New Delhi: Six-time champion Novak Djokovic was tested by Gael Monfils in the second round of Australian Open 2018 as the Serb came from behind to register 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 win in 2hr 45min on baking Rod Laver Arena.
Both the players were tested to their limit as the temperature hit 39C. Monfils, after losing the second set, even left the court with a doctor while complaining of dizziness. However, the Frenchman returned to court for the exhausting third set which lasted for eight minutes.
Australian Open 2018: Doubles Pairs Leander Paes-Purav Raja, Rohan Bopanna-Divij Sharan Advance to Second Round
Meanwhile, Djokovic, who had been out of action for six months with an elbow injury, stretched his unbeaten record over Monfils to 15-0. The gruelling clash also proved out to be a fitness test for the the 12-time Grand Slam champion, who made 40 unforced errors and sent down 11 double faults during the game.
14th seeded Djokovic will now clash against Spanish 21st seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the third round of the tournament.
Elsewhere, Dominic Thiem of Austria, attained a hard-fought win over Denis Kudla of the United States. The fifth-seeded beat Kudla 6-7 (6-8), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to confirm his berth in the third round of the tournament.
The 24-year-old Thiem nearly took four hours to come back from two sets down to overcome Kudla, the World No.176. Thiem will next face Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, world No. 27, who defeated Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-3.
Here are some other Men’s results from day four:
Julien Benneteau (FRA) def David Goffin (BEL) 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 7-6
Tomas Berdych (CZE) def Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) def Tim Smyczek (USA) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6
Fabio Fognini (ITA) def Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) def Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3
Nicolas Kicker (ARG) def Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-2, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) def Sam Querrey (USA) 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
In the women’s department, former champion Maria Sharapova defeated Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) to set up a third round clash with German Angelique Kerber, who thrashed Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-1 in the second round.
In a different match, third seed Garbiñe Muguruza suffered a shock defeat by losing 6-7, 4-6 against world no. 88 Hsieh Su-wei.
Taiwan’s Hsieh, who needed almost two hours to claim one of the biggest upsets so far in the tournament, will play his third round game against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, who defeated Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a second-round match.
Also, World No.1 Simona Halep overcame an ankle injury to beat Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-2 in the second third round. In the third round, Halep will clash with the United States’ Lauren Davis, who defeated Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Meanwhile, Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova beat Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-1 in just 44 minutes to set up the third round clash with the her compatriot Lucie Safarova, who defeated the Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-4 in the second round.