Cameron Norrie maintained his unbeaten start to the 2023 season on Wednesday at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where the second-seeded Briton fended off a stiff second-round challenge from Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka to reach the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 victory.

The persistent stop-start rain that has affected the schedule this week in the New Zealand capital was again a factor in Wednesday’s play, and Norrie found himself in a second-round battle after 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up Lehecka produced a strong second-set tie-break to force a deciding set in a match featuring several interruptions and eventually a move indoors due to the weather.

“It was nice to get it out of the way,” said Norrie, who is now 4-0 for 2023, after his two-hour, 45-minute win at the ATP 250 event. “It’s tough on the concentration, obviously throughout the match I had to stop and start, even on the court. You’re constantly thinking if you’re going to slip on the lines and it’s not easy.”

SO close, SO good! 🙌@jirilehecka | @cam_norrie | @ASB_Classic | #ASBClassic pic.twitter.com/tVj9VAMUMt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 11, 2023

As well as navigating the tough conditions, Norrie was delighted to come through his opening match in the country where he lived from the age of two to 16.

“Obviously, there were [some] nerves in me,” said Norrie. “Coming back to New Zealand I wanted to play well in front of everyone, and Jiri’s a great player. So, it was not easy, and credit to him in that second set for playing a really good tie-break. He really took it to me, but I really enjoyed the time on the court.

“[It is] good to be back in New Zealand, just a little bit disappointed I couldn’t talk in front of everyone. Everyone was very patient with the rain, not just us, but I’ll take the win and nice to serve it out the way I did in the end.”

Jenson Brooksby had earlier advanced to the quarter-finals on tournament debut after third seed Diego Schwartzman was forced to retire from the pair’s second-round clash with the American having taken the first set 6-1. Brooksby will meet Frenchman Quentin Halys, a 6-3, 6-2 winner against #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton, in the last eight.

With the rain forcing the evening session to take place indoors, David Goffin downed qualifier Christopher Eubanks 6-2, 6-4 to set a quarter-final meeting with Richard Gasquet, who booked his last-eight spot on event debut with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win against Joao Sousa.

Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi enjoyed a taste of big-stage tennis at the Next Gen ATP Finals last season, and the 21-year-old is on the brink of another milestone moment after advancing to the final round of Australian Open qualifying. With a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 win against home favourite Alex Bolt on Wednesday, the 22nd seed moved within one victory of his Grand Slam debut.

Arnaldi is making his third attempt to qualify for a major after falling one match short at the US Open last season. He will face another Australian next in Max Purcell, who won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title with countryman Matthew Ebden.

The 24-year-old Purcell — who was the beneficiary of a retirement from second seed Marco Cecchinato his first qualifying match — was a 6-4, 7-5 winner against Damir Dzumhur on Wednesday. He is seeking his second main-draw singles appearance at his home Slam after his debut in 2020.

American Brandon Holt is bidding to qualify for his second consecutive major after winning three three-setters to earn his place in the US Open main draw. The 24-year-old, a former college star at the University of Souther California, defeated Gastao Elias 6-2, 7-6(5) on Wednesday to set up a final-round matchup against Marco Trungelliti. 

Holt made the most of his opportunity at the US Open as he scored one of the upsets of the 2022 season, stunning countryman Taylor Fritz in four first-round sets.

Zizou Bergs, seeded 20th, and 21st seed Aleksandar Vukic also advanced in early Wednesday action. Belgium’s Bergs defeated Tomas Barrios Vera 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, while Australia’s Vukic downed Thiago Agustin Tirante 7-6(4), 6-3.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal returns to the Australian Open as its top seed as he bids for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles title. But nine-time champion Novak Djokovic is hot on his heels and will hope to draw level with Nadal on 22 major crowns. The Serbian is preparing for his first competitive action at Melbourne Park since winning the 2021 title.

While world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will miss out with a right-leg injury, Daniil Medvedev carries unfinished business into the year’s first Grand Slam after being turned back in each of the past two finals. Casper Ruud is slated to be the No. 2 seed as he targets his third final in four majors, with two-time semi-finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas just behind him as the No. 3 seed.

Nadal, Ruud, Tsitsipas and Djokovic all have an opportunity to leave Melbourne atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Here’s all you need to know about the Australian Open: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won, how to buy tickets and more.

Established: 1905

Tournament Dates: 16-29 January 2023

Tournament Director: Craig Tiley

Draw Ceremony: Thursday, 12 January – Time TBA

Schedule
* Qualifying: Monday, 9 January – Thursday, 12 January
* Main Draw: Daily play begins at 11:00am from Monday 16 January
* Doubles Final: Saturday, 28 January
* Singles Final: Sunday, 29 January at 7:30 p.m.

How To Watch
Broadcasters

Venue: Melbourne Park

Prize Money: AUD $34,848,000

2023 Australian Open Singles Prize Money (Men & Women)

2023 Australian Open Doubles Prize Money (Men & Women per team)

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Novak Djokovic (9)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (6)
Oldest Champion: Ken Rosewall, 37, in 1972
Youngest Champion: Mats Wilander, 19, in 1983
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 212 Mark Edmondson in1976
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (102)

2022 Finals
Singles: [5] Rafael Nadal (ESP) d [2] Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5  Read & Watch
Doubles: Thanasi Kokkinakis / Nick Kyrgios d Matthew Ebden / Max Purcell 7-5, 6-4  Read More

Social

Hashtag: #AusOpen
Facebook: @AustralianOpen
Twitter: @AustralianOpen
Instagram: @australianopen

After reaching three ATP Tour quarter-finals last season, Jack Draper advanced to his first of 2023 with a 6-4 6-4 win against Tommy Paul Wednesday at the Adelaide International 2.

The Briton’s win against the eighth-seeded American earned him the chance to atone for his loss to Karen Khachanov last week in Adelaide — the third-seeded Khachanov defeated Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-4, 6-4 later in the day to set a quarter-final clash with the 21-year-old Draper.

Well established as a strong server with his 6-foot-4 frame, Draper has excelled on return this week. After breaking four times in his opening victory against Lorenzo Sonego, he converted on three of five break chances against Paul, who was playing in his first event of the new season.

Broken just once, Draper fired 10 aces and won 88 per cent of his first-serve points in the win.

Also in early Wednesday action, seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win against home favourite John Millman. He will next face fellow Spaniard and second seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who downed Dutch lucky loser Robin Haase 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Before the Adelaide International 1 final, multiple photos of a young Sebastian Korda with Novak Djokovic went viral. Ahead of the match, former World No. 1 Djokovic had high praise for the 22-year-old American.

“[He is] one of the players that has kind of the cleanest striking technique that you can see on the Tour. I mean, he’s so talented. Everything seems very flawless with him. Just effortless, not flawless,” Djokovic said. “The way he plays, the way he moves on the court, just beautiful-looking tennis. Going to try to make it ugly tomorrow.”

Djokovic added that it is not a matter of if, but when Korda will crack the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The World No. 31 took notice of the Serbian’s kind words.

“I saw that he wanted to make my game ugly,” Korda told ATPTour.com, cracking a laugh. “It’s funny, it’s awesome to hear those great words from him and I’ve gotten a lot of great words from Nadal and him. It’s really kind of inspiring to just keep pushing forward knowing I’m doing the right things and just keep believing in myself and [knowing that] I’m on the right path.”

Korda came close to stunning Djokovic in the championship match. The Floridian held championship point in the second set, but the 92-time tour-level titlist rallied for a 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4 triumph after three hours and nine minutes. It was not the first close call for Korda, who pushed Rafael Nadal to a final-set tie-break at last year’s BNP Paribas Open.

“Obviously I’ve had my chances against Nadal and then Djokovic, but I’m still young and those moments will only help me going forward as long as I learn from them,” Korda said. “I think overall there are still a lot of positives to take away from the match. It was very close, but still very far.”

One person missing from Adelaide was Korda’s new head coach, Radek Stepanek. The Czech star, who cracked the world’s Top 10 in singles and doubles, spent time in Florida during the offseason and will meet Korda in Melbourne for the Australian Open.

“It’s definitely different. My dad coached him for 13 years and now Radek is coaching me. It’ll probably end up that I’ll coach his daughters if they play tennis and then so on and so on,” Korda said. “But it’s really cool. I think we match perfectly well. He’s the main coach on my team and I also have Martin Stepanek, so a lot of great new additions to my team. I think it’s all been very positive so far.”

The pictures of Djokovic and Korda that went viral came from a time when Korda would follow Stepanek on the Tour while Petr Korda, Sebi’s father, coached him. Stepanek has long been like family to the Kordas.

“He was my big brother growing up. I only have two sisters, I never had a brother, but he was that guy for me. We’d go on family vacations together to the mountains to go ski, he’d take me to tournaments. He would take me under his wing, take me into the locker rooms, player dining and just get used to the tennis player lifestyle,” Korda said. “I think a lot of the success today is because of those moments. I’m very grateful to have been surrounded by him and also my dad for all those years growing up.”

Stepanek did not pack the powerful punch Korda did, but he made up for it with his frequent trips to the net and court sense. What is he adding to the American’s game?

“I think just to see the game in a different way. He had to be really smart on the court with the way he played,” Korda said. “He’d come to the net and be aggressive, which is kind of what we’re trying to do with my game. I think so far we’ve put in a lot of great work. It’s been really showing.”

That was especially the case against Djokovic. The Serbian is one of the best defenders in the history of the sport, but Korda often found ways to blast through his walls and take control of points.

“I think that’s the way you want to have that feeling on the court, that you’re in control. I think a lot of the matches I play with the gamestyle that I have, I’ll be dictating most of the matches. So a lot of the matches will be on my racquet, and kind of just depend [on] what I do with it. I think it’s really big for me,” Korda said. “Definitely you want to be in the position where you’re the one dictating and that’s the way my game is built and how it’s going to be built going forward.”

Korda is happy with his big week in Adelaide, but is focussed on continuing to improve. He sees his performance at the Australian ATP 250 as a sign he is on the right track, and he intends to stay on it.

“Definitely one day at a time,” Korda said. “But obviously I’d love to finish the year Top 20, Top 15. Those are what our eyes are set on and I think we’ll put a really big push into it and hopefully get it done.”