Rusedski falls to nerves

The rain came just a little too late for Greg Rusedski. Yesterday's play at the Australian Open, after a fierce overnight electrical storm and residual drizzle, was reduced to a mere six matches, all on the Centre Court with its roof closed.

In effect the tournament became an indoor event, which might have suited the British number one extremely well against Australia's Todd Woodbridge the previous day. Rusedski's two victories over him had both been indoors where the balls fly that little bit quicker and the courts are a little bit slicker.

As it was the retractable roof was wide open for their third round match. But shutters of a different kind closed in over the British number one. Seeded number five, he was the main man left in his quarter of the draw, and appeared to have a glorious opportunity of reaching the semi-finals. But he lost 7-6, 6-4, 6-2, and without in the least doing himself justice.

"It was there for the taking," said his coach Tony Pickard, who could find no satisfactory reason for Rusedski's sudden and sharp loss of form. "He said it was not nerves, but it has happened twice now in exactly the same way - here and in Doha. It did not happen during the indoor season."

In the quarter-finals of the Doha tournament, his first of the year, Rusedski lost to France's Fabrice Santoro, when he also failed to hit the ball with his usual power and confidence.

Both Santoro and Woodbridge are excellent returners, the Australian especially so, and it is possible the knowledge of their capabilities caused Rusedski to tense up.

Certainly his serve, the pivot of his game, refused to function properly almost immediately on Saturday. He double faulted three times to go 2-0 down in the opening set.

Despite the public smile, in private he was totally dejected. After the Australian Open Rusedski was not due back on court until the European Community championships in Antwerp on February 16th, but he may now play in Split next week.

Both he and Tim Henman, beaten in the first round here, have a lot of work to do, particularly with regard to their mental preparation. Absolute concentration, combined with mid-match flexibility, is a prerequisite at Grand Slam level, where the extended five-set formula over two weeks provides the ultimate test of character and resilience.

Rusedski appointed Pickard, the coach of former champion Stefan Edberg, because he believed he could hone the finer points of his game, and use his experience to thoroughly prepare him for the four Grand Slams.

Prior to Saturday's defeat Rusedski had appeared notably confident and relaxed, but that all changed against Woodbridge. His body language spoke of tension; he rushed and he fretted, and by the second set his brow was lined with anxiety.

To be sure, Woodbridge played extremely well, constantly feeding Rusedski with returns at his ankles, and forcing him into awkward volleys. But the crux of the problem was that the speed of the British player's serve had dropped to manageable proportions for the Australian.