Roger Federer took another successful step in his highly-celebrated comeback on Wednesday at the Australian Open. The Swiss star prevailed past 20-year-old American Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3) to reach the third round for the 18th consecutive year, every time Federer has played at Melbourne Park. “It was a difficult first set [and a] tricky third set, of course,” said Federer. “I had to save a couple of set points. I know it could have gone different. I think I was a bit more consistent than in the first match against [Jurgen] Melzer, where I ended up losing that second set after leading. I think I had a little bit better concentration. I didn't know much about Noah Rubin going...
Stan Wawrinka stayed perfect on his serve all match long against Steve Johnson to march into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. Wawrinka hit 11 aces and erased all five break points faced to beat the American 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 51 minutes. Wawrinka, with his potent one-hander, sought to go backhand to backhand often against Johnson, who almost exclusively slices his two-handed backhand in hopes a forehand in the near future. The Swiss was successful, blasting 46 winners to Johnson's 29. “I'm not relieved, but happy with the match of today - happy with my level, my focus,” admitted Wawrinka. “I was moving well, feeling good. It was a little bit windy, but...
Kei Nishikori must have learned his lesson. After playing a five-set opener in the Melbourne heat on Monday, the Japanese avoided such serious tension during his second-round match, dismissing Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in just over two hours on Wednesday at the Australian Open. “It was a good match. Definitely much better than the first match. There were many up and downs in the second set and in the third set, too,” Nishikori said. Nishikori saved six of nine break points faced and made Chardy work all match long on his serve. The fifth-seeded Nishikori converted seven of 18 break points against the 29-year-old Chardy, who was trying to reach the third round in Melbourne for the third...
Ivo Karlovic has been at it again! This time engraving his name in the Australian Open record books. The 6’11” Croatian fought back from an 0-2 sets deficit to beat Horacio Zeballos 6-7(6), 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 22-20 in five hours and 14 minutes on Tuesday night for a place in the second round. The match fell 38 minutes short of Novak Djokovic’s win over Rafael Nadal in the 2012 final, which lasted five hours and 53 minutes. The Karlovic-Zeballos match lasted 84 games breaking the Australian Open record since the introduction of the tie-break in 1972, surpassing Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui's 2003 classic of 83 games – including a 21-19 fifth set. “This match is what I will,...
Novak Djokovic began his quest for a record seventh Australian Open crown on Tuesday night when he defeated 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-2 in two hours and 23 minutes. The pair met 11 days ago in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open semi-finals, with Djokovic saving five match points in the second set tie-break. “I started really well,” said Djokovic. “[I played a] great first set and a great third set, as well. The second set was a long set with a lot of unforced errors from both sides. It was a gamble, really. He was two or three times a break up. I had my chances at 4-All, 5-All, many break points. "But at the end of the day, I knew that winning...