Australian Open players rush to help the ball boy
Follow all the action as the first round matches continue on day two of the Australian Open.
In women’s singles, Garbine Muguruza got off to a perfect start against Clara Burel, while British qualifier Harriet Dart could do little to prevent the brilliance of Iga Swiatek, falling 6-3 6-0 to 2020 French Open champion Simona. Halep and Anett Kontaveit also came through in straight sets, although there was something of an upset when Petra Kvitova was defeated by Sorana Cirstea. Leylah Fernandez, who faced Emma Raducanu in last year’s US Open final, also suffered an early exit at the hands of Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis. Raducanu’s tantalizing match against Sloane Stephens will be the last out at Margaret Court Arena this morning.
In the men’s draw, the new favorite in Novak Djokovic’s absence, Daniil Medvedev, swept past Henri Laaksonen with relative ease. There were also no problems for fellow Russian and No.5 seed Andrey Rublev, who also managed three. For Andy Murray, however, it was a typical day of exhaustion that produced another triumphant performance to defeat Nikoloz Basilashvili in five grueling sets. Follow all the latest updates below:
Australian Open 2022: Raducanu wins the first set for love
It’s spectacular from Raducanu, racing through his own service game to leave Stephens staring blankly at 5-0. The American is again unable to avoid the power of Raducanu’s groundstrokes, swinging so freely, and the Brit wraps up the first set in just over a quarter of an hour.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 11:29
Australian Open 2022: Raducanu 4-0 Stephens
Raducanu is broken again! Stephens is struggling to deal with the power and accuracy coming back through the net, pressing herself with a double fault at 15-15 and then watching as two winners get past her to seal the second break.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 11:23
Australian Open 2022: Raducanu 3-0 Stephens
Just six minutes have passed and Raducanu has already taken a 3-0 lead in the first set. A double fault at 30-0 gives Stephens a dim hope in the game, but it is instantly snuffed out. Raducanu has started to work. The American, on the other hand, has yet to get going.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 11:18
Australian Open 2022: Raducanu 2-0 Stephens
Rather, it’s a sloppy opening service game from Stephens, and an unforced error hat-trick gives Raducanu the break early.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 11:16
Australian Open 2022: Raducanu 1-0 Stephens
An ideal start for Raducanu, who starts with an emphatic forehand winner and quickly hangs onto love after a few meek errors from Stephens.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 11:11
Australian Open 2022: Raducanu and Stephens warm up
The players are already warming up on the pitch. Make no mistake, even though Stephens dropped to 67th in the standings, this is a very tough test for Raducanu.
Stephens won the US Open in 2017 and reached the French Open semifinals two years ago. Meanwhile, Raduncau, despite his immense achievement in New York, lost his last two first-round matches and struggled with his second serve last week in Sydney.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 11:09
If you want a late read while we wait for Raducanu on the pitch, here’s a preview of what we can expect from the teenager, who flipped training setups and endured a troubled build-up to the first major of the year. slam after testing positive for Covid in December.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 11:01
Australian Open 2022: De Minaur beats Musetti
It was a shaky start for De Minaur, who dropped a set against Musetti, but the Australian recovered impressively to secure his place in the second round. He will face Kamil Majchrzak next.
Emma Raducanu and Sloane Stephens will be on court shortly…
tom kershaw18 January 2022 10:47
Djokovic might not be able to defend the French Open title
While we await Raducanu’s return, here is a reminder of the latest news on Novak Djokovic.
On Sunday, France’s sports minister announced that athletes would not be exempt from tougher rules on the unvaccinated. Players are expected to have to show a Covid pass, proving their vaccination status, to enter arenas and stadiums, meaning that, as things stand, Djokovic’s hopes of defending his title at Roland Garros and winning a Grand Slam number 21, a men’s record, remain in serious doubt. .
tom kershaw18 January 2022 10:35
Australian Open 2022: Raducanu awaits De Minaur
Raducanu vs Stephens is the final first round match at Margaret Court Arena. However, the two US Open champions are still awaiting the outcome of the penultimate contest.
Alex De Minaur, the 32nd seed from Australia, dropped the first set against Lorenzo Musetti but has bounced back in style ever since. He leads by two sets to one and has just broken the Italian’s serve in the fourth set to get closer to victory.
tom kershaw18 January 2022 10:29