Tennis News

After winning a bagel set against Van Uytvanck in her opening match in Melbourne, world No. 1 Serena Williams followed up with another strong performance – and a bagel set – to find herself in the third round of the Australian Open with relative ease. She will next meet Elina Svitolina, whom she encountered once previously nearly three years ago in Fed Cup action. Williams leads the head-to-head series 1-0.

Watch the match here: Serena Williams v Svitolina Live

The top seed came up against Vera Zvonareva in her second round match-up and swatted the challenge away without much effort. The American won the match 7-5, 6-0 in a total of 1 hour and 25 minutes. She hit 32 winners, 5 aces and won 70% of her first service points.

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“I’m feeling better every day. I think in beginning of the tournament every player feels a little sluggish; at least I do. Now I’m feeling like I’m starting to hopefully feel better.”

While Williams took part in a simple, straightforward match on court, her opponent, Elina Svitolina, had a much more difficult outing against Nicole Gibbs. The No. 26 seed was pushed to a tiebreak in the opening set, which she won, then dropped down a double break in the second set, which she clawed her way back from – swatting set point after set point in the process. Eventually, she was able to push back to 5-5, then they each broke each other again for 6-6, which was where the Ukrainian jumped to a 6-2 lead before closing out the match 7-6(3), 7-6(6).

This marks just the second time that Williams and Svitolina meet on the professional tour, with Williams leading the head-to-head series 1-0. While the Ukrainian has looked impressive over the past few days in Melbourne, she is no match for an in-form Serena.

Prediction: Serena Williams in Three Sets

After being handed a remarkably difficult draw as an unseeded former champion, Victoria Azarenka has handled the challenge with poise and confidence, and has blasted her way back into Grand Slam form. Her third challenge at the event will come against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, whom she has met twice previously on the tour and has never dropped a set to take a 2-0 Head to Head lead.

Watch the match here: Azarenka v Zahlavova Strycova Live

After defeating Sloane Stephens in first round action, Victoria Azarenka, a former champion at this event, came up against the resurgent Caroline Wozniacki, whom she has a storied history against. It proved to be a necessary litmus test for Azarenka, and her straight sets win will likely boost her confidence for the remainder of the event. She defeated her Danish adversary 6-4, 6-2 to close out the match in 1 hour and 38 minutes.

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“I think it was a very good match, very high quality,” said Azarenka. “I’m happy with the way I stayed consistent throughout the whole match. I think there’s always things you can improve, but it’s a great progress from one match to another. I just want to keep trying to stay in that path and continue to grow, continue to improve.”

“I wish I would have won,” said Wozniacki. “You can always look back and say, I wish I’d done this, I wish I’d taken this breakpoint, taken advantage at 30-Love. At the end of the day she played better than me today and hats off to that. I just need to go back and work hard. Early, still beginning of the year. So still have 10 months to make up for this. Hopefully it’s still going to be a good year.”

In her second round match against Kai-Chen Chang, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova dominated the proceedings en route to a straight sets victory. She won the match 6-1, 7-5, hitting two aces, 11 winners and 59% of her first service points. The contest lasted a total of 80 minutes.

Of their two previous meetings on the tour, Azarenka holds a 2-0 stranglehold over the series and will be keen to hold onto that lead en route to the later stages of the season-opening Major tournament. She has never dropped more than six games in her matches against Strycova but also has not met her in nearly four years, which could complicate matter slightly.

Prediction: Victoria Azarenka in Straight Sets

The biggest upset on Friday afternoon in Melbourne took place on Rod Laver Arena, where 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer suffered a shocking defeat to Andreas Seppi to crash out of the tournament before the fourth round.

Seppi, who held a 0-10 record against Federer prior to this encounter, withstood 15 aces from the former champion and broke serve three times to close out the mach in four sets 6-4, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5). Federer, who was dealing with the difficult conditions out on court, hit 9 double faults along with his 55 unforced errors to contribute to his demise in Melbourne.

The match came with twists and turns, particularly in the second set, where Federer worked his way from a break down to a tiebreaker, led 4-1, then squandered it to hand the Italian a two-set lead in the match. Nothing was the same after that. With the shadow covering half the court in Melbourne, Federer was unable to serve properly in the fourth set and eventually lost a second tiebreaker to Seppi, who finished the match with a miraculous passing shot.

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“I wish I could have played better, but clearly it was tough losing the first two, you know,” a dejected Federer said after the match. “Had chances to get back into it. I let it slip, I mean, both times in some ways. I guess I won the wrong points out there today. I knew how important that second set tiebreaker was, so clearly that hurt, losing that one. The end wasn’t pretty, you know. It wasn’t easy to play with the shadow. But it was the same for both of us. Just a disappointing loss, you know.”

The loss to Seppi snaps Federer’s remarkable semi-final streak in Melbourne, which began in 2004 and extended until 2014.

Federer began his 2015 season with a title victory in Brisbane, which included wins over James Duckworth, Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic. Given his current form, and the fact that he had only dropped one set to Seppi prior to their meeting on Friday, this is easily the biggest upset of the year so far.

Although it was not the cleanest of matches on his part, 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer found his way into the third round of the Australian Open in four sets and will now look to further his campaign when he meets Italy’s Andreas Seppi for the 11th time on the professional tour. Federer holds a 10-0 undefeated Head to Head record against Seppi and will look to maintain that unblemished streak en route to the fourth round of the event.

Watch the match live here: Federer vs Seppi Live

Following a tight start to the previous round match, second seed Roger Federer quickly foud himself a set down and in need of a change of pace. He managed to turn the tides on his Italian opponent Simone Bolelli and won the next three sets with total command of the match. Federer, who won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, hit 15 aces, 36 winners and won 79% of his first service point to earn the victory.

“I thought he played two really good sets against me in Davis Cup, so I felt like he was really, you know, imposing his strength at the baseline. I could sense there that he had a good forehand; committed, you know, on the return; solid backhand with the option to hit the slice. I wasn’t that surprised, to be honest, you know. I was just surprised how well, how consistently he was doing that, and especially how well he was serving actually. But then again, conditions were fast, which made it easier to serve well and harder to return.

“Maybe the break, I shouldn’t be broken, but he was really playing very well from the baseline. I guess in these conditions sometimes a break can be a set. That’s when I was under pressure for a while in the second set, but I’m happy I fought my way out of it.”

Italy’s Andreas Seppi also advanced to the third round in four sets, as he defeated France’s Jeremy Chardy to secure his spot. He won the match 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in 2 hours and 32 minutes. He struck 8 aces, 31 winners and won 76% of his first service points.

This marks the 11th time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour and the first time since a 2013 meeting in Shanghai. Seppi was unable to tarnish Federer’s record against him during Federer’s worst season on the tour, and he will certainly not be able to stand in his way this time around either.

Prediction: Roger Federer in Straight Sets

It was almost another dark day at a Grand Slam event for Rafael Nadal. The king of clay was pushed his maximum on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night and barely clawed his way out of the match with a break in the fifth and final set. Now that he has lived to fight another day, Nadal will come up against Israel’s Dudi Sela, whom the Spaniard has never faced previously on the tour.

Watch the match here: Nadal v Sela Live

When the former champion stepped out on court, few anticipated that his American adversary would give him such difficulties. Nadal, however, quickly found himself down 2-1 in sets and was forced to crawl back to level terms. In the final set, the match came down to a first serve, which Smyczek gave back to Rafa in a sign of great sportsmanship, but which also cost him the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-5. The Spaniard withstood 15 aces from Smyczek, hit 42 winners and won 69% of his first service points to salvage his campaign in Melbourne.

“Well, I saw him play some videos. I checked some videos. Well, I think he played well, but is true that what he did at the end of the fifth is just amazing. Congratulate. I say on the court, but I want to say here, too. Very few players can do that after four hours something of match, 5-All, Love-30. So just will say thanks to him because he’s a great example what he did today.”

While not faced with as difficult a task as Rafa, Dudi Sela needed four sets to dispatch Czech No. 2 Lukas Rosol and advance to the third round in Melbourne. Sela withstood 17 aces, won 71% of his first service points and hit 37 winners to earn the victory.

This is the first time that Nadal and Sela cross paths on the professional tour and could make for another surprisingly competitive match, given Nadal’s current form. While I cannot imagine Sela beating Nadal, this does have the makings of a four-set battle.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal in Four Sets

The fourth day of the Australian Open almost saw a colossal upset on the women’s side, but it was eventually averted as Maria Sharapova displayed her trademark resiliency to claw her way to a close three-set win. She will next meet Zarina Diyas for a spot in the fourth round of the tournament.

Watch the match here: Sharapova v Diyas Live

The second seed looked to be on her way to a straightforward win on Wednesday afternoon in Melbourne but quickly found herself in a tough match when Alexandra Panova stole the second set to force a decider between the two Russians. All eyes were on Rod Laver Arena as Panova took an early break in the third set and consolidated it with a second break minutes later. All appeared lost for the former champion, but she perservered and eventually managed to save two match points for 5-5. From there, the tides turned in dramatic fashion, and Sharapova won the following two games to close out the match 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

Sharapova hit 8 aces, won 67% of her first service points and struck 38 winners. However, she also hit 51 unforced errors, which contributed to her difficulties on court.

“I thought my thought process through the match to that point was pretty negative. I think I was dwelling too much on my mistakes, what I was doing wrong, not really being in the present, something that I’m really usually good at. At that point when you’re behind and you feel like you’re making a lot of errors, you don’t feel like you have a good rhythm out there, I just really tried to take it a point at a time, think positively, and change my thought process a little bit. When other things aren’t working, maybe the mental side of things will help you out. I think in the end maybe that’s what did.”

The Russian will next come up against rising star Zarina Diyas, who also needed three sets to advance to the third round of the tournament. She struck 7 aces, 38 winners and won 62% of her first service points to win in 2 hours and 40 minutes.

This marks the first time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour. While Diyas is capable of taking a set of Sharapova, she does not have the intensity to match the Russian’s resiliency.

Prediction: Maria Sharapova in Three Sets

Newly engaged Tomas Berdych continued his quest through the Australian Open draw with another straight sets victory to set up a third round encounter with Viktor Troicki. This marks the seventh time these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with the Berdych v Troicki head to head standing at 5-1.

Watch the match here: Berdych v Troicki Live

In his second round match-up against Jurgen Melzer, Tomas Berdych faced minimal difficulties following a tight opening set. He struck nine aces, won 83% of his first service points and 36 winners to close out the match 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-2 and advance in 2 hours and 3 minutes.

“The whole match was not easy one. The tough condition again today. He was playing very smart. His game plan was actually good to go. But after the first set I find the way how to deal with that, how to handle it, and, you know, even though I was each set break down, I managed to come back and to play some good tennis.”

While Berdych’s match was straightforward, Viktor Troicki needed four sets against Leonardo Mayer to find his way into the third round of the Australian Open. He struck 11 aces, won 81% of his first service points and managed 27 winners en route to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.

This marks the seventh time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Berdych leading the series 5-1. Their most recent encounter took place last season in a meeting that Berdych won in straight sets. Based on their series trajectory, this should be another win for Berdych, granted he maintains his serve.

Prediction: Tomas Berdych in Straight Sets

After meeting twice in 2010 then never again, Simona Halep and Bethanie Mattek-Sands will meet for the third time on the professional tour, with the head to head series tied at 1-1. However, there is little doubt that Halep, who has progressed to become one of the top players on the WTA tour, will take the lead in the series come Friday afternoon.

Watch the match here: Halep v Mattek-Sands Live

The third seed at the Australian Open was on last on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, as she was forced to play after the extended match between Rafael Nadal and Tim Smyczek.

“I didn’t expect that,” Halep said after the match. “But, you know, that’s tennis. Sometimes we have to wait few hours to play. But was okay. If I won, everything was okay. I just stay in the locker room or in the lounge, players lounge, with my team. We are speaking, laughing. Normal things. Nothing special.”

However, the Romainain would not spend much time on court, as she defeated local talent Jarmila Gajdosova 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the third round of the tournament. Halep hit 7 aces, 21 winners and won 79% of her first service points to close out the win in 1 hour and 7 minutes of court time.

While Mattek-Sands only needed just the two sets to reach the third round, her victory over Kristina Mladenovic came in the form of a pair of tiebreakers. She hit 74% of her first serves in, 38 winners and converted three break points to finish the match in exactly two hours.

“I played once against her in French Open few years ago,” Halep said of her upcoming match-up. “I expect tough match. She’s playing well. She’s fighting till the end. So I have confidence that I can win that match. But, you know, I have to be very focused for every point and to play my game.”

This marks the third time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, and the second time at a Grand Slam event. Halep leads the head-to-head series and will likely add to that lead, even though this will be their first meeting in well over four years.

Prediction: Simona Halep in Straight Sets

There was much talk and concern regarding the expected performance of Eugenie Bouchard at the season-opening Grand Slam event given her abysmal ending to 2014. However, in her two matches to date this week in Melbourne, she has passed with flying colours and is yet to face a challenge in her draw. That will change on Friday, as the Canadian is scheduled to come up against Caroline Garcia, who defeated her in their only career meeting last year in Acapulco. Check out the Bouchard v Garcia Head to Head.

Watch the match here: Bouchard v Garcia Live

Against Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, Bouchard required minimal effort and only faced a slight hiccup at the end of the match en route to her straight sets victory. Bouchard only dropped three games in the match, all of which took place in the second set. She won 70% of her first service points, hit 20 winners and 14 unforced errors to beat Bertens in 54 minutes of court time.

“I think I put pressure on her a lot and I think probably forced her to make some errors,” Bouchad said. “I was happy with the way I was able to step in and control the, points, whether I did the winner or she did the error. In the end I think that’s how I want to play. Just need to stay a bit more focused at the end to try to close it out. More on my terms.”

Faced with a durable opponent in Stefanie Voegele, France’s Caroline Garcia fired 11 aces, 39 winners and won 94% of her first service points to close out the match 6-3,6-4. The contest lasted 1 hour and 9 minutes and was an entirely lopsided affair on Court 6.

“I know it’s going to be super tough,” said Bouchard of Garcia. “I know she’s a good up-and-comer. She can have some big shots. She’ll definitely, yeah, do some big shots and play well. It’s up to me to try to not let her do that as much as I can, you know, and try to focus on my game and play aggressive. But, yeah, I know I’m going to be up against a tough player who’s going to go for it.”

This marks the second time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Garcia leading the series 1-0 with a win in Acapulco on hard court. These two will likely be in for another three-set thriller, particularly given their most recent performances in Melbourne, but this time it will be Bouchard who will find her best tennis to claw her way to victory.

Prediction: Eugenie Bouchard in Three Sets