Tennis - Oncourt Offcourt

It’s the kind of heavyweight slugfest that usually starts with the ringing of a bell. Two of tennis’ biggest hitters will square off in the Australian Open third round on Friday, when Matteo Berrettini and Carlos Alcaraz meet for the second time in three months. The 18-year-old Spaniard scored the knockout in the pair’s quarter-final meeting in Vienna this fall, winning a third-set tie-break before falling to Alexander Zverev in the semis. Since then, Alcaraz won the Intesa Sanpaola Next Gen ATP Finals title before entering Melbourne as the youngest Grand Slam seed in more than 30 years. “I think I grew up since that match,” he said of that encounter with Berrettini, who he called one of the best servers on Tour. “All I can say is I’m going to have fun [in Friday’s meeting]. I’m going to play my match, and let’s see what h...

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Nick Kyrgios was all about the positives despite his loss to Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open on Thursday. Im super proud of my performance today, said the Australian in his post-match press conference. From where I was with my struggles the last four, five months, to be feeling like this�Im just proud of the way I responded. Kyrgios went into the match with a 2-0 ATP Head2Head series lead over the World No. 2, but with no meeting since 2019 there was intrigue about how the match-up would play out. The Australian underdog rose to the occasion if front of an excited crowd on Rod Laver Arena, proving a stern test for the second seed before the Russian prevailed 7-6(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Im going to hold my head high, I gave it everything, Kyrgios said. I put on a good performance. I think hes favoured to win the Australian Open. I cant be too upset. The match was just Kyrgios sec...

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Jannik Sinner maintained his perfect start to the season Thursday, cruising past American Steve Johnson 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the third round at the Australian Open for the first time. The 11th seed is making his third appearance in Melbourne and backed up his first-round win against Joao Sousa with a solid display against Johnson, firing 29 winners and breaking five times to advance after one hour and 43 minutes. It is a real pleasure playing here, Sinner said in his on-court interview. I played on this court against Shapo [Denis Shapovalov] in the first-round last year, so it is a special feeling coming back here. Thanks for staying out. I like playing here in Australia, so having a night match is very special. Following his efficient victory, the Italian is now 5-0 on the year, having recorded three ATP Cup wins earlier this month. He will next play Taro Daniel after the Japane...

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Andy Murray will not let his Australian Open disappointment impact the rest of his season. The Brit never got going against Japans Taro Daniel on Thursday evening, converting just two of 11 break points as he went down 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to the No. 120-ranked qualifier. This is a really important year for me for a number of reasons, said Murray after his second-round exit, and I want to perform well in the big events. For me, tonight is not good enough in that respect. Making the second round of Slams is not something I find motivating. I want to be doing better than that. Murray acknowledged that Daniel, who won his sole ATP Tour title in Istanbul in 2018, deserved the win on John Cain Arena. He was solid the whole match, which was what I was expecting from him. He moves well, and hes very consistent. He doesnt give matches to you. The Brit was still able to take some positives from...

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Daniil Medvedev recorded a statement win Thursday night as he fired a warning sign to the field at the Australian Open, overcoming home favourite Nick Kyrgios and a raucous Rod Laver Arena crowd to reach the third round in Melbourne. The second seed had lost to the dynamic Aussie in their past two meetings, but he turned the tables with a rock-solid performance, advancing 7-6(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 after two hours and 58 minutes in a box-office classic at Melbourne Park. I came to win this match and I am happy I managed to do it, Medvedev said in his on-court interview. It was a funny match because we both served big. In the second and fourth sets I managed to return a little bit more at the crucial moments. I just want to play my best, hit good shots and hopefully that will be enough to do something big. A pumped-up Kyrgios hit with a variety of pace as he looked to disrupt Medvedev&rs...

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Croatia’s Australian Open doubles top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic have set a tantalising second-round encounter with Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, but not before saving three match points in a nail-biting second-set tie-break against Facundo Bagnis and Federico Delbonis. The 2021 Wimbledon champions converted just two of 18 break points as they faced an early exit, before rallying to defeat the Argentines 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-4. John Peers, the World No. 12 and highest-ranked Australian in the draw, saw off compatriots Luke Saville and John-Patrick Smith 6-3, 7-5 with his partner, Slovakian Filip Polasek. Peers won his only Grand Slam title in Melbourne in 2017 (w/Henri Kontinen) and will hope to repeat the success this year with Polasek after the pairing showed good form in taking the ATP 250 Sydney Tennis Classic title last week (d. Bolelli/Fognini). Seventh seeds N...

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Felix Auger-Aliassime avoided a fifth set but not another long evening on court on Thursday as he progressed to the third round of the Australian Open against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The ninth-seeded Canadian had to dig deep to edge past the Spaniard 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-6(4) in four hours, 19 minutes on Kia Arena. Auger-Aliassime, who started his season by captaining Team Canada to ATP Cup glory in Sydney, had looked down and out in the first round before completing a five-set comeback win against Finlands Emil Ruusuvuori. His clash with Davidovich Fokina also threatened to go the distance, but the World No. 9 held his nerve to win three out of four tie-breaks to advance. It was his serve that came to the party against Davidovich Fokina. Auger-Aliassime hit 28 aces in a match that was as tight as the scoreboard suggested, with just two breaks of serve for both players. Da...

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