Djokovic could have inspired anti-vax Australians, court says
The court said it was reasonable to think Djokovic might have inspired anti-vaccine sentiment in Australia.
The court said it was reasonable to think Djokovic might have inspired anti-vaccine sentiment in Australia.
Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was pushed hard Thursday by Sebastian Baez, but he found the winning formula, overcoming the Argentine 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round at the Australian Open for the fourth year in a row.
The Greek never found top form on Margaret Court Arena as he was tested in a physical clash against the resilient 21-year-old. However, he demonstrated an abundance of grit and character, raising his level in the third and fourth sets to advance after three hours and 22 minutes.
“It wasn’t easy. But I am glad I overcame that obstacle today,” Tsitsipas said in his-court interview. “Lots of fighting, a little bit of swearing, but I am glad to be in the third round. It was a pretty hot day today, but I tried to play with my heart and it paid off in the end.”
The World No. 4 spent the off-season recovering from an elbow injury, which forced him to withdraw from the Nitto ATP Finals in November. He showed no signs of discomfort against Baez though in their first ATPHead2Head meeting and will next face 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov or Frenchman Benoit Paire.
“He is a great player,” Tsitsipas said when asked about Baez. “I know he had a good run at the Next Gen Finals, which is an event I played a few years ago, so in order for him to playing at these tournaments it is an indication he has been doing well. He has one of the biggest forehands I have faced.”
Tsitsipas has fond memories in Melbourne, having upset Roger Federer en route to the semi-finals in 2019, before he advanced to the last four again last year. The seven-time tour-level titlist is aiming to win his first major at the Australian Open, with his best result at a Grand Slam a run to the final at Roland Garros in 2021.
Serving up a big win ?
??@steftsitsipas holds off a determined Sebastian Baez to advance 7-6(1) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4.#AusOpen • #AO2022
?: @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/cLB9s8MdxJ— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2022
In an enthralling first set, Baez was put under pressure on serve by the Greek but found the answers, saving seven break points before he broke Tsitsipas at 4-4 with aggressive ball striking. However, he was unable to serve out the set as Tsitsipas responded with deep returns, before prevailing in the tie-break.
The diminutive Argentine refused to go away though, matching Tsitsipas from the baseline as he fired 13 winners in the second set. In a tense tie-break, Baez won four points in a row from 3/5 to level, but all this did was fire the Greek up, with Tsitsipas driving his groundstrokes through the court with extra pace in the third set to move back in front.
Tsitsipas found the early break in the fourth set and pinned Baez behind the baseline with his heavy forehand as he demonstrated great footwork to dictate with the stroke to advance.
Baez, who reached the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in November, was making his Grand Slam debut in Melbourne. The World No. 88 edged Albert Ramos-Vinolas in five sets in the first round.
World number two Aryna Sabalenka reaches the Australian Open third round but third seed Garbine Muguruza suffers an early exit in Melbourne.
Australian wild card Christopher O’Connell scored the biggest win of his career on Thursday at his home Slam, upsetting 13th seed Diego Schwartzman in a 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4 stunner.
Making his fourth appearance at the Australian Open, the World No. 175 is through to the third round at a major for the first time in six main-draw attempts.
A native of Sydney, the 27-year-old O’Connell worked cleaning boats for six months during an injury layoff in 2018. But he returned in 2019 with success on the ATP Challenger Tour before picking up his first major win at the 2020 US Open, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the second round.
With a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 111 in 2020, O’Connell will again be the underdog in Round 3. But victory over World No. 70 Maxime Cressy would hardly qualify as a shock, with the American also competing in the third round of a Slam for the first time. He was a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6(5) winner over Czech qualifier Tomas Machac in the second round.
After a slow start, O’Connell grew into the match with the help of a spirited Aussie crowd on Court 3. Over three hours and seven minutes, he kept the Argentine on the back foot in most rallies. Despite his superiority, the 27-year-old had to survive a tense finale as Schwartzman erased a break deficit in the third set.
Rather than slumping in the face of that disappointment, O’Connell rose to the occasion by winning the match’s last two games, sealing his progress with three clutch winners (of 44 for the match) and an unreturned ‘T’ serve on match point.
Unlikely at the start, the upset looked even more of a long-shot as Schwartzman served for the opening set. But O’Connell erased two set points and then recovered a mini-break in the tie-break to steal the opening stanza with a winner.
That got the Aussie crowd going, and their man raised his game as he found more success on offense in set two. Forcing the steady Schwartzman back behind the baseline, O’Connell dominated on serve and won the last 10 points of the set from deuce at 3-4.
Schwartzman was hanging on to start set three, saving three break points in the opening game. Full of confidence, O’Connell did not let his opponent off the hook in the third game of the set. Another winner secured his second break in three return games, his third of the match.
That set up a tense, eventful stretch run. The Australian saved a break point to hold for 4-2, but could not stop the dogged Schwartzman from closing to 4-all. Just when it seemed Schwartzman could turn things around, O’Connell found one final burst to get over the line.
Dan Evans gets a bye to the third round of the Australian Open as opponent Arthur Rinderknech withdraws.
There is no doubt that Carlos Alcaraz is making lightning progress in his fledgling career. Evidence of this lies not only in his ATP Ranking, currently No. 31, but also in the way he is coming through his matches at this year’s Australian Open. The maturity with which he is competing in his first tournament of 2022 is not that of an 18-year-old with barely a year’s experience on the ATP Tour.
His shots on court are turning more and more heads off it. His name is starting to appear among the favourites to go deep on the biggest stages on Tour. So much so, that nobody is willing to write him off from the list of hopefuls for the crown in Melbourne Park, including Rafael Nadal.
“Does he have a chance of winning here? Yes, what can I say? Why not?” Nadal said. “He’s a young player that is clearly on the up and we’ll see what happens. At the moment, everything is unpredictable and he’s a player with huge potential.”
A lot has changed since the two Spaniards clashed in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open on 5 May 2021, the day of Alcaraz’s eighteenth birthday. Although he had already celebrated his first win at an ATP Masters 1000 event, Alcaraz was still yet to break into the Top 100 and had no titles under his belt. Seven months later, it is a very different story.
“Last year he made big strides up the Rankings and in his level. I’m sure he will do so again this year. From there, we’ll see from day to day where his potential takes him,” Nadal said of Alcaraz’s future. “At the end of the day, when you have all that potential and you’re a hard worker too, it’s unlikely things will go badly for you. You would expect him to have more chances to fight for big things as each tournament goes by.”
Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, agrees with Nadal. “Of course, Rafa’s words are wonderful and we’re grateful for them. I really agree with what he said. He has potential. Now we just need to see when he fulfils it at an important tournament like this one.”
Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
This January marks the start of their fourth season together. During those years, in which Alcaraz has sculpted his game under the orders of the former World No. 1, he has been able to monitor his progress. Even at this early point in his career, the Murcia-native has what it takes to square up to any opponent.
“Right now, his youth is a positive and a negative,” Ferrero explained. “Positive because of the desire and motivation, as well as being physically fit. Negative because he still lacks experience in many situations.”
Another player who knows him very well is Pablo Carreño Busta, who has also reached the third round of this Australian Open. They share a team at the Academia Equelite-Juan Carlos Ferrero in Villena (Alicante, Spain).
“Carlos has been working well at the academy for many years. With all that work, quality and potential he has, he will continue to deliver,” Carreno Busta said. “He’s getting very good results, but they will get better.”
Having shared a training court with him so many times, Carreno Busta knows Alcaraz better, perhaps, than any other player.
“He still has room for improvement. Apart from having winning shots from anywhere, there are situations on court that perhaps he isn’t managing as well as he could,” Carreno Busta said. “But through training and desire — which he has no lack of — I’m sure he will grow and get increasingly better.”
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
While everyone else is putting his first steps under the microscope, the man himself is enjoying a meteoric learning curve which, so far, is yet to level off.
“I’m playing very well,” Alcaraz said. “I know where to be at difficult moments and I feel good about how I feel on court. I’m ready to give any player a match right now.”
His performance in competition continues to feed his confidence, but where does Alcaraz himself feel he has progressed the most?
“I think I’ve improved most in my attitude, in knowing what is happening on court. I think I’ve matured a lot in reading the match, what I’m doing well and what I’m doing badly,” Alcaraz said. “Changing things that aren’t going well for me. That area is where I’ve improved a lot, which is making me mature and progress more rapidly.”
And, finally, amid all the praise showered on his pupil, Ferrero has one more thing to say: “Of course he’s thinking about winning here some time; this year, next year, or whenever. Let’s hope it’s as soon as possible. He’s working very well, he’s had a very good preseason and he’s playing very well. But to win here you have to beat very good and experienced players that are just as well-prepared as he is so, as Rafa said, anything can happen, but let’s not build it up any more.”
Nobody has had a better view of Alcaraz’s journey from a boy with potential to a man to watch in Australia.
Victoria Azarenka, Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty call for more information on Chinese player Peng Shuai’s wellbeing.
If you ask Nick Kyrgios, the best player in the world right now is Daniil Medvedev — the man he’ll be squaring off against on Thursday night in Melbourne. As for Medvedev, his pick to win the 2022 Australian Open hails from Spain.
“I always say that whoever is the highest-ranked is the favourite. So this time I’m going to go with Rafa, because he has 20 Grand Slams,” the World No. 2 said with a laugh in a recent interview.
Of course, Medvedev is the top-ranked man in the Australian Open field following the withdrawal of Novak Djokovic. But Kyrgios has the firepower to pull off what only the World No. 1 has managed to do in the past 12 months: beat the Russian at a hard-court Slam.
“It’s going to be a hell of an experience for me,” said the fan-favourite Aussie. “I’m pretty excited for that moment. That’s why I play the game.”
Kyrgios has made John Cain Arena his home throughout his AO career, and he did so again on Tuesday in a flashy 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 first-round win against British qualifier Liam Broady. On Thursday, he’ll take his talents—underhand tweener serve and all—to Rod Laver Arena.
History says that Kyrgios matches up well with Medvedev. He holds a 2-0 ATP Head2Head record against the reigning US Open champion, though both those matches came in 2019 as Medvedev was first breaking into the Top 10.
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
You’ll have to go even further back—to late 2017—to see Andy Murray’s name in the Top 10. But the former World No. 1 is increasingly showing that sort of form in recent months. After wins over Jannik Sinner, Hubert Hurkacz and Carlos Alcaraz to close out 2021, Murray has continued to raise the bar in the new year.
On the heels of a run to the Sydney Tennis Classic final, the five-time Australian Open finalist produced a trademark win against 23rd seed Nikoloz Basilashvili to reach the second round in Melbourne. The 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4 result made it two wins over the Georgian in two weeks for Murray, and gave the Scot a win in his first AO appearance since the emotional 2019 tournament at which he announced his potential retirement.
Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel stands between Murray and what would be his second trip to the third round of a Slam since 2017 (Wimbledon 2021).
“I would love to have a deep run here if possible,” Murray said following his first-round win. “It is something I have not had at one of the Slams since I came back from the injury and it is something that motivates me. I have played some of my best tennis here over the years and I feel comfortable here.”
Murray could face a rematch with Sinner, who he beat in Stockholm in November, in the third round. The 11th-seeded Italian faces American Steve Johnson on Thursday in the Margaret Court Arena nightcap.
This is all in a quarter anchored by fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who made a smooth return from an elbow injury in a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 first-round win over Sweden’s Mikael Ymer. A semi-finalist last year in Melbourne, the Greek faces Argentina’s Sebastian Baez in the second round.
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
An all-American tussle between 20th seed Taylor Fritz and 2019 AO quarter-finalist Frances Tiafoe will play out on John Cain Arena, with Fritz playing his first Slam as the No. 1 American man. The California native earned that distinction by reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells in October, and he’s carried that form into 2022 with a pair of three-set ATP Cup wins over Felix Auger-Aliassime and Cameron Norrie.
Other notable matchups in the Tsitsipas section include 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov against Benoit Paire and 15th seed Roberto Bautista Agut against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
In the draw’s bottom quarter, veteran Richard Gasquet and rising 26-year-old Botic van de Zandschulp will face off for the right to take on the Medvedev-Kyrgios winner. Playing in his first Aussie Open since 2018, the 35-year-old Gasquet upset fellow Frenchman and 29th seed Ugo Humbert 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 in the first round. If he can beat the Dutchman on Thursday, he’ll be through to the Round of 32 at a Slam for the first time since 2018.
Van de Zandschulp, who reached a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 56 last week, will be motivated by the prospect of a rematch with Medvedev. The two met for the first time in the US Open quarter-finals, where the Russian advanced in four sets. But the Dutch No. 1, who qualified for the New York main draw, was the only player to take a set off the eventual champion that fortnight.
Andrey Rublev, having shown no signs of rust in his 2022 debut, will take on Ricardas Berankis as he looks to continue on a quarter-final collision course with Medvedev. Rounding out the bottom section’s seeded action are ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime (vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina), 13th seed Diego Schwartzman (vs. Christopher O’Connell), 24th seed Daniel Evans (vs. Arthur Rinderknech) and 27th seed Marin Cilic (vs. qualifier Norbert Gombos).
The Day 4 slate will pave the way for the third round, as just 32 men will be left standing in the singles competition following a full day of action at Melbourne Park.
Emma Raducanu looks to continue her enjoyment at the Grand Slams when she returns to the Australian Open for her second-round match on Thursday.
More success means more matches, and that doesn’t always make things easy. Just ask Aslan Karatsev.
The 18th seed had treatment on his leg after three games but was able to summon enough energy to battle past American Mackenzie McDonald 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 Wednesday night in the second round of the Australian Open.
There were just 48 hours between the Russian’s victory over Andy Murray in the Sydney Tennis Classic final and his four-hour, 52 minute first-round epic in Melbourne with Jaume Munar on Monday. All the time spent on court appeared to be catching up with him early against McDonald, as he went 3-0 down early in the first set and immediately called for the physio.
World No. 55 McDonald saw out the first set but whatever had bothered the Russian early on seemed to fade away as his powerful baseline game came to the fore and he eased to victory in two hours and 33 minutes on Kia Arena.
It was the first meeting between two players who both made a name for themselves in Melbourne a year ago: Karatsev stunned Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov on his way to the semi-finals (l. to Djokovic), while McDonald made the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time before losing to Daniil Medvedev.
Karatsev has made sustained progress since that run in Melbourne, culminating last week with his third tour-level title in Sydney. A key factor in this success has been his ability to hit clean winners, and he led comfortably in this category once again against McDonald, hitting 43 compared to his opponent’s 19.
After his bright start the American struggled on serve, with Karatsev breaking seven times on his way to victory. The Russian established early leads in the second and third sets and never looked back. Although breaks were exchanged early in the fourth, Karatsev crunched a forehand for another break at 4-2 that was ultimately enough to see him through.
The next test for Karatsev is another player he has never faced before, Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The World No. 69 set the third-round clash by shocking 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 earlier on Wednesday.
