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Australian Open: Recap a massive day three from Melbourne Park

Fresh off a round one win Thanasi Kokkinakis was hit with a very unexpected start to his press conference. And he wasn’t about to let it slide.

Emily Benammar and Liam Twomey
25 min read
January 19, 2023 - 7:43AM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
‘That’s you done’: Reporter’s Kyrgios gaffe leaves Kokkinakis in shock

The Australian Open is certainly missing Nick Kyrgios.

But some maybe missing him more than others.

Fresh off a round one win over Fabio Fognini, local fan favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis was hit with a very unexpected start to his press conference.

“Hi, Nick,” said the reporter.

To which all Kokkinakis could muster in return was a “Wow.”

The reporter tried to soldier on, getting back on track by firing out this question.

“Nick is out, so you are the favourite for the Greek Aussies. Tell us, what do you think about your message to them? How much support do you need from them, and if you have anything to say to them in Greek?”

RECAP A MASSIVE DAY FROM MELBOURNE PARK IN OUR BLOG BELOW

However, Kokkinakis wasn’t about to let the journalist off the hook that easily.

“You should ask Nick,” he said with a smile.

Kokkinakis followed that up on Twitter, posting “Taking the absolute piss” in reference to the mishap.

Fresh off his 6-1 6-2 6-2 win, Kokkinakis was just as good in media, also giving the perfect insight into his next opponent Andy Murray and how his perception of the Scot has changed over the years.

“We get along really well. I actually really like him off the court. I remember watching him when I was younger thinking this dude looks moody as hell, he looks miserable. Then when you got to know him, he is actually a ripper bloke and a good guy.”

FANS BOOTED AFTER SLEDGING: ‘JUST A S*** ANDY MURRAY’

Day three at Melbourne Park will be remembered for long, long, long rain delays.

But even though some fans waited hours to see the biggest and best names in world tennis, they couldn’t help themselves after a couple drinks.

The Times tennis correspondent Stuart Fraser was courtside for Englishman Cameron Norrie’s second round showdown with Constant Lestienne where three fans were kicked out for heckling both players.

The sledges included: “You’re just a s*** Andy Murray” directed at Norrie while Lestienne copped “Lestienne’s going home”.

The three spectators were eventually removed and their night finished at around 11pm.

INSANE PHOTO THAT HAS ENTIRE AUS OPEN TALKING

It is the Australian Open photo blowing up social media.

Marton Fucsovics and his shirtless celebration exposed the sort of muscles mostly saved for a Chris Hemsworth movie.

But it isn’t just the fans who are buzzing.

Even tournament contender Daniil Medvedev is paying attention.

Medvedev was asked about his own muscles following his win over Aussie John Millman and quickly knew exactly where master interviewer Jim Courier was heading.

“A lot of people saw on social media photos of Martin after his match,” he said with a smile.

“I think (I have) just a little bit less muscles than him. So it was also to laugh about myself because I must see the photo. I do think I have a little bit of muscles but definitely not too much.”

For those unfamiliar with Medvedev, the difference in muscles is similar to the difference in world ranking between the pair.

Medvedev is number seven and Fucsovics is number 78.

MILLMAN KNOCKED OUT BY MEDVEDEV

Scott Gullan

Daniil Medvedev had never played Aussie John Millman but he knew all about his giant-killer reputation.

After his first round victory the Russian made mention of Millman’s win over the great Roger Federer at the US Open in 2018.

As a result he was on high alert on Margaret Court Arena for any sort of ambush from the local hero.

After some anxious moments during an epic first set, the No.7 seed showed his class to outlast the local journeyman 7-5 6-2 6-2 in just over two-and-a-quarter hours.

“I think it was a great match,” Medvedev said. “The score in the second and third sets doesn’t reflect what happened on court.

“In the first set he managed to break me three times and that doesn’t happen that often. I was not happy with myself but he played amazing.”

COCO GAUFF WINS BATTLE OF NEXT GEN STARS

Julian Linden

American teenage sensation Coco Gauff showed everyone why she’s been talked about as a possible breakout Australian Open champion with another brilliant display.

Just 18, Gauff is bidding to become the youngest Australian Open winner in the new millennium after Martina Hingis won her first title aged 16 in 1997.

Gauff advanced into the third round with a 6-3 7-6 win over Britain’s 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

“I just told myself to hang in there. Emma was playing really good tennis towards the end of the match and honestly the whole match was great,” Gauff said.

“In the beginning we both started off rocky but I think the match was good quality for the most part. Considering the circumstances, both of us were nervous.

“This was a long anticipated match since the draw came out so I‘m glad the match was good.”

Already a French Open finalist, Gauff has been tipped as one of the rising stars in women’s tennis but has suddenly been prompted to equal second favourite for this year’s title after the tournament with high-profile withdrawals.

“At a Grand Slam you have to win seven matches and you have to expect to play the best,” she said.

“Obviously, you hope it‘s not in the second round. I’m glad both of us were able to handle the pressure pretty well.

“Kudos to Emma - she had a tough week in Auckland so good for her to be able to play this level after such a scary moment.”

FARCICAL ‘MARATHON’ FINALLY ENDS AFTER FIVE POINTS

Julian Linden

Thanasi Kokkinakis took just two minutes to finish off his farcical Australian Open match against Italian Fabio Fognini on Wednesday.

Needing just five more points to clinch victory after their match got halted for nearly 24 hours because of Melbourne’s lousy weather, Kokkinakis completed what he started the day before to seal a 6-1 6-2 6-2 win.

Fognini - whose lacklustre effort on the first day raised queries about how hard he was actually trying - won just one solitary point before the contest ended.

“That was some match, I don’t think I’ve experienced anything quite like that,” Kokkinakis said.

“I’ve been playing great the last two weeks. I feel like my tennis is at a good level. I came here with a little bit of time to prepare, unlike last time. I feel good. I’m ready to give it a crack.

“Fabio’s a hell of a player. He’s been top 10 but I tried to stay focussed, stay sharp and play the big points well. I’m pretty hungry.

Kokkinakis will now play Britain’s former world No. 1 Andy Murray in the second round.

“Andy’s a hell of a player. He has been for many years. He played a great first round,” Kokkinakis said.

“I’ve known him for a while. He was one of the guys that really took me under his wing when I came out on tour and was always sending me messages and encouragement and advice so we know each other pretty well but I’ll put all that aside and give it a red hot crack.”

Kokkinakis also said he had no bad feelings about missing the chance to defend the doubles title she won last year with Nick Kyrgios after his good mate withdrew with an injury.

“Obviously it’s disappointing but Nick’s got to do what’s best for him,” Kokkinakis said.

“We had a magical run last year and that’s something we’ll never forget so hopefully we can run it back again next year. But for him, he’s a good mate first and foremost so health comes first and hopefully he gets back up and running.”

STAR GRILLED OVER ‘BREAK NECK THREAT’

Fiery Greek Maria Sakkari has denied taking the title of tennis’ Netflix series a little too literally when asked about whether she threatened to break her coach’s neck.

In the new series Break Point, it sounds like Sakkari gives coach Tom Hill the ominous warning in a moment of frustration.

Asked about the moment in a media conference Wednesday after tempers boiled in her second-round win over loud Russian Diana Shnaider, Sakkari insisted she was instead threatening to break her racquet.

“Do you think I’m that violent that I would break my coach’s neck?” Sakkari laughed.

“No, no, the racquet. I’m a nice person, trust me.

“It was tough to hear and tough to understand what I said, but for sure I said the racquet. No, I’m not that aggressive with anyone around me.”

KOKKINAKIS SETS UP MURRAY EPIC

It’s finally over!

After two days, Thanasi Kokkinakis has won the longest three set match in the history of tennis (well, it felt like it anyway) – defeating Italian Fabio Fognini 6-1 6-2 6-2.

The match started in the afternoon on day two and just wrapped up, with Melbourne’s fickle weather playing havoc.

The win means Kokkinakis sets up an epic round two showdown against Andy Murray tomorrow.

As for Fognini, it is fair to say he didn’t really get into that match.

LEGEND SLAMS VILE HEART ATTACK COMMENTARY SLUR

Tennis great and Australian Open commentator Todd Woodbridge has called out a vile social media attack, describing the behaviour as “unacceptable”.

Woodbridge is at Melbourne Park as part of the Channel 9 commentary team and was working a day three match alongside Jim Courier when the message came through to his social media account.

The message referenced a heart scare Woodbridge suffered in 2022.

“Just (an) old has been trying to stay in the limelight! Shame (the) heart attack didn’t end you.”

The 51-year-old posted the exchange to his Twitter account saying:

“Matt didn’t like my commentary alongside Jim Courier but this sort of behaviour is unacceptable and needs to be called out.”

Woodbridge opened up on his heart issues in an interview with News Corp last year.

“I tried to keep my routine having travelled to the US Open and London and I was just exercising and had chest pains and every symptom when you look up Google – full sweats and I felt awful,’’ he said.

“I had a little heart episode that goes down as a mild heart attack which is a bit of a shock to me.

“And you’re personally still coming to terms with somebody like myself who I consider to lead a pretty good fit healthy lifestyle – I keep active, I eat well, I do all the right things, I enjoy doing that.

“It’s been a wake-up call to me to make sure I look after myself. If it can happen to me it shows that it can happen to anybody.”

AUSSIE WINS INCREDIBLE 70-SHOT RALLY

It was the break point rally that left Melbourne Park speechless.

But this wasn’t about brute force or power hitting. This was a war of attrition.

Local hope Jason Kubler had one foot out of the tournament when No. 18 seed Karen Khachanov stepped up to serve for a two-set lead in their night three match.

However, the Aussie fighter had other ideas, battling his way to a break point.

What happened next had to be seen to be believed.

Kubler and Khachanov engaged in a ridiculous 70-shot rally which had everything you might expect from half a set rather than one point.

And the end was almost perfect. With nothing able to separate the two, Kubler secured the point and the break when his final shot clipped the net cord and just rolled over.

Talk about a momentum swinger. The 29-year-old then broke Khachanov in his next service game to steal the set, almost blowing the roof off John Cain Arena in the process.

RAFA ‘DESTROYED MENTALLY’ AS WIFE LEFT IN TEARS

Defending champion Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Australian Open in round two to 65th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald in a major upset, his worst Grand Slam result in seven years.

The Spanish 36-year-old, who was struggling with what appeared to be a hip injury, slumped 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 at Rod Laver Arena.

Defeat opens the door for arch-rival Novak Djokovic to draw equal with Nadal’s record 22 Slam wins.

Top seed Nadal never settled, slumping a set behind before taking a medical time-out when a break down in the second set after hurting himself stretching for a forehand and grimacing in pain.

He battled on but was in clear discomfort with his movement hampered. His wife Mery was seen in the crowd in tears.

“It (has) been a couple of days like this, but nothing like today in that movement,” he said after the match.

“I don’t know. We’re gonna start talking about that now, but I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s muscle, if it’s joint.

“I have history in the hip that I had issues. I had to do treatments in the past, address a little. Was not this amount of problem. Now I feel I cannot move.”

Off court for less than an hour, Nadal opened up on the mental toll of the injury.

“You know, in the end, I can’t complain about my life at all,” he said.

“So just in terms of sports and in terms of injuries and tough moments, I mean, that’s another one.

“Just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying.

“Yeah, it’s hard for me, you know. But let’s see. I mean, hopefully is nothing too bad. In the end have been three positive weeks in terms of practice. So I really hope that that don’t put me out of the court for a long time, because then it’s tough to make all the recovery again.”

PURCELL DOWN IN FOUR-SET BATTLE

Local hope Max Purcell is out of the Australian Open after finishing on the wrong end of a brutal fourth-set tie-breaker.

Ranked 205 in the world, Purcell fell to Emil Ruusuvuori in four sets 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-7 (11).

Purcell is one of Australian’s best doubles players but appears ready to make a return to the singles court.

Andrey Rublev, the No. 5 seed in the Australian Open, paid Purcell the high compliment earlier this week.

“I know him, I played him twice when we were younger,” Rublev told the Herald Sun on Tuesday.

“I played him once in Australian Open first-round qualifier, 2017 I think, and then somewhere else in a grass tournament later.

“Then he stopped playing singles and he was playing only doubles.

“So now I don’t know much, but I remember he was super talented and I never understood why he went to play only doubles.

“Because he was still really, really young.”

NO. 6 SEED BOOKS PLACE IN THIRD ROUND AFTER SERIOUS SCARE

Felix Auger Aliassime has survived a major scare, winning through to the third round at Melbourne Park after dropping the opening two sets.

Auger Aliassime defeated Alex Molcan 3-6 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-2.

BALLS UP: NETFLIX STAR RAGES AS CURSE THREATENS TO STRIKE

The Australian Open is on upset watch with two of the biggest names in the draw facing potential elimination.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal is causing the most concern at Melbourne Park, with the Spanish Bull trailing by a set and a break to American Mackenzie McDonald.

Meanwhile, Canadian star Felix Auger Aliassime has found himself two sets down to little known Slovenian player Alex Molcan.

Auger Aliassime is one of the emerging names on the ATP Tour and is one of the stars of the Netflix series Break Point, which takes viewers behind the scenes of life on the circuit.

Produces may want to be ready if he loses this match, with the no. 6 seed furious over the state of the balls being used.

At one point in the third set, Auger Aliassime stopped to complain to the umpire about how bad they were.

“I never complain about this … but the balls are not bouncing,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s a batch of cans”

“I’ve never seen it before.”

WATCH: STAR’S FURIOUS RANT AT RIVAL OVER HAND GESTURE

It’s kicking off on Margaret Court Arena with Greek star Maria Sakkari threatening to call the main umpire on court because of her opponents mouth.

Having dropped the first set against Russian Diana Shnaider, Sakkari was understandably rattled but it’s the continual screams and fist pumps that are really grinding her gears.

“If she screams one more time, one more time in my face,” Sakkari said to the chair umpire.

“If she screams one more time in my face, I’m going to call the referee.”

In a bid to calm the situation, the chair umpire insisted the screams and fistbumps were not aimed at the Greek.

“I don’t think it’s to you,” he said.

Sakkari was having none of it.

“No, no, no,” she said. “She’s coming towards me.”

In fairness to Shnaider she had just held serve from 0-40 and saved 3 set points so a fair few reasons to fist pump.

A sigh of relief no doubt from the Netflix crew also given the absolute massacre of their stars in the early rounds.

2:14PM MASSIVE SCHEDULE SHAKE-UP

By Ed Bourke

The Australian Open’s scheduling crisis will roll into another day after more than a dozen doubles fixtures were cancelled on day three of the tournament.

Play on the outside courts will not begin until at least 3pm Wednesday due to persistent rain, after extreme heat brought matches to a halt on Tuesday.

No scheduled singles matches have been ruled out from proceeding on Wednesday but the men’s and women’s doubles draws have been affected on their first day, with 14 matches cancelled by 2.20pm.

The fourth and fifth matches for the day have been scrapped on the outside courts, with an extra day match added to the three indoor courts.

It is understood doubles games will continue to be postponed to later days to keep the singles draws on track should delays continue.

Thanasi Kokkinakis is among the players who are yet to resume their matches suspended on Tuesday, with the big-serving South Australian leading Italy’s Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-2, 4-2.

1:45PM TOUCHING TRIBUTE TO FALLEN STAR

You’d be forgiven for missing Jessica Pegula’s touching tribute to Damar Hamlin.

Discreet but oh so meaningful the American star, whose hopes of a maiden grand slam title were handed an extra boost after her second round victory in Melbourne, sported a number 3 patch as a nod to the injured Bills safety.

Pegula’s parents own the Buffalo Bills a club that made headlines at the end of 2022 when Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest mid-match and lived to tell the tale.

The world number three wore a black number 3 — Hamlin’s jersey number — in a white circle on the waistband of her skirt.

At the end of her opening round demolition of world No 143 Jaqueline Cristian, Pegula signed the camera “Go Bills #3” and added a heart.

Pegula said she was displaying the number on her skirt in tribute to injured Bills player Damar Hamlin in a bid to “bridge” Melbourne and Buffalo.

“One of the football players obviously had a tragic accident … just trying to show some support and bridge Buffalo and Melbourne, just bridge those two worlds together,” she said on-court after the match.

“He’s recovered amazing, so it’s been awesome to see.”

A number of Bills fans were in attendance at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, with Pegula joking that she “didn’t know how” one fan managed to hold up a team flag for the entirety of her match.

1PM TV RATINGS FLOP: CH 9 SLAMMED FOR DJOKOVIC SNUB

Another day and another ratings hit for Channel 9’s coverage of the Australian Open with a 28 per cent fall year-on-year for day 2.

Heat and rain suspending plays throughout the day and night sessions will doubtless have impacted viewing figures, but perhaps the bigger question is the network’s decision not to show Novak Djokovic’s opening clash on either channel.

Instead of the 9-time champion’s Rod Laver match, Nine opted to show Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin and Thanasi Kokkinakis in their opening encounters.

The decision infuriated fans who took to social media to vent their fury and it showed in the daily numbers released on Wednesday morning.

Combined sessions for the main channel show a 28 per cent decrease on 2022 which when further broken down equate to a 26 percent drop in the night session and 31 percent for the day.

Nine eventually switched their Gem channel to show the Djokovic clash after Kokkinakis v Fognini was rained off.

In some good news for the broadcast giant, day 2 did pull in a bigger audience than The Chase and Home & Away – which is an improvement on day 1.

12:40PM MOODY MUZ TAKES AIM

Briton Jamie Murray, a top doubles player and brother of Andy Murray, hit out at Wednesday’s schedule being released so late on Tuesday evening, which meant some players went to sleep not knowing when they would start.

“11 am start on outside courts. Players arrive approx 8-830am,” he said on Twitter. “Schedule released 1130pm. Unfair.

“On top of that the weather is crap. Just start matches later and give players more rest/prep time. You have lights!”.

We have the first result of the day with world No 1 Iga Swiatek through to the third round.

Currently we only have play on the three showcourts, with Sakkari v Shnaider and Sinner v Etheverry also in action.

11: AM SCHEDULING FARCE

Top doubles player and brother of Australian Open marathon man Andy Murray has lashed tournament scheduling in the face of “crap” wild weather.

The grand slam is facing a scheduling backlog after 24 hours which has included delays for heat and then due to heavy rain.

Matches from Tuesday have been held over to at least Wednesday afternoon, but further delays are expected given rain hasn’t stopped falling in Melbourne throughout the morning.

And Brit Jamie Murray has slammed the process as “unfair” as he prepares to begin his doubles campaign later today.

“11am start on outside courts. Players arrive approx 8-830am,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Schedule released 1130pm. Unfair.

“On top of that the weather is crap. Just start matches later and give players more rest/prep time. You have lights!”

Up to 10mm of rain is expected in Melbourne today with showers expected to clear in the afternoon.

Players hit their pillow on Tuesday night without knowing whether they are playing at 11am or 8pm today.

The tournament was brutalised by Melbourne’s notoriously fickle weather on Tuesday, with delays first forced by scorching heat and later from a thunderstorm, forcing a major backlog of matches to be completed on Wednesday and a scheduling nightmare for officials.

As the clock approached midnight, players were still waiting for an official order of play for Wednesday’s action – with veteran Belgian doubles star Kirsten Flipkens questioning the process.

“11:50pm. I wont be one of them but how can you let the players play at 11am, if you still don't have a schedule at this time?” Flipkens posted on Twitter.

The schedule was officially released shortly after midnight, with all early fixtures to be postponed round one matches – which includes Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis, who is two games away from a straight sets victory over Italy’s Fabio Fognini.

“Past midnight in Melbourne and no order of play for tomorrow apart from the three biggest stadiums,” said tennis writer Jose Morgado.

“I guess they were already thinking they wouldn’t finish today’s matches. But most of the players have no idea at what time they have to wake up tomorrow. Special sport.”

From last night, 11 matches were suspended, while nine didn’t even start and there are three still to finish today under the roof.

In total, there are 23 singles round 1 matches to finish – and with further rain expected in Melbourne, there’s no guarantee they will all be completed by the end of day three.

10:31AM WHY I LOVE RAIN DELAYS

Rain delays are causing havoc at the Aus Open, fans will be disappointed by a lack of action, but there’s one man who likes them.

Dylan Alcott hailed the suspension of play as increasing the drama and potential for comebacks.

Day two of the Open was vinateg Melbourne when it came to the weather, 4 extreme seasons in one chaotic day.

Play was suspended for extreme heat before being halted and called off for torrential rain. Throw in a 15 degree temperature drop and some wild winds and you start to comprehend the conditions.

“For fans watching and on the coverage the rain delays are annoying,” Alcott said.

“But I love it that people go to bed overnight potentially to win a match or lose a match and they get to fight another day.

“You could see some really different results from what we were seeing last night in the 21 matches that are still competed.”

10AM – THE BARTY SUCCESSOR WHO IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL

– EDWARD BOURKE

Reigning Australian Open champion Ash Barty says world number one Iga Swiatek has been “a level above” her opponents, but has defended the quality of the women’s draw amid a spate of withdrawals from the tournament.

Swiatek, the powerful Polish star who won the US and French Opens in 2022, had sustained strong form across most of last year but there was still more depth in competition than experts had given credit, Barty said.

“In the women’s draw, there’s so much depth spread across the board and you have to have quality over the whole calendar to be a top player,” Barty said.

Iga Swiatek is on another level compared to the rest of the women’s tour. Picture: Getty
Iga Swiatek is on another level compared to the rest of the women’s tour. Picture: Getty

“I think Iga (Swiatek) has obviously shown she was probably that level above most for most of last year, but there are certainly some very good players in there that may not have had slam success in terms of winning it but have made quarters and semis.

“I think it will come down to whoever can handle the occasion best, trust themselves and play their best tennis.”

Swiatek will tackle 21-year-old Colombian Camila Osorio in the first match on Rod Laver Arena on day three of the Open.

9.30AM – NEXT-GEN SECOND-ROUND BLOCKBUSTER

Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu meet in the Australian Open second round on Wednesday as the future of women’s tennis goes on full display in Melbourne.

Men’s defending champion Rafael Nadal is also in action on day three of the first Grand Slam of the year.

But it is the present and future of women’s tennis which will take centre stage. Top seed and red-hot favourite Iga Swiatek opens play on Rod Laver Arena when she faces Colombia’s Camila Osorio, ranked 84th in the world.

That will be followed by in-form American third seed Jessica Pegula, who will face a stern test in 38th-ranked Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Britain's Emma Raducanu signs an image with her face for fans. Picture: AFP
Britain's Emma Raducanu signs an image with her face for fans. Picture: AFP

Also scheduled for the morning — as long as there is no repeat of the heat and heavy rain from Tuesday — is the Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari. She plays Russia’s Diana Shnaider.

In the evening session on Rod Laver Arena comes what many hope will be a blockbuster between American Gauff and Britain’s former US Open champion Raducanu.

Gauff, 18, and Raducanu, 20, have never played each other before. The Briton has done something Gauff never has in winning a major, but the American is ranked seventh to her opponent’s 77th.

And teenager Gauff is in better form, coming off a victory in an Auckland warm-up tournament that brought her a third WTA crown.

As well as patchy form, Raducanu has also suffered a string of injury niggles since she stunned the tennis world by winning the US Open in 2021 as a teenage qualifier.

Gauff says the pressure is on Raducanu, who had been a doubt coming into Melbourne after yet another injury.

“Obviously she’s gone through a lot of pressure, bursting onto the scene. I feel like probably more than I have experienced coming to win a Slam,” said Gauff.

9AM – HOW MUCH RAIN IS ON THE WAY?

Australian Open officials are facing another tough day.

Already dealing with a massive backlog of matches – with 23 round one clashes still to be completed today – more bad weather is on the way in Melbourne.

Play is scheduled to start at 11 today but, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, there’s an 80 per cent chance of rain today.

That seems accurate, as there have been showers on and off around the city throughout the morning so far – and that’s expected to continue into the early afternoon.

Between 2 and 10mm of rain is predicted.

So what chance are we of getting action outside of the show courts, which have rooves?

The afternoon looks to clear up quite nicely, so there’s reason to be optimistic.

8.30AM – NOVAK SLAMMED FOR ‘PULLING RANK’ WITH UMPIRE

Novak Djokovic has been slammed by two Australian greats for ‘pulling rank’ during his first-round victory over Roberto Carbales Baena on Tuesday night.

But … when nature calls, what are you going to do?

Five games into his straight sets victory, Djokovic made an urgent dash to the bathroom inside Rod Laver Arena.

After several failed attempts to attract the attention of the chair umpire, Djokovic made a simple declaration.

“I’m going to the toilet,” he said.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic answered nature’s call. Picture: Getty
Serbia's Novak Djokovic answered nature’s call. Picture: Getty

No hall pass required if you’re a nine-time champion, it seems.

But that bothered Australian champions, and now commentators, John Fitzgerald and Mark Woodforde.

“He needs to go to the toilet? After five games?” Nine commentator and tennis great John Fitzgerald said.

“Well I think he’s actually just pulled rank there as well,” Aussie tennis legend Mark Woodforde added. “I think the official was trying to pull him back.”

“He’s just run off the court,” Fitzgerald replied.

“He’s gone off without permission, it seems.

“I mean, 3-2 in the first set?”

8.00AM – AUSTRALIA’S LATE, LATE SHOW

– LAUREN WOOD

They say nothing good happens after 2am.

Unless you’re Aussie Alexei Popyrin, that is.

As raucous scenes including haircuts in the stands rocked Melbourne Park, the local hope is through to the second round of the Australian Open after a late-night session that ended in the wee hours.

Taking to the court against Chun-Hsin Tseng at 9.37pm and with several further rain delays, Popyrin eventually saluted in a five-set marathon that ended at 2.02am.

“I’m exhausted,” he surmised after the match.

“That was a physical battle and a mental battle too.

“I’ve never played a match this late. I’ve never played a match this long.”

Alexei Popyrin pulled off a five-set epic on Tuesday night. Picture: Getty
Alexei Popyrin pulled off a five-set epic on Tuesday night. Picture: Getty

As Melbourne’s weather prepares to again take a toll at the Australian Open with rain forecast on Wednesday, the 23-year-old will no doubt be enjoying a sleep-in after the almost five-hour affair that secured his second round berth.

Only one break of serve was recorded in the match, which had initially been scheduled to start at around 4pm on Tuesday.

Ten matches were cancelled and another 12 – including that of Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis – were postponed to Wednesday.

It was a day of weather madness in Melbourne where matches were delayed due to heat before strong winds swept through and then heavy rain that further delayed matches.

Fans rode the wave, with one punter even leaving with a new hairdo.

Snapped by News Corp sports photographer Michael Klein, a group of lads on John Cain Arena pulled out a cordless razor and shaved one of their heads.

“I have a Tinder date after this so I need a fade,” their sign read.

That’s one way to pass the time.

7.30AM – NOVAK LAUDS WARM WELCOME

Novak Djokovic said he felt “very much appreciated” as he made a perfect return to the Australian Open with a ruthless victory over Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena on Tuesday.

The Serb enjoyed a rousing reception at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne following his deportation a year ago as he launched his bid for a 10th Australian Open title in style.

The 35-year-old, who missed last year’s Grand Slam because of his stance on Covid vaccines, showed few signs of the hamstring niggle he picked up in Adelaide this month as he raced to an emphatic 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 win.

There were concerns over how the former number one might be received by fans at Melbourne Park following the deportation saga 12 months ago.

The city endured lengthy lockdowns during the height of the pandemic. But, as in Adelaide, the fourth seed walked out to loud cheers and chants of “Nole”, with vocal backing during the match from a stadium awash with Serbian flags.

“Thank you for giving me such a welcoming reception that I could only dream of,” said Djokovic, who is chasing a record-equalling 22nd major title.

“I feel really happy that I’m back here in Australia and on the court where I have had the biggest success in my career.”

Novak Djokovic felt the love on his return to Melbourne Park. Picture: Getty
Novak Djokovic felt the love on his return to Melbourne Park. Picture: Getty

OPEN OFFICIALS FACE NIGHTMARE SCHEDULING DRAMA

– TIM MICHELL AND SAM LANDSBERGER

Extreme heat in the afternoon. Torrential rain in the evening.

Melbourne delivered on its famous ‘four seasons in one day’ reputation on day two of the Australian Open to leave organisers with a juggling act to clear a backlog of matches.

Several women’s games which were due to be played on the outside courts on Tuesday afternoon and evening had to be postponed.

At 11.30pm on Tuesday night there were still matches rolling on a staggering 14 courts, including a four-hour and five-set epic on Court 13 between lucky loser Michael Mmoh (USA) and qualifier Laurent Lokoli (France) and an all-American women’s match on Court 8 that started after 11pm.

News Corp understands that as the clock ticked towards midnight tournament organisers were meeting to discuss bringing Wednesday’s start time forward to 10am.

That extra hour would help ease the sudden scheduling cram, with 11 first-round matches that should’ve already been completed yet to begin.

By the end of day two 10 men’s and 12 women’s matches were either yet to start or require finishing, leaving the tournament 22 results behind par.

Ball kids work to mop up water on Kia Arena.
Ball kids work to mop up water on Kia Arena.

The matches that require rescheduling include No. 8 women’s seed Daria Kasatkina’s battle against Varvara Gracheva, No. 14 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia against Nuria Parrizas Diaz and the all-French affair between Richard Gasquet and Ugo Humbert.

The lucky loser who replaced Nick Kyrgios, Denis Kudla, also failed to start his campaign.

There were frustrating scenes on the outside courts as ball kids and officials worked furiously to try and mop up water, only for more rain to fall earlier when Kokkinakis and Fognini were ready to start.

The extra matches could yet have flow-on effects in coming days with between 2-15mm of rain predicted in Melbourne on Wednesday.

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Thanasi Kokkinakis’ match did not start until almost 10pm due to rain.
Thanasi Kokkinakis’ match did not start until almost 10pm due to rain.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2023-day-3-live-scores-schedule-order-of-play/news-story/078693bd493f9758392b45977708ea41