Never forget the Spaniard. Rafael Nadal, 5th in the world, gained strength on Wednesday to beat without trembling (6-2, 6-3, 6-4) the German Yannick Hanfmann (126th), who did not however deserve, and qualify for the 3rd round. “Today his level was much higher than his ranking indicates,” insisted the 35-year-old Spaniard about his opponent.
Nadal will face Russian Karen Khachanov (30th) or Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi (63rd) on Friday for a place in the round of 16. Faced with Hanfmann, who bravely played his luck, he appeared very solid during the 2h42 that the game lasted, both physically and in his game (30 winning moves for 26 unforced errors), even if it took him five match points to conclude.
The perf: Adrian Mannarino releases the seeded n°10
This one, we weren’t expecting. Or at least not so brilliant. Opposed to the seeded n°10, the Polish Hurkacz, the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino (69th player in the world) easily qualified for the third round in three sets (6-4, 6-2, 6-3). It is undoubtedly the most beautiful success of his career in Grand Slam, at 33 years old.
The other perf: Kiki-Caro finally win together
With two, at least, they win! Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia, who had not played together since 2017, qualified for the second round of the doubles tournament. Both eliminated in the first round in singles, they beat the Australian pair Mendez-Preston. Apart from the Olympics and Fed Cup, they had not lined up together in doubles since their defeat in the quarter-finals in Dubai in 2017. Their last Major was the 2017 Australian Open, where they reached the semis. They won Roland-Garros in 2016.
The image: France’s Harmony Tan leaves the court in a wheelchair
Harmony Tan, 107th in the world, was forced to give up at the very end of the match in the 2nd round against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (17th), victim of a left calf injury. The Frenchwoman, who was 24 at her first Australian Major, trailed 6-3, 5-7, 5-1 when she threw in the towel on her serve before leaving the court in a wheelchair. Playing for the first time in her career in such a big venue as the Margaret Court Arena, she did everything to finish the match. But she ended up listening to the referee who advised her to give up so as not to aggravate an injury which was visibly making her suffer more and more.
The number: 3
Since the start of the competition, the world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty has lost only three games. Last night, against the Italian Lucia Bronzetti (142nd and qualifying), she unfolded (6-1, 6-1 in 52 minutes). The Australian, who had already taken only 54 minutes to pass (6-0, 6-1) the obstacle Lesia Tsurenko (119th) in the 1st round, will be full of energy for her first real test of the tournament on Friday against the Italian Camila Giorgi (33rd). Winner of two Grand Slam titles (Roland-Garros 2019 and Wimbledon 2021), Barty is chasing her first major title in Australia. She had reached the semi-finals there in 2020 and lost in the quarters in 2021.
The phrase
“I tested positive for Covid when I left Australia. So I will stay one more week here in solitary confinement. » Two days after his defeat in the first round against his compatriot Richard Gasquet, Ugo Humbert was counting on returning to France tonight. But a Covid detection test, mandatory before leaving Australia, forced him to extend his stay in Melbourne.
A dream passes: Moutet loses his marathon
Corentin Moutet, the 100th French player in the world, cherished the dream of a feat. But he cracked and gave in to Sebastian Korda, 43rd. The American won 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 7-6 (10/6) in… 4:47.
