Big guns crash out on day of major upsets
Serena, Tsitsipas exit; Coco and Federer in
>> MELBOURNE: American veteran Serena Williams sensationally crashed out but 15-year-old Coco Gauff went through as tennis got a glimpse of its past and future at the Australian Open yesterday.
Williams’ bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam was halted by the unlikely figure of China’s Wang Qiang, who triumphed in three tough sets, after winning just one game when they played at the US Open in September.
Gauff then stepped up her giantkilling Melbourne debut as she ousted Japanese defending champion Naomi Osaka, 22, in dismissive style, winning 6-3, 6-4 in just 67 minutes to reach round four.
“Oh my gosh. Two years ago I lost first round in the juniors and now I’m here — this is crazy,” said the teenager, who upset Venus Williams in the first round.
With Williams now 38, 23 years older than Gauff, the two players are at opposite ends of their careers.
And with Williams’ close friend Caroline Wozniacki retiring yesterday, after defeat to Ons Jabeur, it looked like a changing of the guard.
But Williams, who has now had eight winless Grand Slams since returning from childbirth, said she hadn’t given up hope of matching Margaret Court’s 47-year-old record for Grand Slam titles.
“I definitely do believe [I can equal it] or I wouldn’t be on tour,” said Williams, a seven-time winner at Melbourne Park.
Williams was the bookies’ favourite to lift the trophy for the eighth time but she came unstuck against a determined Wang, who won 6-4, 6/7 (2/7), 7-5.
Williams’ exit removes a major hurdle for Australia’s world No.1 Ashleigh Barty, 23, who had been on course to meet her in the semi-finals.
Barty, bidding to become the first Australian champion since 1978, hit form in a 6-3, 6-2 demolition of Elena Rybakina, saying she had played her best tennis so far this year.
“I felt I needed to be really switched on for this,” Barty said. “I feel it’s the best I’ve played this summer so far.”
Gauff, who trained with Serena Williams in the off-season, had promised she would be less nervous than in her last meeting with Osaka, when she was thrashed in round three of last year’s US Open.
And so it proved as the teenager broke once in the first set and twice in the second to floor a rattled Osaka and ramp up a rivalry that could run and run.
In the men’s draw, reigning champion Novak Djokovic thrashed Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the round of 16 at a canter.
Former US Open champion Marin Cilic, 31, outlasted Robert Bautista Agut in five tough sets and Tennys Sandgren, under fire during his last deep run in Melbourne over links to right-wing activists, beat fellow American
Sam Querrey in straight sets.
Milos Raonic sent sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas tumbling out of the Australian Open in the third round yesterday, with the Greek hotshot powerless against the Canadian’s big serve and pinpoint groundstrokes.
Tsitsipas, widely tipped as a challenger to the big guns at the opening Grand Slam of the year, was no match for his experienced opponent, slumping 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
Expectations were high for the 21-year-old, who stunned Roger Federer in 2019 en route to the final four, before winning titles in Marseille and Estoril and at the seasonending ATP Finals in London.
But Raonic had his measure, pumping down almost unplayable 220kph (136mph) serves while smashing 19 aces and 55 winners.
“Today was an incredible match for me. I’m really happy with how things went,” said Raonic.
“I enjoy the energy here. To be healthy and playing well, I take a lot of pleasure out of that.”
In yesterday’s night match, Roger Federer survived a five-set epic as the Swiss ace beat home favourite John Millman 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 for his 100th Australian Open win.
RESULTS
(x denotes seeding)
Men’s singles
Third round
Tennys Sandgren (USA) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Fabio Fognini (ITA x12) bt Guido Pella (ARG x22) 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-3; Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 6-1, 6-1, 6-4; Milos Raonic (CAN x32) bt Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x6) 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2); Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Roberto Bautista (ESP x9) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-0, 5-7, 6-3; Diego Schwartzman (ARG x14) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB x24) 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7); Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Roger Federer (SUI x3) beat John Millman (AUS) 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10/8)
Women’s singles
Third round
Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Elena Rybakina (KAZ x29) 6-3, 6-2; Alison Riske (USA x18) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Maria Sakkari (GRE x22) bt Madison Keys (USA x10) 6-4, 6-4; Petra Kvitova (CZE x7) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x25) 6-1, 6-2; Coco Gauff (USA) bt Naomi Osaka (JPN x3) 6-3, 6-4; Ons Jabeur (TUN) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 7-5, 3-6, 7-5; Wang Qiang (CHN x27) bt Serena Williams (USA x8) 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 7-5