Gotta Love the Aussie Open!

Just one full day at the Australian Open for me this year, looking over the draw the day before, it seemed I had lucked out on the days...which, in typical form, was totally not the case. The Open delivers great matches all over the complex - you can't lose!!

I drove down in the morning, and met up with Melissa, Mum, and Jessie, for our day at Melbourne Park. We first made our way to Court 6, coping a peek at Rafa practicing on the court next door, thinking that it presented with a potentially even match up. The Frenchman had been swapped for a German, to meet the 26th seeded Argentinian, Monaco. Proved right, a couple of us stayed for the whole match, which was a close and entertaining game, with 2 tiebreak sets.

At the end of the 3 sets win for Monaco, Jessie and I changed to Court 7 to sit with Melissa, and watch a disappointing Davydenko lose his first 2 sets way too easily. We then decided we would pop into Centre Court and use our tickets, for a look at Roger Federer before his first round match was all over.

Next, finding James as we left the big court, we went to Show Court 2, for Berdych's match against an Italian qualifier. The crowd made it more interesting, with a bunch of Czech Aussies singing and chanting for their countryman.

Monday's bonus was the music act scheduled for the Heineken stage, being Clare Bowditch. We ducked back to the beer tent, grabbing a beer, and took in Clare's talent. Charming the crowd with her stories and chats, and also interacting with the kids up front dancing, and the tennis clad beer-carrying lads walking past the stage, she played from her new album, and also some of the gems of her back catalogue. Lips Like Oranges and Divorcee by 23, plus the sexy You Looked So Good. I Thought You Were God, and Running, in an ode to sport, ha! The beautiful Lucky Life and Your Own Kind Of Girl, and ending with Bigger Than The Money. Clare is so amazing!

Back to the tennis after her hour set, we grabbed dinner and watched a couple of sets of Luczak against commanding Croatian Ljubicic. The fun police kept a watchful, unnecessary eye on the Ivan's fans. As the temperature dropped, and the Aussie's hopes dropped, we called it a day. And what a great day!