Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov was compelled to attend to start his event over a weird hold-up regarding his opponent’s outfit.
There was a short delay at John Cain Area as Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics was ordered to alter his shirt earlier than the first-round match may start.
The difficulty gave the impression to be the variety of logos seen on Fucsovics’ prime – gamers will not be restricted relating to the promoting of authorized tennis clothes producers on their equipment, however can solely show as much as two business logos of a sure measurement.
Fucsovics was allowed to proceed the warm-up within the illicit shirt as his group retrieved one other for him to put on within the match.
Tennis Australia was contacted for remark relating to the order to Fucsovics.
The intervention from the official did the 31-year-old no hurt as he claimed an early break over Dimitrov, the thirteenth seed.
The Australian Open is the favorite grand slam of the previous world No. 3, who has made the quarter-finals 3 times and reached a semi-final in 2017.
Dimitrov enters the Open contemporary off his triumph within the Brisbane Worldwide, the place he didn’t drop a set after Andy Murray took the primary off him in his opening match of the event.
– Ed Bourke
1.20PM: WOMEN’S TOP SEED IN A FIRST-ROUND SCRAP
Life is hard on the prime – and Iga Swiatek is having a tough previous time of it on centre court docket proper now.
The world No.1 copped a reasonably terrible first-round draw, matched up towards Sofia Kenin – an Australian Open champion simply 4 years in the past.
And he or she’s being made to work for her victory for the time being, compelled to avoid wasting set level on Kenin’s serve.
The highest girls’s seed clawed again from a gradual begin , earlier than taking the primary set 7-6 (7-2).
Kenin confirmed her frustration as she swung her racquet on the floor in dismay after the Polish star opened up a 5-2 lead within the tie-break.
Swiatek has been in ominous kind main into the Australian Open, claiming 16 straight wins relationship again to September final 12 months.
The 22-year-old is chasing her first Australian Open crown, having reached the semi-finals right here in 2022, so as to add to her three French Open crowns and 2022 US Open win.
12.55PM: AUSSIE PUNISHED IN BRUTAL 56-MINUTE BEATDOWN
Australian Olivia Gadecki’s bid to enhance on a second-round look at Melbourne Park has fallen on the first hurdle after she was knocked out in straight units by American Sloane Stephens.
After breaking Stephens within the opening recreation of the match, Gadecki held serve – after which misplaced 12 of the next 14 video games to go down 6-3 6-1 as Stephens booked a ticket to the second spherical on the Australian Open for the primary time in 5 years.
The world No.43 took simply 56 minutes to dispatch the 21-year-old Gadecki, who reached the second spherical of the Australian Open final 12 months.
A semi-finalist on the Australian Open in 2013, former US Open winner Stephens has been bundled out within the first spherical at Melbourne Park the previous 4 years.
12.35PM: SEAGULLS TAKE OVER AUSTRALIAN OPEN
It’s not simply rowdy followers which might be distracting gamers on the opening days of this 12 months’s Australian Open – there are different native nuisances.
On match level in Australian Rinky Hijikata’s defeat to Jan-Lennard Struff on Monday evening, a neighborhood seagull entered the fray.
In the course of the tense deciding tiebreak, with Struff on match level, the seagull landed within the fringe of the court docket.
It put the German off, momentarily, as Hijikata saved the primary of two match factors – however finally Struff was in a position to see off the younger challenger.
12.10PM: DASHA’S TEARFUL AUSSIE OPEN EXIT
Daria Saville has taken her first-round exit to Poland’s Magdalena Frech to coronary heart, pouring her coronary heart out on Instagram.
After successful the primary set in a tie-break, Saville went down 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 5-7, and she or he was nonetheless feeling the ache on Tuesday morning.
“Yesterday harm. This morning it nonetheless hurts,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Struggling to give you something optimistic to say about my efficiency apart from combating actual laborious ultimately.
“Due to everybody who got here and supported me and I’m actually sorry however hey … no less than I’m wholesome and awoke feeling half first rate.”
11.40AM: AUSSIE WILDCARD WIPED IN UGLY FIRST SET
That first set obtained ugly quick for Australian wild card Olivia Gadecki.
After breaking Sloane Stephens within the opening recreation, and leaping out to a 2-0 lead, she conceded the following 5 video games – together with a double break – earlier than dropping the primary set 6-3 in simply 25 minutes.
It’s a troublesome ask towards a grand slam champion, however the 21-year-old might want to regroup shortly to keep away from a first-round exit right here.
11.25AM: GADECKI TRADES BREAKS WITH US STAR
Olivia Gadecki jumped out to the right begin towards 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, breaking her extra skilled rival of their opening recreation.
The Australian wildcard shortly consolidated for an early 2-0 lead however was damaged on the following try in a tense opening to their first-round encounter.
11.15AM: AUS OPEN BOSS RESPONDS TO ‘WOKE’ BARB
Jordan Thompson on Monday evening slammed the Australian Open because the ‘wokest event ever’ for permitting a controversial new rule change which allowed followers to maneuver round on the finish of video games – slightly than the change of ends.
And, on Tuesday, Australian Open boss Craig Tiley returned serve, saying the transfer was made to keep away from the ‘worst scenario’ for followers.
“It simply disrupts everybody’s rhythm,” a fired-up Thompson mentioned after his round-one win.
“If somebody is strolling out the again and you’re throwing the ball (for the) toss-up it’s inconceivable to see as a result of you’ve got a transferring individual behind it.
“It’s in my view not good.”
World No.1 Novak Djokovic was one other vocal critic of the elevated crowd motion.
When requested particularly about Thompson’s ‘woke’ feedback and criticism from gamers, Tiley defended the choice and mentioned there’d been ‘no rule change’.
“What we’ve mentioned is we wish followers to sit down of their seats when play is on – that’s the expectation coming into the stadium and that’s at all times been the case. And that hasn’t modified this 12 months both,” Tiley informed Channel 9.
“What we’ve executed is attempt to get their followers into their seats faster – the worst scenario you may have as a fan is ready outdoors the stadium for 3 video games, for 5 video games, you could possibly be ready for as much as 20-Half-hour earlier than you get in.
“We don’t need that for the followers both.
“There’s been no rule change apart from attempting to get the followers into the stadium as shortly as potential.
“The followers know, that come and watch tennis, if you’re in your seat the concept is to not disrupt play.”
11.00AM: DAY TWO UNDERWAY AT MELBOURNE PARK
The primary matches are about to get underway this morning, with Australia’s Olivia Gadecki going through a stiff problem on John Cain Area towards American Sloane Stephens.
Girls’s 14th seed Daria Kasatkina can be up towards an American, with Peyton Stearns her first-up opponent.
Within the males’s, Australian James McCabe can be seeking to be a part of the likes of Alex de Minaur, Chris O’Connell and Alexei Popyrin within the second spherical when he takes on American Alex Michelsen.
Later tonight, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ajla Tomljanovic will fly the Aussie flag via till the early night.
10.40AM: THE END? TENNIS GREAT’S SAD ADMISSION
– AFP
5-time finalist Andy Murray mentioned Monday there was a “particular chance” that he has performed his closing Australian Open after slumping out on the first hurdle.
The 36-year-old put up stiff resistance in a 61-minute first set towards Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry, however the thirtieth seed slowly floor him all the way down to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
Murray had a irritating finish to 2023, successful only one match in his final 4 tournaments, and mentioned beforehand that until his kind picked up the curtain might be coming down on his profession.
“Yeah, it’s a particular chance that would be the final time I play right here,” he mentioned.
“Compared to the matches that I performed right here final 12 months, it’s the exact opposite feeling strolling off the court docket. Want I concerned the gang extra. Simply dissatisfied with the way in which I performed. Robust, robust option to end.”
10.15AM: NADAL TAKES SAUDI CASH AMID SPORTWASHING CRITICISM
– AFP
Rafael Nadal was named ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation on Monday, because the Gulf kingdom goals to host extra skilled tournaments as a part of a broader sports activities push.
“All over the place you look in Saudi Arabia, you may see progress and progress and I’m excited to be a part of that,” the 37-year-old Spaniard, winner of twenty-two Grand Slams, mentioned in a federation press launch.
“I proceed to play tennis as I like the sport. However past enjoying I need to assist the game develop far and huge the world over and in Saudi there’s actual potential.”
Nadal was resulting from function within the ongoing Australian Open having been out of the sport since injuring his hip on the 2023 version.
After successful his opening two matches on the warm-up occasion in Brisbane, nonetheless, to tore a muscle and was compelled to overlook the primary grand slam of the 12 months.
Sport is a serious part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Imaginative and prescient 2030 reform agenda, which goals to remodel Saudi Arabia right into a tourism and enterprise hub whereas transitioning the world’s largest crude oil exporter away from fossil fuels.
Saudi Arabia has lured soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to play within the Saudi Professional League, hosted heavyweight bouts and funded the upstart LIV Golf tour to tackle the PGA Tour.
The dominion has additionally been named host of the 2034 World Cup.
However Saudi Arabia has been accused by its critics of “sportswashing” through the use of sport to enhance its worldwide popularity after widespread criticism for its human rights and environmental document.
9.50AM: ZVEREV SET TO FACE TRIAL IN GERMANY
German tennis participant Alexander Zverev is ready to go on public trial in Might over allegations he allegedly assaulted former associate Brenda Patea in 2020.
Information of the listening to broke forward of the present six-seed on the Australian Open’s first spherical match towards fellow German Dominik Koepfer.
Zverev has been “accused of bodily abusing a lady and damaging her well being throughout an argument” in Berlin over three years in the past.
Zverev, the sixth seed at Melbourne Park, begins his Australian Open event on Margaret Courtroom Area tonight towards countryman Dominik Koepfer.
9.30AM: MCENROE SLAMS ‘LAUGHABLE’ MONEY-GRABBING PLOY
Tennis legend John McEnroe has hit out at strategies Saudi Arabia may host this 12 months’s WTA Finals – calling the transfer ‘laughable’ as he identified the Petrostate’s questionable therapy of ladies.
Jeddah will host the ATP Subsequent Gen Finals till 2027, and it has been speculated that extra tournaments are on the radar of the oil-rich nation.
McEnroe, who’s in Australia to commentate on the Australian Open, has additionally seen studies that Saudi Arabia is keen to buy high-profile tennis tournaments the Miami Open and Madrid Open, and was not afraid to voice his opinion on that growth.
“It wouldn’t shock me,” McEnroe informed ESPN previous to the event beginning.
“Let’s put it this fashion: cash talks. ‘Oh, no, I wouldn’t try this. How a lot was I supplied? On second thought perhaps I’ll try this.’
The transfer that actually offends McEnroe is that of transferring the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia.
“Personally, I disagree with it fully, with the golf and the tennis,”
“The women are going to play the WTA Finals there? Are you kidding me?
“As a result of they deal with girls so nicely? That half is to me laughable.
“On the identical time, which can be laughable, is the individuals that may criticise tennis gamers or golfers for doing one thing that nearly each enterprise and the federal government do, which is take care of Saudi Arabia.
“This concept that tennis gamers should set the ethical customary, or golfers for that matter, after they’re all making the cash, it’s a complete joke so far as I’m involved. We’ll see what occurs.”
One participant who went on document not too long ago as having touted the positives of a LIV Golf-style tennis breakaway event was controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios.
“I’d have been the primary one to leap off. I’d have gone. I’d have simply let the ATP ship sink,” Kyrgios informed the Athletic of a hypothetical Saudi-backed tour.
9.00AM: RADUCANU RETURNS, IGA’S OMINOUS THREAT
Girls’s world primary Iga Swiatek is in imperious kind, with 16 straight wins below her belt, together with 5 on the latest United Cup. She begins her Australian open journey right now, as Emma Raducanu makes her grand slam comeback from harm.
The Polish participant, 22, opens her account with a rematch of the 2020 Roland Garros closing towards former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, which Swiatek gained.
“It was good to play some high-quality matches towards the highest gamers (on the United Cup),” mentioned Swiatek, who has by no means gone previous the fourth spherical in Melbourne.
“I realised that I’m feeling fairly assured, a little bit bit higher than final 12 months. Hopefully this sense goes to stick with me.”
Final 12 months’s overwhelmed finalist Elena Rybakina, contemporary from successful the Brisbane Worldwide, takes on former world primary Karolina Pliskova.
Fifth seed Jessica Pegula can be in motion and two-time champion Victoria Azarenka faces Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
Former US Open champion Raducanu, now ranked a lowly 296, is an unknown amount after an eight-month layoff.
The British participant shocked the tennis world when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021 as a qualifier however solely on one different event has she reached the fourth spherical of a Grand Slam.
Nonetheless, she is assured she will be able to get well her greatest kind after a irritating interval.
“I feel my degree, to be trustworthy, is simply too good to not come via if I put constant work collectively.”
8.45AM: ALCARAZ KEEN TO TOPPLE RLA KING
– AFP
Carlos Alcaraz is the headline acts within the males’s draw on day three of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Wimbledon champion Alcaraz is vying with Novak Djokovic for the coveted primary spot in the course of the event at Melbourne Park.
The Spaniard, 20, edged the Serbian nice in an exhilarating closing on the All England Membership final 12 months to win his second main.
Since that assembly at Wimbledon world primary Djokovic, a 10-time winner in Melbourne, has come out on prime twice towards his younger opponent, together with on the ATP Finals in November.
However Alcaraz, who missed final 12 months’s Australian Open with a hamstring harm, is undaunted as he prepares for his first match towards veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
He mentioned the problem of toppling Djokovic – king of Rod Laver Area – gave him “further motivation”.
“I at all times need to play towards the very best gamers on the earth to see what my degree is,” he mentioned.
“Clearly it’s a very good take a look at, enjoying towards him within the locations or within the event that he’s virtually unbeaten.
“Yeah, I’m seeking to attain the ultimate and hopefully enjoying a closing towards him. It might be nice, clearly.”
Elsewhere, sixth seed Alexander Zverev makes his bow whereas Grigor Dimitrov launches his marketing campaign contemporary from a title success in Brisbane.
8.30AM: ‘NO REGRETS’ FOR OSAKA AFTER FIRST-ROUND EXIT
Naomi Osaka mentioned she had no regrets and had executed “the very best that I may probably do” after her Grand Slam comeback got here to an abrupt halt on the Australian Open on Monday.
A single break proved sufficient for French sixteenth seed Caroline Gracia to win the opening set towards her rusty opponent earlier than dominating a second set tie-break to win 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) within the first spherical.
Japanese star Osaka, who has gained 4 Grand Slams, stepped away from tennis in September 2022, citing psychological well being issues.
After giving beginning to a child lady, Shai, in July, she determined to return for the 2024 season.
“I felt like I did the very best that I may probably do. It was simply very nice to be on Rod Laver once more, hear the viewers, how a lot they interacted with the match. That was enjoyable,” she mentioned.
“In fact I’ve to inform myself, ‘Hey, like six months in the past you had been pregnant’, stuff like that. In fact, there’s a voice in my head that’s, ‘Who’re you to assume you may come again and instantly begin successful matches?’
“I don’t know. I sort of at all times anticipate myself to face an opportunity in any case. So I assume simply being nicer to myself is sort of a key factor that I realized in my time away.”
Initially revealed as Australian Open 2024 day 3: Newest information, outcomes and highlights from Melbourne Park
