Taiwan’s Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching yesterday reached the second round of the Australian Open women’s doubles after two consecutive first-round defeats in tournaments this year.
The Chan sisters defeated Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia and Miyu Kato of Japan 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in 1 hour, 40 minutes to advance to the next round.
The win was particularly uplifting for the sisters, who have had a disappointing start to the new season with first-round defeats at the Brisbane International and Hobart International earlier this month.
Photo: AP
The crucial moment in the match came in the first-set tiebreak, which the Chan sisters won 7-3, before running away with the second set 6-3.
In the women’s singles, 15-year-old prodigy Coco Gauff set up a blockbuster with defending champion Naomi Osaka, as a pumped-up Serena Williams took another step toward a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title.
American Gauff, showing tenacity that is becoming her trademark, clawed her way back from a set down to beat veteran Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Gauff, who screamed and pumped her fists as she completed her victory, said that her “will to win” had got her through the tough second-round match at a windswept Melbourne Park.
Japan’s Osaka, 22, beat China’s Zheng Saisai 6-2, 6-4, but briefly lost her cool mid-match, hurling and kicking her racket when she gave up a break in the second set.
“I was thinking that I really don’t want to play a third set this time,” said Osaka, who is defending a Grand Slam title for the second time.
Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, playing her final tournament before retiring, came from behind in both sets for a 7-5, 7-5 win over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.
Serena Williams shouted at the top of her lungs during a testing second set against 70th-ranked Tamara Zidansek, before seeing off break points to win 6-2, 6-3.
“She was a really good fighter — she did not just let me win,” said Serena Williams, who can equal Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 Grand Slams if she lifts the trophy.
Earlier, Australian world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty raced through 6-1, 6-4 against Polona Hercog, buoying hopes of a first home winner since 1978.
On a day when men’s seeds tumbled, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic strode into the third round to be joined by Roger Federer, who dismissed Filip Krajinovic 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.
Djokovic also weathered the breeze — which followed heavy rain on Monday and smog from bushfires last week — to beat Japanese wild card Tatsuma Ito 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in 95 minutes.
Federer was barely detained by Krajinovic, the world No. 41, as he moved smoothly through in 92 minutes in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.
In other results, Petra Kvitova, last year’s runner-up, came through 7-5, 7-5 against Paula Badosa of Spain and China’s Zhang Shuai ousted American Caty McNally 6-2, 6-4.
Former US Open champion Marin Cilic won a five-setter against French seed Benoit Paire and one-time semi-finalist Milos Raonic beat Chile’s Christian Garin in straight sets.
American Tennys Sandgren, engulfed in controversy over his political views and right-wing links during his run to the 2018 quarter-finals, took the biggest scalp so far when he ousted eighth seed Matteo Berrettini in five sets.
The US’ Tommy Paul also pulled off a five-set upset when he beat Bulgarian 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (10/3).
Australia’s John Millman further trimmed the number of high-ranked players when he ended the campaign of 31st seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.
However, Greek sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was handed a slice of fortune when Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew injured.
Among eight first-round matches held over from Tuesday, after rain wiped out half of Monday’s schedule, Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, also retiring this year, upset Belarusian 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
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