Tag: Fernandez

A third straight miss on the forehand from Gauff – it’s still her most fallible shot – helps Fernandez gets herself out of a hole from set point down at 30-40. Gauff will still get the chance to serve for the set though, and swiftly moves 30-0 ahead. Make that 40-0. She’s won 14 of 16 points when her first serve has landed. But it’s a second serve that Fernandez can’t get back into play on the second set point and Gauff holds to 15 to take the set!

Gauff holds in the blink of an eye for 5-3. Djokovic takes a little longer to serve out the set, dropping 30-40 down, before a strong serve and an overhead give him set point. Machac whacks his return into the net and that’s that. Djokovic wins the first set 6-1 in just 35 minutes. Murray applauds and gives a half-hearted fist pump. I guess the first set was too straightforward to warrant a more committed one.

Machac just can’t get going on serve. This time he slumps 0-40 down. Djokovic prevails in the next point too and he’ll serve for the set at 5-1. Meanwhile Gauff emerges victorious after an absorbing 26-shot rally to get back to deuce on Fernandez’s serve … and from there Gauff breaks! The third seed leads 4-3.

Two more break points for Djokovic at 15-40, to add to the ones he had in Machac’s opening service game. This time he takes the second, as Machac makes the error on the backhand side. It’s 3-1 Djokovic, and he’s looking much sharper than he did in his opening two matches. Murray looks on approvingly, before Djokovic backs up the break for 4-1.

On John Cain, the young phenomenon Fils is serving for the opening set at 5-3 against Humbert. It doesn’t go quite to plan, as the 20-year-old slides 30-40 down, and then Humbert, his fellow Frenchman, picks him off with a backhand pass down the line! It’s 5-4 Fils.

On Margaret Court Arena, in the match between the 2023 US Open champion and the 2021 runner-up, Gauff flumps a forehand into the net and it’s deuce, with Fernandez leading 2-1 on serve. Gauff quickly makes up for her error by taking the next two points to hold. It’s 2-2.

From 0-40 down, Machac holds his opening service game. The camera pans to Andy Murray in the coaching box – or more accurately the new courtside coaching pod – for the first of probably 9,337 times today. He’s sitting there quite impassively as the moment. No chattering or chuntering, like in his playing days. Maybe that’ll come later.

Djokovic will need to step it up a level today. The 10-times champion has not been convincing so far, dropping a set in both the first and second rounds against opponents ranked outside the world’s top 100. And it takes him five minutes to secure the opening game on serve here. Machac has beaten Djokovic before, by the way, in the semi-finals of the Geneva Open last year, but that was best of three sets. The 24-year-old Czech has the ability, he boasts so much power, but can he keep it together over the course of five potential sets?

Night session order of play

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beats Jakub Mensik 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-2

Thanks Joey and g’day/good afternoon/good evening everyone, depending on your whereabouts. Right, let’s get this evening session started. Novak Djokovic is about to get going against Tomas Machac on Rod Laver, Coco Gauff will be under way against Leylah Fernandez very shortly, Arthur Fils has taken the opening game on serve in his all-French affair with Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils …. but let’s go straight to the Kia Arena, where Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has three match points against Jakub Mensik. And just the one MP will do as the Spaniard ends the young Czech’s run with an ace!

Maybe not, as Menšík breaks back to make sure that Davidovich Fokina knows this won’t all go his way.

Or maybe yes as the Spaniard promptly breaks back and will now have the chance to serve this third round epic out! And boy did he love that one, roaring a huge “come on!” to the crowd.

That, however, is where I’ll leave you. It’s been a pleasure having you for company over these past few hours and I’ll now leave you in the very capable hands of Katy Murrells to wrap this one up and take you through the evening play.

Menšík gets on the board at last, holding serve for the first time in three attempts. Nonetheless, the look on his face suggests he’s coming to terms with a game that he once had match point on slipping through his fingers.

The crowd is now well and truly behind Davidovich Fokina as he looks to complete the comeback; the commentators noting that a fan in a Manchester United shirt cheering him on hasn’t had much to be happy about as of late. Bantz.

WOW. By the barest of margins, Davidovich Fokina fires a huge forearm winner past Menšík and keeps it just inside the baseline to break the Czech once more.

He’s now up three games to love in this fifth and decisive set and it’s difficult to see him giving the lead up from here.

Tumaini Carayol was out at Margaret Court Arena to watch Alexander Zverev make light work of Jacob Fearnley on his way to the fourth round.

It took just 20 minutes into one of the most significant occasions of Jacob Fearnley’s uncommonly short professional tennis career for the 23-year-old to receive evidence of the soaring level required to consistently trouble the very best tennis players in the world.

All the momentum is with Davidovich Fokina as he breaks Menšík in the first game of the fifth set and, for the first time in this match, gets his nose ahead.

A powerful serve right into his breadbasket gives Menšík little scope to do anything other than scoop the ball out and give up two set points, only one of which Davidovich Fokina needs as he ties this game up and forces a fifth set.

It’s the second straight match that the Spaniard has dropped the opening two sets only to force his way back, having beaten Canadian 29th need Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7 (6-9) 6-7 (7-5) 6-4 6-1 6-3 in the second round.

For Menšík, it’s pretty much been downhill ever since I wrote he was about to wrap this game up. Sorry mate.

Menšík drops just a single point as he holds serve but must now break Davidovich Fokina if he’s to avoid – having had the chance to serve for the match in the third — being taken to a fifth and deciding set.

What a shot from Davidovich Fokina, an incredible backhand winner across the court capping off a fightback that saw him give up two break points to Menšík, only to hold serve.

Some strong baseline play from the Spaniard then sees him break Menšík to seize the initiative in this fourth set.

In some of the doubles action currently under way, Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse are up a set over Australian pair Maddison Inglis and Destanee Aiava on the 1573 Arena.

Women’s 15th seeds Beatriz Haddad Maia and Laura Siegemund also hold a one set lead over Quinn Gleason and Suzan Lamens out on court six but tenth seeds Sofia Kenin and Monica Niculescu are down a set against Renata Zarazua and Miyu Kato.

Belinda Bencic defeats Naomi Osaka 7-6 (7-3) Retired

Bencic brings up three set points against Osaka but needs only one, taking out the first set 7-6 (7-3).

Heading into this tiebreak, it certainly looks like the abdominal strain that forced Osaka to retire in the final of a WTA tournament in Auckland earlier this month has reared its head once more.

If she can battle through it and find a way to down Bencic is one question but so, too, is if she’ll be able to recover in time for a fourth round meeting with Coco Gauff or Leylah Fernandez if she does.

Osaka is back on her feet and awaiting Bencic’s serve, with the Swiss no doubt having taken note of exactly what the issue is and planning how she can take advantage.

A drop shot attempt from Osaka goes straight into the net to give Bencic a 40 to love lead and she takes things out with a forehand.

We will have a fourth set on Kia Arena! That’s not a prediction, it’s a spoiler, because Davidovich Fokina has taken out the third set tie break against Menšík, who now leads 6-3 6-4 6-7 (9-7) heading into the fourth.

Osaka’s serve is increasingly abandoning her as this first set goes on, with the host broadcaster noting that she’s not able to get her wrist over the ball as she had been.

She’s able to hold serve to take a 6-5 lead in this opening set but the trainer has been called for.

A big break from Bencic and this first set will continue! It wasn’t looking good as she went down 30-0 to start things off but she rallied back to win the next four points and gets another chance to serve.

And the Olympic gold medallist has little challenge in subsequently locking this up at 5-5, not dropping a single point as she holds serve.

I’ve been to a few of them myself here in Melbourne, so if Alcaraz is looking for any parlour recommendations come the end of this tournament he’s free to hit me up.

Another hold from Bencic to keep herself in this opening set. But she’ll have to break Osaka and her strong first save to keep herself in it.