Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca delivered a shocking upset on the Australian Open on Tuesday by defeating ninth seed Andrey Rublev, whereas 2024 finalist Daniil Medvedev narrowly escaped the same shock.
A rampant Taylor Fritz, veteran Gael Monfils and residential hope Alex de Minaur additionally all progressed into spherical two at Melbourne Park.
In the ladies’s draw, Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina had been each emphatic winners on day three, with Emma Navarro and Emma Raducanu additionally victorious.
But the day belonged to the 18-year-old Fonseca, who defeated Russia’s Rublev 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) on his Grand Slam debut.
Roared on by Brazilian followers decked out in yellow, Fonseca appeared completely unfazed as he arrange a second-round assembly with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
“It’s the first time playing in a huge stadium,” he informed an energized Margaret Court Arena.
“There are a lot of Brazilians here cheering for me and I enjoyed every moment, thanks a lot.”
Rublev’s fellow Russian Medvedev, a three-time shedding finalist in Melbourne together with a yr in the past to Jannik Sinner, was a heavy favourite in opposition to Thailand’s 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej.
But in his first match of the season, the fifth seed practically imploded in a match of anger earlier than discovering some measure of calm.
“Second and third set I couldn’t touch the ball. I didn’t know what to do,” Medvedev mentioned after lastly profitable 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.
The 28-year-old mangled his racquet as he spectacularly misplaced his rag within the third set, slamming it into the online digicam repeatedly till they each grew to become a damaged mess.
There was no such bother for fourth seed Fritz as he blitzed fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 to launch his bid for a maiden Grand Slam crown.
“It’s never easy playing that first match in a Slam, there are some nerves, so I did a really good job shaking them off early and playing really solid,” mentioned Fritz, who took only one hour and 46 minutes to dismantle his compatriot.
France’s Monfils battled by way of a five-set thriller to topple younger countryman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and proceed the 38-year-old’s late-career resurgence.
Crowd-pleaser Monfils grew to become the oldest singles champion in ATP Tour historical past when he swept to victory on the Auckland Classic on Saturday.
He saved the momentum going in opposition to lethal-serving Mpetshi Perricard, 21, over a grueling three hours and 46 minutes.
“I’m crazy happy,” mentioned the favored Monfils.
“Everything is a win now, so, you know, no pressure on me.”
De Minaur, nicknamed “The Demon” by Australian followers and media, eased previous Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.
‘Mind of its personal’
Italy’s Paolini breezed previous Wei Sijia 6-0, 6-4 in simply 73 minutes to underline her title credentials.
The 29-year-old has mentioned she received a style for taking part in on the largest stage after rocketing to world No. 4 final yr on the again of ending runner-up at each Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
“Maybe everything began from here last year,” Paolini, who reached the fourth spherical 12 months in the past, mentioned after hammering the world No. 117 from China.
Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina dished out a harsh lesson of her personal to 16-year-old Emerson Jones, profitable 6-1, 6-1 in a ruthless assertion of intent.
The sixth seed from Kazakhstan demonstrated her pedigree as she maneuvered the world junior No. 1 from Australia to all components of Margaret Court Arena.
The 2021 U.S. Open champion Raducanu blew cold and warm in beating twenty sixth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2).
The 22-year-old Briton, who subsequent faces American Amanda Anisimova, clocked up 15 double faults and mentioned that her serve had “a mind of its own.”
Navarro, the eighth seed, beat fellow American Peyton Stearns in three units.
The thirteenth seeding proved unfortunate for Anna Kalinskaya, a quarterfinalist final yr, who withdrew moments earlier than her match in opposition to Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.
Kalinskaya was changed by fortunate loser Eva Lys of Germany, who took full benefit of her last-minute call-up by profitable 6-2, 6-2.
Many of the highest names together with Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka might be again in motion on Wednesday when the second spherical begins.
Source: www.dailysabah.com