Despite requiring therapy twice for his hamstring, Novak Djokovic overcame a tough job to beat Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(7), 6-3, 6-4 within the third spherical.
The Serb blew a set level whereas serving for the primary set and noticed his subsequent two set factors, which got here half-hour after the primary set, saved throughout a lights-out first-set tiebreak. Djokovic wanted to be at his finest within the breaker, profitable the set after a number of 20-shot rallies, and seeing all of it out after collapsing on the ground in exhaustion. He by no means regarded again after that and put the stress on the Bulgarian star with three breaks of serve. The hamstring, nevertheless, is a trigger for concern as he’ll subsequent tackle native favourite Alex de Minaur.
Elsewhere, Andy Murray’s outstanding efficiency on the Australian Open got here to an finish after a wrestle that lasted greater than three hours, happening 1-6, 7-6(7), 3-6, 4-6 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Lost
Scott was bodily shattered within the first set, and located unbelievable metal to come back again from a break down within the second, profitable a outstanding tiebreaker. Bautista Agut used his expertise to mount longer rallies, and wore down his bodily weaker opponent, beating the group and giving Murray a invaluable victory.
In the ladies’s draw, heavy hitter Aryna Sabalenka continued her unbelievable kind in 2023, beating Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-3 to make 2023 9 wins with out dropping a set in 9 matches. Next as much as face a troublesome check in opposition to in-form Belinda Bencic.
Fourth seed and WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia wanted a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win in opposition to Germany’s Laura Siegmund after a gradual begin.
Sania-Bopanna pair off to a superb begin
Sania Mirza, in her last Grand Slam, makes a profitable debut within the blended doubles occasion. He and compatriot Rohan Bopanna got here from behind on a service break to beat Australian pair Jamie Fourlis and Luke Saville 7-5, 6-3 within the first spherical. He gained 9 of the final 12 matches of the match.
Mirza additionally reached the second spherical of ladies’s doubles with Kazakhstan companion Anna Dalnina.
The Sriram Balaji-Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan partnership additionally defeated fifth seeded pair Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-4. Both entered the draw as alternates after making vital enhancements of their rankings after ending runners-up on the ATP 250 occasion in Pune.
In the juniors, promising 15-year-old Manas Dhamane made a recent begin to his ATP primary draw debut with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Australia’s Jeremy Zhang in Pune.
Other notable outcomes:
Men’s Singles:
(5) ANDREY RUBLEV def. (25) Dan Evans 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
(9) Holger Roone def. Ugo Humber 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
(22) Alex De Minaur def. Benjamin Bonjee 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-1
Women’s Singles:
Linda Fruhvirtova def. Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
(12) Belinda Bencic def. Camilla Giorgi 6-2, 7-5
(30) Karolina Pliskova def. Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-2
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
