Highlights of the third day of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, all times local (GMT +11):
MELBOURNE (Reuters)
PEGULA BEATS MARINO
World number three Jessica Pegula beat Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino 6-2 6-4 to start her campaign.
ALCARAZ DOMINATES GASQUET
World number two Carlos Alcaraz beat Richard Gasquet 7-6(5) 6-1 6-2 to start his campaign.
After the 72-minute first set went down to the wire, the two-time major winner hit his stride. The second and third sets combined took the 20-year-old less time to win than the first.
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ZVEREV BOUNCES BACK TO BEAT KOEPFER
Alexander Zverev recovered from a shaky first set to beat fellow German Dominik Koepfer 4-6 6-3 7-6(3) 6-3.
The world number six dug deep to win a competitive third set and broke an error-prone Koepfer’s serve early in the fourth set in a game that lasted nearly nine minutes to secure a decisive lead.
RUNE RUBBISHES ‘NETFLIX CURSE’
World number eight Holger Rune does not believe a Netflix curse is undoing the campaigns of those who participated in the documentary series “Break Point”.
“I think it’s stupid, to be honest. No offence,” Rune said. “I think Novak (Djokovic) could do ten Netflix series and still win 20 Grand Slams or 24.
“It’s really something that it’s not about that. I think (Aryna) Sabalenka did a few already, and she won Australian Open last year.”
ROGERS NO MATCH FOR RADUCANU
Briton Emma Raducanu marked her return to Grand Slam tennis with a convincing 6-3 6-2 win over American Shelby Rogers.
Raducanu missed the final three slams of 2023 after exiting in the second round at Melbourne Park last year, but barely put a foot wrong on her return, winning 92 per cent of her first serve points as she wrapped up the win in 76 minutes.
RYBAKINA RACES PAST PLISKOVA
Third seed Elena Rybakina made quick work of Czech Karolina Pliskova in her opening round encounter, winning 7-6(6) 6-4 in 93 minutes.
Rybakina, the runner-up in Melbourne last year, sent down six aces and 25 winners en route to a routine victory.
2045 ZHENG QUELLS KRUEGER IN THREE SETS
China’s Zheng Qinwen, the 12th seed, battled back from a set down to beat American Ashlyn Krueger 3-6 6-2 6-3 to set up a second round clash with Briton Katie Boulter.
OSTAPENKO BLASTS PAST WILD CARD BIRRELL
Jelena Ostapenko, the 11th seed, stormed past Aussie wild card Kimberly Birrell in straight sets, winning 7-6(5) 6-1.
The Latvian sent down five aces and 28 winners while making a typically high 35 unforced errors as she closed out the match in 100 minutes.
RUNE BATTLES PAST NISHIOKA
Danish eighth seed Holger Rune was made to work in a 6-2 4-6 7-6(3) 6-4 win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka as he moved into the second round, where he will face wildcard Arthur Cazaux.
AZARENKA COMES THROUGH TOUGH FIRST-ROUND CLASH
Victoria Azarenka, who won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, progressed with a 6-1 4-6 6-3 victory over Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
Earlier, Brisbane International champion Grigor Dimitrov fought back from a set down to beat Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 4-6 6-3 7-6(1) 6-2.
KERBER DUMPED OUT BY COLLINS
Three-times Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber bowed out in the first round after a 6-2 3-6 6-1 defeat by 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins.
German Kerber, who was making her return to Grand Slam action for the first time since the 2022 U.S. Open following a maternity break, faded in the third set as Collins sprinted over the finish line.
The American next faces world number one Iga Swiatek.
RUUD GOES FROM HARD COURT TO CURTAINS AND CARPETS
Casper Ruud’s preparations for his second-round match at Melbourne Park will have to wait until the Norwegian 11th seed has nailed down the decor of his new home.
“I actually have a Zoom call with an interior architect tonight. I’m going to have to prepare for that and think about other things,” Ruud said. “Fabric, colour, mixing, blah blah blah. It’s a bit different than tennis.”
TSITSIPAS BROTHERS OUSTED
Stefanos Tsitsipas and his younger brother Petros were beaten 7-5 7-5 by Germany’s Daniel Altmaier and Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela in their first-round doubles match.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded seventh in the singles, returns to action on Thursday when he faces Australian Jordan Thompson.
DOMINANT RUUD BREEZES PAST RAMOS-VINOLAS
Ruud fired off 42 winners as he eased past Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1 6-3 6-1 in just over two hours.
SWIATEK OFF TO WINNING START
Four-times Grand Slam champion Swiatek overcame a tough first set before wrapping up her match in style, claiming a 7-6(2) 6-2 victory over American Sofia Kenin in a rematch of the 2020 French Open final.
NORRIE CRUSHES VARILLAS
British number one Cameron Norrie crushed Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas 6-4 6-4 6-2 to reach the second round.
KASATKINA ADVANCES, FACES STEPHENS NEXT
Russian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina beat American Peyton Stearns 6-2 3-6 6-2 to set up a second-round meeting with former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens.
AMERICAN STEPHENS SWEEPS INTO SECOND ROUND
Stephens swept into the second round with a 6-3 6-1 victory over local wild card Olivia Gadecki on John Cain Arena to snap a run of four consecutive first-round exits at Melbourne Park.
“Really pleased with the way I played,” said the 30-year-old American, a semi-finalist at the 2013 Australian Open.
PLAY UNDERWAY IN MELBOURNE SUNSHINE ON DAY THREE
Play got underway as scheduled on the outer courts under sunny skies on the third day of the Australian Open.
The temperature was already 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees fahrenheit) in the Melbourne Park precinct and a high of 31 is forecast for the late afternoon.
Australian Open order of play on Tuesday.
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