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Australian Open 2003

 Singles Draw  |  Doubles Draw
The Australian Open 

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club 2003
26/08/03 Day Eight - Doubles Final
The young Australian left hander Steve Virgona in action in the doubles final
Josh Bainton varies his serve
Rob and Steve cover the court Doubles Finalists
Doubles winners Steve and Rob Josh and Tim
Celebrating afterwards with family, Steves brother John, past assistant pro at Sydney and sister Josephine, while Rob caught up with his girls.
Josh Bainton hit the first winner of the doubles final with a winning gallery boasted off the mainwall. Three rests later almost the same location, Rob Fahey hit a winning gallery with a thumping hard forehand volley. The galleries packed again for the second night were ready for a contest. Rob and Steve had combined well as a team all week. Steve was over his flu and ready to back up the world champion. Rob was in form right from the start. Tim looked a little worn, maybe from the night before but never one for excuses and Josh while reliable had to be effective as well. His volleying this week had been superb but tonight would test him. The first set possibly could have gone either way early on but Rob was having none of that as he talked to Steve keeping the team working together. The second set was plenty of serve and volley by the Australians who seemed to spend a lot of the time at the serving end. By the time the last set started, the frustration was starting to show on the faces of the Americans. Rob hit three dedan forces in a row and the writing was on the wall. The "aussies" celebrated into the night with relatives and the Americans joined in. Tim was seen in the late hours playing yet more games on the computer.
25/08/03 Day Seven - Singles Final
Tim Chisholm Rob Fahey
Tim Chisholms weapons Tim Chisholm with Trophy
Tim moments after winning The finalists
Tim Chisholm tonight became the Australian Open Champion. The match started with Rob hitting hard but it was Tim who had the accuracy that had helped him all week and won the first two sets with Rob wondering whether to keep using his railroad. In the third set, Rob found form and also found his targets. The crowd wanted him to lift. Tim seemed to lose momentum. But the forth set saw Tim resume his game although Rob was fighting hard and looking dangerous. Tim was up 5-3 when Rob fought back hard again to make it 5-5 after a long game. But Tim now had the serving end and calmly point by point took the championship.
24/08/03 Day Six
Josh Bainton Tim Chisholm
Day six, doubles semi finals: Rob Fahey and Steve Virgona were in excellent form and although not all the rests were short, the left and right handed combination pulled away from their opponents Brad Dale and Mike Happell, and were never really pushed. The second match was fairly even in the beginning with both pairs controlling a set each. The surprise packet was Josh Bainton who apart from a few missed volleys in the second set, was decisive in getting their team across the line, playing steady in the third set and hitting out in the forth. Ruaraidh Gunn and Nick Wood tried to turn it around looking for any opportunity but Tim Chisholm and Josh Bainton stayed in front going to a 4-0 lead fairly quickly in the forth set and closed out the match.
23/08/03 Day Five
Rob Faheys railroad Mike Happell  Nick Wood serves
Day five, singles semi finals: Both finals were straight sets but both losers fought hard, Mike Happell, playing a slightly loose Rob Fahey played his heart out and was actually leading 3-1 in the third when Rob steadied to take back control, beating  a chase on the last point from the hazard end with a behind the back forehand on the run. It was interesting to watch a variety of serves used as railroads are being punished. The second match saw Nick Wood probing to find a weakness in Tim Chisholm, however Tim had other ideas and played well mentally and physically to defeat Nick after some extremely long games.
21/08/03 Day Three
Nick Wood fires a railroad Nick Wood off the floor
Brad Dale serving Tim Chisholm during a rare still moment
Day three, singles quarter finals: Today the first upset for the tournament was Steve Virgona who found the net too many times, Mike Happell on the the other hand worked the corners with few errors. Rob Fahey demolished Brett McFarlane in an hour and twenty minutes. Nick Wood cruised through Brad Dale. The highlight of the day was a spirited fight back by Ruaraidh Gunn from two sets down against Tim Chisholm. I believe it was one point off going into the fifth. With long hard rests in between Tims mainwall dedans, Ruaraidhs spectacular fighting returns, it was a real spectacle that kept the dedans in raptures until the final point.
19/08/03 Day One
Jonnie Davies serving Brett McFarlane into the corner
Rob Fahey and Steve Virgona in control Rob and Steve......yours!
15/08/03 Top Guns arrive for Australian Open
Australian Open Singles 2003
1st Round
2nd Round
Q-Finals
S- Finals
Final
 
R Fahey (1)  
 R Fahey 6/0,6/1,6/0
J Bainton  
 R Fahey 6/0,6/2,6/0
J Davies  
 B McFarlane  6/1,6/1,6/0
B McFarlane  
R Fahey 6/4,6/3,6/3
M Happell  
 M Happell 6/1,6/3,6/1
M Sayer  
G Eden     M Happell 6/2,6/4,6/0
G Eden      6/5, 6/1,6/4
S Skyrme-Jones  S Virgona 6/2,6/5,6/2
S Virgona (4)   T Chisholm 6/3,6/4,2/6,6/5
Australian Open Singles Champion 2003
  N Wood (3)  
 N Wood 5/6,6/3,6/0,6/2
R McNaughtan  
 N Wood 6/1,6/5,6/1
P O'Dwyer  
 B Dale 6/3,6/1,5/6,6/3
B Dale  
  T Chisholm 6/3,6/3,6/4
R Gunn  
 R Gunn 6/0,6/0,6/0
J Gray  
 T Chisholm 6/5,6/2,5/6,6/5
A Domange  
 T Chisholm 6/0,6/0,6/0
T Chisholm (2)