Australian Open day three: wins for Osaka, Zverev, Barty and Nadal – as it happened
Naomi Osaka, the defending champion, was in scintillating form in beating Madison Brengle while Sascha Zverev beat Australia’s John Millman in style
Wed 19 Jan 2022 08.33 EST
First published on Tue 18 Jan 2022 20.25 ESTLive feed
So, that concludes the third day, and it’s been a day without shocks, with Zverev, Osaka, Barty and, finally, Monfils all through to complete the set.
“Good vibes, good crowd, good Gaël,” says a very cool and relaxed Monfils. “Serving great, good powerful shots, a couple of trick shots, all good. I had a tough time and I feel great, strong. Always ready, born ready.”
A return of service - with love - from Naomi Osaka to Andy Murray.
Monfils beats 6-1 6-0 64
Bublik serves out the next game at speed, and so Monfils must serve out the next game to win. Monfils works Bublik round the court to level at 15-15. Then Bublik shanks the ball for 30-15, then the ball takes an age to come down for a crashing winner. Two match points it is, and the first is gobbled up. That’s it, a win in one hour and 29 minutes.
There’s life in Bublik yet, and Monfils skids to net a drop volley to hand over break point. That’s saved in style as the Frenchman clatters a winner home. Then Bublik goes long to allow Monfils to save two breaks and he’s a game away from the next round. 5-3 in the third set.
Monfils claims a break point with a clattering backhand and then Bublik chucks in an underarm serve out of desperation. It fails and it’s 4-3 to Monfils, and victory is in sight.
Some acrobatics, and the tennis version of the rabona can’t save Monfils on 30-15, and Bublik blasts back to 30-30, only for a loose shot to hand Monfils game point and 3-3.
Monfils and Bublik seem to have drawn closer to each other, with the Kazakhstani saving break point to take a 3-2 lead in the third set.
Bublik looks to have given up the ghost, he’s giggling after hitting the net from a very winnable position. He then screams into the ether after missing another one. Still, it goes to deuce. Monfils needs not to get distracted by such antics, and Bublik holds.
That leaves just Gael Monfils and Alexander Bublik on court, and Monfils looks well on course, having won the first two sets against Bublik 6-1 6-0. Bublik, with some relief, has just won the first game of the third set.
Alexander Zverev speaks to multiple Paralympian gold medallist Dylan Alcott.
I feel good, I won, I could really feel like you guys have been on lockdown for two years, amazing atmosphere. Hopefully it will get louder for the next few matches. I am prepared that everyone will hate me after the match, hopefully I get a lot of boos (crowd boos and then cheers). I have said that since Covid started that sports needs the people and the atmosphere. Spectators bring the emotions, and it’s excellent we are going back to normal. My tactic today was to hit the ball as slow as possible but if you are saying I am hitting it harder i am happy with that. If I am hitting it hrader against Rafa then I am happy.
Zverev beats Milmann 6-4 6-4 6-0
A highly impressive win, and Zverev, if he can sort his serving, can go far in this tournament. The first point is an ace, but a failed drop shot takes it to 15-15, with Millman still motoring around the court. Then there’s a slight delay and the hint of a yip from Zverev with a double fault as he goes for it on his second serve. He rights himself, and gives himself a single match point, that a crushing serve takes. He’s dropped just eight games to reach the last 32. He’s on course to meet Nadal in the last eight.
Zverev takes just over a minute to win the next game, and he’s 4-0 up. He takes a bit longer for his next break, a triple break, no less, and it’s 5-0. Millman shows he is not yet beaten with a lovely save of the first break. No such luck on the second and Zverev will serve for the match.
Monfils doing Monfils things. He won the first set against Bublik 6-1.
Oh dear, feels like it’s slipping away for Millman and Zverev, for all those wobbles on his serve, looks strong, his winner to go to 15-40 and two break points up un-returnable. But there’s a dog in this fight yet, and Zverev overhits to cough up one of those points. The second sees no such mistake, he’s 3-0 and cruising to victory.
Even longer way back for Millman now, as he is broken in the first game of the third set. And then gets given a chasing by Zverev’s serve, and the lead is 2-0 up. The home fans are getting louder but their man is fading fast.
Zverev takes the second set 6-4. Millman holds his serve to go to 4-5 to great acclaim, and makes Zverev serve out for the set. The first serve is an unerring ace, the second point is taken by another. Millman’s fine, low return of service takes it to 30-15. But then it goes to two set points, claimed at the first time of asking by a serve, and then a brutal forehand to follow up Millman’s return. Long way back for the Australian.
Gael Monfils, the French 17th seed, has rushed into a 3-0 lead on Alexander Bublik, the Russian-Kazakhstani player, though has been sent tumbling on the court, though seemed to be unshaken by hitting the deck.
Millman holds his serve and sets about getting on to Zverev, who has to pull out the bombs to clatter into a 30-15 lead. Then Millman over-eggs a passing shot before another double fault creeps in as Zverev goes for broke on second serve. There are some cheers when he misses his next one, and then a slow serve hits the net. That’s the second game in a row he’s double-double faulted. But then some serve and volley, and a deft drop shot takes him into an advantage, and then Millman fluffs a backhand. 5-3 to the German, who is wobbly but has the juice to get out of trouble.
Zverev, at 3-2 up, has a few collywobbles with his serve, and two double faults present Millman with two break points. Then his serve gets him back out of trouble, crashing the ball for two aces that hand him advantage, that’s seven aces. And he wins the game with a thunderous ace that Millman can only reach with the edge of his racquet. 4-2, the danger closed off for now.
Maria Sakkari, Greece’s fifth-seed, is safely through, beating Chinese qualifier Qinwen Zheng 6-1 6-4.
Can’t disagree with the great man here, can you?
Zverev’s power takes him to an early break of Millman’s serve for 2-1, and a hold now would see him take significant grip on this match. He surges to 40-0 up, only for a looped backhand fade to stop him serving out. Then a double fault, nerves jangling? Nope, a crashing serve forces a Millman error and it’s 3-1.
Millman is not done, and holds his first service game. But then so does Zverev, as the home fans, getting raucous at this late hour, give it some noise. 1-1 in the second set.
Zverev takes the first set 6-4, some powerful serving getting the job done, even though Millman continues to buzz around the court with purpose.
Some Andy Murray quotes from his press call ahead of tomorrow’s match with Taro Daniel.
Obviously, in some of the matches that I have played I wouldn’t expect, even if I was playing at my peak, necessarily to win in straight sets. A match like (Basilashvili) against someone who is in the 20s in the world, it’s always going to be difficult. But obviously it would be nice to have some quicker ones. That’s where I have had this discussion with my team and we were talking about trying to shorten matches and ways to play quicker points. It’s difficult to get the balance because if, right now, I’m playing 20 in the world level tennis then, if I’m playing anyone that’s in the top 50, those matches are going to be very, very competitive and difficult to win. If you start trying to play a different style of tennis and try to shorten points and everything, and you maybe make a few more mistakes or maybe don’t break serve as much, that also can prolong matches, as well.
Playing my game style but playing it at a higher level, I think will give me the best chance of shortening matches. When I look back at a lot of my matches in 2015, 2016, I was quite efficient and clinical, when I had opportunities and when I was ahead of guys, I’d finish them off quickly. Right now, because I’m not quite playing at that level, the matches are maybe a little bit tighter. So, hopefully, if I can continue to improve my level, I’ll be able to shorten some of the matches.
5-3 up for Zverev means Millman must serve to stay in the first set, and he does so with a modicum of comfort, though his winner, down the line from somewhere upstate, is fortunate, to say the least.
Karen Khachanov, the very big-serving Russian, will face Rafa Nadal, after the 28th seed beat Benjamin Bonzi 6-4 6-0 7-5.Nadal has won all seven meetings with the 2018 Paris Masters winner.
The referee has been on the blower to complain about a random electric-sounding drone. “Turn it off,” he says. Meanwhile, Zverev and Millman are trading blows, and Millman faces down break points and deuce on his serve. Then Zverev is complaining about the random drone, and Millman holds on to his serve. It’s 4-3.
Zverev cruises to 30-0, with some expert serving, and then Millman misses a winner, just out to take it to 40-0. Hawkeye shows it on the margins but out, and Zverev goes to 4-2 up. A reminder on line calls at the Australian, per an ESPN piece from last year.
The tournament is relying solely on Hawk-Eye Live -- a complex vision system where computer-linked cameras are used to track the trajectory of a ball to determine whether it was in or out, as well as catching foot faults. There’s no one to argue with -- voices of some of Australia’s frontline medical workers are being used for the “out” and “fault” calls, which can be heard within venues and on the broadcast -- so players can no longer challenge calls. They can still request to view Hawk-Eye evidence of a call.
So that “out” call from a female voice in an heavy Australian accent is a nurse or medic? Excellent - ripper - and apologies if you, the reader, knew all this.
Millman looks to be enjoying himself, though this has already been a bruising match. Zverev wails in anguish as he misses a potential winner, and then another as he scoops the ball out of play and it’s 3-2.
Again, service is a continuing problem for both of them, though Zverev delivers a first ace to go 40-30 up. Then a low-slung effort sees Millman crash into the net. 3-1. There was a slight delay in that game when a spectator was asked to return the ball he had taken as a souvenir.
Neither player is comfortable on their serve, or more pertinently, both returning well. Zverev goes two break points up, and off a lucky net cord, Millman nets and it’s 2-1 to the German. Feels like these two are settling in for the long haul.
Millman gets some purchase on the Zverev serve, getting to 30-30 by hitting it early and then an early break point. The home crowd are on his side, and when Zverev’s first serve is missed the forehand return is excellent. 1-1. Let’s go Aussie indeed.