Key events
Otherwise, though, that is us. Thanks for your company and comments; please do join me again tomorrow at 8am GMT for another absolute jazzer of a night sesh. But until then, peace out.
Summary
So to sum up the day before we finish, there were wins for Emma Navarro, Holger Rune, Daria Kasartkina, Daniil Medvedev, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz; Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini and Alex de Minaur also moved on. Mario Berrettini beat Cam Norrie and Gael Monfils eliminated Geovani Mpetshi Perricard; Ben Shelton saw off Brandon Nakashima; Ons Jabeur and katie Boulter are through; and Joao Fonseca, an 18-year-old Brazilian making his grand slam debut, routed Andrey Rublev, the number nine seed.
Stan Wawrinka lost today, and might we have seen the last of the 2014 champ? His three Slams – finals won against Nadal and Djokovic (2) – are an incredible return for an incredible talent, and his presence is reassuring for those of us who think it should be possible to play elite sport while looking like one has come straight from the club.
Speaking to Eurosport, Raducanu says that in the second set, the sun made it hard to see from one side. But it’d moved by the tiebreak so she could hit better, but also, she’s good at playing big moments.
Who could’ve predicted?
Emma Raducanu is into round two, where Amanda Anisimova awaits; that should be a really good match.
Katie Boulter tells Eurosport she’s relieved. She credits Marino, who played really well in set three and notes that the early rounds are just about getting through. She found a way of putting her opponent under pressure, just taking care to get her returns in, and she was surprised to see her fiance come out, assuming when he did that he’d won, and it gave her a lift.
Daniil Medvedev was given a bit of a shock earlier today, but he sorted himself in the end. He arrived in Australia late after celebrating the birth of his second child, which has clearly mellowed him.
Fitfy-one winners, not bad.
While we were finishing off there, Kudermertova finished off Gadecki, a 6-1 6-1 win earning her a second-round match with Katie Boulter.
Fonseca doesn’t look all that moved, and why should he? This what he’s meant to be doing, it belongs to him, and he knows it. “Not bad” is his summation of events that have me scanning my internal thesaurus. “I just enjoyed every moment, my first time playing in a huuuuge stadium.”
He thanks the crowd, the Brasilians especially, then explains that he was just focused on his game trying to put no pressure on himself. He was trying to call the crowd to help him, but just enjoyed playing. “I was just playing my game and now I’m in the second round.”
He’s actually beaten Sonego, his next opponent, before, and asked about the tiebreaks, says he tried to put all his intensity into them. “I go for my shots,” he says; “I am courage.”
He’s not wrong, explaining that as Roger says, talent is no use without hard work, and he’s putting it in.
He knows.
Let’s hear from the man boy of the moment!
Joao Fonseca beats Andrey Rublev 7-6(1) 6-3 7-6(5)
Joao Fonseca is a genius. I don’t know what else to tell you. He is going to win everything, then win it again and again and again. On his grand slam debut, he has devastated the world no and made it look the most natural, obvious thing imaginable. Wonderful, epochal behaviour.
Oh my days! A wondrous backhand, inside-out and down the line, gives Fonseca 6-5 and raises his first match point, though on the Rublev serve…
A forehand winner from Rublev ups the pressure but Fonseca takes control of the next point with evil forehands … only to slightly overhit when seeking the sideline. We’re back on serve at 5-5.
Not for long! A fine return, Rublev nets, and Fonseca is again two held points away…
Rublev snatches back a break, but at 4-2, Fonseca – on his Grand Slam debut – is three points away from round two. But as I type he’s caught at the net, beaten by a lob, and 4-0 is now 4-3, both mini-breaks gone.
Again, Fonseca seizes the immediate mini-break, a deft volley making 1-0. This is astonishing behaviour, it really is – the power and the touch, of course, but also the total comfort on court and in self which is moving to behold. He quickly holds for 3-0 then, when Rublev nets a forehand, the number nine seed introduces racket to GreenSet. We’re watching something exceedingly special, mates.
Which leaves out with Rublev v Fonseca, the latter holding to force a second tiebreak of the match at 6-6 in the third. If he wins it, he’s through; he took the earlier one to one.
Oh, and Denis Shapovalov beat Roberto Bautista Agut in four; next for him it’s Musetti, and that’s another potential banger.
Camila Osorio has beaten Maria Sakkari, seeded 31, 6-4 in the third. She meets Oor Ons next, and that should be a terrific tussle.
Boulter says she’d have preferred an easier match and thanks the crowd for keeping her going. She’s been playing great in practice but couldn’t reproduce that form and notes that, as did Thom Yorke before her, you can force it but it will not come.
She assumed Demon, her fiance had won, as she heard a massive roar then saw him in the crowd, and with that, off she goes.
Kaite Boulter (22) beats Rebecca Marino 6-4 3-6 7-5
Excellent from Boulter, who’s now beating almost everyone she should. Marino played very well today, but the British no 1 did the right things at the right times, winning the biggest points of the match to beat an opponent who, over the course of the contest, played the better tennis. next for her it’s Kudermetova or Gadecki, the former up 6-1 4-1.
Boulter coaxes a lovely forehand down the line, raising a second break point…
“I think Zverev will win one slam in the Ivanisevic way,” returns Victor K, “as in when he’s way over the hill and nobody is expecting him to. having been so close in his prime. He will always regret the US Open final that Thiem stole from him. That was his best chance. As for Rublev I can’t escape the feeling that in finding his inner peace he actually blunted the inner fire and competitive instinct that made him the player that regularly wins at least 50 matches every season. You need that fire when you’re facing a young up-and-comer swinging freely. He doesn’t have that today.”
I think Zverev will get there before that. His serve and backhand are two of the best shots in the game and his volleys and forehand are much improved.
I’m not sure I agree on Rublev. Therapy doesn’t work like that, it takes a long time to assimilate lasting changes, and I’m sure it doesn’t kill competitive fire. But excuse me while I interrupt myself, Boulter has match point at 6-5 in the third … only for Marino to nail a serve on to the line, the return sailing long.
Moutet goes to celebrate with the French in the crowd, hugging them and enjoying the moment; Fonseca again encourages the crowd to get involved, saving break points to make 4-4 in set three. Rublev is making more of an impression now, but if this set goes to a breaker, I know where my reals are going.
Corentin Moutet beats Alexei Popyrin (25) 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
I’m not sure how fit Popyrin was but that’s a massive win for Moutet, who meets Kruger, a qualifier, next.
An amazing point, won by Moutet via lob, gives him 30-all, and when Popyrin strays wide, he has match point … but then overhits himself, so to deuce we go. Boulter, meanwhile, is up 5-4 in the third, while Moutet has advantage, goes for another lob … and this time lands it well long.
On Laver, Kudermoetova leads Gadecki 6-0, while on Cain, Moutet has broken Popyrin and will shortly serve for the match at 2-1 5-4.
Ach, bang in the point, Fonseca opens the angle for an inside-out forehand winner, only to stray wide, and that’s deuce, three break-points squandered. But what on earth?! On the chase and on the stretch, he creams a return cross-court for a clean winner, then slices to stick in the point before taking it over with his forehand and we’re back on serve in set three, Fonseca leading 7-6 6-3 2-3.
Now then. Rublev makes deuce, a double hands him advantage, and a deep backhand takes control of the next rally, and when Fonseca nets he leads 3-1 in the third. Except in the time it takes me to relay that information, Fonseca rushes to 0-40!
Terrific volley from Boulter, right on top of the tape to kill break point by killing a ball belted straight at her, then closes out for 3-2 in the third … but have a look! Also down break point – Rublev is starting to make an impression – Fonseca annihilates a backhand cross-court for a sensational winner before nosing up the crowd in a way Sinner never would. His opponent makes his what can you do face, and he’s right, a 12th ace soon raising advantage. This composure is remarkable.
In comms, they’re comparing Fonseca to Sinner and in terms of the cleanliness of his hitting, I can see why. But though he’s got the same comparable composure, he’s a bit more animated and creative – as you might expect given the stereotypical character of Italians from close to the Austria border relative to Cariocas. Once again, he’s giving Rublev all he can handle on serve – they’re at deuce – while Popyrin managed to stick in there to lead 3-2 in the fourth, Moutet by two sets to one,
Rublev holds on to his serve in game one of set three, just; the sense remains he’s on borrowed time. But Popyrin has broken Moutet back for 2-2 in set four … though he now trails 0-30.
Back on Laver, Kudermetova and Gadecki are under way; Gadecki is Aussie, hence the show-court presence. Oh and after 11 minutes, Boulter hangs on to her serve for 1-0 in the decider against Marino.
Moutet has broken Popyrin to lead 2-1 2-1, and there are no signs of an Aussie comeback. His power-game isn’t as effective against so cunning a hitter, and with his back limiting his ability to impose, defeat feels imminent.
Brilliant! Fonseca makes 40-0, curls an ace on to the T, and I don’t k ow what else to tell you: this boy is a superstar. He leads Rublev 7-6 6-3 and there seems to be nothing the ninth-best player in the world can do about it.
