Source : the age
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A couple of former Australian Open champions have a small reminder to themselves, and fans, on their racquet bags of their past success at the tournament.
Both Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have personalised their bags, with Djokovic opting for patches that list his career results, while Sabalenka has a keychain with mini versions of the Australian trophy.
Djokovic won the first of his 10 Australian Open titles back in 2008, while Sabalenka went back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.
Young American Alex Michelsen says he has a lot in common with giant-killing countryman Learner Tien – they both love playing Fortnite.
They are also making a mark on the tour at a young age.
Alex Michelsen defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round.Credit: AP
Tien, 19, shot to prominence by outing seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev in a five-set epic on Thursday night, while 20-year-old Michelsen will be looking to topple No.19 seed Karen Khachanov on John Cain Arena from 11am today. They are the first game up on day seven.
Michelsen revealed this week that he and close friend Tien were keen gamers.
“Learner Tien is incredible at Fortnite. He won’t say it, but he’s incredible,” Michelsen told website ATP Tour.
“If I could have been a professional video game player, that would have been sick. I played a lot of video games during Covid.
“But that would have never happened because I’m just not that good.”
Learner Tien defeats Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open.Credit: AP
Before he cracked it on the tour as an 18-year-old, Michelsen was looking to go to the University of Georgia. He said he was glad things panned out the way they did.
“I’ve just never been a big school guy, so I’m super happy,” he said.
“I’m not the most social guy, either. I just like to play tennis and chill out, do my thing.
Not content with taking it up to the Aussie crowd, outspoken American Danielle Collins has now fired a shot at experienced Nine sports presenter Tony Jones.
Although, admittedly, Jones did throw the first stone. Speaking on 3AW Drive yesterday, Jones labelled Collins a “brat” for her on court behaviour and follow-up press conference on Thursday night in which she thanked heckling crowd members for paying her lucrative wages.
Danielle Collins taunts the Australian crowd following her win over Destanee Aiava.Credit: AP
“When you get people like Danielle Collins who lives this (lavish) lifestyle and then rubs our noses in it … I thought it overstepped the mark,” Jones said on radio.
But Collins spotted Jones’s comments online and reposted it on her Instagram account with a tetchy response.
“I love when these old dudes like Tony know the vibe #bratsummer #brataussiesummer #charliexcx,” she wrote on her account.
You won’t find it on the practice schedule, but we’ve got a couple of high-profile players practicing on Rod Laver Arena this morning.
Polish world No. 2 Iga Świątek just had a hit out on the centre court, ahead of her 11.30am third round match against Britain’s Emma Raducanu.
Iga Swiatek is playing on Rod Laver Arena today.Credit: Getty Images
Swiatek’s session wrapped up at 10am, with opponent Raducanu stepping out to start her practice session as Swiatek walked off the court.
Unlike practice sessions on the outside courts, these sessions are closed and not available for public viewing.
Today’s match will be the fourth meeting between these two on a court, with Swiatek winning on all previous occasions.
Their most recent meeting was in the quarter-finals in Stuttgart last year, when Swiatek won 7-6 (6-2), 6-3.
There’s no excuse not to head to Melbourne Park for day seven of the Australian Open for super Saturday – except, of course, the cost-of-living crisis.
But for those with cash in the wallet, it is going to be a cracking day. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a top of 27, with no rain on the horizon. They are also predicting winds of 15km/h to 20km/h.
Speaking of Destanee Aiava, the 24-year-old took to social media last night to vent her frustrations about random drug testing procedures in the sport.
Aiava said tennis needed to find a “less invasive” way to test players, and that officials “grab you whenever they want and they have to watch you pspspsps [go to the bathroom].”
The inimitable John McEnroe has always does things his way. Whether it be exploding in frustration on the tennis court during his playing days, or calmly guiding viewers through this year’s Australian Open from the Nine commentary box.
“You gotta be you,” McEnroe told journalist Sam McClure, who was granted behind-the-scenes access to the commentary box this week.
John McEnroe, Lleyton Hewitt and Todd Woodbridge commentate the Kokkinakis-Draper match.Credit: Chris Hopkins
“You know, I saw my late, great buddy Vitas Gerulaitis, he was doing some commentary, he was enjoying himself, not taking himself too seriously and he knew the game. He was having fun.
“I said to myself, if I ever did this, I want to do it like that. And that’s what I try to do. I gotta set up for me.
Read Sam McClure’s full story here.
After his gruelling five-set loss in the singles last night, Aussie Aleks Vukic is stepping out for a doubles match today. That’s if he has any energy left.
Vukic and partner James Duckworth are due to play on 1573 Arena later this afternoon against Aussie duo Luke Saville and Li Tu – not before 4pm, according to the schedule.
Cruz Hewitt plays in the boys’ singles later today.Credit: Eddie Jim
They made it through the first round after a hyped-up clash against the Special Ks – cut short when injured Thanasi Kokkinakis told partner Nick Kyrgios he was retiring during the second set.
Other Australians appearing off-Broadway today include men’s doubles pair Tristan Schoolkate and Adam Walton on Kia Arena at 11am; mixed doubles duo Maddison Inglis and Jason Kubler on Kia Arena later this afternoon; and, Ellen Perez teaming up in a doubles match with Belgian Elise Mertens after 1pm on 1573 Arena.
There are also some notable Australian juniors in action. Top-seeded Australian Emerson Jones will be playing her junior girls’ singles match on court 3 later this afternoon, followed by Cruz Hewitt who is scheduled for his boys’ singles match on court three after 6pm.
Emerson Jones reaches for a backhand. during her women’s singles match.Credit: Eddie Jim
Carlos Alcaraz is fast becoming our favourite non-Aussie tennis player.
The 21-year-old Spanish No.3 seed is a fierce competitor on the court, but revealed his softer side with a young fan behind the scenes at Melbourne Park yesterday.
Alcaraz, already a four-time major winner, had not long beaten Portugal’s Nunos Borges in four sets on Rod Laver Arena when he met young John in the labyrinth of corridors at the tennis centre.
He then invited his excited fan to join him in the customary post-match press conference. Check it out below.
Alcaraz is due to play Brit Jack Draper in the fourth round on Sunday as he strives to win his first Australian Open. He says he will get a tattoo of a kangaroo if he manages to lift the trophy.
He has already inked a strawberry to represent his first of two Wimbledon victories in 2023 and an Eiffel Tower or last year’s French Open win.
Power dresser Coco Gauff, who is wearing a Marvel-inspired yellow bodysuit during this year’s Australian Open, is resigned to giving up her 755,000-plus TikTok followers.
Crowd favourite Gauff won her way into the fourth round last night with a straight-sets victory over Canadian Laylah Fernandez – her victory coming soon before the US Supreme Court upheld laws banning TikTok in the States because of the social media platform’s ties to China
“If I wake up and it (TikTok) doesn’t work, fine. I’m done wasting my time,” Gauff said in an earlier press conference.
“I see that there is a new app called RedNote that a lot of people are migrating over to, so I feel like regardless, people are going to be fine.”
But the 2023 US Open-winning Gauff, who is aiming to better her semi-final appearance at last year’s Australian Open, says there is one particular character on TikTok she will miss.
Coco Gauff is wearing a Marvel-inspired bodysuit at this year’s Open.Credit: PENNY STEPHENS
“There’s like this pig online, his name is Merlin, and he knows how to press buttons so he can talk. It’s a pretty sassy pig, so I will miss Merlin the most,” she said.
The third-seeded Gauff is due to play Belinda Bencic tomorrow in the fourth round. The Swiss star advanced after Naomi Osaka retired hurt during the second set of their third-round match.
