Serena lost? Serena lost.

Well that wasn't supposed to happen.

Serena Williams, the world No. 1 and heavy favorite in Melbourne, fell short of reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament after an unexpected loss in the round of 16 on Sunday. 14 seed Ana Ivanovic defeated Williams, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, to end the five-time champion's run at a sixth Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, the Australian Open's top prize in women's singles tennis.

Serena's loss snapped her 25-match winning streak and it took a near perfect day from Ivanoic to do it. The Serb, a former No. 1 herself, played with confidence and without fear to pull off the biggest upset of the 2014 Australian Open. Ivanovic had never won a set against Serena in four career matches prior to Sunday.

Thanks to Ivanoic's improbable victory, the women's singles field is completely wide open and no one is happier to see Serena's exit than Victoria Azarenka. Vika is chasing a three-peat in Melbourne, and with Serena out of the picture, the odds are in her favor. She has somehow managed to avoid Serena in three consecutive trips to Melbourne, a rarity in this era of women's tennis.

Things just got interesting.

Previewing The Men's Singles Sweet Sixteen

The fourth round of the Australian Open gets underway today, meaning only 16 players remain in the tournament field. That number will soon be trimmed to eight quarterfinalists, but not before The Outer Courts previews the next two days of men's singles action.

Below you'll find eight stories for the eight fourth round matches...

Congratulations, Kei Nishikori! Now go play Nadal.

After trailing 2-5 in his first set against Donald Young, Japan No. 1 Kei Nishikori won 17 of the last 18 games to defeat the American, 7-5, 6-1, 6-0.

His reward for not quitting in the first set and finishing strong? (And capitalizing on Young's collapse?)

Rafael Nadal.

Nishikori is 0-5 against Nadal lifetime and he'll get a sixth shot at the world No. 1 in the Australian Open's fourth round.

You know what the say in Japan: "六回目は魅力だ" or "6th time's a charm."

Stephane who?

Robert. His name is Stephane Robert.

Robert, the lowest ranked player still in the field, got here the hard way, by losing in the last round of the qualifying tournament and benefiting from Philipp Kohlschreiber's injury at the last minute. Like, literally, the last minute. Robert got the call 10 minutes before the start of play on Tuesday. He took that opportunity to defeat Aljaz Bedene in straights set to advance to the second round, where he eventually lost... right?

Wrong. Robert took down Michal Przysiezny and followed that up with a win over Martin Klizan, who also wasn't supposed to be there, in the third round. That luck Robert needed to enter the tournament carried over to his draw and that is why he's still around. Top-seeded Rafael Nadal had a tougher road to get here.

His luck may be running on E, though, as he gets ready to face fourth-seeded Andy Murray in the fourth round. Win or lose, Stephane Robert will be going home with a six-figure paycheck.

Del Potro and Paire down, Dimitrov to go...

Roberto Bautista Agut upset fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro and then 27th seed Benoit Paire to reach the fourth round, where he'll look to ride his hot hand against Grigor Dimitrov. Bautista Agut is playing as well as anyone in Melbourne and Dimitrov, though very good, is not unbeatable. In fact, Bautista Agut won the only previous head-to-head meeting between the two, in Beijing last season.

The match marks the first fourth round appearance by Bautista Agut or Dimitrov in a Grand Slam, so they're both in new territory. It's anyone's match to win.

Tomas Berdych owns Kevin Anderson in Australia and, well, everywhere else too.

Nine times they've met, and nine times Tomas Berdych walked away victorious against Kevin Anderson. He'll look to make it a double-digit win total on Sunday in Melbourne. If he does, it'll be the third time in three years Anderson left Australia at the hands of Berdych. They met in this same spot last year and in the third round in 2012.

If I'm Kevin Anderson and I lose this time, I do whatever it takes to avoid Berdych in the future.

David Ferrer is in his 15th consecutive Grand Slam fourth round.

The Spaniard has reached the field of 16 in every Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon in 2010. Last year he made it all the way to the Australian Open semifinals, losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

Ferrer's opponent, Florian Mayer, was upset by qualifier Ričardas Berankis in the second round one year ago. He has won three of his seven meetings with Ferrer dating all the way back to 2004, most recently in the fourth round at Shanghai last season.

Wawrinka and his backhand get "Disco Jack."

Never mind Stanislas Wawrinka's undeniable talent and crushing backhand, let's talk about how I'm just now finding out Tommy Robredo is sometimes called "Disco Jack."

From his Wikipedia page:

Some fans refer to Robredo as "Disco Tommy" for the long, wavy hairstyle he began cultivating during the 2006 tennis season; after Robredo mentioned that he calls his coach "President Palmer" while his coach calls him "Jack Bauer" (from 24), fans also began referring to him as "Disco Jack."

That's an awesome nickname.

And awesome nicknames call for photoshop.

Federer set to run the gauntlet.

Federer coasted through the first three rounds on cruise control, but as Matt mentioned in his Federer love piece below, the competition is about to get real for Fed. He'll see a top ten player in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round, followed by probable opponents Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic if he reaches the finals, an unlikely task. That's a brutal stretch for anyone, about as bad as it can get.

But never count the game's greatest out.

I See Shades of the Old Roger Returning

I am about to admit something I probably shouldn't to our wonderful "Outer Courts" readers. When it comes to Roger Federer, I am not an unbiased observer. Unlike in virtually every other match that we have watched since we began this journey with Tennis Channel, when Roger Federer plays, I have a distinct rooting interest (this is also true when Jack Sock plays, but that is actually to root against him, so I don't think that counts). I am an unabashed Federer fan and when he is on the court, I will most certainly be pulling for him with a rooting interest that has only been topped by four other sports entities in my lifetime (of course the Kentucky Wildcats, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Braves and the childhood agony of following the human heartbreak, Greg Norman). My reasons for liking Roger Federer are many, but they boil down to this. In addition to envying his elegance, fashion sense and hair, I find his brand of tennis to be the most visually satisfying of all that have ever played.  At his best, he does for me what even my other favorites like McEnroe, Edberg, Agassi and others could not. In his most elevated state, he makes tennis more beautiful to watch than any other player and it is that level of play, even more so than Roger the person, that I cheer to see.

However since we have been on the Outer Courts beat, this hasn't been the Federer that I have witnessed in person on the court. We have covered three tournaments live (Indian Wells, Cincinnati and the US Open) and in all of them, I have watched Federer lose, a couple of times rather painfully. While witnessing his match against Nadal from the front row on a cool summer evening in Cincinnati was transcendent (maybe the best Roger played all year and probably one of my three favorite sports experiences of all time), watching him lose to the mediocre Tommy Robredo in the intense August New York sun was extraordinarily difficult. As he shanked forehand after forehand with his new "modern" racket, shades of Willie Mays dropping fly balls in center field with the Mets passed through my mind and I wondered if the era of Federer should come to a close sooner rather than later. Would Roger go so long that we forget the "religious experience" Roger and instead only remember the end of the line struggles instead? That Robredo match stayed with me throughout the offseason and caused me to look upon 2014 with hesitance...which Roger would show up...the majestic version that makes the case to be the best tennis player alive, or the painful one that had looked incapable of staying on the same court with an aging Tommy Robredo?

Well if the first three matches of The Australian Open are any indication, the 2014 version of Roger looks a bit more like his usual self than what I witnessed at the end of last season. During his victory on a cool Saturday over Teymuraz Gabashvili (6-2, 6-2, 6-3), Federer gave us a number of promising signs that his play has improved and he is taking seriously the thought of re-establishing himself as a functioning member of the "Big Four." His backhand was brilliant as usual, but we also saw an improved forehand, one that Roger seems to have more confidence in and thus is willing to unleash with more aggression. Federer actually played more aggressive all the way around, showing a confidence in his return game that turned it away from his mere "chip it back" strategy that paid so few dividends last season, and instead going for winners on the crucial points. He broke Gabashvili five times, but more importantly played those points with aggression and confidence, something that he seemed to lack on crucial returns in 2013.

Last year at Indian Wells, I shared my encounter with Roger Federer (you may remember that we met him and had him on our UK basketball post game show) with a British journalist who was kind enough to actually speak to two young reporters from Kentucky. I said I was shocked that Federer would be so kind to a nobody blogger from the United States, and the journalist said that kindness was a central part of Roger as a person. But then he followed up by saying, "however on the court, Roger needs to go back to his warrior status. At his best, he knew he was better than everyone and he showed that confidence by being playing brilliantly and having an elegance on the court that no one else could emulate. I don't see that in him now and it needs to return so that we know Roger is back."

At the time I wasn't quite sure what my British friend meant. But after following Federer throughout 2013 and then watching him again in Melbourne, I can see the change he referred to last March. The Federer of last year looked like a nice player, but one that was trying to get by, rather than imposing his will on others. The Federer of Australia is different, gliding on the court like the old days and hitting winners that with an unadulterated confidence. While lacking some of the pace and precision, the on-court confidence is that of Roger Federer in his prime, and that makes him so much more fun to watch and cheer on to victory.

With that said, the road is about to get much rougher and some of this early excitement is sure to be abated. The path to success gets much more difficult beginning now as Federer hits a murderer's row that could include Tsonga, Murray, Nadal and then Djokovic. The probability of him even getting an opportunity to play all of those matches is slim and chances are high he will be dismissed within the next two rounds. But for the first time since I saw him last March at Indian Wells, the excitement of the possibility of a return of the old Federer, even sporadically, has returned. I see a Roger that believes again and thus I can't help but be excited about his 2014 prospects. While I still may not have his flowing locks, impeccable wardrobe or slicing backhand, Roger's versions of these are all back to their confident, elite status and maybe, just maybe, ready for another Grand Slam run somewhere down the line.

A Running Diary of Sam Querrey vs. Fabio Fognini When I Should Be Sleeping Instead

Hello, friends and readers of The Outer Courts -- Drew here, burning away the midnight oil. It's currently 3:00 a.m. in Kentucky and I have a decision to make... Do I go to bed so I'm moderately rested for that 9:00 a.m. breakfast date followed by a full 10-hour day of work with Kentucky Sports Radio? Or do I hold my eyelids open with scotch tape so I can watch Sam Querrey vs. Fabio Fognini in the third round of the Australian Open?

The answer is obvious. I attempt to watch Querrey vs. Fognini in its entirety because the Australian Open only comes around once a year. And I think I should do a running diary of the match, and my struggles to stay awake for it. Yeah, that sounds fun. Let's do this...

3:12 am

Tuned in to see Fabio Fognini walking out to the court. He looks like he has sunscreen on his face. Or maybe that's war paint. I think it's sunscreen. Rub that in, man.

My television tells me the current temperature is 27 C/81 F in Melbourne, much cooler than it has been all week. So that's good.

Now the players are warming up. There are very few things that are less exciting than watching Sam Querrey and Fabio Fognini warm up with no commentary, 9,500 miles away, when I should probably be sleeping.

3:20 am

Querrey serves first and holds.

We're really doing this, aren't we? No turning back now. I'm committed.

**Cracks open Red Bull**

3:27 am

Every time the camera cuts to a close up of Fabio, it makes me think about all the women he probably gets and all the ones I don't get.

And while trying to find the words to perfectly describe his cheek bones, Fabio double faults to give Querrey the early break.

3:31 am

It's starting to rain. We have a break in the action.

Really? This has to happen right now?

3:37 am

Play continues... Querrey serving, up a break. He recently said he feels like his serve is better than it has ever been right now and it's showing early in this one.

He takes the fifth game to go up 4-1, and with that, I'm going on a hunt to find more caffeine.

3:53 am

I'm back with more Red Bull, just in time for an important break point for Fognini. He trails Querrey 3-5 in the first set but can get back in it here.

And he does with a forehand winner.

4:00 am

Tennis is on the back burner right now as I focus on this Google search for "Fabio Fognini girlfriend."

She's OK, I guess. I'd probably say yes if she ever invited me to Tennis Channel's Sadie Hawkins dance.

4:03 am

Fognini just smashed his racket on the ground after a crucial unforced error while knotted up at 40-40 in the 11th set. It took a good bounce -- the racket, that is -- off the surface. A solid foot, I'd say.

He responds and breaks Querrey's serve again to go up 6-5. Things aren't looking good for the American here in the first set after a great start.

4:09 am

Fabio wins the first set after going down a break early on. Italy leads America, and I don't like that.

4:15 am

The rain is really coming down this time as the players head back to the locker room. I immediately regret everything about this idea.

The stadium announcer just told the crowd it shouldn't last long and they'll get the court dried as quickly as possible.

Define "quickly as possible," sir.  Asking for a friend.

4:25 am

Now we have an interview with Eugenie Bouchard to pass the time. She's pretty hot, eh? (Bad Canadian joke.)

Sorry. (Another bad Canadian joke.)

4:46 am

I count 18 people on their hands and knees drying off the court with towels. It's 2014; is this really the best way to dry off the court?

4:55 am

Welp. This is awkward and not how I expected things to go. Maybe I should've gone to bed instead.

8:12 am

Just woke up. Whoops. I guess I dozed off somewhere in the 5:00-5:30 am range. Tennis Channel tells me Querrey lost in straight sets, therefore the American dream is no more. It was fun while it lasted.

A look back at Serena's record 61 Australian Open singles victories

With a third round win over Daniela Hantuchova on Friday, Serena Williams can now say she has won more singles matches at the Australian Open than any other woman. The win was Serena's 61st victory in Melbourne, breaking Margaret Court's 39-year-old record. 

Serena also tied Lindsay Davenport's record of 69 main draw matches at the Australian Open. She will break that record by simply showing up for her fourth round match on Sunday.

In honor of No. 61, The Outer Courts has a match-by-match breakdown of Serena's 16-year run at the Australian Open:

1998 | Second Round
| W | (6) Irina Spîrlea, 6-7, 3-6, 1-6
| L  | Venus Williams, 6-7, 1-6

1999 | Third Round
| W | Raluca Sandu, 6-2, 6-3
| W | Magüi Serna, 6-1, 6-3
| L  | (14) Sandrine Testud, 2-6, 6-2, 7-9

2000 | Fourth Round, No. 3 Seed
| W | WC Amanda Grahame, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
| W | Nicole Pratt, 7-5, 6-1
| W | Sabine Appelmans, 6-2, 7-6
| L  | (16) Elena Likhovtseva, 3-6, 3-6

2001 | Quarterfinals, No. 6 Seed
| W | (WC) Janet Lee, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0
| W | Nadia Petrova, 6-3, 6-2
| W | Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-1, 6-4
| W | Dája Bedáňová, 6-2, 6-2
| L  | Martina Hingis, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6

2002 | Withdrew, No. 5 Seed
Withdrew hours before first match, citing ankle injury

2003 | CHAMPION, No. 1 Seed
| W | Émilie Loit, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5
| W | Els Callens, 6-4, 6-0
| W | (26) Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-1, 6-1
| W | (18) Eleni Daniilidou 6-4, 6-1
| W | (25) Meghann Shaughnessy, 6-2, 6-2
| W | (4) Kim Clijsters, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
| W | (2) Venus Williams, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4

2004 | Withdrew
Withdrew, citing left knee injury

2005 | CHAMPION, No. 7 Seed
| W | Camille Pin, 6-1, 6-1
| W | Dally Randriantefy, 6-3, 6-0
| W | (WC) Sania Mirza, 6-1, 6-4
| W | (11) Nadia Petrova, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
| W | (2) Amélie Mauresmo, 6-2, 6-2
| W | (4) Maria Sharapova, 2-6, 7-5, 8-6
| W | (1) Lindsay Davenport, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0

2006 | Third Round, No. 13 Seed
| W | Na Li, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2
| W | Camille Pin, 6-3, 6-1
| L  | (17) Daniela Hantuchová, 1-6, 6-7

2007 | CHAMPION, Unseeded
| W | (27) Mara Santangelo, 6-2, 6-1
| W | (Q) Anne Kremer, 7-6, 6-2
| W | (5) Nadia Petrova, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
| W | (11) Jelena Janković, 6-3, 6-2
| W | (16) Shahar Pe'er, 3-6, 6-2, 8-6
| W | (10) Nicole Vaidišová, 7-6, 6-4
| W | (1) Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-2

2008 | Quarterfinals, No. 7 Seed
| W | (WC) Jarmila Gajdošová, 6-3, 6-3
| W | (Q) Yuan Meng, 6-3, 6-1
| W | (26) Victoria Azarenka, 6-3, 6-4
| W | (12) Nicole Vaidišová, 6-3, 6-4
| L  | (3) Jelena Janković, 6-3, 6-4

2009 | CHAMPION, No. 2 Seed
| W | (WC) Yuan Meng, 6-3, 6-2
| W | Gisela Dulko, 6-3, 7-5
| W | Peng Shuai, 6-1, 6-4
| W | (13) Victoria Azarenka, 3-6, 2-4 R
| W | (8) Svetlana Kuznetsova, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1
| W | (4) Elena Dementieva, 6-3, 6-4
| W | (3) Dinara Safina, 6-0, 6-3

2010 | CHAMPION, No. 1 Seed
| W | Urszula Radwańska, 6-2, 6-1
| W | Petra Kvitová, 6-2, 6-1
| W | (32) Carla Suárez Navarro, 6-0, 6-3
| W | (13) Samantha Stosur, 6-4, 6-2
| W | (7) Victoria Azarenka, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2
| W | (16) Na Li, 7-6, 7-6
| W | (WC) Justine Henin, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

2011 | DNP
Out with a foot injury sustained during 2010 season

2012 | Fourth Round, No. 12 Seed
| W | Tamira Paszek, 6-3, 6-2
| W | Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, 6-0, 6-4
| W | Gréta Arn, 6-1, 6-1
| L  | Ekaterina Makarova, 6-2, 6-3

2013 | Quarterfinals, No. 3 Seed
| W | Edina Gallovits-Hall, 6-0, 6-0
| W | Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-2, 6-0
| W | Ayumi Morita, 6-1, 6-3
| W | (14) Maria Kirilenko, 6-2, 6-0
| L  | (29) Sloane Stephens, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6

2014 | TBD, No. 1 Seed
| W | Ashleigh Barty, 6-2, 6-1
| W | Vesna Dolonc, 6-1, 6-2
| W | Daniela Hantuchova, 6-3, 6-3


Biggest Win: 2003 Finals vs. Venus

Serena defeated her sister in three sets to win her first career Australian Open title in 2003. With the win she held all four Grand Slam singles titles at the same time, completing the career Grand Slam, also known as the "Serena Slam."

Close second: 2010 Finals vs. Justine Henin

Worst Loss: 2012 Fourth Round vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Having won 17 consecutive matches in Melbourne before the loss, Serena's fourth round exit at the hands of 56th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova in 2012 is the worst of her Australian Open career. She served up seven double-faults with 37 unforced errors.

Serena's five games won in the loss to Makarova ties a career low for Grand Slams, along with the 2004 Wimbledon and 2011 U.S. Open finals.

Fun Facts

-- Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka and Nadia Petrova share the honor of losing the most Australian matches to Serena. They are both 0-3 against the five-time champion in Melbourne.

-- Serena went 41-2 in Australian Open matches from her first title run in 2003 to her fifth title run in 2010.

-- The 6-0, 6-0 victory over Edina Gallovits-Hall in 2013 was only the third time Serena kept her opponent from winning a single game in a Grand Slam. She followed that win with a 6-2, 6-0 win in the second round.

-- No other woman in the Open Era has won five Australian Open titles.

Beads (circa 1998)

Who The Heck Are These Guys?: The Unseeded Players Left in Australia (Part One)

On the surface, the first four days of the Australian Open have given us little in the way of upsets. Only the loss of "Mr. Handsome" (not my name, but the name the woman who was my waitress tonight at Roosters gave him when he popped on the television screen) Juan Martin Del Potro was a bit of a shock, and even that doesn't qualify as a "Breaking Bad" type surprise (think more like the surprise you have after a good episode of "Justified").  Still, even if the top players are moving forward, we do have some names that you might not be familiar with that have crashed the Third Round party. All in all, of the 32 seeded players, 22 moved to their expected round, leaving 10 unranked warriors trying to crash the party and potentially make a Round of 16 move. In the interest of putting faces to these names, the next two posts will be a short introduction to all ten, ranked in the likelihood of each making the Fourth Round:

MARTIN KLIZAN

We know for certain that at least one of these "unknowns" will make it into the Round of 16, because two of the players are matched up in the Third Round. Klizan seems the most likely winner, as he has reached a height that none of his other compatriots in this group have seen. At one point in 2013, Klizan was ranked 26th in the world before losing to Rafa Nadal in last year's French Open (even taking the first set and scaring Nadal in the second). But soon after, his career collapsed and he proceeded to have a brutal end to the season, culminating in an embarrassing loss to Donald Young (also on this list) at the US Open, in which he only won two games. Klizan does seem to be rounding back into form however, and at his peak, he is probably the best of these players. Klizan got here in part due to John Isner's inability to handle the Australian heat, but his initial entry into the field was via the bizarre "Lucky Loser" system that we have spoken about previously. Lucky losing and heat exhaustion got him here, but can his talent get him farther?

Fun Fact about Klizan: Klizan can speak 6 languages fluently and often likes to surprise fellow tennis players and journalists by breaking out their language unexpectedly when conversing.

STEPHANE ROBERT

Want a feel-good story left in this field?  How about our French friend, Mr. Robert?  Stephane is 33 years old and if one were to look up the phrase "tennis journeyman" in a dictionary, Robert's picture would almost certainly be there (please don't test me on this). Robert has been on tour for 13 years and this is the farthest he has ever gone in a Grand Slam Tournament. Like his opponent Klizan, he made this year's field via a "Lucky Loser" entry after seeded Phillip Kolschreiber was forced to withdraw. This opened the field up for Robert and he has made the most of his opportunity. Stephane's career is best known for his upset over Tomas Berdych as an unranked qualifier at Wimbledon in 2011. But with a win tonight over Robert, he can find himself in the Round of 16, with a chance to make history against (most likely) Andy Murray.

Fun Fact about Robert:  In his spare time, he says he likes to read Fyodor Dostoyevsky novels. As a fellow Fyodor devotee, this has immediately made the Frenchman my favorite for the rest of the event. Very few (if any) athletes could even name "Crime and Punishment" except as a description of much of their off the field activities. Bravo Stephane!

EDOUARD ROGER-VASSELIN

Besides the two "Lucky Losers" paired against each other, if you were to place a bet on one of the ten remaining unseeded players, you would probably be best to go with Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Roger-Vasselin came into the tournament ranked #40 in the world.  Edouard is playing the best tennis of his career, at the ripe old age of 30 and this tournament is the culmination of a rise that really began during the latter part of the 2013 season. Then, he reached his first ever ATP tour Final and made his way to the Semifinals at a 500 level event in Basel. His section of the draw opened up after the retirement of Tommy Haas due to heat in his first round match, and Roger-Vasselin now takes the court against a beatable Kevin Anderson to reach his best Grand Slam result of his career.

Fun Fact about Roger-Vasselin:  Edouard seems like the type of guy that you would introduce to your friends by describing, "well he's nice."  He lists "watching movies with his girlfriend" as his favorite hobby. His favorite movie is "Pursuit of Happiness" (no comment) and he lists his favorite meal as "Chicken and rice."  Don't count on Edouard to be the life of any party, unless that party is a retirement community.

FLORIAN MAYER

The most familiar name on this list to hardcore tennis fans is Florian Mayer, who has bounced around the 20-50 stage of the ATP rankings his entire career. He came into Australia just outside the seeded area, ranked 37 and he arrived in the Round of 32 after upsetting Mikhail Youzhny in Round 2. Mayer is one of my favorite players to watch primarily because he plays old man tennis. He hits the ball with crazy amounts of spin, long high flowing swings and ridiculous slices that can frustrate players who aren't prepared for his game. Because of the way he plays, he is susceptible to the "beat anyone or be beaten by anyone" mentality, as Mayer has defeated Rafael Nadal in a Masters event and lost to countless qualifiers in results that leave you scratching your head. Going against Jerzy Janowicz (the type of player often frustrated by Mayer's style), I like his chances of pulling an upset here and making his way to an interesting match versus David Ferrer.

Fun Fact About Mayer:  When asked in an interview to name the most interesting thing about him, Florian said it is the fact that he is nicknamed "Flo."  Now no offense to Mayer, but if that is the most interesting fact about you, I might choose to party with Edouard Roger-Vesselin over you. Come on folks, let's spice it up a bit!

SAM QUERREY

We all are waiting for Sam Querrey's big moment. Maybe this is it. Possessed with one of the biggest serves on tour (he still holds the record for most consecutive aces in a match with ten), Querrey always seems on the verge of a breakthrough that never quite arrives. He is 26 years old and in the prime of his career, and has hinted that he thinks 2014 could be his best season yet. He has risen to 17th in the rankings and has more titles than any player on this list (five). However waiting on Sam to fulfill the American promise has seemed to be a continual game for US Tennis fans, who want to see the big fella get the one match that puts him in the category of an elite player. He upset Ernests Gulbis in round two (a good draw for Querry considering the stifling heat) and now plays another hotheaded player in Fabio Fognini. The two players couldn't have more contrasting styles, but if Querry jumps out early in the heat, a second upset in a row could take place. A win puts him in a career-making match in the Round of 16 versus Novak Djokovic. Could this be Querry's time?  He must beat Fabio first to find out.

Fun Fact about Querry:  Sam is also a tremendous baseball player, once hitting two home runs while taking batting practice with the Florida Marlins. He is also very tall.

While You Were Sweating: Day Four at the Aussie Open So Far

I had plans to make it big tonight. After a few days of watching only a couple of hours of Australian Open coverage daily due to my other job, I was planning on pulling an all-nighter this evening and following the tennis until the early morning hourts. With Nadal, Federer and Murray all taking the court, the possibility of some heat-inspired upsets and a 2 liter of Mountain Dew in the fridge (don't say I don't do it big), this looked to be the type of night where we could make it a tennis party. Alas, the matches have slowed due to the extreme heat and we are left with yawning that could lead to me hitting the hay. But while the players in Melbourne hide from the sun, here are some thoughts on the early play:

It is Really Hot

The early rounds of major tennis tournaments rarely get much, if any, mainstream sports coverage in America. This is especially true of the Australian Open, which falls in the middle of the NFL Playoffs, making it very hard for even Rafa and Roger to compete with Manning and Brady. However the weather in Melbourne is so extreme that tennis is getting into the news, albeit not for play but rather the conditions. Today stories about the heat were a part of all the major sports television and radio shows as commentators used the conditions to describe their aversion to extreme heat. Pictures of players in various stages of duress have lead to heat-porn for those that know little about tennis minus a Grand Slam final.

With all the lead-ins about the extreme heat coming into today, the conditions on Thursday were even more brutal than at any point this week. For the first time, an Extreme Heat Delay was instituted that has stopped play after conditions that commentators were calling some of the worst they had ever seen. The effect could be see on everyone, but especially  Varvara Lepchenko, who struggled so mightily during the second set of her loss to Simona Helep that she began weeping on the court and doctors had to check her blood pressure to confirm her ability to play on. The pictures of the players dealing with the conditions is fascinating from a "train wreck" perspective but it is clearly affecting play to a high degree and causing matches to be played in different ways (primarily with players going for more chances to try and shorten the points). The 2014 Australian Open will be remembered for the early heat, but with the exception of Hewitt/Seppi, it has also prevented any real great matches from taking place. As cooler temperatures come in this weekend, my hope is the match quality inversely increases as well.

Maria Sharapova is a Warrior

The match of the day so far took place at Rod Laver Arena as Maria Sharapova won a grueling three-set thriller over Karin Knapp (I learned during this event that the pronunciation I had always used for Knapp "Nap", was incorrect and I should be saying "Kuh-Nap."  To me that seems like an absurd way to pronounce a name and it is clear that the "K" should be silent...but others would argue that since it is her name, she should pronounce it however she likes. I don't agree but will nevertheless acquiesce.)  The final set was brilliant to watch, as the Extreme Heat Delay was instituted halfway through, but players were first required to finish the set. Both players were obviously exhausted, but came through with some great tennis and both left many chances to close out the match on the court. For Sharapova, a loss would have been particularly devastating as she was unable to convert match points in two games prior to the set completion. Knapp was able to extend the match to extra games, but never able to seriously push on Sharapova's serve late and Maria held on as the temperature reached 108 degrees at completion.

Afterwards, the crowd saluted both players and Sharapova noted that it was the best she had ever seen Knapp play. But for a neutral observer, the takeaway was the amazing fortitude both women showed. The match lasted over three hours (the longest of Sharapova's Grand Slam career) and both players never let their energy wane during the closing games. Because of her beauty and fame, Sharapova never gets credit for the warrior that she is on the court and her dedication to fitness and toughness is often forgotten. For any critics ready to fault her play (and there will be many if she loses, as she almost certainly will, to Serena Williams again), I would hope they would first be forced to watch the third set today on Laver Arena and see her grit in action. Being second (or third now to Azarenka) best is still a worthy accomplishment, especially when it requires performances like the one Maria brought forth this afternoon.

Donald Young Blows it Again

I cheer hard for Donald Young. I don't really know why I do it. From all indications, Young isn't the most likable kid in the world and the two experiences I have had watching him in person have both left negative impressions with me (the way his entourage and he acted at the US Open last August was almost embarrassing). With that said, I still remember his run in the 2011 US Open fondly and there is something about the kid's confident strokes, consistent swagger and perpetually askew hat that makes me want to see him have success. But sometimes he makes it really hard. As I write this, he is on a heat delay on Court 3 in his match with Andreas Seppi, awaiting the deciding fifth set. But I don't need to watch that set, because I know what the result will be. Seppi, the master of the fifth set (7-1 in Grand Slams) is going to handle Young and move on to the Round of 32, escaping a match he should have lost.

How do I know this? Because I have seen this movie before. After playing excellently for the first three sets, leading 2-1 (and dropping the other set in a tiebreak), Young was situated to get a win that could have been a huge leaping point for his 2014 season. He broke Seppi early in the fourth and was serving at 3-2 to put the final pressure on Andreas and close out the match. Instead Young went into bad Donald form, framing three wild forehands during the game, yelling at himself and his entourage in the stands, and wilting under pressure, allowing Seppi to break back. The rest of the set was a mere formality as Young, seeing the Heat Delay coming, went for wildly aggressive shots and quickly was dispatched to even the match at two sets apiece. Fortunately for Young, the heat delay gives him a chance to regroup and still have a fighting shot at the victory, something that would have been impossible had the match gone on. But unfortunately, as much as I root for Young and want to see him get some traction (a win would see him go up against Kei Nishikori in the next round, a match he might be well-suited to compete in), the result is probably a foregone conclusion.

I hope I wake up tomorrow however and find out that I am wrong. Tennis could use a successful Donald Young.

10 Things You Should Know About The Special Ks

Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios crashed the Aussie Open second round party when he upset Benjamin Becker in the tournament's first round earlier this week. The 18-year-old is 102 spots behind Becker in the ATP rankings at No. 183 in the world, but he's the one who advanced when the two met for the first time in their careers. Kyrgios won 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) to set up today's match with Benoit Paire, the No. 27 seed.

Another young Australian, 17-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis, made an even louder noise when he defeated 73rd-ranked Igor Sijsling, ranked 497 places above him. The win set Kokkinakis up with a second round match against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in Rod Laver Arena later today.

Together, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis won the boys doubles event at Wimbledon in 2013, months after they faced each other in the boys singles finals in the 2013 Australian Open. Today, they'll each try to shock the tennis world again by advancing in the Australian Open with another improbable win.

Before we all jump aboard the Kyrgios and Kokkinakis train for their upcoming matches, we should take a minute to learn a thing or ten about the two youngsters who call themselves the "Special Ks."

1.) Nick chose tennis over basketball.

He showed early signs of potentially pursuing a basketball career when he represented ACT and Australia on the hardwood at a young age, but he hit a fork in the sports road at the age of 14 and hung a left to focus on tennis, leaving the hoop dreams behind.

That has proven to be the right decision thus far.

2.) Thanaki took the longest victory lap ever.

Soaking it all in following his first round upset win, via +Australian Open.



3.) Nick is afraid of the dark, heights, snakes, sharks and being alone.

Kyrgios admitted to his fears in his "Kia Open Drive" interview at this year's Australian Open.

One thing he's not afraid of: Benjamin Becker.

4.) Thanasi's favorite movie is Superbad.

"Wait... you changed your name to McLovin?"

5.) Nick takes mirror selfies.

But he doesn't smile. Real men don't smile for selfies. You know that.

6.) Nick has a crush on Victoria Azarenka.

Kyrgios admitted to falling in love within 20 minutes of being around Azarenka during a recent event. But when asked who he would like to "pash" (that's Australian for tongue kiss, according to Urban Dictionary) on the WTA, he went with the obvious answer: Maria Kirilenko.

7.) Thanasi has a crush on Liz Hurley.

Hurley is engaged to a famous cricketer but Kokkinakis would still love the opportunity to take the English actress on a date.

She's 31 years older. Sound the cougar call.

8.) Nick listens to Lil Wayne and Rihanna.

And here I thought all Australians only listened to Keith Urban and Gotye.

9.) They both love the NBA.

Nick is a fan of the Boston Celtics, while Thanasi follows the Los Angeles Clippers.

So don't mention Doc Rivers next time you see them practicing together.

10.) They're in trouble today. 

Paire and Nadal?  Good luck with that, boys. You especially, Thanasi.

Sam Querrey for America

 

We have one of our own in the Australian Open's third round, America. Sound the trumpets. Wave the flags. Grill the hot dogs.

After an unexpected exit from John Isner, the American No. 1, on the second day of the tournament, hope was lost for the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave in Melbourne in 2014. But that hope has been restored in the form of the Cali boy, Sam Querrey, who won his second match of the tournament on Day 3. 

Querrey defeated 23rd seeded Ernests Gulbis in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the third round. It marks the second consecutive year Querrey has reached the third round in the Aussie Open, and the second time he has accomplished that feat in back-to-back years. He found himself here in 2007 and 2008, his first two appearances in Melbourne.

Querrey will face the Fabio Fognini-Jarkko Nieminen winner for a spot in the fourth round, where Novak Djokovic will be waiting should things go as expected. Querrey was one win shy of meeting Djokovic in that match last year, but he couldn't slip past Stanilas Wawrinka to get there.

Two other Americans, Jack Sock and Donald Young, remain in the mens' tournament field with upcoming second round matches on Thursday. Sock will face 25th seeded Gael Monfils and Young will get 24th seeded Andreas Seppi, who knocked out fan favorite Lleyton Hewitt. Barring an upset, Sock and Young will join Isner, Ryan Harrison, Tim Smyczek, Bradley Khlan, Wayne Odesnik, Denis Kudla, Steve Johnson, and Michael Russell on the early flight back to the States.

That leaves Querrey, the "Great Red, White and Blue Hope," to make a run for the second week of the 2014 Australian Open. He said after his win over Gulbis that reaching the third round makes it a successful tournament for him already, but we, the United States of America, are not settling for a 32nd place trophy. We want Sam Querrey to continue winning, because that's what America does. It wins. 

Ask the 1980 U.S. national hockey team if it was content with a draw against Sweden to open group play in the Olympics. The answer is no. It was content with a win over the Soviets and a gold medal.

Ask Rulon Gardner if he was satisfied after finishing fourth at the 1993 NCAA Wrestling Championships. No. Rulon Gardner was satisfied when he defeated that scary Russian guy who hadn't lost in 13 years to win the gold medal in 2000. That dude was terrifying. 

Ask Amelia Earhart if she just shut it down when she flew a third of the way across the Atlantic Ocean. No. Amelia Earhart was just picking up speed on her way to becoming the first female to fly solo across that salty pond.

You see, Sam Querrey is our Amelia Earhart. He's our Rulon Gardner and he's our Herb Brooks. America believes in miracles, it fears no one, and we're not turning around and flying back home empty-handed because we got a third of the way there.

Sam Querrey for America. Let's win this thing.