Rafael Nadal was playing a late match against number 28 Karen Khachanov, aiming to continue his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka failed to make it to the much-awaited fourth round of the Australian Open against top-ranked Ash Barty.
Amanda Anisimova, a 20-year-old American ranked 60th in the world, made sure the so-called final-before-the-finals wouldn’t happen when she defeated the four-time major champion 4-6, 6-3, 7 . -6 (5) Friday.
“I knew I had to play fast if I wanted to give myself a chance,” said Anisimova, who knocked out Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in the second round and then accounted for the 2021 Australian Open champions.
After losing the first set, Anisimova knew she needed to be more aggressive or she would drop out of the tournament.
It worked.
Anisimova saved two match points in the third set to help her stay in the match and end it with an ace. He hit 46 winners out of Osaka’s 21.
It is the fourth time Osaka has been unable to defend a major title, and the 11th time she has been knocked out in the third round at a Grand Slam, including last year’s US Open.
After winning the title last year – her second at Melbourne Park in three years – Osaka withdrew from the French Open in the second round and skipped Wimbledon as she took a break for her mental health. After an early loss at the US Open, she took an extended layoff to reset and reached her first Major of the year with the No. 13 seed.
Barty advanced to a 6–2, 6–3 victory over 30th seed Camilla Giorgi at Rod Laver Arena, the match starting later and ending before the Osaka–Anisimova contest at the adjacent Margaret Court Arena.
Barty has won only eight games in the first three rounds at Melbourne Park and has spent less than three hours on the court. The Wimbledon champion and 2019 French Open winner aims to become the first Australian woman since 1978 to win her home championship.
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka defeated 15th seed Elina Svitolina 6-0, 6-2 to enter the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2016.
Before she had a chance to analyze the two players she might meet next, her son was asked a question about the two-time Australian Open champion’s third-round performance.
Five-year-old Leo, wearing sunglasses and sitting on his mother’s knee in the news conference room, replied briefly: “Excellent!”
Azarenka thanked her son, then listed the positive points from her perspective. They include: “The amount of aggression I could bring, applied a lot of pressure, consistency. Taking control of my end of the court.”
She will now face French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, who registered a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 set and break-down win over 26th seed Jelena Ostapenko.
Since her quarterfinal run in Australia in 2016, Azarenka has lost first-round matches last year and in 2019, and missed hard-court tournaments in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
The 32-year-old former Belarusian is feeling comfortable in Melbourne playing dual roles of former No. 1 player and mother.
“I’ve always felt lucky to have him here,” Azarenka said. “Moments like these are really precious to me. It’s so incredible for me to be able to share it with my son.”
The fourth-round pairing was established on Friday with fifth seed Maria Sakkari up against 21st seed Jessica Pegula and eighth seed Paula Badosa against Madison Key, who defeated Wang Qiang 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 ( 2) defeated. on Friday.
On the men’s side, Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev won 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 over 124th-place qualifier Radu Albot of Moldova to set up a fourth-round match against Denis Shapovalov.
Shapovalov, seeded 14th, defeated No. 23 Reilly Opelka 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini defeated 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz 6-2, 7-6(3), 4-6, 2-6, 7-6(5).
Miomir Kekmanovic continued to make the most of the absence of fellow Serbian Novak Djokovic, reaching the fourth round for the first time with a 6–4, 6–7 (8), 6–2, 7–5 victory in the 25th. -Seeded Lorenzo Sonego.
He will now face 17th seed Gael Monfils, who defeated No 16 Christian Garin 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-3.
Kekmanovic was drawn in the first round to play nine-time Australian Open champion top-ranked Djokovic. But Djokovic was relegated on the eve of the tournament for failing to meet Australia’s strict COVID-19 regulations.
Rafael Nadal was playing a late match against number 28 Karen Khachanov, aiming to continue his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title.
I am not a god: Osaka
Philosopher Naomi Osaka said Friday that she is “not a god” and can’t always win.
Osaka said, “I fought for every point, I couldn’t be sadder.” “You know, I’m not a god. I can’t win every match.
“I just have to keep that in mind and know that it would be nice to win a tournament but I can’t think of winning a Grand Slam at the start of the year every time.
“I think I have grown a lot in this match. The last match that I played in New York (US Open), I think my attitude was completely different…
“For me, it’s exciting. Not just the loss, but the person I lost because it’s showing the evolution of tennis.”
“I think now I’m in a position where if I lose, it can make for a title, but I also think it makes for more superstars.”, and I think that’s part of the game. good for
(inputs from AFP)
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