Serena Williams in action in the Australian Open on Wednesday. (Twitter/@AusOpen) After an eventful second day, the Australian Open resumed its action on Wednesday with several second-round clashes featuring big-money names like Serena Williams, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka and Bianca Andreescu.
SERENA SEES OFF STOJANOVIC
Serena Williams overcame a spirited Nina Stojanovic 6-3 6-0 on a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena to reach the third round of the Australian Open for the 19th time on Wednesday.
The American, again sporting her distinctive one-legged leotard, needed to find her best game at times in the first set against a Serbian 15 years her junior who was playing in her fourth Grand Slam.
“She pushed me really hard and played well throughout the match,” the 39-year-old said. “I wasn’t thinking so much in the second set.”
Superb form from @serenawilliams.
Our 7 time champion moves into the round of 32, dismantling Stojanovic 6-3 6-0.#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/hbacPSA5qJ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 10, 2021
VENUS MAKES PAINFUL EXIT AFTER ROLLING ANKLE
Venus Williams refused to give up after suffering an injury against Italian Sara Errani and fought through pain before bowing out of the Australian Open second round with a 6-1 6-0 defeat on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old American, a seven-times Grand Slam winner and twice finalist at Melbourne Park, started the match with a taped left knee and twisted her right ankle trying to play an approach shot while trailing 1-5 in the opening set.
ANDREESCU’S COMEBACK CUT SHORT BY HSIEH
Bianca Andreescu’s comeback after a 15-month absence from tennis ended abruptly in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday with the Canadian eighth seed crumbling to a 6-3 6-2 defeat to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei in the opening match at Rod Laver Arena.
Don’t go sleeping on Su-wei Hsieh 👀#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/9gypIDr73d
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 10, 2021
CIRSTEA SENDS KVITOVA CRASHING OUT
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was sent packing from the Australian Open on Wednesday after a 6-4 1-6 6-1 second-round defeat by Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
DJOKOVIC PASSES TIAFOE TEST
Novak Djokovic’s aura of invincibility at Rod Laver Arena wavered under the pressure of Frances Tiafoe but the Serbian rose to the challenge to claim a galvanising 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win and reach the third round.
Tiafoe went toe-to-toe with the top seed but it all fell apart in the seventh game of the final set when the American grew frustrated by the service clock and was broken after a foul-mouthed tirade.
Tiafoe also earned a code violation for an audible obscenity before bowing out with a double fault on match point as Djokovic advanced to a third-round clash against the winner of Americans Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka.
“It feels like my living room.” 🛋@DjokerNole shares his @RodLaverArena recipe for success.#AO2021 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/PMadIfuD2k
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 10, 2021
THIEM EASES THROUGH IN MELBOURNE
U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem kept his time in the Melbourne sun to an absolute minimum on Wednesday, taking 93 minutes to beat Dominik Koepfer 6-4 6-0 6-2 and secure his place in the third round.
The 27-year-old booked a third-round date with the winner of the later contest between Nick Kyrgios and Ugo Humbert when Koepfer went wide with a forehand for his 38th unforced error.
WAWRINKA FALLS TO FEARLESS FUCSOVICS
Hungarian Marton Fucsovics came through a five-set thriller against Stan Wawrinka on Wednesday, defeating the three-time Grand Slam champion 7-5 6-1 4-6 2-6 7-6(9) to reach the third round of the Australian Open.
Wawrinka, the 17th seed, was sloppy in the opening two sets, committing 29 unforced errors and landing just over 60% of his first serves.
What. A. Match. 😱
Fucsovics survives multiple match points for Wawrinka in the fifth set tiebreak to triumph in a classic 👏👏
7-5 6-1 4-6 2-6 7-6(11) #AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/rbpJM337nU
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 10, 2021