Australian Open 2020: day two, afternoon session - as it happened

21 Jan 202001.12 EST

Scott Heinrich

And that’s where our coverage of the afternoon session ends. Rafael Nadal was brilliant in seeing off Hugo Dellien, British No 1 Jo Konta will have lots of time for reflection after losing to Ons Jabeur and one wonders if we’ll see Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open again after she was beaten by Donna Vekic. Be sure to join us tonight for our live coverage of the evening session. Bye for now.

Around the courts ...

• 12th seed Fabio Fognini needed five sets to get past Reilly Opelka.
• 19th seed Madison Keys was untroubled in seeing off Russian Daria Kasatkina, winning 6-3 6-1.
• Australia’s Jordan Thompson, the world No 63, was a straight-sets winner over Alexander Bublik.
• Australia’s Marc Polmans emerged victorious in a five-set epic against Mikhail Kukushkin, winning the first two sets before taking the final set 6-4.

Nadal strolls through this third set in barely over half an hour to advance to the second round. Dellien gave it his all - in the first two sets he matched it with the world No 1 at times - but the effort took its toll and the final set was a celebration of all things Nadal. As you would expect from a man who has eyes on the big prize, he got better as the game wore on. As tenacious and brave as Dellien was, Nadal hit more winners, committed fewer unforced errors and was simply the better player. Twenty in 20? Why not?

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Third set: Nadal 6-2 6-3 5-0 Dellien* (*denotes server): Another unforced error from Dallien, another backhand winner and service break for Nadal, and the world No 1 is now one game away from winning this match in straight sets. He’s been ruthless in this third set. Completely without ruth.

Third set: Nadal* 6-2 6-3 4-0 Dellien (*denotes server): Where Dallien is tiring, Nadal is getting stronger. The Spaniard rips another winner - his 11th of the set - to set up game point, finishing the deal with his fourth ace. Not long now.

Third set: Nadal 6-2 6-3 3-0 Dellien* (*denotes server): A brutal double-handed backhand winner sets up break point for Nadal. Dellien then finds the net - yet another unforced error - and this, ladies and gentlemen, is where we are at in this match. With two breaks under his belt, Nadal is steaming towards victory.

Third set: Nadal* 6-2 6-3 2-0 Dellien (*denotes server): Brilliant from Nadal, who at 0-30 down again gives Dellien a modicum of optimism before closing the game with clinical ease. Shot of the game, of the match, is a sliced cross-court backhand winner that draws applause from everyone in Rod Laver Arena - Dallien included.

Meanwhile, back in the land of Maria Sharapova ...

Third set: Nadal 6-2 6-3 1-0 Dellien* (*denotes server): Dellien is looking more than a little punch drunk out there. He’s taken some torrid hits at the hands of Nadal. Not literally, of course, but you know what I mean. The thing is, tired, bruised and inevitably deflated, he keeps coming back for more. Nadal holds a 15-40 lead, Dellien withstands the 10-count to take the game to deuce and even sees off five break points, but it’s hard to deliver the killer punch when you’re on the ropes, legs like jelly. Nadal breaks and one wonders how much Dellien has left in the tank.

Second set: Nadal* 6-2 6-3 Dellien (*denotes server): Nadal holds to love. Nadal wins the second set. Dellien hides under his chair, in the foetal position, sucking his thumb.

Second set: Nadal 6-2 5-3 Dellien* (*denotes server): Oh the pain for Dellien! Nadal breaks back. You can count on one hand (and a finger) how many unforced errors he’s made in this set, but Dellien continues to be best by them. And that tells the tale of this game as Nadal moves to within a held service game of the second set.

Second set: Nadal* 6-2 4-3 Dellien (*denotes server): Dellien recovers from that service lapse to hold two break points. He lets one go begging before sending Nadal on a run around the court, forcing an error and breaking back! Well played. Could easily have rolled over and allowed Nadal to go to 5-2. But he didn’t. I’d hate to get into an argument with Dellien. He’d probably be able to convince me climate change isn’t real.

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Second set: Nadal 6-2 4-2 Dellien* (*denotes server): Dellien hits long to hand a service break to Nadal ... to love. Ouch. That hurts. Thing is, the difference between Nadal’s best and worst is about 10%. Dellien, at his best, rubs shoulders with Nadal. At his worst, he’s rubbing the Spaniard’s bootlaces. Dellien was almost non-existent on serve in this game. A massive drop on his output. And Nadal made him pay.

Second set: Nadal* 6-2 3-2 Dellien (*denotes server): Nadal holds his serve to love. Easier than Ernie Els.

Second set: Nadal 6-2 2-2 Dellien* (*denotes server): When Dellien goes for his shots, which is always, and they find their desired destination, which isn’t always, boy he looks good. A crunching cross-court forehand winner highlights this game and, on serve, this set is game on.

Second set: Nadal* 6-2 2-1 Dellien (*denotes server): Easy is as easy does for Nadal, who holds his serve with ease. Easy.

Second set: Nadal 6-2 1-1 Dellien* (*denotes server): Point of the match, unquestionably, goes to Dellien as does the game itself. The Bolivian looks right at home against - as good as, even - the world No 1 during a breathless 21-point rally that ends with Nadal crashing a forehand into the net. Dellien paints the blueprint. Now to follow it.

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Second set: Nadal* 6-2 1-0 Dellien (*denotes server): New set, same story. Dellien goes after Nadal’s serve but - like a cat with a undersized, overawed and frightened mouse - the world No 1 more or less toys with his opponent to take the opening game of the third set.

First set: Nadal 6-2 Dellien* (*denotes server): Nothing so debilitating as hope. Nadal gives Dellien a peek into the promised land by dropping his serve, but shuts the door as quickly as he opened it. Dellien, again, has his chances, but Nadal keeps his composure better, goes easier on the unforced errors, and breaks serve (for the third time this match) to take the first set.

Dellien must be wondering what he has to do. Statistically, he’s in the match - his first serve is going at 75% to Nadal’s 54%; he’s won just eight fewer points to this juncture - but Nadal just doesn’t give away easy points. And Dellien does.

First set: Nadal* 5-2 Dellien (*denotes server): Toothpicks in hand, Dellien breaks Nadal with what can only be described as a minimum of fuss - the Spaniard wins just one point for the game - and has clawed back one of his service breaks. One gets the impression that no matter the scoreline, Dellien will play his game to the bitter end. This man’s jib, I like the cut of it.

First set: Nadal 5-1 Dellien* (*denotes server): Again, it’s not easy but finally, finally, Dellien holds serve and takes a gamer off the world No 1. The scoreline looks bad for the Bolivian, and it is, but he isn’t playing badly. He’s energetic, has initiative, and is brave with his shots. But unless you’re Federer or Djokovic, or intermittently someone else, beating Nadal is like trying to crack a nut with a pair of toothpicks.

Around the courts ...

• Australia’s Jordan Thompson, the world No 63, has taken the first set 6-4 against Alexander Bublik.
• 2014 Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka is a set and 4-3 to the good (on serve) over Damir Dzumhur.
• Australia’s Marc Polmans is two-sets-to-love up against Mikhail Kukushkin - but 4-2 down in the third set.

First set: Nadal 4-0 Dellien* (*denotes server): These two are using the full expanses of the court: backhand to forehand to forehand to backhand and any combination in between. Dellien has shown already in this match that he does a good trade in gumption. He holds five game points but can’t capitalise on any of them. Nadal doesn’t give anyone, sucker or otherwise, an even break. Against the world No 1, you need more than gumption. You need to take the take the chances when they arise. Because there won’t be many of them. Nadal breaks again essentially because he made fewer mistakes. That was an epic game counting a total of 18 points. And Dellien still isn’t off the mark. Must be galling for him.

21 Jan 202023.05 EST

Scott Heinrich

First set: Nadal* 3-0 Dellien (*denotes server): Gracias, Jonathan. Dellien shows plenty of ticker, and no small amount of hustle, to take Nadal’s serve to 0-30 but the Spaniard’s court coverage is just ferocious. He attacks the net, cranks a few volleyed winners and looks set to win the game at 40-30 before ...

... Dellien peels off a ridiculous winner down the line to take the game to deuce. The Bolivian keeps up the good work to hold two break points but unforced errors are his undoing. And, as easy as that, what he might look back on as a gilt-edged chance falls by the wayside. Nadal, anything but comfortably, holds serve. But he holds nonetheless.

21 Jan 202022.54 EST

Jonathan Howcroft

First set: Nadal 2-0 Dellien* (*denotes server): This is my first ever look at Dellien and he’s easy to warm to. Not the tallest player, but strong and compact, gets into his work speedily and hits through his forehand with plenty of zing. He advances to 40-15 with no little help from Nadal, who goes long with a couple of forehands, but the world No 1 fights back to deuce by keeping the ball alive long enough to induce errors.

Dellien comes out on top of the next long rally, hitting the outside of the baseline right in Nadal’s forehand corner. The excellence of that winner is quickly undermined by a double fault.

Nadal ups the ante to force an early break point but Dellien works hard to defend it. The 19-time grand slam champion forces another soon afterwards though, displaying beautiful movement across the baseline to keep ball after ball in play, driving Dellien to distraction. He repeats the trick to secure the break, hammering an emphatic forehand winner. Rafa is rolling.

Right, time for me to handover to Scott Heinrich.

First set: Nadal* 1-0 Dellien (*denotes server): Nadal holds to 30 but he doesn’t land many first serves. Across the net Dellien isn’t afraid to step in and give it some welly but aside from one vicious second serve return he struggles to hold his own in the rallies Nadal lives for.

Plenty of interest in Nadal’s conditioning after he looked fatigued during the ATP Cup. Remember, his 2019 season only ended a few weeks ago after leading Spain to glory in the Davis Cup Finals.

Nadal, by the way, is a picture in hot pink, his massive guns glistening in the sun as per usual for the Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal is out on Rod Laver Arena. And so is his 26-year-old opponent, Hugo Dellien from Bolivia. Dellien is ranked 73 in the world and on an upward curve over the past 18-months, but he has never been on a stage like this before, and never come up against an opponent like Rafa.

Next up on Rod Laver Arena, Rafael Nadal.

This is not a good grand slam for Great Britain.

As my colleague Tumaini Carayol points out, “Sharapova is now down to 366 in the rankings, which is not very good.”

Second set: Vekic* 6-3 6-4 Sharapova (*denotes server): Vekic double faults to open the game and she should be 0-30 behind but Sharapova overhits after dominating the point. Superb defence from the 19th seed, really scrambling desperately to remain alive. It’s a crucial juncture because a couple of good first serves soon hand the Croatian two match points. The first is saved with a highlights reel forehand winner down the line but the second attempted to line drive is wide and Vekic prevails!

That was a topsy-turvy contest, and one that Sharapova will rue, especially the way she relinquished the initiative in the second set after scrapping so hard to get back into the match. The Russian remains a wildcard-earning sponsor-pleasing drawcard, but her on-court performances are starting to beg the question: for how long?

Second set: Vekic 6-3 5-4 Sharapova* (*denotes server): Sharapova steadies her nerves with a couple of cheap points but at 30-0 she has some issues with her ball toss and when she finally gets her serve away Vekic is waiting to pound a huge clean forehand winner. Another solid return sets up a second point in a row and the pressure tells - Sharapova double faulting for the fifth time in the match. And Vekic wins her fourth game in a row, breaking the Sharapova serve again when the Russian fluffs a backhand into the net.

Vekic will serve for the match.

Second set: Vekic* 6-3 4-4 Sharapova (*denotes server): Sharapova’s forehand woes start to come back to haunt her but a searing return down the line keeps her alive at 40-30. Vekic then defends brilliantly at full stretch to keep the ball in play, avoid deuce, and consolidate her break. Pressure right back on the Russian now.

Good news for Australia! Millman one win away from a possible date with Roger Federer.