Key events
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.