A glance at the Australian Open: two big rematches on Friday
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A quick look at the Australian Open:
LOOKAHEAD TO FRIDAY
Two big Grand Slam rematches are set for Melbourne Park, both from U.S. Opens past: Defending champion Naomi Osaka vs. Coco-Gauff and Roger Federer vs. John Millman. Osaka beat Gauff in the third round at last year’s U.S. Open, prompting tears from the 15-year-old American. Less than five months later, they’ll meet in the third round again. “I think I’ll be less nervous this time,” Gauff said after her second-round win. “We’re both familiar with each other’s games. She plays really aggressive. This time coming in I’m going to be more aggressive.” Federer was beaten in the fourth round by Millman at the 2018 U.S. Open, a match played in high humidity and extreme temperatures. The two have played since — last year at Halle when Federer won in straight sets. But the 20-time major winner hasn’t forgotten the conditions that night in New York when he lost to the unheralded Aussie. “I don’t know anything remotely close,” Federer recounted. “I was just happy it was over. I never had that. (Usually) I would rather go back in time, if I could play that match again, but I don’t have that feeling about that match.” In other key women’s matches, 23-time major winner Serena Williams plays Wang Qiang and top-seeded Ash Barty takes on Elena Rybakina. Seven-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic meets his second Japanese player in a row when he takes on Yoshihito Nishioka, and Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Milos Raonic.
FRIDAY’S FORECAST
Partly cloudy, high of 23 Celsius (73 Fahrenheit)
THURSDAY’S WEATHER
Rain delayed play on outside courts, then muddy courts from an overnight dust storm and rain delayed play on most of the side courts until mid-afternoon. Six men’s doubles and seven women’s doubles matches were postponed. High temperature of 22 Celsius (72 Fahrenheit).
THURSDAY’S KEY RESULTS
Men’s second round: No. 4 Daniil Medvedev beat Pedro Martinez 7-5, 6-1, 6-3; No. 5 Dominic Thiem beat Alex Bolt 6-2, 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-2; No. 7 Alexander Zverev beat Egor Gerasimov 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-5; No. 10 Gaels Monfils beat Ivo Karlovic 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5; No. 19 John Isner beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
Women’s second round: No. 2 Karolina Pliskova beat Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3; No. 6 Belinda Bencic beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 7-5; No. 9 Kiki Bertens beat Arina Rodionova 6-3, 7-5; No. 17 Angelique Kerber beat Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-2; CiCi Bellis beat No. 20 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-4; Garbine Muguruza beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
STAT OF THE DAY: 2 — years since 20-year-old CiCi Bellis was fit enough to play at a major. She’s had four operations on her arm and is ranked 600th. Now she’s beaten a seeded player to reach the third round at Melbourne Park.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “No, no, not at all. If it would be, I would be bleeding every match I play.” U.S. Open finalist Daniil Medvedev rejecting the suggestion that his bleeding nose in the second set could be related to tension.
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