The two main courts did not shake that night
This second day in Melbourne offered no big shock during the night whether in the Rod Laver Arena or the Margaret Court Arena. Muguruza, Swiatek, Medvedev, Rublev and Halep walked to pass this first obstacle.
The John Cain Arena was livelier
You had to join the John Cain Arena to witness the first emotions. Romania’s Cirstea achieved the performance of beating 20th seed Czech Kvitova 6-2, 6-2. Also on this same court, the wild card Murray challenges the 21st seeded Georgian Basilashvili with a very animated and undecided duel.
The main victim of the night: Ruud package
Casper Ruud withdrew from the tournament with an ankle injury. He was replaced by lucky loser Roman Safiullin. The Russian, who had been dazzling during the ATP Cup, had fallen in qualifying in the 3rd round against Broady. For Ruud, the blow is hard. At 23, this resident of the Top 10 had been criticized in 2021. He was accused of being an illegitimate member of the Top 10 because he never shone in a Grand Slam. The 8th player in the world will still have to wait to prove himself.
The disappointment of the night: the elimination of Leylah Fernandez by a wild card
If we are delighted for the wild card Maddison Inglis who could not believe it when winning her match point, we will also be disappointed by the level of play produced by the Canadian Leylah Fernandez. The US Open finalist reminds us that the aftermath of a great feat is not easy to manage. She committed 30 unforced errors and 6 double faults in 1h23 of play.
Mertens, already very aggressive, lays the foundations of her game
Elise Mertens qualified for the second round by beating the Russian Vera Zvonareva, 37, 91st in the world. The Belgian number 1, 26, 26th in the world, won 6-4; 7-5 and 1 hour 53 minutes of play against the Muscovite, former world number 2 and finalist at Wimbledon (2010) and the US Open (2011). The Limburger could count on her service with 11 aces but 5 double faults. She also signed 27 winners, but 30 unforced errors. She still needs to grow in this tournament. In the next round, she will again challenge a 30-year-old: Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, 31, 64th in the world.
Goffin is already going by the wayside
If Mertens has made a successful entry, this is not the case for David Goffin. The Liégeois did not exist against the Briton Daniel Evans and lost heavily with the final score of 6-4, 6-3, 6-0. There are already no more Belgians in the men’s tournament.
Clash of generations with a grandpa recital on the French side
France had their heartbreaking match between Richard Gasquet, 35, and Ugo Humbert, 23. Gasquet won 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 despite not having had ideal preparation. He had spent a week in solitary confinement when he arrived in Australia.
Stosur, the indestructible 20 years later
At 37, Samantha Stosur, who was No. 1 in 2006, is playing her 20th Australian Open. She started in 2002 and only missed the 2008 edition. The Australian has never been successful at home. She never made it past the round of 16. In the first round, she beat the American Anderson which brought her a few tears. The match opposed two wild cards.
Kontaveitt, a feat that becomes XXL
Anett Kontaveit is putting in a solid performance. She’s not the type to be talked about a lot. However, the Estonian is 7th in the world. By beating Siniakova, she has just won 26 of her last 30 matches!
The phrase of the night is signed Justine Henin
“I think right now Djokovic must be exhausted and not very good in his sneakers. He’ll find the energy to get back to work and get the records he dreams of, because that’s what drives him. Will he be able to do so due to the health situation? It will be the whole question if he remains on his positions, which everyone can respect. These are his personal convictions, but the noose is tightening. Will he therefore change his approach and still get vaccinated? I think he will definitely think about the situation.”
The number of the night: 11
Led 1-3 by Harriet Dart, Iga Swiatek lined up 11 games to win 6-3, 6-0.
A potential explosive second round
Nick Kyrgios will not play until 9 a.m. against American qualifier Broady. If he wins, he will challenge in the next round… Daniil Medvedev.
