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It’s the second day of the second round, and there is still plenty of Australian talent to keep you entertained throughout the day.
Eighth seed Alex de Minaur will take to Rod Laver Arena in the second match of the day session, facing American qualifier Tristan Boyner. The Demon will be hoping to recreate the formidable form he showed in his straight sets win in round one against Botic van de Zandschulp.
Wildcard James McCabe is up against Alex Michelsen, the American who toppled Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round. The 21-year-old only joined the professional circuit in 2020, and is playing in his second Australian Open main draw.
Tristan Schoolkate has a tough job ahead of him as he takes on world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy. The clash will take place on Rod Laver, in the first match of the night session.
And qualifier Destanee Aiava will be hoping to continue her fairytale run as she plays in the second round of a grand slam for the first time. She and tenth seeded American Danielle Collins are the last match on Kia Arena later today.
There are also plenty of Aussie doubles pairings set to take the court. You can access the day’s full schedule on the Australian Open website.
It wouldn’t be a Melbourne sporting event if we weren’t regularly checking in about the weather.
Yesterday, a rain delay meant that play was paused on the outdoor courts for a few hours, interrupting many matches that were in progress.
Twelve doubles matches ended up being rescheduled, including the Australian pairings of Priscilla Hon with Daria Saville and Olivia Gadecki with Kimberly Birrell. These games will take to the court today.
Today’s outlook seems promising, but there’s still a small chance of some showers on the radar. Take a look at today’s forecast below.
It was a tough start to the second round for a lot of the Australian singles competitors yesterday.
Thanasi Kokkinakis lost in a five-set thriller against Jack Draper of the United Kingdom, 6-7(3-7), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3. The Aussie had a chance to serve for the win during the fourth set but was unable to capitalise.
Kokkinakis thanks the crowd after his round two loss.Credit: AP
Wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic lost in straight sets to Diana Shnaider, 6-4, 7-5, while Talia Gibson fell to 11th seed Paula Badosa, losing 6-1, 6-0.
Jordan Thompson lost in straight sets to Nuno Borges after struggling with the same foot issue which forced him to withdraw from the Brisbane International. James Duckworth also lost in straight sets to Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain.
One shining light was Aleks Vukic – the 28-year-old progressing to the third round of a grand slam for the first time. He showed composure and skill during his five set win over 22nd seed Seb Korda.
Alex de Minaur’s next opponent has more on his mind than a potential third-round berth at the Australian Open.
American qualifier Tristan Boyer, a former top-10 junior who beat Federico Coria of Argentina in five sets on Tuesday for his first grand slam match win, hails from Altadena, California, the town at the epicentre of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Tristan Boyer in action.Credit: Getty Images
Boyer, 23, is in Melbourne with his mother Shari and grandfather, but his father Chris remains in California and had to evacuate their home. Some of Boyer’s other family and friends have been left homeless.
“It’s something that I can’t really do anything about right now, but I mean, obviously, when I come off the court, and after I’ve done all the prep and everything – yeah, it’s crazy what’s happening,” Boyer said.
“It’s really, really devastating to see. I just want to give people good news. We have friends there, and they’re following me, so I just want to do the best I can for them, and hopefully, it gets resolved quickly.”
Eighth-seeded de Minaur was unaware of Boyer’s family situation after he ousted Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets on Tuesday night.
“Obviously, it’s a horrible situation right now in California. All my condolences go to those affected in that area,” de Minaur said.
Hi everyone. Welcome to another glorious day at the Australian Open. I’m Gemma Grant, and I’ll be at the reins of our live blog this morning.
There’s plenty of tennis to come, as well as lots of other news from around Melbourne Park. Be sure to check in with us throughout the day.
