TENNIS – THREE-TIMES Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev allowed his frustrations to boil over in a Melbourne Park meltdown before advancing to the second round yesterday while Taylor Fritz made a strong start in his bid to end a 22-year Grand Slam drought for American men.
The third day of action concluded with Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca more than living up to the hype around him as the qualifier crushed Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev in a stunning Grand Slam main draw debut.
Danish 13th seed Holger Rune was pushed all the way to five sets and Emma Navarro also had a tough time in one of three all-American ties, the women’s eighth seed surviving a major scare to beat Peyton Stearns 7-6(5) 6-7(5) 7-5.
It was plain sailing for former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina as she blitzed Australian wildcard Emerson Jones 6-1 6-1 with new coach Goran Ivanisevic watching on impressed.
In a French thriller on Court Three, experience got the better of potential as Gael Monfils edged Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(7) 6-3 6-7(6) 7-6(5) 6-4, while there were also wins for 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, ninth seed Daria Kasatkina and former men’s world number six Matteo Berrettini.
Home hope Alex de Minaur also moved through as he beat Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Russian Medvedev, runner-up last year, smashed his racket and a net camera after dropping serve in the third set but rallied for a 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-2 win against Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej.
The frustrated fifth seed’s behaviour earned him a code violation for racket abuse as play was held up before the fourth set as staff swept up debris from the court but he cut a happy figure after the match.
Fourth seed Fritz stayed cool throughout his match against compatriot Jenson Brooksby, the US Open finalist easing to a 6-2 6-0 6-3 win that showed why he is now considered best placed to end America’s 22-year wait for a major men’s prize.
Those who stayed last on Margaret Court Arena will not forget it in a hurry as the 18-year-old Fonseca dazzled under the lights in a 7-6(1) 6-3 7-6(5) defeat of Rublev.
His win meant he is only the second teenager since 1973 to beat a top-10 ATP player on his Grand Slam debut.
Crushing 51 winners, Fonseca looked completely at home on the big stage as he set up a second-round clash against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
Navarro was on the back foot for almost the entirety of her three hour, 20-minute clash on Rod Laver Arena with world number 46 Stearns before rallying from a break down to win the final four games of the third set and claim victory.
Berrettini came from a set down to beat Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-7(4) 6-4 6-1 6-3 and claim his first win at Melbourne Park since his run to the semi-finals in 2022.
His reward is a second-round tie against 13th seeded Dane Rune, who was tested over five sets by China’s Zhang Zhizhen before running out a 4-6 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-4 winner.
Raducanu reached the second round for the fourth year in a row but her 7-6(4) 7-6(2) win over 26th seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova was not all smooth sailing.
&uuid=(email))