MELBOURNE, Australia – As matches heat up Down Under, the roars of the crowds are back heading into the middle weekend of the fortnight. Eight players from Team Yonex have recorded their best performance at the Australian Open, reaching the third round for the first time in their career.
Most Entertaining Match
Australia’s own Nick Kyrgios was down two match points in the fourth set against [29] Ugo Humbert (FRA) but extended the match to a decider and eventually prevailed in what he called “one of the craziest matches I have ever played.”
One set away from victory, Humbert broke Kyrgios to begin the fourth set and had the opportunity to serve out the match at 5-4. However, at the 2-hour, 30-minute mark in the match, Kyrgios forced a backhand error out of the Frenchman and eventually unleashed a backhand passing shot to save two match points.
Kyrgios, who had the benefit of a raucous crowd in his favor, rode out an early break in the fifth to escape with a 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory. Kyrgios extended his five-set record to 8-2, with half of those victories coming at his home slam.
Smooth Sailing
[3] Naomi Osaka (JPN) advanced with another straight-set victory in the bottom half of the draw that includes nine former Grand Slam champions. Her second-round victory is her 9th-straight slam win and 16th-straight overall.
A straight-set victory was a welcomed feeling for [11] Denis Shapovalov who was coming off a 5-set match in the first round. Shapovalov controlled the court behind 37 winners and 16 aces to advance in under two hours.
Fast Facts
- [19] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE), [28] Donna Vekic (CRO), Fiona Ferro (FRA), Jessica Pegula (USA), Kaja Juvan (SLO), Casper Ruud (NOR), Radu Albot (MDA), and Lloyd Harris (RSA) all reached the third round at the Australian Open for the first time in their career.
- Pegula recorded the quickest second round victory, winning in just 50 minutes, 6-0, 6-1 over former Grand Slam champion Samantha Stosur.
- Marton Fucsovics (HUN), who turned 29 on Monday, has celebrated with two-straight five-set victories, with his second-round win coming over [17] Stan Wawrinka.
- Along with Fucsovics, Sorana Cirstea (ROU) also took down another former Australian Open champion, with a three-set victory over [9] Petra Kvitova.
- Juvan saved an astounding 16/19 break points in her come-from-behind victory
- Albot, Harris, Kyrgios, Ruud, and Vondrousova are still competing in both the singles and doubles events.
Official Partner of the Australian Open
The Yonex Stringing Team is the Official Stringing Team of the Australian Open for the 6th-straight year. The 2021 team consists of 26 stringers from six countries and is dedicated to providing the world standard of racquet stringing and is supported by the Made-in-Japan PRECISION 9.0 and ProTech 8 Deluxe machines that excel in precision stringing.
Team Yonex
Men
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO def. [17] Stan Wawrinka (SUI), 7-5, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO def. [29] Ugo Humbert, 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4
[11] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE def. Bernard Tomic, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
[24] Casper Ruud (NOR) | EZONE / POLYTOUR SPIN, PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3 def. Tommy Paul, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5
Radu Albot (MDA) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3 def. Christopher O'Connell, 6-2, 7-5, 7-6
Lloyd Harris (RSA) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO def. Alexei Popyrin, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
Women
[11] Belinda Bencic (SUI) | EZONE / POLTOUR PRO def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
[28] Donna Vekic (CRO) | VCORE / POLYTOUR REV def. Nadia Podoroska, 6-2, 6-2
Kaja Juvan (SLO) | EZONE / POLYTOUR SPIN, PRO def. Mayar Sherif, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
Jessica Pegula (USA) | EZONE def. Samantha Stosur, 6-0, 6-1
[19] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) | EZONE / POLYTOUR AIR def. Rebecca Marino, 6-1, 7-5
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) | EZONE def. [9] Petra Kvitova, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
[3] Naomi Osaka (JPN) | EZONE / POLYTOUR STRIKE def. Caroline Garcia, 6-2, 6-3
Fiona Ferro (FRA) | VCORE def. Katerina Siniakova, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 def. [17] Elena Rybakina, 6-4, 6-4
