to deuce, but just about pulls himself through after a few key shots that he manages to land right on the line. That's the only way to take the fight to a player like Federer: you have to go right to the edges to have any chance at all.

  45. 2-2 - Now it's Federer's turn to hold easily. Seppi is looking a lot more settled after being blown away in that first set, it would be good to see him give Roger a solid challenge here.

  46. 2-1 - Seppi holds comfortably to win his third game of the match.

  47. 1-1 - A brilliant turnaround by the world number 35, who gains a couple of break points off the 14-time Grand Slam winner. But as if enraged by the cheek of his opponent, Federer switches back on and pulls out a string of brilliant shots to go to deuce, then advantage, and then win the game.

  48. 1-0 - That's more like it from Seppi, who holds his serve to love to get off to a nice start in this second set - but you still feel he's just Federer-fodder...

  49. 1-6 - An ace to finish the set, and Federer is looking utterly imperious so far. This may not take very long at all...

  50. 1-5 - Federer goes 0-30 ahead in Seppi's next service game, but although Seppi gets a couple of points back it's not enough. The reigning US Open champion is on excellent form today.

  51. 1-4 - Federer finishes off the game well and has raced in to a healthy lead in the set.

  52. - - STUNNING RALLY WON BY FEDERER! TThe world number two is lobbed well by Seppi, but sprints back and twists round in mid-air before unleashing an unstoppable passing shot down the line. Seppi doesn't know what's hit him!

  53. 1-3 - First break of serve goes to the Swiss maestro, whose classic ground strokes prove too much for his opponent.

  54. - - The legend begins to click in to gear, rushing to 0-30 in Seppi's second service game.

  55. 1-2 - Roger Federer cruises through his second service game, the Swiss legend off to a nice, comfortable start so far.

  56. 1-1 - Seppi holds serve fairly comfortably and it's one game each.

  57. 0-1 - We're in play here at the Rod Laver arena, and Federer is taken to deuce in the very first game of the match - but he wins through to get off the mark.

  58. - - Live coverage of Italy's Andreas Seppi taking on the legendary Roger Federer is coming up after the Hantuchova match - stay with us for all the action!

Roger Federer

Nationality SUI
Date of Birth 08/08/1981
Height 1.85 m
Weight 85 kg

Andreas Seppi

Nationality ITA
Date of Birth 21/02/1984
Height 1.9 m
Weight 75 kg

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account