AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 2: Villains Win

On Day 2 of the Australian Open two tennis players fans love to hate, Lleyton Hewitt and Martina Hingis,won their first-round matches. Despite retiring at age 22(!) three years ago, Hingis has decided to attempt to make an unprobable comeback, with pretty surprising results and generally encouraging comments. On Tuesday, she beat (30)Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-2 pretty convincingly.

Lleyton Hewitt did not have such an easy time of it. The Aussie favorite and #3 seed almost lost to unheralded Robert Vik in 4 sets, but prevailed in a 5-set marathon 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Hingis and Hewitt have made pretty "dodgy" statements in the past tinged with prejudice ("[Mauresmo] is half a man" referring to the Frenchwoman's sexuality and "Look at him! And look at him!" referring to the skin color of a line judge in a match with James Blake).

In addition to these two "baddies" getting through, fan favorites (and mine) (1)Roger Federer and (2)Kim Clijsters also won easily, though Clijsters has a thigh injurty which is hampering her movement and Federer is still wearing an ankle brace.