AUSSIE OPEN DIARY

FANS IN TUG-OF-WAR FOR HEADBAND

ARYNA SABALENKA’S gesture of throwing her headband into the crowd sparked a scuffle between two middle-aged women after her victory over Katie Boulter. So desperate were they for the memento that neither would let it go and five security guards were needed to separate them. The pair were then escorted out of the Melbourne Arena.

ANDY MURRAY’S conqueror Roberto Bautista Agut was at it again, letting a two-set lead go before clinching victory in the decider. He beat another crowd favourite, Australian John Millman, taking a gruelling three hours and 48 minutes on this occasion.

RISING STAR TIAFOE SHOCKS ANDERSON

LAST year’s Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson was the highest-profile faller of the day, providing a career-best win for world No 39 Frances Tiafoe, who won 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Tiafoe has an interesting background. He is the son of a tennis club janitor originally from Sierra Leone, who fled the civil war there.

WAWRINKA PLAYS THE MONEY CARD

STAN WAWRINKA has written a letter to colleagues condemning moves by some players to try to replace Englishman Chris Kermode as head of the ATP Tour. Wawrinka has pointed out how prize money for the men has gone up 48 per cent during Kermode’s five-year tenure.

MARIA SHARAPOVA and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki both won to set up a potent thirdround meeting. Wozniacki was critical of Sharapova when she was banned for meldonium use and the two do not speak, making for a fascinating battle as the Russian looks to be back in form after injury issues.

THE legendary Steffi Graf (left) largely avoids tournaments, but she was courtside yesterday, watching Grigor Dimitrov defeat Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas. Graf’s husband Andre Agassi is helping coach Bulgarian star Dimitrov this year, and has promised to do more travelling. MIKE DICKSON