Aus Open

From genuine title threat to ugly Aus Open truth we can't ignore — Verdict on every Aussie's chances.

While a very promising junior, Burel is yet to make the second round at the Australian Open, but is coming off a third-round appearance at last year’s US Open. Xinyu is looking to reach the second round here for the second consecutive year and is gradually building at 21 years of age. Winning through qualifying and then his first round at Adelaide International 2 may’ve done a world of good for Millman, who has struggled for form and consistency in recent times and returned to the Challenger circuit as a result. She will enter a comfortable underdog against Fruhvirtova, who despite being world No.80 is improving at rapid speed, winning her first WTA Tour title last year despite being just 17 years of age. It’s the first time they’ve met on the Tour, but both have had a relative lack of success in the main draw of majors, with Hanfmann’s second-round appearance here last year his best at any slam. It’s about as good an opening round matchup as Popyrin could’ve hoped for given his ranking, so the onus is on him to make the most of it. Still, if there’s a game to be at in the opening round for Australian fans, it’s this one. After bowing out in the first round last year to Steve Johnson, Thompson will be keen to do better this time around. Verdict: Hsu is not a player de Minaur should have any trouble defeating, given he primarily plays on the Challenger circuit and has had to come through qualifying to seal a spot in the main draw. Still, he will enter comfortable favourite in the first and second rounds before he starts facing seeds and facing some gruelling prospects in the best-of-five set format. He’d then be projected to meet Novak Djokovic, who no one in the world will enter favourite against. Safiullin is a tricky customer to draw for the Aussie first up, with the Russian playing a big game that can take matters out of his opponents’ hands when firing.

The 2023 Australian Open has finally begun, with the season-opening grand slam getting underway at Melbourne Park from Monday morning.

“I’m like, ‘No, someone’s going to beat us. But this year should be different for a number of reasons. The ATP and WTA reacted by stripping the event of rankings points. Then there is the Kyrgios singles question. Gauff was broken early in the second set to fall 2-4 down, but hit back to first level the scores then pull ahead. But Kyrgios laughed off media reports of his actions. Gadecki’s career prizemoney entering the tournament was $175,000 AUD. Gauff said: “I can’t put a percent on it, but I know the best is yet to come for me. “There’s a joke that my mom has. I think I’m just continuing to get stronger. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo.

Rafael Nadal seeks to defend his title in Melbourne, and the women's field is wide open, but world no. 1 Iga Swiatek is a definite favorite.

eastern on ESPN2. eastern on ESPN. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at [Hey Alma](https://www.heyalma.com/), a Jewish culture site. eastern, and men's finals take place January 29, time 3:30 a.m. Finals: The women's finals take place January 28 at 3:30 a.m. Semifinals: The women's semis take place January 26 at 3:30 a.m. Round of 16 airs Saturday, January 21 at 8 p.m. You can also watch all the matches on ESPN+, ESPN's streaming platform. I’m looking forward to coming because I always play very well and probably my best tennis throughout my career on Australian soil, so I came in early ... Qualifying began on Monday, January 9, but has already wrapped up. I don’t actually recall when I came that early to Australia. The Serbian player had his visa ban overturned in November.

The 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament is underway! Join our reporters on the ground in our live blog, bringing you the best action from Melbourne Park.

It was looking ugly early in the third - Sinner was 4-0 and a double break up and looked minutes away from clinching the match.

Those two were part of a run of seven-straight games to race out to a 5-0 lead in the second set. I'm speechless," she told Nine after the match. The world No.199 clinched the first break to win the first set.

Want to know the most important factors in winning a grand slam match? ATP World Tour strategy analyst Craig O'Shannessy lays out tennis strategy in seven ...

If you rally from the back of the court, you are lucky to win half of your baseline points. No tennis strategy has been more maligned and misunderstood than the serve and volley. We can predict with certainty that the most abundant rally length at this year’s Australian Open will be the same as last year, and the year before that. But players with the courage to move forward win about two out of three points. Rally length is predicated on the ball landing in the court, not hitting the strings. The data also blew the doors off the myth that winning long rallies equated to winning matches. But you know that winning the short rallies is the best way to walk off court with a victory. The backhand is the shield. Winners are rising at Melbourne Park, jumping from 30 per cent for the men in 2015 to 34 per cent last year. The forehand is the sword. For example, I am sure you will have noticed that players often hit a backhand, then on the following shot from the same spot on the court, they move around and hit a forehand. If their shot includes two or more qualities, such as power and direction, they will be standing inside the baseline hitting with authority when the weak ball comes back.

Australia's top-ranked male player has been battling knee soreness in the lead-up to the grand slam. “I'm devastated,” he told reporters on Monday. More to come ...

A knee injury will prevent Nick Kyrgios from competing at this year's Australian Open. Melbourne, Australia, 16 January 2023 | Leigh Rogers.

“I’m not doubting I will be back to my full strength and playing the tennis I was playing prior to this event. I guess I can draw some inspiration from someone like Thanasi (Kokkinakis) who has had a bunch of injuries and has bounced back,” Kyrgios said. “The situation now is, we want to prevent him from having further injury or making that injury worse. Injury is a part of the sport. “We used the match, the charity event against Novak, as a gauge to see if he could compete at that highest level. Hasn’t been easy at all,” Kyrgios said of the decision to withdraw.

You never know what you will get with Kyrgios, but 11th-hour withdrawals have become a theme of his non-existent 2023 season. It started with the United Cup, ...

That in itself was a bit arrogant, but it is partly why the John Cain Arena would have been full to the brim on Tuesday had he opened his campaign against Roman Safiullin as scheduled. Until he suddenly stops still, cracks a grin and gives us the finger. Twelve months later, he is the world No 21 and nothing has changed. “That was more of a realistic hit of the intensity that was coming. Perhaps because it is Kyrgios, the authenticity of the injury was treated with suspicion, to the point that his manager, Daniel Horsfall, hoped the doubters “now realise the injury is genuine”. Kyrgios was the box-office entry, especially given his [2022 doubles exploits alongside Kokkinakis](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/29/kyrgios-and-kokkinakis-secure-doubles-title-to-end-remarkable-australian-open-journey) and his singles form. It was easier to make the call today.” [ Djokovic deportation saga](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/16/novak-djokovic-to-be-deported-from-australia-after-losing-appeal-against-visa-cancellation). They had used the exhibition match against Novak Djokovic on Friday night as a fitness gauge; he “didn’t pull up great” and became more sore with each training session thereafter. [Nick Kyrgios](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nick-kyrgios) was due to play his opening match and three minutes before he confirmed he would not. Maher did a good chunk of the talking, too. But this time there was no room for doubt because Kyrgios had brought with him a press conference chaperone – his physiotherapist.

“Can you get through seven matches against these guys?” Kyrgios' physiotherapist Will Maher asked his patient just hours before his shock withdrawal from ...

“We used the match, the charity event against Novak [Djokovic last Friday], as a gauge to see if he could compete at that highest level. “There’s a parameniscal cyst growing in his left meniscus, which is the result of a small tear in his lateral meniscus. “Any amount of injections that he could try to get into his knee without causing long-term damage. “I always wanted to just do everything right and train right and tick every box, and just be ready for the Oz Open. But the decision was made that if his body wouldn’t allow him to win it, he wouldn’t play it. I was extremely hard on myself after that loss in the quarter-finals.

A Russian flag hanging behind fans during a match between Ukraine's Kateryna Baindl and Russian Kamilla Rakhimova on court 14 on day one of the Australian ...

Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside. On the same day the ban was announced, a Russian flag was held up by fans in the stands at John Cain Arena during the match between Russian Andrey Rublev and Austria's Dominic Thiem. The red, white and blue stripes of the Russian flag were visible in the crowd during the first-round match between Kateryna Baindl and Kamilla Rakhimova on day one of the tennis major.

Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned at the Australian Open, effective immediately. While tournament initially allowed flags on the grounds at ...

Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. On Monday night Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko took to Twitter to “strongly condemn the public display of the Russian flag during the game of the Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Baindl at the Australian Open today. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside. [shown on the TV broadcast with a white flag in the place of the Russian one](https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/what-country-are-tennis-players-under-white-flag-at-australian-open-2023-from/news-story/03d1300ffdfa664d02e4e40f93308342) during his first-round match with Marcus Giron. It comes as Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia condemned a Russian flag being flown during a match between players from the warring nations at the Australian Open on Monday.

Move comes after fan displays Russian flag during Kamilla Rakhimova's first-round match against Ukraine's Kateryna Baindl on Monday.

Russian and Belarusian players were banned from taking part in last year’s Wimbledon tournament as global sporting sanctions were brought against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis.” Fans had initially been allowed to show their support for players from both countries, but not in a way that “could cause disruption”, according to Tennis Australia (TA).

While Tennis Australia is allowing Russian and Belarusian players to compete in the tournament, they cannot do so under their flag or country's name because of ...

I don’t think it’s just humane.” Obviously we don’t want the war, too.” “Tennis Australia stands united with the international governing bodies of tennis – the grand slams, the ATP and WTA Tours and the ITF – in its condemnation of Russia’s actions and its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.” “This is our faith, I guess, and we have to just come back strong.” “I don’t really talk to anyone,” she added of Russian and Belarusian players. “I strongly condemn the public display of the Russian flag during the game of the Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Baindl at the Australian Open today,” Myroshnychenko said.