AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Venue: Melbourne Park Date: 19 January-1 February
Coverage: BBC Red Button, Radio 5 Live sports extra, BBC Sport website (Red Button coverage streamed on website throughout fortnight)

Verdasco 'hand-jives' his way to a "good" victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

"What I'm thinking right now is that I'm playing good, I'm feeling good and I'm in semi-finals."
It's a good thing Fernando Verdasco is in the semi-finals after his win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

"You know, the same way that I can win, I can lose."
Although Verdasco may want to work on his tactics, which apparently are no indicator of success or failure

"When you play a tennis match, there is a winner."
A rare insight into the sport from Verdasco's opponent Tsonga

"I don't know, I just like it. Don't you like it?"
Rafael Nadal responds to questions about his new longer-sleeve T-shirt wear

"If you have one chance, you have to take it against him. You can't have three, four, five opportunities and not take them. That's too much."
Gilles Simon accepts he did not make the most of his chances against Nadal

"It will be incredible to play Fernando in the semi-final and we're guaranteed a Spaniard in the final which is great."
Nadal gets all patriotic ahead of his last-four clash against Verdasco

"Before they closed the roof I was having an out-of-body experience, it was so hot. I felt I was watching someone play in a blue dress, and it wasn't me, because it was so hot out there."
Serena Williams with a novel excuse for losing the first set against Svetlana Kuznetsova.

"I have a punk rock attitude."
Williams again.

"If you have a roof, why not use it?"
Elena Dementieva is not impressed with playing her match against Carla Suarez Navarra in the full glare of the scorching sun, before the roof was closed.

"It was hot for everyone, you know. They were ready to die, not to survive a day like that."
Dementieva expresses her sympathy for the moths which plagued the exposed Rod Laver Arena.

"Everybody was playing without the roof. Why did they have to close it today?"
Having seen her match against Serena Williams swing in the American's favour once the roof had been closed, Svetlana Kuznetsova does not care how many moths expire.

"Today you're looking at millions of dollars out there. I think the parents want the child to win, more so sometimes than just trophies. Is my child enjoying her or his game? You're looking at, 'What's in it for me?' I think that's unfortunate if a parent does that."
Australian tennis legend Rod Laver dispenses some wise words as he opens day 10, in the wake of Jelena Dokic's defeat on Tuesday.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version