DJOKOVIC OVERCOMES, WAWRINKA OUT
PUMPED-UP defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a serious scare yesterday from dangerous American Frances Tiafoe, who pushed him to four gruelling sets before the world No 1 prevailed.
The Serbian top seed looked in control after taking the first set, but lightning-quick Tiafoe, who reached the quarterfinals two years ago, refused to go quietly.
He bounced back to take a close second set before Djokovic dug deep to emerge a 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 winner and continue his relentless march towards a ninth Australian Open title.
“Very tough match. When the sun was on the court it was very warm. A lot of long rallies,” said Djokovic. “A great fight from Frances, a great match on his part.
“But it’s not the first time I’ve been in that kind of situation, I know how to handle this type of circumstance.”
He will next play another American, either Taylor Fritz or Reilly Opelka.
Djokovic, who dropped only six games in his opening round clash, had never played Tiafoe, but quickly adapted.
WAWRINKA BUNDLED OUT Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka was bundled out in the second round after a draining five-set epic, ending hopes of matching his quarterfinal run last year.
The 35-year-old Swiss, the tournament winner in 2014, struggled to match the intensity of Martin Fucsovics in the opening two sets but regrouped to stay in the fight.
On a scorching hot day, the 17th seed had three match points in the fifth set tiebreaker but blew them all, with the Hungarian reeling off five straight points for a famous 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6 (11/9) win in just under four hours.
“Right now I feel like I’m dying, I’m really tired,” said Fucsovics, who was playing his second straight five-setter.
“It was a long match. I knew he was going to come back, he’s a strong player physically and mentally.”
THIEM RACES INTO THIRD ROUND
US Open champion Dominic Thiem stepped up a gear to race past German Dominik Koepfer for the loss of just six games and into the third round.
The third seed was in the zone on Margaret Court Arena, cruising through 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 to set up a potential blockbuster clash next with crowd favourite
Nick Kyrgios, who plays French 29th seed Ugo Humbert in a night session.
Left-hander Koepfer, ranked 70, had never before defeated a top-five opponent and was out of his depth in the 1hr 39mins mauling.
He gave Thiem a run for his money in the opening set but then self-imploded on a hot day with the Austrian dominating on his serve, returning well and owning the baseline.
“It was great, to be honest,” Thiem said of his performance.
“I really love this court and have pretty good stats on it, so super happy to be back.”
“Today was good,” he added. “My best match so far in Australia (this year).
Thiem, a narrow loser to Novak Djokovic in last year’s Melbourne final, finally cracked the big time when he produced a historic comeback to beat Alexander Zverev in the US Open final last year.
He is in Melbourne without his coach Nicolas Massu, who tested positive for the coronavirus, and is instead working under his father, Wolfgang.
TOMIC BOWS OUT IN WONDER
There is no shame in losing to Canadian Denis Shapovalov but there might have been a hint of nostalgia for Bernard Tomic as he bowed out in defeat to a young talent on an upwards trajectory.
Like 21-year-old Shapovalov, Tomic was tipped to become a major Grand Slam contender in his junior years and he set Australia alight after making the 2011 Wimbledon quarterfinals at the age of 18.
Though claiming four titles in a career many players would dream of, 28-yearold Tomic has never scaled such heights again at a Grand Slam and his world ranking peaked at 17 five years ago.
Clashes with tennis officialdom, an infamous reality TV appearance, and boasts about making a fortune from tennis without even trying hard have marked his steady decline to a current ranking of 233.
Shapovalov, on the other hand, would seemingly have it all ahead of him and he celebrated making his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open last year.
The 11th seed was way too good for Tomic on Court Three on Wednesday, thrashing him 6-1 6-3 6-2 in less than two hours on a hot day at Melbourne Park.
“What is he, 10 or 11 in the world? The guy just played too good. It’s just confidence,” Tomic told reporters.
“When you’re there, focused, at the top, I remember myself playing being in the top 30, top 20. You come into matches, you’re confident over opponents.
“That’s what he had from the start. From the first ball, from the first game, from the first 15 minutes, he didn’t miss a ball.”
Where he was once a teen with hopes of winning Grand Slams, Tomic’s ambitions are now more modest.
Qualifying for the Australian Open and winning a match meant it was a good trip to Melbourne overall, even if his girlfriend, an adult entertainer, was derided widely last month for posting a video on social media complaining that she had to wash her own hair in hotel quarantine.
“Regardless of where I am, I know I’m pretty good, in a good state from taking off tennis for about eight months. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Tomic.
Far from disappearing quietly from the game, Tomic said he would willingly go back to grinding on the secondary tours to earn points and lift his ranking to compete for bigger prizes.
In a moment of defiance, he also returned serve at Australia’s former Davis Cup captain and pundit John Fitzgerald for doubting that he would ever play another Australian Open after this one.
“Of course it is (harsh),” Tomic said. “But, you know, he’s probably the worst commentator I’ve ever seen in my life, as well.”