2012 Australian Open: Top Seeds Cruise In Day 1

Rafael Nadal, the No. 2 ranked seed in the 2012 Australian Open, had a scare on Day 1 with one of his knees. “Yesterday afternoon happened the more strange thing ever happen to me,” Nadal revealed to Sandy Harwitt after his 6-4 6-1 6-1 win over American qualifier Alex Kuznetsov. “I stand up. I felt the knee a little bit strange ... the knee stays with unbelievable pain ... I have no movement on the knee.”

Tournament officials quickly arranged an MRI for Nadal in fear his tournament run would be cut short due to an injury. The MRI revealed however that Nadal’s knee was structurally fine, so the 25-year old Spaniard was good to go for his match with Kuznetsov.

The 2012 Australian Open is officially underway with the first round of matches in the books down under to kick off the first of tennis’s four Grand Slam events. There weren’t many surprises during Melbourne’s first day of action, though, as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki all advanced as top seeds.

Nadal beat American player Alex Kuznetsov in straight sets and Federer advanced over Russian Alexander Kudryavtsev as the two moved closer to meeting prior to the tournament’s finals. Aside from Kuznetsov, the American players had a solid first day of action as Mardy Fish, John Isner, Donald Young and Sam Querrey were all able to post victories on the first day of the tournament.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer graced the tennis world with thrilling Grand Slam Final matches for the last several years. That, however, can’t happen at the 2012 Australian Open.

For the first time since the 2005 French Open, Nadal and Federer on are the same side of a draw at a major, meaning that only one of them will be able to make it to the final. Nadal has won 10 Grand Slam titles, one of which was the 2009 Australian Open, where he defeated Federer.

We get it. We couldn’t take the price or time of a $1,000+, one-day flight to Australia. So we’re joining you, couch potato nation, in the opening of another season that’s bound to feature even louder grunts, even larger match ups and even riskier outfits from one of the Williams’ sisters.

So where can you watch hours of a tiny tennis ball crossing a net down under?

The first Grand Slam of 2012 is always good for some surprises. It was where Novak Djokovic broke through to win his first major in 2008. It was where previously unknown Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus made a run to the final in 2006 only to fall to Roger Federer. It was where, just last year Kim Clijsters won on the women’s side after a retirement, reminding everyone why tennis missed her so much to begin with.

It was also the jumping off point of Novak Djokovic’s spectacular season last year, and he’ll look to defend his title as the No. 1 seed, though he won’t be in action on Monday. The tournament’s Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, however, will be in action on tournament’s first day.

If it weren’t enough that Novak Djokovic came off a 70-6 season, the Australian Open went and placed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the same half of a Grand Slam draw for the first time since 2005. But that’s not the only excitement that will happen Down Under.

Besides the usual big hitters of Djoko, Nadal and The Fed here are some highlights to the start of the men’s draw.