South African Anderson has to tie-ho after Tiafoe upset
Francis Tiafoe caused a massive upset when he knocked out fifth seed Kevin Anderson in the second round of the Australian Open yesterday.
South African tennis ace Anderson took the first set at Melbourne Park but his 20-year-old opponent stormed back to win the next three and claim the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
Anderson called for the trainer to treat a right elbow problem during the match and world No 39 Tiafoe pounced, claiming the biggest scalp of his career.
Anderson played in the US Open final in 2017 and the Wimbledon final in 2018 on the back of his big serve but that weapon deserted him yesterday.
Heading into the Australian Open, Tiafoe was 0-7 from singles and doubles matches this year. He celebrated wildly, roaring to the crowd and slapping his bicep.
“It means the world to me. I lost to Kevin three times last year and I was down a set and a break, it looked like he was going to get it for the fourth time,” Tiafoe said. “But I dug insanely deep. It’s just how bad you want it and I want it really bad.”
Roger Federer has overcome some clunky moments and a weather issue to push past British party boy Daniel Evans and move into the third round of the Australian Open.
The Swiss great, chasing his seventh title at Melbourne Park, downed the world No 189 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in a rare day-session appearance at Rod Laver Arena.
Federer aimed a terse remark at chair umpire Marijana Veljovic when she asked whether the court was playable after a few drops of rain late in the first set, saying “it’s always playable until a leg gets broken. I’d rather wait a little bit”.
Sixth seed Marin Cilic, runner-up to Federer last year, capped a 25-ace performance with a pair of them to serve out a second-round victory, beating 81st-ranked Mackenzie McDonald of the US 7-5, 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4.
The brightest local hope for an Australian Open women’s title in decades is through to the third round. Ashleigh Barty beat Wang Yafan 6-2, 6-3 in a Rod Laver Arena match.
The 15th-seeded Barty was a finalist at last week’s Sydney International, beating No 1-ranked Simona Halep along the way.
Barty left tennis for more than a year in 2016 to play top-level cricket despite no formal training in the sport, and has risen up the tennis rankings since her return, winning three WTA events. The last Australian winner of the Australian Open’s women’s singles title was Chris O’Neill in 1978.
In the men’s doubles, both New Zealanders in action advanced. Artem Sitak teamed with American Austin Krajicek to beat Leander Paes of India and Miguel Angel Reyes of Mexico 7-5, 7-6(4).
And sixth seeded Michael Venus and South African Raven Klaasen dispatched Bradley Klahn (USA) and Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.