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AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Istomin Itching To Face Federer

/noticias.info/ Istomin Itching To Face Federer
Monday, 16 January, 2006

He's ranked No.195 in the world, boasts two career singles titles, match earnings of $US24,998, and is playing in his first major tournament. He also has the toughest task in men's tennis - playing the game's top player, Roger Federer, in the opening round of the Australian Open 2006.

Denis Istomin, a 19-year-old native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, meets world No.1 and six-time Grand Slam winner Federer in the first match on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, Day Two of the championship.

A 'veteran' of 14 tournament matches and one of only five teenagers in the men's draw, Istomin is not daunted by his monumental task, nor is he showing any sign of nerves.

"He's the world No.1. He's a very good player. I like him," said Istomin on Monday. "To play him, is very good for me. It will be a good match."

Istomin earned the Asian Wildcard into this year's Australian Open after winning the 2005 Asian Championships in his hometown, defeating Danai Udomchoke from Thailand 4-6 6-2 6-1.

Playing Challenger and Futures tournaments in India, Uzbekistan, Italy, Russia and Slovakia last year saw his ranking improve from 931 in 2004 to 195, and his aim is to break into the men's top 100 this year on the way to eventually making the elite top 10.

"It is possible," said Istomin, the fourth-youngest men's player at this year's tournament. "I want to play in the top 10."

In 2001 he broke his leg in an horrific car accident while travelling to a Futures tournament in Tashkent. He spent the following three months in hospital and did not pick up a tennis racquet for two years.

With doctors doubting that he would ever play competitive tennis again, Istomin has used the experience as motivation to further his professional career. A 30cm scar on the side of his upper right leg is a ghastly reminder of his hardship.

With an imposing 391-120 career win-loss record and $US20,232,573 in earnings, Federer admitted he knows little about his opponent.

The Swiss maestro, however, is aware of the dangers of complacency when tackling lowly-ranked players.

"I just read into some results of his. He played well in the futures and stuff," Federer said.

"He obviously started to play on the big stages as his ranking was going up. I definitely don't underestimate anyone because we all know guys ranked outside of the top 150, 200, they are dangerous opponents."

"I beat (Carlos) Moya when I was 300 and he was No.4 in the world. Everything is possible."

Federer leads the charge of 64 players in the bottom half of the men's singles on Tuesday.

Australian hope and No.3 seed Lleyton Hewitt is up against the Czech Republic's Robin Vik, in the third match on Rod Laver Arena.

Hewitt has the weight of a nation firmly on his shoulders attempting to become the first Australian since Mark Edmonson in 1976 to hold aloft the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

After narrowly missing out on snaffling the silverware against Russian Marat Safin a year ago, Hewitt is steeled to go the distance again.

In 2005, 25-year-old Vik played a career-high nine ATP events, winning eight matches as he reached a career-high ranking of No.63.

The right-hander made the second-biggest jump of any player in the top 100 from the previous season, improving 362 ranking positions, so he is not to be treated lightly.

Britain's 'Braveheart', Andy Murray, makes his Open debut against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela on Vodafone Arena.

Murray, 19, is the first teenager from Great Britain to finish in the year-end top 100 since Buster Mottram in 1974.

Shackled with huge expectations also from his native Scotland, Murray will have a difficult task against his more experienced opponent in Chela, who makes his sixth appearance at Melbourne Park.

The women's draw is wide open, with comeback queens Mary Pierce and Martina Hingis headlining Day Two.

Pierce returned to the world's top five in 2005 for the first time in six years, and is up against another experienced campaigner, Nicole Pratt of Australia.

After bowing out in the opening round of last year's Australian Open, the 31-year-old reached the finals at Roland Garros and the US Open.

She says she has prepared well for Melbourne and has set her goals on achieving the No.1 world ranking.

Hingis's return is still somewhat of a 'work-in-progress' as she gauges her level of preparation, confidence and strategy against Russian Vera Zvonareva.

Injuries to both feet have sidelined the Swiss 24-year-old for the past three years, and she will be wishing for a happy return to Rod Laver Arena in the first match of the night session.

Experiencing some of her greatest moments on Centre Court - lifting the Australian Open trophy on three occasions - Hingis will need to call on her guile, smarts and experience against the Muscovite.

Baseliner Zvonareva, ranked 42, slipped out of the world top 15 for the first time in three years after injury cruelled her 2005 season. She will be hoping to get her promising career back on track at Australian Open 2006. notas_de_prensa_archivo