Righto, that’s us done for today – join us again tomorrow for more love and joy. Peace out.
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Tomljanovic says the crowd never gave up even when she was two breaks down, so she thought that she shouldn’t either; without the crowd, she might’ve lost the decider 6-2. Martic never let her settle and there’s a bit of luck involved in her win tonight, but she’ll have an ice bath then play doubles tomorrow.
Ajla Tomljanovic beats Petra Martic 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4
An unbelievable win from Tomljanovic, who was twobreaks down in the decider. But she never game up, and shonuff Martic crumbled, her weak attempted drop on match point saying plenty about how she handled clutch. She meets Ostapnko next, and that’ll be a lot of fun.
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Tomljanovic makes 30-all then clobbers a forehand winner down the line, and that’s match point! She’s handled the pressure superbly, winning four games straight to reach this point, and will fancy herself to see it out from here; Martic looks gone.
A big forehand raises game-point for Tomljanovic, and a long return means Martic, once a double-break up, must now hold to stay in the match at 4-5 in the third! Momentum is now with the home favourite.
No way! Tomljanovic, who’s staying much calmer than Martic, breaks again We’re back on serve at 4-4 in the decider, and I guess we’re seeing why the latter hasn’t quite made the most of her technical ability.
Pegula says last season, she learnt she could beat the best and that she could win on a bad day, and she now doesn’t get too upset if things aren’t great for her from the off. I’m not sure I agree with her, for the nothing it’s worth – she’ll need to beat one of the big four in a Slam for me to allow that – but if she believes she can', that’s a decent chunk of the battle.
Jessica Pegula (5) beats Rebecca Marino 6-2 6-4
A typically solid effort from Pegula – Marino played well – and meets Clara Burel next.
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Now Tomljanovic holds to love, and there’s life in this match yet, what’s left of the crowd cheering her on. Pressure for Martic, soon to serve leading 4-3 in the decider.
Up 15-0, Pegula bangs an ace down the middle, while Tomljanovic retrieves one of Martic’s two breaks, keeping the match alive at 2-4 in the decider.
Well done Rebecca Marino, who holds, thereby forcing Pegula to serve for the match at 6-2 5-4.
We’ve got two remaining live matches, both drawing to a close by the looks of things: Pegula leads Marino 6-2 5-3, while Martic leads Tomljanovic 6-7 6-4 4-1.
Mac interviews Alcaraz, who says he enjoys playing in Melbourne, and by the end he was at a decent level. They then discuss what a good player and nice bloke Gasquet is – that’s nice – and then prompted by Mac, Alcaraz admits that sometimes he hits unnecessary shots to entertain the crowd. He wants to “make the people enjoy watching tennis, make them enjoy my game,” doing stuff they don’t expect, so sometimes he “doesn’t see the score”. Finally, reminded that he once said his best quality on a tennis court is his ability to smile, he’s asked how he does it – being that good is part of it, I’d guess – and says that looking up at his family reminds him to “bring the joy” when on court. He plays tennis to enjoy the game, though when he was younger “was mad dog all the time”; but since then, he’s learnt how to have fun. What a tremendous young man he is.
Carlos Alcaraz (2) beats Richard Gasquet 7-6(5) 6-1 6-2
A great effort from Gasquet, who competed for a set before tiring as Alcaraz grew; he meets Sonego next and can play much better than he did today.
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Gosh, Alcaraz just can’t get this done, Gasquet landing a backhand on the line that causes his riposte to drop long. But a framed drop-volley means another advantage and another match point…
By the way, Pegula is a break up on Marino, leading 6-2 3-2, while Martic leads Tomljanovic 2-0 in the third.
Another fine winner from Gasquet, a forehand return, earns him an unlikely break point, but Alcaraz quickly retrieves it ands raises a second match point, only to swing a forehand long to hand back deuce. No big-match temperament, that lad.
Gasquet makes 0-15, then finds himself sprinting to the corner, vainly chasing an Alcaraz forehand; he’s not the first. And what’s this?! Alcaraz then comes in only to net a forehand … for all the difference it makes. He quickly makes 30-all, races in to put a forehand into the corner – Gasquet almost gets it back but not quite – but he does spirit a forehand winner to save match point and raise deuce!
Down 1-5 in third, Gasquet has to fight through deuce if he wants to stick about for one more game, and respect to how hard he’s working to make that happen, coaxing a lovely backhand, on the run and down the line, to force Alcaraz to serve for the match.
Yup, Martic serves out to level the match at 6-7 6-4. She’s a better athlete than Tomljanovic, I think, and her best level is also better, so I fancy her to see it out from here.
Gasquet is on the board in set three at 1-4, and in comms, Kyrgios says he – and some of the other French lads – “like to have a shove”. I assumed he was talking about a flutter, but the continuation of the conversation suggests he means a bit of a chat – feel free to email in if you’ve a definitive read on the subject.
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Alcaraz consolidates for 4-0 in the third and this is very nearly over, while on Laver, Pegula breaks Marino again then serves out for a 6-2 set, and on Cain, Martic is serving for 1-1 at 5-4 against Tomljanovic.
Alcaraz breaks Gasquet again, who you’ve got to give credit for still being about this life at 37. I wonder if he regrets not working harder in his 20s to maximise his talent, but I daresay he’s had an enjoyable time – to say nothing of this phenomenal excuse.
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Oh, and Alcaraz, leading by two sets to love, is up a break at 1-0 in the third, Gasquet having emptied the tank while losing the first on a breaker.
Pegula is doing what she does, knocking off inferior players; she leads Marino 3-2 with a break, while Martic is up 4-3 with a break having lost the first to Tomljanovic.
Didn’t Sonego enjoy that match! He milks the win too, celebrating wildly, and with his serve, he can give Alcaraz aggravation even if he’s not got the game to actually beat him.
Lorenzo Sonego beats Dan Evans 4-6 7-6(8) 6-2 7-6(4)
That was a sensational match, and were Evans fitter, he might’ve taken it. But he fought his arse off and can be proud of that – if he can stay healthy, he’s got plenty to offer – while Sonego moves on to meet Alcaraz or Gasquet in round two.
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Huck hum! Sonego slaps a decent forehand cross, Evans makes his volley on the stretch, the ball sits up begging to be punished … and the Italian nets! 4-5, and there’s a serious atmosphere out there … but then Evans, having done all the hard work, opens the space for a forehand down the line … and goes wide! Evans collapses on to his haunches, while Sonego has match point!
But Evans is a gamer, hooking a forehand cross, then sending a majestic backhand to the same corner for 2-5! He couldn’t could he? I don’t know because he’s just come in behind a serve and nailed a volley! 3-5! Alcaraz meanwhile, takes set two 6-1 and Gasquet wants to go home.
Oh dear. Evans tries a backhand drop on the return, trails 0-5, and Sonego is pretty much there. Forza Torino!
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Back on 3, we’re into a fourth-set breaker, Sonego quickly reaching 3-0, while Alcaraz is making light work of Gasquent, now up 7-6 5-1.
Marino and Pegula are now away on Court, the latter in a peculiar predicament because the four players above her in the rankings, Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina and Gauff, are so much better it seems impossible she’ll ever beat any of them when it really matters. And even below her, there are players with bigger weapons – Jabeur, Muchova, Ostapenko, Haddad Maia – therefore a much better chance of landing on a good day on the right day.
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Gasquet has to fight through five deuces, but he’s now on the board in set two, down 1-3 as Alcaraz rushes through another hold. Meantime, Evans and Sonego are now 5-5 in the fourth, and I’m wincing in anticipation of a breaker, given the energy they’ve already expended.
You’ll not be surprised to learn that Alcaraz has broken and consolidated, to lead Gasquet 7-6 3-0, and Kyrgios wonders he might “abbreviate” his forehand on the faster surfaces to hit it better. He also suggests that the new big three will be Alcaraz, Sinner and Rune, noting that they’ve all got different personalities – Alcaraz is bubbly and childlike, Sinner serious and composed, Rune full of it. We shall see.
It took a fair old while, but Tomljanovic eventually won the first set against Martic 7-6(3) … before being broken immediately in set two.
Next on Court: Rebecca Marino v Jessica Pegula (5).
Have a look! Sonego can only smile – again – as, advantage up at 4-4, he’s powerless to do anything as a lush backhand passes him down the line. But a big forehand earns him another break point, Evans saves it, and this is such an intense match; he saves another, unfurls a monstrous inside-out forehand to finally make advantage having saved a succession of them, then Songeo nets a forehand and after seeing off seven break points in a game that lasted nearly 13 minutes, he’s still in the match, up 5-4 in the fourth!
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Alexander Zverev (6) beats Dominik Koepfer 4-6 6-3 7-6(3) 6-3
That’s a big win for Zverev, who was properly tested so able to play himself into some decent form. He was much better in the fourth set than in the first and meets the qualifier, Lukas Klein, next.
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Koepfer holds for 3-5, forcing Zverev to serve for the match, while Sonego again makes 0-30 and this time Evans can’t retrieve immediately, finding himself at 15-40. On Laver, meanwhile, Alcaraz raises set point with a huge forehand, then wins a net exchange and finishes with an overhead! I guess we knew it’d happen somehow and it did, a seriously enjoyable set (of tennis) going to the number two seed 7-5(5).
“Scary! Scary!” laughs Kyrgios as Gasquet lasers another backhand winner down the line. He then makes 4-3, but a poor approach allows Alcaraz to plonk a backhand on to his tootsies and we’re back on serve.
Alcaraz break immediately, but a majestic backhand return from Gasquet, down the line and into the corner, yanks it straight back and it’s now 2-2. Zverev, meanwhile, now leads Koewpfer 5-2 in the fourth, while Evans rebounds from 0-30 down to hold for 4-3, Sonego up by two sets to one.
…but obviously Alcaraz makes 30-all then wallops an ace, so when Gasquet swipes a backhand cross-court wide, we’ve got ourselves a tiebreak.
This Evans-Sonego match is still really good, though Evans probably wants to ignore someone nausing him up in the crowd. Leading 3-2 but trailing 2-1, he grouses to the umpire, then makes 30-all on his opponent’s serve; naturally, Sonego responds with yet another ace, then splatters a forehand down the line before following it in with a deft drop-volley. It’s 3-3 in the fourth now, while Zverev leads Koepfer 4-1 at the same stage and Alcaraz is serving at 5-6 15-30…
On Laver, Gasquet is still doing well, serving at 5-5 in the first, while Kyrgios notes that because Alcaraz is so good, he expects to come on court and play brilliantly all the time, and tennis isn’t like that. He does, though, say that Alcaraz’s bad day is his good day, which he knows isn’t true – though earlier, he advised that the youngster has the best body-language on tour, which is part of the same thing, Anyway, Gasquet bangs down an ace that gives him 6-5, and this is getting interesting.
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Yeah, time’s up. Koepfer fights to hold, saving break points, but eventually Zverev leaps into a forehand, giving him a 4-6 6-3 7-6 2-0 lead. Given how well he serves, the assumption is that he closes out from here.
“He makes me excited about tennis,” Kyrgios says of Alcaraz, and that he’s eager to get back to play him, as I learn that much of the tactical wisdom he dispenses, he’s fed by Hawkeye. Still, he’s doing a good job of infusing that with his essential himness.
Leading 2-1 in set three but trailing 2-1 overall, Evans calls the trainer who massages his left knee but wirthout the need to a medical timeout.
I’d not been focusing on the Alcaraz match because the Zverev and Evans ones were at the end of sets, but our photo man, John Windmill, messaged to say that he’s enjoying Kyrgios’ co-commentary, and now I’m paying attention, so am I. It’s always great to hear active players seriously discuss their opponents, and he discusses Alcaraz’s willingness to return come in, noting that only Federer does that, and not at such tender years.
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On Laver, Gasquet is hanging in there against Alcaraz – they’re 3-3 in the third, but in comms, Kyrgios notes that already it’s physical, and he reckons Gasquet is starting to gamble already, knowing he’s not got a long match of long rallies in his legs.
Evans shows decent moxie to save break points at the start of set four and hold. Had he been broken, he’d have been done for, but for now he’s still in the match.
When he really needs to, Zverev steps it up, the breaker featuring his best tennis of the match He takes it to three and now leads 4-6 6-3 7-6(3); Koepfer will have to go some to fightback from here.
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Zverev does well to hang in a rally Koepfer controls, finding a cross-court backhand that incites his opponent to net. Mini-break to the number six seed, consolidated by a huge T-serve and a vicious forehand winner for a 4-2 lead.
Zverev duly hangs on to secure his breaker and usually you’d back his serve in such circumstance. But Koepfer is playing pretty much as well as he can and isn’t under anything like the same pressure, so who knows? Anyway, for now, it’s 1-1.
I said earlier that Sonego is enjoying the contest, and when Evans comes in to lazily send a backhand volley wide, that’s enough for a 6-2 set. Sonego leads 2-1, and looks by far the fresher man; I’d be surprised if he didn’t close out the match from here.
Koepfer’s playing so well, serving big and ramming forehands. He holds for 6-5, and Zverev must now do likewise for a third-set breaker. Evans, meanwhile, holds to love for 2-5; Sonego will now serve for set three, and Alcaraz makes it 1-1 in set one against Gasquet.
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On Cain, Martic and Tomljanovic are away, Martic up 2-1 on serve.
Eventually, Gasquet holds for 1-0 while, on 3, the tide has turned, Sonego breaking Evans again for 4-1, then unfurling aces 15 and 16 of the match to make 30-0. Meantime, Zverev holds for 5-5 in the third, and it looks like we’re building to a huge breaker.
Koepfer and Zverev are still hammering away – Koepfer leads 5-4 in the third, on serve – while Sonego still leads Evans by a break up 3-1 in their third.
We were talking about one-handed backhands earlier and, on Laver, Gasquet, who has a gorgeous one, is away against Alcaraz, flipping one of insufficient depth that’s sent whizzing back past him. That makes 30-all, and serving in game one, he winds up having to fight through deuce.
Oh that’s nice, Nick Kyrgios is on comms for Alcaraz and talks about how happy he is for Kokkinakis, his best mate on tour. The Aussies love a brutal battle, he says, and they should call it Kyrgios Court when it gets like that.
Alcaraz, wearing a yellow vest, arrives on to Laver, while Sonego builds on his second-set win, breaking Evans immediately in set three – and remember we said earlier, Evans has no match-fitness of which to speak.
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On Court, Koepfer is still giving Zverev plenty; they’re a set apiece and 3-3 in the third, neither able to take control.
Thanasi Kokkinakis beats Sebastian Ofner 7-6(1) 2-6 7(4)6-7 6-1 7-6(8)
Scenes on Cain! Kokkinakis meets Dimitrov next, in what should be another belter.
Next on Laver: Richard Gasquet v Carlos Alcaraz (2).
Back on 3, Evans dumps a forehand, and Sonego takes the breaker to eight, levelling the match at one set apiece. It’s a belter, is this – if you’re able to, get it on.
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Emma Raducanu beats Shelby Rogers 6-3 6-2
An excellent performance from the 2021 champ, who meets Wang Yafan next. It’s great to see her back, she properly enjoys the moment of victory, and though it’s hard to see how she beats the top three, whose power-games are probably too much, women’s tennis, though less wild than a few years ago, remains women’s tennis, so.
Excellent from Evans, who finds two colossal forehands then keeps his nerve under an overhead to save set point and make 6-6. And on the other side of the net, Sonego can’t help but smirk, enjoying the contest despite himself.
…while Raducanu serves for the match against Rogers…
Back on 3, Songeo has launched himself back into what’s a terrific breaker, making 6-5 … and now he’s serving at 6-5….
Elena Rybakina (3) beats Karolina Pliskova 7-6(6) 6-4
A decent workout for Rybakina, who looks in decent nick. She meets Blinkova next, and is a serious threat to win here.
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“Re Americans using surnames as forenames,” writes Geoff Wignall, “Washington Irving, Grover Cleveland and Franklin Roosevelt came first to mind. So it’s been happening for a while.”
I think we can perhaos allow Franklin as a first name, but yes, agreed on the others.
Pliskova holds for 6-7 4-5, forcing Rybakina to serve for it; Evans now holds a second mini-break at 6-4 6-6 (4-0); Raducanu consolidates for 6-3 5-1; and Kokkinakis and Ofner are 7-7 in their super-breaker.
Back on Laver, Rybakina makes deuce on the Pliskova serve when leading 7-6 5-3, only to burn her first match point on advantage; Evans leads Sonego 3-0 in their second-set breaker, and has played the big points really well so far today.
Sonego sends Evans to the backhand corner, then coaxes a forehand winner down the line for 0-15. So Evans finds a big serve and makes 40-15, closing out for a breaker as Raducanu scurries superbly to stay in a break point before Rogers nets, giving her the double and a 6-3 4-1 lead.
On 3, Sonego holds for 6-5, forcing Evans to serve to stay in set two for a second time; in the crowd, I Granata noise him up.
When did Americans start converting surnames to first names? Just this morning, we’ve had Shelby Rogers and Mackenzie McDonald, we’ve also got Taylor Fritz and Sloane Stephens – and these are just off the top of my heed.
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Kokkinakis and Ofner are playing a final-set tiebreak; when they’re done, Martic and tomljanovic will be out.
Zverev closes out, levelling his match with Koepfer at a set apiece.
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Not in the first instance. First he goes wide with a forehand down the line, then Zverev sends him nashing out wide to open up the overhead putaway for deuce. Zverev, though, then goes long on the forehand … before finding a tremendous backhand winner from way back to make deuce again. Elsewhere, Rybakina consolidates and leads 7-6 3-2, Raducanu does likewise for 6-3 2-0, and Evans is serving at 6-4 4-5.
Superb from Koepfer! With Zverev serving for the set at 5-3, he unloads a huge forehand to find a glorious backhand angle, crosscourt, that gives him 15-40. Can he force the break-back?
Yeah, about that. At 30-40, Rybakina lands a backhand return on to the line, and Pliskova can’t retort, going long, meaning that’s a break for 7-6 2-1. Rybakina has played pretty well following a slow start, and assuming she sorts this from here, will be grateful for a decent workout. Raducanu, meanwhile, has broken Rogers after a succession of deuces, to lead her 6-3 1-0, and isn’t it great to see her back, enjoying her tennis.
Sonego is from Turin and has Torino fans supporting him in the arena – he played for them as a kid before choosing tennis at 13. He trails Dan Evans 6-4 3-4 but it’s a very serious battle, likewise on Laver where Pliskova hasn’t crumbled – and let’s be real, she has before – after ceding a set she might well have won. Rybakina leads her 7-6 1-1, and it’s tight.
Rogers floats a backhand long and that’s a love hold which gives Raducanu a 6-3 set. Meantime, Koepfer might finally have wilted, Zverev breaking him to trail 4-6 4-2.
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Raducanu is now serving for the set at 5-3 and bottom line, she’s a little underpowered but is way more skilled than Rogers, a solid pro but no more. Meantime, Evans trails Sonego 2-3 on serve having won the first set 6-4, and it’s a really fun match.
Ach, Pliskova will be feeling exceedingly poorly. She sends a forehand long, loses a breaker she dominated, and will have to dig deep to rebound within 90 seconds. Rybakina leads 7-6(6)!
Oh wow, Rybakina saves the first when, deceived by a net-cord, she flicks a gorgeous backhand volley – one-handed – across the face of the net for a gorgeous winner. Pliskova then drops long on the forehand … before Rybakina goes big on the second serve, wears a big return, and slams an inside-out forehand on to the outside of the line! Both players have now saved three set points, and when Rybakina spanks a service-winner down the T, she leads 7-6!
Pliskova, who’s saved three set points, finds that at 6-3, she has three of her own and all in a row row row! Ca she convert?
And it’s Pliskova who makes the first mini-break, consolidated with another ace, then a fine return incites Rybakina to net on the backhand! This is good stuff from the vet, who now leads 5-2.
Raducanu consolidates for 4-1; Pliskova hangs on for that breaker thanks in part to a further ace. I don’t fancy her chances, but if she serves as she can, she can do it.
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Raducanu raises three break points at 2-1 0-40, while Rybakina makes 6-5 0-30. And the booming forehand proves too much for Pliskova, forcing her to go long at 15-30; Pliskova saves the first set point with a typical ace down the T … and the second when Rybakina’s attempted backhand winner down the line falls narrowly wide. Raducanu, meanwhile, seals the break for 3-1 in the first, then Rybakina burns another set point, swiping wide on advantage. It does, though, feel like a matter of time even if she needs a breaker.
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At the end of a long rally, Evans goes line with a big forehand, straying wide, just; 0-15 and pressure! But he levels it up with a slam-dunk smash, a big forehand forces Sonego to float long for 40-15, and here come two more set points, this time on his own serve. And he only needs one, a backhand return looping long, and he leads 6-4!
Both Sonego and Pliskova hang in their sets, so Evans will now serve for it at 5-4.
I watch a lot of tennis and I’m not certain I’m familiar with Koepfer, a 29-year-old journeyman. So he’s a lefty who’s reached the second round in Melbourne, the third in Paris and at Wimbledon and the fourth in New York.
Rdaucanu and Rogers are 1-1, while Pliskova is serving at 4-5 30-all, seeking to stay in set one and Koepfer has just served out to lead Zverev, the number six seed, 6-4.
Evans is playing well, leading Sonego 5-3 15-30 and, as I type, a forehand drops wide raising two set points. Sonego saves the first with a forehand winner, then the second, but he’s second0best so far.
In comms on the Rybakina game, Tim Henman admits that if he was coaching a young player now, though in his day a single-handed backhand was deemed the right way and looks better, a double is more effective. And he’s right, too – our resident coach, Calvin Betton, feels very strongly about this because how many top players use one? Er, none apart from Tsitsipas, who’s now getting victimised on that wing.
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Rybakina is the better player now, leading Pliskova 4-3, on serve, while on Cain, local favourite Thnasi Kokkinakis, has forced a decider against Sebastian Ofner, taking the fourth set 6-1.
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On Court, Koepfer has broken Zverev and leads 3-2; Raducanu and Rogers are knocking up and remember these two met in round four in 2021; the Brit won 1 and 2 en route to taking the title. What a wow that was.
Rybakina has broken Pliskova back for 2-2, while Evans leads Sonego by a break. On him, I understand that he thinks he’ll win, but he’s 0-2 against Sonega when fully fit, and he’s not fully fit. He’s not injured but last week in Adelaide he was gassed after about 45 mins in both matches. He only got through the first round because his opponent served three doubles at 5-5 in the second, he’s had no pre season because he popped his calf in the last event of last year so only got back playing at Xmas, and you can’t replicate match fitness. But so far, he was right because he’s playing nicely.
Next on 1573 arena: Emma Raducanu v Shelby Rogers.
Shang is still out there and all. Enjoy it, young man.
Jerry Shang, though – the boy is a superstar. To last five sets against a seasoned pro like McDonald, to come back from 2-1 down, to see it out like that? Oof marone! And he’ll fancy himself to win the next round too – and if he does, Carlos Alcaraz most likely awaits. Tasty!
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Jerry Shang beats Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 1-6 3-6 6-4 6-2
He meets the Indian qualifier, Sumit Nagal next; he got rid of Alexander Bublik, the number 31 seed.
I’ve switched off Zverev because Jerry Shang, the young, flamboyant Chinese picked as one to watch by your super soaraway Guardian, is serving for the match at 5-2 in the fifth against Mackenzie McDonald….
Well now! Pliskova breaks Rybakina in game one, and that’ll give a notoriously fragile player a bit of confidence. It’s still hard to see how she wins here, but if she hits a seam she can make it happen.
On Court, Zverev and Koepfer are away – I’m watching that match too, so if anyone has some spare eyes I’d be glad to borrow them.
What’s happened already today? Cam Norrie and Jack Draper are through, the latter winning sets four and five 6-0 6-2 against Marcos Giron, which tells us plenty about his fitness and mentality.
The elegant Sloane Stephens and the improving Daria Kasatkina are through too, likewise Griggzy Dimitrov, Jelena Ostapenko and Danielle collins, who binned Angelique Kerber.
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On Court 3, Evans and Sonego are knocking up while, on Laver, Rybakins and Pliskova emerge.
Katie Boulter beats Yue Yuan 7-5 7-6(1)
She meets Qinwen Zheng (12) or Ashlyn Kruger next, and that’s a terrific win; Boulter has stepped up a level the last year or so, and though she lacks a significant weapon, her all-round game is in shape.
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Preamble
G’day, and welcome to the day three evening session of the Australian Open – 2024!
We’ve got a serious quantity of tennis for you and no mistake. Still to get going from afternoon shift, we’ve got Emma Raducanu v Shelby Rogers and Dan Evans v Lorenzo Sonego – not bad – and bonus Katie Boulter, about to clinch her passage into round two.
Meantime, on Laver and Court, we’ve two matches about to begin – Elena Rybakina v Karolina Pliskova and Alexander Zverev v Dominik Koepfer – while on Cain, Petra Martic takess on Ajla Tomljanovic. And when they’re done, we’ll enjoy Richard Gasquet v Carlos Alcaraz along with Rebecca Marino v Jessica Pegula or, put another way, if that isn’t fair dinkum I don’t know what is.
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