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The Australian Open

AO Women: Day 2

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Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka beat the heat with a quick-fire win into the Australian Open second round on Tuesday as summer temperatures soared into the upper 30s Celsius.

An hour or so after her win, play was halted for a minimum of two and a half hours under the tournament’s heat rules, creating a logjam for a crowded Day 2 schedule.

Sabalenka led a parade of early women’s winners who all got the job done in around an hour on court at Melbourne Park.

Caroline Garcia celebrates winning her first round match. Photo: Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd

Sanalenka, who tuned up with a title at the WTA Adelaide event, defeated Czech Tereza Martincova 6-1, 6-4 in 69 minutes.

“It wasn’t an easy match, I’m just happy with the good start here. I’m really doing everything I can to get as far as I can.

“The only thing I can say is that I’m really working hard, physically and mentally; I’m ready to go deep.

“Hopefully I will do my best on court, but I definitely need to cool down,:” she said post-match.

Sabalenka was joined as a quick winner by Camilla Giorgi who needed 55 minutes to blow Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova off the court 6-0 6-1.

The Italian didn’t have to out-perform, with her opponent contributing more than 20 unforced errors.

“It was a great match, especially in the first round,” Giorgi said. “It’s a very good start to the day.”

Taylor Townsend, once touted as a hot prospect but bothered by a weight problem, posted her first win at a Grand Slam in three years.

The American wild card entry who took time away from the game to have a child, buffeted Diane Parry 6-1, 6-1, taking a mere 57 minutes.

“I just felt like from start to finish I was in control of what I was doing,” she said.

“I was able to just maintain my composure and continue to execute. For my next match I want to start where I ended today and keep progressing.”

Ekatereina Alexandrova clocked the shortest match time with her 52-minute defeat of Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure 6-2, 6-1.

French fourth seed Carolina Garcia, winner of the WTA Finals in November, put aside a first-round loss here a year ago, overwhelming Canadian qualifier Katherine Sebov 6-3, 6-0 in 65 minutes, winning the final nine games.

The winner said she hardly expected to be placed on the Laver show court, but she quickly adapted to the prime-time venue.

“It was nice to be able to walk in the shadow. I don’t know if in the crowd there is some AC or whatever (electric fans blowing water drops into the stands), but it felt warm, but it felt okay.

“There were nerves, I think there will always be some. That means I care about what I’m doing.

“I was not expecting at the beginning to play on Rod Laver, so I was a little bit surprised when I saw the schedule out. It’s actually my first win on Rod Laver, so it was pretty nice.”

Canada got a revenge win as 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez defeated Alize Cornet of France 7-5, 6-2, breaking through for a first win here after three first-round defeats.

“I did well to manage my emotions, and manage the heat,” the winner said.

“I tried not to get too hot-headed. I’m happy to be on to the next round.”

2020 finalist and two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza served for victory but was eventually dealt out in her opening match, with the Spaniard falling 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 to Elise Mertens of Belgium.

Muguruza has now lost four consecutive matches this season in the first round.

The Australian Open

Fashion-forward Osaka will tone it down at RG

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Tennis style icon Naomi Osaka has no plans to try for one-upmanship in the informal fashion stakes at Roland Garros.

The former world No. 1 from Japan has sometimes made more news with her style choices than her racquet, especially after taking time off several seasons ago to have a child.

But Osaka has run against the traditional tennis grain with some of her outfits, which included an exo-skeleton ensemble at January’s Australian Open, where she walked onto court for her opening match wearing a large hat, veil, and carrying a parasol combination and wearing a pair of pleated pants..

The clothing was discarded before the start revealing a tennis dress, with the quirky player explaining the get-up was inspired by “the jellyfish, then butterflies, which ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,” 

The world No. 16 also put on a fashion show at the spring Met Gala in New York, sporting a wedding dress-style garment combined with another huge hat..

For Osaka, it’s just another day in the office, but she said nothing special is planned when Roland Garros kicks of on Sunday in Paris.

“I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes,” she said on Saturday prior to the start of the year’s second major.

“That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or
fabric as I want.

“I think that’s the fun part.. I feel we lost that a little in tennis. I grew up with, you know, Serena’s and Venus’s (Williams) grand reveals (included beaded hair and catsuits on court).

“I know there are some kids or some people who are  similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits. 

“But, yeah, I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense.”

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ATP

Kyrgios due to resurface on German grass

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Nick Kyrgios is being touted for a return to tennis after playing just one singles match all season, with the controversial Australian due in the lineups for Stuttgart and Halle in June.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist who turns 31 in a week, has been added to the entry lists for the pair of run-up events prior to the grass-court major which starts on June 29.

Kyrgios, who has missed months on end due to injury and motivational worries, has played just one Grand Slam match since 2022, losing in the Australian Open first round in 2025.

His lone outing this season was an ATP defeat in Brisbane on January 6.

Nevertheless, the acquired taste is feted as a crowd-puller and will have German organisers on alert as to his eventual availability.

“Nick Kyrgios has been one of the most ‌dazzling ⁠personalities in world tennis for years,” Halle tournament organisers said in a statement.

“The Australian is known for his exceptional playing style, characterised by one of the best serves on the tour, ⁠spectacular winners, and great creativity.

“At the same time, his emotional personality and charisma attract considerable attention far beyond the sport.”

Stuttgart start the day after the Roland Garros final while Halle follows a week later in northern Germany from June 13-21.

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ATP

Djoko dropping hints that career has short shelf life

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Novak Djokovic has been making it plain that the end of his career is approaching, with the 38-year-old dropping his strongest hint ever about his future on court.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion who has been keeping his ATP scheduling options open and has competed this season only at the Australian Open (finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz) and winning two rounds last month at Indian Wells.

“Tennis is still very important to me, but it’s no longer everything,” the Serb told Esquire Australia, adding that family matters and two children are starting to take precedence in his life.

“It’s one of the biggest challenges – finding the right balance between tennis and family life, especially as my children are growing and have school commitments, so they can’t travel with me as much as before.

“When I’m on the court, I’m motivated not just to win, but to set an example – to show them values like dedication, resilience, and love for what you do. That motivation is very powerful and very personal.”

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic was runner up to Carlos Alcaraz in AO26 – by ISF Ltd

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