Petrova, men's favorites earn high marks in Aussie Open midterms

Nadia Petrova: Notoriously erratic Russian veteran is riding a hot streak here. She pulls off a whopping upset, humiliating Kim Clijsters, and then backs it up, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Justine Henin: Many happy returns. Not just winning, but winning with typical grit.

Men's draw favorites:Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all cruise into week two.

Chinese women: Na Li and Jie Zheng both remain.

Donald Young: Young no more? Atlantan qualifies, wins his first match and gives Lleyton Hewitt a good match in Round 2. An auspicious start to the year.

Mother Nature: When was the last time you heard players complain that the conditions in Melbourne were too cool?

Big boys: Attention NBA general managers: four players in the round of 16 --Marin Cilic, John Isner, Ivo Karlovic and Juan Martin del Potro -- were 6-foot-6 and up. Cilic is the last standing.

Louk Sorensen: There is a little known fatwah: one must give as much publicity as possible to an undersized Irish qualifier with a German accent who reaches the second round of a Major.

James Blake: Loses in second round dropping still another five setter, but gives del Potro a real fight in the process. This is Exhibit A re: the importance of being seeded.

Alicia Molik: Comeback stalled on account of a classic choke job. But all credit to her for owning up to it.

Ana Ivanovic: A second-round loser, as the slump continues. Until she fixes the serve, her game lacks foundation. Time to hire a full-time coach.

Maria Sharapova: Was it just two years ago that Sharapova won in Melbourne without dropping a set? Another Slam, another early exit, this time at the hands of Maria Kirilenko.

Kim Clijsters: The strangest result of Week 1, Clijsters -- the pick by many to win -- mustered only one game against Petrova and was uncharacteristically sour afterward.

Small bladders: You're trouble, as it were.