Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Fourth seed Taylor Fritz advanced to the Australian Open second round for the seventh consecutive year on January 14 with a 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Jenson Brooksby. The 2024 Australian Open men’s singles quarter-finalist won 83 per cent of first-serve points and clubbed 34 winners to 20 according to match Stats.
“It’s never easy playing the first match of Slams with a bit of nerves. I did a good job shaking that off early and getting it done in straights,” Fritz said. Fritz, who reached the 2024 US Open final and the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals last November, will next meet the winner of Cristian Garin and Borna Coric.
In other early action on Day 3, Holger Rune came through a tough five-set battle against China’s Zhang Zhizhen 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Australian Open.
The 21-year-old Dane overcame early nerves and absorbed a prolonged onslaught to claim the victory at Margaret Court Arena in three hours and 10 minutes.
“I think it was definitely an incredibly tough match. It got very close in the end. I’m supper happy I got through. First win of the season is always a special feeling. Hopefully I can keep raising my level,” said Rune.
Rune now faces former world No.6 Italian Matteo Berrettini, who earlier won through in four sets against Cameron Norrie.
Berrettini fired 32 aces as he defeated Norrie 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 in a battle of former Top 10 stars in the ATP Rankings. Berrettini, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals in 2022, has advanced to the second week of a major just once in the past two years (Wimbledon 2023).
In the women’s singles, World No.8 Emma Navarro outlasted Peyton Stearns 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 in a gruelling 3-hour and 20-minute affair on Rod Laver Arena. Navarro will now have to regroup for a second-round clash against Chinese left-hander Wang Xiyu. Earlier, Daria Kasatkina reached the second round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over 58th-ranked Viktoriya Tomova on John Cain Arena.
