Top ten seeds Melbourne lived up to its reputation for unpredictable weather as Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas all advanced past their second-round matches in various weather conditions.
More than three hours of play on the outer courts were canceled early in the day due to rain, but by the time Djokovic returned to the court where he has won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam titles, the skies had cleared.
Similar to his four-hour first-round match against qualifier Dino Prizmic, the 36-year-old Serbian defeated Australian Alexei Popyrin in the opening set, but lost the second.
In the third set, the boisterous Popyrin had set points, but Djokovic saved them and, infuriated by a confrontation with a spectator, defeated him 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Djokovic remarked, “I’m still trying to find my form, but I haven’t been playing my best.” “I believe I defeated two really excellent tennis players in the first and second rounds, and I was able to win four matches overall. That is ultimately what matters.
During the evening session, the adjacent Margaret Court Arena was also packed with spectators cheering for Jordan Thompson, the courageous Australian who was attempting to upset Tsitsipas.
The Greek seventh seed gritted his teeth and overcame Thompson to win 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, 7-6(4). It was an exciting match, with the final 13-minute game and the fourth-set tiebreak being worth the price of admission on their own. Thompson had taken the opening set.
His countrywoman, Maria Sakkari, the eighth-seeded woman, will likely have a harder time sleeping after losing to Russian Elina Avanesyan 6-4, 6-4 in the day’s final match.
In the early evening match on Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka easily defeated 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova, 6-3, 6-2. This was the Belarusian’s second straight convincing win over a qualifier in her first Grand Slam title defense.
The main showcourt’s covered roof was used for Jabeur’s match against 16-year-old Russian Andreeva, but considering how one-sided her 6-0, 6-2 loss was, the sixth-seeded Tunisian could hardly be held responsible for the circumstances.
“It was probably my best match,” Andreeva remarked. Despite her training, Andreeva still needs to find time for her studies.
