Djokovic passes Tiafoe test, easy win for Serena
MELBOURNE: Eight-time champion Novak Djokovic was made to sweat at the Australian Open on Wednesday as Serena Williams made serene progress in her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. Women’s favourite Naomi Osaka also charged through but fellow major winners Stan Wawrinka, Bianca Andreescu and Petra Kvitova were all second-round casualties.
Among the late matches, Nick Kyrgios served underarm, smashed a racquet and rowed with the chair umpire before coming from behind to beat France’s Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.
Earlier, Djokovic was given a stern examination by American Frances Tiafoe and dropped his first set of the tournament before recovering to win 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 6-3. Djokovic avoided the fate of 2014 winner Wawrinka, who blew three match points in the fifth-set tiebreaker of his four-hour epic with Marton Fucsovics, who won 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6(9).
Williams, 39, continued her quest to equal Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 Grand Slams with a 6-3, 6-0 romp past 99th-ranked Serbian Nina Stojanovic. Williams hit 27 winners in her 101st Australian Open match while again sporting her unique, one-legged catsuit inspired by track legend Florence ‘Flo-jo’ Griffith Joyner. Osaka, whose three Grand Slam titles include the 2019 Australian crown, had no such trouble in her evening match against France’s Caroline Garcia winning 6-2, 6-3. Second seed Simona Halep survived a scare when she reeled off five third-set games in a row to avoid defeat by Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.
Bopanna-mclachlan lose
India endured a second successive disappointing result Down Under with Rohan Bopanna and
Ben Mclachlan bowing out after a close opening-round defeat to Ji Sung Nam and Minkyu Song in the men’s doubles event, here on Wednesday. Bopanna and his Japanese partner lost 4-6, 6-7(0) to the Korean wild card pair in one hour and 17 minutes.
TV Timing: Live on Sony Six, Ten2&3, 5.30am & 1.30pm
Juventus hold Inter to enter Coppa Italia final
TURIN: Juventus booked a place in the Coppa Italia final after holding visitors Inter Milan to a 0-0 draw in their semi-final, second leg on Tuesday, sealing a date with either Napoli or Atalanta with a 2-1 success on aggregate.
Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez had chances to get Inter back in the tie in the first half while Cristiano Ronaldo came closest to adding to Juve’s aggregate advantage in the opening period, having scored both of their goals in the first leg.
Other results: La Liga: Real Madrid beat Getafe 2-0; FA Cup round of 16: Burnley Lost to Bournemouth 0-2, Man United beat West Ham 1-0
Jamshedpur win 1-0 to stay in play-off hunt
BAMBOLIM: An injury-time own goal from Enes Sipovic helped Jamshedpur FC edged Chennaiyin FC 1-0 in the ISL at the GMC Stadium here on Wednesday.
Jamshedpur did not register a shot on target, compared to Chennaiyin’s four but still won the encounter. The win lifted them to sixth and within two points of play-off spot.