Australian Open Glance: Nick Kyrgios back in action on Day 4
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A quick look at the Australian Open:
LOOKAHEAD TO THURSDAY
The focus will be back on Nick Kyrgios during his second-round match against Gilles Simon.
Will he keep up his recent model behavior, or return to some of the prior antics that have left him under the threat of suspension?
Kyrgios, deeply affected by the wildfires that have affected parts of Australia in the past two months, including his hometown of Canberra, has been instrumental in fundraising efforts for the victims. He’s also been emotional at times about the devastation.
Asked after his first-round win if he feels like he’s better able to focus when he’s playing for an extra cause, his answer was easy: “Yeah, for sure. I guess it’s just a perspective thing, isn’t it? Why am I really getting mad on the tennis court with everything going on? Every match I’ve played this year, I’ve been pretty good. It’s probably because of everything going on.”
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal will be aiming to advance to the third round when he plays Federico Delbonis. Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev plays Petro Martinez and seventh-seeded Alexander Zverev takes on Egor Gerasimov. In women’s featured matches, No. 2 Karolina Pliskova plays Laura Siegemund, Wimbledon champion Simona Halep plays qualifier Harriet Dart and sixth-seeded Belinda Bencic takes on 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
THURSDAY’S FORECAST
Possible rain. High of 21 Celsius (70 Fahrenheit)
WEDNESDAY’S WEATHER
Windy and a high temperature of 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit)
WEDNESDAY’S KEY RESULTS
Men’s second round: No. 2 Novak Djokovic beat Tatsuma Ito 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Philipp Kohlschreiber, walkover; Tennys Sandgren beat No. 8 Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7), 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 7-5; Yoshihito Nishioka beat No. 30 Daniel Evans 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; Sam Querrey beat Ricardas Berankis 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Tommy Paul beat No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3); Marin Cilic beat No. 21 Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3); No. 32 Milos Raonic beat Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Women: First Round: Carla Suarez Navarro beat No. 11 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6); Second Round: No. 1 Ash Barty beat Polona Hercog 6-1, 6-4; No. 3 Naomi Osaka beat Zheng Saisai 6-2, 6-4; Coco Gauff beat Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; No. 7 Petra Kvitova beat Paula Badosa 7-5, 7-5; No. 14 Sofia Kenin beat Ann Li 6-1, 6-3; Caroline Wozniacki beat No. 23 Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 7-5.
STAT OF THE DAY: 3: the round at consecutive majors that 15-year-old Coco Gauff and defending champion Naomi Osaka will meet. Gauff and Osaka will play again in the third round on Friday. Osaka, the 2018 U.S. Open champion, met in the third round in New York last year.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “ I think I’ll be less nervous this time. We’re both familiar with each other’s games.” Gauff looking ahead to the next round.
