Key events
Osaka beats Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
It’s all ending at once, as Osaka absolutely rips a forehand winner to bring up two match points at 6-3, 4-6, 5-2. “COME ON!!!!” she screams, before getting the job done. But Cirstea doesn’t seem too happy about all the COME ONS and there’s no love lost between the two players at the net. It’s a shame Cirstea’s last Australian Open is ending under this cloud. Osaka seems a little upset when she speaks on court. “I’m sorry she was mad about it,” she says, close to tears, before cheering up as the interview progresses.
Sinner defeats Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
Osaka saves two break points to hold for 4-2, just as Sinner pulls a couple of aces out of his pack to serve out his match to love. Another straightforward win without any jeopardy for the 2X champion, who’ll face the American Eliot Spizzirri in the last 32. “I don’t know him that well,” Sinner admits, before saying of today’s match: “I’m very happy about my performance. I know he had so many surgeries, so it’s great to see him competing at the highest level.” He then thanks the Australian crowd for going easy on him despite him putting out a home player, before saying “my body feels good and the mind does too”.
Fritz beats Kopriva 6-1, 6-4, 7-6
On John Cain, Fritz is putting the finishing touches on a straight-sets win, 6-4 up in a third-set tie-break. A huge serve … and Kopriva can’t get it back into play. The sets got tougher as the match went on, but Fritz is looking in good form, and next has a potential cracker against Wawrinka. “I practised with Stan at the United Cup,” Fritz says after his win. “I knew he was playing well. It’s amazing what he’s still doing.”
Back to the business on Rod Laver and Margaret Court: Sinner has extended his supremacy over Duckworth to 6-1, 6-4, 4-1 and Osaka has thumped 10 winners en route to a 3-1 lead over Cirstea in the deciding set.
Tsitsipas goes out
What with all of that happening, I didn’t get a chance to mention that Stefanos Tstisipas, the 2023 runner-up, has disappointingly departed, losing 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 to the Czech Tomas Machac. The 31st seed said in the build-up to this tournament he was feeling far more optimistic after nearly retiring last year because of a persistent back problem, and it was good to see him smiling again after his first-round win, but he’s not been able to build on it. Up next for Machac: Lorenzo Musetti.
Arms outstretched, Wawrinka salutes his adoring crowd before collapsing in his chair. The 40-year-old somehow finds enough energy to get back up to do the on-court interview. “I’m exhausted,” he says. “I don’t know how I’m going to recover but I’m super happy.” Mats Wilander then asks if his one-handed backhand was as good as it’s ever been today. Stan says he doesn’t think so, before saying he may grab a beer from someone in the crowd. He’s had many a memorable win over the years, but given his age and this being his final Australian Open, I’m sure he won’t forget this match.
Wawrinka defeats Gea 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6
Right, let’s get over to the Kia Arena, because Wawrinka and Gea are in a fifth-set tie-break. As it’s the deciding set it’ll be played to 10 points – hopefully these two remember that, because poor Sebastian Ofner celebrated too early in qualifying, thinking he’d won at 7-1, before going on to lose. But I digress. A remarkable 21-shot rally has Gea cramping and Wawrinka celebrating. It’s 6-3 to the 2014 champ. Now 7-3. Make that 8-3, as Gea double faults. The qualifier looks spent, having been two sets to one up. And he looks condemned at 9-3. Stan takes a swig of his drink at the change of ends … the first match point is on his serve and after four hours and 33 minutes he gets the job done when Gea sends a tired forehand long! Stan’s farewell tour rolls on.
I probably should have done some fashion notes for Sinner, given we did it for Osaka. And we’re nothing but fair. He’s again wearing his olive green number, with a large mustard stripe on his shorts, which matches his trainers. It’s been berated on social media, but I think it’s OK to be honest. But anyway, back to Osaka, because she’s serving to stay in the second set at 15-40, 4-5 … and Osaka blinks on her backhand! She pays the price for four unforced errors in that game and must now navigate a third set.
Sinner is serving for a two sets to love lead. Having broken for 4-3, it’s now 5-4, 30-15. Duckworth nets his forehand and it’s 40-15. The Australian can’t get his return back into play on the first set point and the Rod Laver Arena is silenced. Sinner strides back to his chair with a 6-1, 6-4 advantage.
A striking scene on the Kia Arena as Gea steps up to serve, with the brightest of suns setting behind the stands. It’s definitely not setting on Gea’s campaign yet though, because he sees Wawrinka’s love hold and nearly matches it with a hold to 15, the only highlight for Wawrinka another of those one-handed backhand winners. It’s 5-5 in the decider.
15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game. A quickfire hold from Wawrinka and Gea must serve to stay in this match at 4-5.
Break point Wawrinka! He leads 4-3 in the fifth and has advantage on Gea’s serve. The French qualifier, cap backwards, nonchalantly saves it. Ah, the fearlessness of youth; I’m sure 40-year-old Stan is feeling the nerves more. Deuce. Advantage Gea. Game Gea, after a superb touch volley. You wouldn’t know this is the qualifier’s first grand slam tournament. He’s only 21. There’s a 19 YEAR age gap between these two. And they’re locked at 4-4.
The second set of Osaka v Cirstea is following the first set script. Cirstea moves 2-0 up, before Osaka comes straight back at the 35-year-old Romanian for 2-2.
Duckworth looks a bit more settled in the second set. It’s 2-2, after Sinner took the first 6-1. But now it’s deuce on the Australian’s serve … Sinner is prowling … a game of cat and mouse plays out … Sinner moving forwards, backwards, sideways and then making the error! Advantage Duckworth. Deuce. Advantage Duckworth. Game Duckworth. He edges 3-2 ahead.
You wouldn’t know he’s 40.
Fritz is still flying. He leads Kopriva 6-1, 5-3, with the Czech serving to stay in the second set.
Game and first set Osaka, who breaks for 5-3, and then serves it out from break point, 30-40, down. The jellyfish walk-on outfit may now have come off, but Osaka stings Cirstea first with a backhand winner, then a forehand winner, then an ace. Big, big hitting.
Gea breaks back – before receiving some treatment to his sore knees at the change of ends. Both his knees are now taped, but the Frenchman appears unimpeded as he pushes for another break at 2-2 … but Wawrinka squeezes through from deuce. Wawrinka points to his temple and implores the crowd to get louder. They oblige.
Duckworth pulled off a five-set, four-and-a-half-hour comeback against Dino Prizmic on Tuesday. But doing so against the two-time champion is an altogether different assignment. The positives for Duckworth: he’s got the crowd on his side and Sinner has actually already lost to an Australian at this tournament. The negatives: that defeat, against the amateur Jordan Smith, was over only one point, in the One Point Slam last week. Sinner hasn’t lost a best-of-five-set match here since 2023.
Another break. This is relentless from Sinner, who’ll serve for the set only 23 minutes into the match. At 15-all, Duckworth – the 34-year-old wildcard who’s making his 13th main draw appearance at the Australian Open but has never been beyond the second round – wafts a backhand wide. And then sends one into the net. 40-15, two set points. Sinner strides to the net and it’s enough to put Duckworth off, who loops long. The set is Sinner’s, 6-1.
No sooner does Wawrinka break, than Sinner does too, with a backhand down the line that may not have the beauty of Stan’s but is also so effective. Sinner leads Duckworth 3-1. Make that 4-1, with a no-nonsense hold to 15. The world No 2 has lost only three points on serve so far.
The Kia Arena is in raptures, because Wawrinka has claimed the first break in the decider, with Gea pushing a forehand wide. That’s four games on the spin for Stan and it’s 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 2-0.
What of Osaka, you say? Well it was a slow start from the 2019 and 2021 Australian Open winner, falling 2-0 down against the very experienced Romanian Sorana Cirstea, but she’s just got the break back after punishing a weak second serve with a backhand bullet down the line. It’s 2-2
Fritz isn’t messing about. He’s whizzed through the opening set 6-1 in 22 minutes against Vit Kopriva, the Czech who saw off Jan-Lennard Struff over five sets in the first round. If Fritz and Wawrinka both win … they’ll be facing each other in the last 32. Yes please.
Cilic beats Shapovalov 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
Cilic has punched his ticket into round three for the first time since 2022, with the 37-year-old and 2014 US Open champ taking out the 21st seed Shapovalov in straight sets. Decent win, that. He’ll face the winner of Casper Ruud v Jaume Munar.
Stan is still alive! He’s broken Gea in the final game of the fourth set to snatch it 7-5, finishing off with a vicious backhand winner down the line. It’s got to be one of the most devastating shots in tennis hasn’t it? I don’t think even Federer’s single-handed backhand quite had the equal beauty and brutality that Wawrinka’s does. They’re going to a fifth.
Sinner does what Sinner does in the opening game, racing to 40-0 on serve. Though Duckworth gets his side of the scoreboard moving with an inside-in forehand winner. Sinner holds to 15.
It’s got to be the craziest outfit ever seen in tennis hasn’t it? Even Serena’s garb at the peak of her sartorial powers seems less whimsical in comparison.
And her come Osaka and the outfit that has generated more headlines than every other outfit, match and press conference combined at this tournament. Disappointingly she’s ditched the hat, veil and parasol today, instead opting for an altogether more practical visor, but the rest of the get-up is similar, and today it’s set off with a frilly turquoise tracksuit top.
A one minute’s silence has just taken place to honour those who died in the Bondi Beach attack last month. So Sinner and Osaka will be on next.
Meanwhile another much-loved veteran, Marin Cilic, is now two sets to the good against the 21st seed Denis Shapovalov, leading 6-4, 6-3.
Wawrinka nudges 4-3 ahead on serve in the fourth set, a set he must win if his Australian Open career is to continue, because this is the 40-year-old’s final trip to Melbourne and he’s trailing the French qualifier Arthur Gea by two sets to one.
I should also mention Maddison Inglis’s three-set victory. The home qualifier – Australia’s last woman standing in the singles – defeated the experienced German Laura Siegemund and awaits the winner of Osaka v Sorana Cirstea. They’re due on Margaret Court Arena in about five minutes’ time, while Sinner and Duckworth will soon make their entrance on Rod Laver.
Inspired qualifier Maddison Inglis has ridden an emotional rollercoaster in her first grand slam appearance in four years to book a spot in the Australian Open third round.
Inglis has joined big gun Alex de Minaur in the round of 32 after defeating German veteran Laura Siegemund 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-7) in a tense, gruelling and sometimes fiery match that lasted three hours and 20 minutes on ANZ Arena.
After failing to serve out the match in the second set, the 28-year-old’s hopes of progressing seemed over.
But in mirroring her first-round win over close friend Kim Birrell, when she failed to convert a gilt-edged opportunity, Inglis turned it around by breaking back when Siegemund was serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set.
Despite appearing to injure herself late when stretching for a ball, the Perth product recovered and overcame some nervous moments to win the first-to-10-point tiebreaker.
Inglis fell to the ground after winning the final point in a tense rally, becoming the only Australian woman to make the third round.
“I didn’t come in with high expectations. I can take it to anyone on any given day, but I wouldn’t have dreamed of this,” Inglis said.
“In the third set the crowd gave me the energy I didn’t think I had. Coming into this I hadn’t played a match for six weeks.”
She has spent six hours and 21 minutes on court in her two main-draw singles matches this campaign, plus a doubles match and three qualifying wins.
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Preamble
G’day! My flu fog has lifted, the rain that interrupted play yesterday has shifted and soon enough we’ll get to see Naomi Osaka dressed as a jellyfish again. Life feels good.
Also coming up in the night session we’ve got the 2x defending champ Jannik Sinner against the Australian wildcard James Duckworth, Taylor Fritz, the 2023 runner-up Elena Rybakina, the in-form Belinda Bencic and the ready-to-go-home-at-any-moment-if-his-wife-goes-into-labour Casper Ruud.
We’ll also be keeping an eye on the conclusions of Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 3-2 Arthur Gea*, Marin Cilic* 6-4, 5-3 Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas* 4-6, 6-3, 2-2 Tomas Machac. And all of this comes after straight-sets wins for Novak Djokovic, the 2025 winner Madison Keys, Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Jakub Mensik, Ben Shelton over the Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny and Lorenzo Musetti in the all-Italian, all-Lorenzo affair with Sonego. But the day five departees include Jelena Ostapenko, Paula Badosa and the Australian duo Rinky Hijikata and Taylah Preston.
Let’s go!
