| Tennis – Australian Open – First Round – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 21, 2020 Spain’s Rafael Nadal in action during the match against Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach |
Highlights of the second day at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, on Tuesday (times AEST; GMT+11):
2345 KERBER CRUISES PAST COCCIARETTO
Former world number one Angelique Kerber showed no signs of the back injury that hampered her Australian Open buildup as she claimed a 6-2 6-2 win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
2340 ZVEREV BACK TO WINNING WAYS
After three consecutive defeats at the ATP Cup, German Alexander Zverev finally got his 2020 campaign on track with a 6-4 7-6(4) 6-3 win over Italian Marco Cecchinato.
2330 MCENROE JOINS BUSHFIRE RELIEF FUNDRAISING EFFORT
American John McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, has announced a pledge of $1,000 for each set Nick Kyrgios wins for the remainder of the tournament.
Home favourite Kyrgios is already set to donate A$200 ($137) for every ace he hits during the Australian tennis summer.
“I know a lot of people share the same view, but I just want to tell you personally that I’m proud of you,” McEnroe told Kyrgios in a post-match interaction after congratulating him for his opening round victory.
“From this point forward, I want to donate $1000 to the bushfire relief fund for every set you win the rest of this tournament.”
2200 KYRGIOS GLIDES PAST SONEGO
Home favourite Nick Kyrgios fired 14 aces and racked up 37 winners in an impressive 6-2 7-6(3) 7-6(1) win over Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
2155 MEDVEDEV MARCHES INTO ROUND TWO
Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia recovered from a mid-match blip to overcome American Frances Tiafoe 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2 as he secured a place in the second round in Melbourne for the third consecutive year.
2054 HALEP WINS TRICKY OPENER AGAINST BRADY
Romania’s Simona Halep came through a tight opening set where she saved three set points before beating unseeded American Jennifer Brady 7-6(5) 6-1.
2041 TSONGA TO HEAD HOME FOR TREATMENT ON BACK ISSUE
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said he retired from his encounter with Alexei Popyrin due to a back problem and would return home to France for further treatment.
“I have a back problem and it bothers me when I play. It’s new and I’ll have to go home and talk to my doctor and see what I need to do about it,” the 34-year-old said.
1917 FRENCHMAN TSONGA RETIRES WITH INJURY
France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 runner-up, was forced to retire from his match against Alexei Popyrin due to an injury while trailing the Australian 6-7(5) 6-2 6-1.
“He was my favourite player as a kid, when he reached the final I was jumping around in my living room,” Popyrin said. “To see him in pain is not the way I wanted this to end.”
1838 MUGURUZA SURVIVES SCARE, ANISIMOVA CRASHES
Garbine Muguruza, who retired from the Hobart International due to a viral illness, overcame its lingering effects to beat qualifier Shelby Rogers 0-6 6-1 6-0 while Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas stunned 21st seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3 4-6 6-3.
1710 MILESTONE FOR WAWRINKA
Former champion Stan Wawrinka celebrated his 200th Grand Slam match with a 7-5 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 victory over Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur.
1654 MILLMAN HAPPY TO GRIND OUT RESULTS
John Millman is no stranger to long, draining matches and while the Australian said he would like to get some quicker wins under his belt he will stay true to his own brand of tennis.
“I’d love to go out there and win super-quick points. That’s just not how I’m built. And I think I can take a bit of pride in how I go about my business,” Millman said after beating Ugo Humbert 7-6(3) 6-3 1-6 7-5.
1645 NADAL STROLLS PAST DELLIEN
World number one Rafa Nadal began his quest for a 20th Grand Slam title to equal his great rival Roger Federer with a routine 6-2 6-3 6-0 victory over Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien.
Should the Spaniard repeat his 2009 success in Melbourne, he will become the first man in the Open Era to capture each of the four majors at least twice.
1557 SHARAPOVA CASTS DOUBT OVER MELBOURNE RETURN
Former champion Maria Sharapova said she was unsure if she would be back at the Australian Open next year after the wild card suffered a third successive first-round exit at a Grand Slam.
“I don’t know. I was fortunate to get myself to be here… it’s tough for me to tell what’s going to happen in 12 months’ time,” the five-times Grand Slam champion, who has been hampered by a shoulder injury, told reporters.
1544 KYRGIOS PREDICTS ‘BIG THINGS’ FOR AMERICAN PAUL
American Tommy Paul drew praise from local favourite Nick Kyrgios following his 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over Argentine Leonardo Mayer for his first Grand Slam main draw victory.
“Only the beginning. This kid is gonna do big things,” Kyrgios tweeted.
1537 THIEM TOO GOOD FOR MANNARINO AGAIN
Fifth seed Dominic Thiem maintained his 100% record against Adrian Mannarino, winning an eighth career meeting with the Frenchman 6-3 7-5 6-2 to move into the second round.
1510 ANISIMOVA BIG FAN OF LOCAL CANDY
American teenager Amanda Anisimova has had plenty of time to indulge her sweet tooth ahead of her first-round meeting with Kazakh Zarina Diyas. “Why is candy in Australia so good? So underrated,” the 18-year-old tweeted before the match.
1445 BENCIC HAPPY TO LET SHAKY SERVE HELP BUSHFIRE RELIEF
Belinda Bencic, who has pledged to donate $200 for bushfire relief efforts with each double fault she serves at the Australian Open, said she could easily had more than the four in her win over Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
“It’s great. I could have done more, but I didn’t,” a smiling Bencic told reporters before being reminded that she also hit four aces. “Yes, so I can maybe donate (for) both.”
1421 KEYS MOVES INTO SECOND ROUND, SHARAPOVA CRASHES
American Madison Keys, a semi-finalist here in 2015, blasted 29 winners in a 6-3 6-1 win over Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, while 19th seed Donna Vekic fended off former champion Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-4.
1352 FOGNINI COMPLETES COMEBACK AGAINST OPELKA
Italy’s Fabio Fognini, the 12th seed, battled back from two sets down to beat unseeded American Reilly Opelka 3-6 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3 7-6(5) in a match lasting three hours and 38 minutes.
In other first-round matches carried over from a rain-hit opening day, Milos Raonic beat lucky loser Lorenzo Giustino 6-2 6-1 6-3 while Marin Cilic downed Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-2 6-4.
1257 PLISKOVA DOWNS MLADENOVIC
Brisbane International champion Karolina Pliskova maintained her unbeaten start to the year with a 6-1 7-5 win over France’s Kristina Mladenovic while sixth seed Belinda Bencic advanced to the second round with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
1143 KONTA BUNDLED OUT BY TUNISIA’S JABEUR
British 12th seed Johanna Konta was the first big-name player to be knocked out on Tuesday when Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur thrashed her 6-4 6-2 in just over an hour on 1573 Arena.
The pair were one of the first matches to start on Tuesday after rain played havoc with the draw on the first day.
Konta has been troubled by a knee injury for more than a year and had not played in more than four months as she tried to regain her fitness ahead of the season opening Grand Slam.
Jabeur sealed victory when Konta’s defensive backhand sailed over the baseline and she now faces either Madison Brengle or Caroline Garcia in the next round.
1049 PLAY UNDERWAY EARLY
Play got underway early on the second day on the outside courts after a number of matches were suspended on day one due to torrential rain in Melbourne.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast clearing weather with a high of just 22C (71.6°F).
Smoke from bushfires that affected qualifying has dissipated and Victoria’s Environmental Protection Agency rated the air quality as good.
REUTERS