Australian Open Day 3: Osaka to face Gauff in third round, Serena, Barty march on

When @ChrisMcKendry calls this 👇🏾 “a little racket toss” by Naomi Osaka 🙄 SMDH
These announcers seriously get on my nerves. #BeConsistent #AustralianOpen #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/zyNlbSOKSc

— Jennifer Reynolds (@LocketsByJen) January 22, 2020

“I mean, my racket just magically flew out of my hand,” Osaka told reporters with a smile. “I couldn’t control it. Sorry, Yonex. I think that’s how I dealt with my frustration. It was a bit childish. I just want to play one match without throwing my racket or kicking it. That’s all I want.”

The match had echoes of her tempestuous third-round win over Hsieh Su-wei at the same venue last year when Osaka was driven to distraction by her opponent’s unorthodox game of drop-shots and slices. Osaka ultimately came back from a set down to overhaul Hsieh and went on to claim her second Grand Slam title with another stormy victory over Petra Kvitova.

😃😃😃

Defending champion @naomiosaka def. Zheng Saisai 6-2 6-4 and advances to the third round#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/7q1DjR4WrC

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2020

“Yeah, it’s really tough, because you start thinking she’s not hitting winners,” said Osaka, who was desperate to avoid a third set against the 42nd-ranked Zheng.

“You’re the one making all the errors. And you try to tell yourself not to make that many errors, but you have to go for those balls. So it’s like you’re walking a very fine line between being very aggressive or attempting to push but that’s her game. So it’s very hard.”

GAUFF SURVIVES THREE-SET THRILLER

Teenage sensation Coco Gauff survived a three-set thriller against Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open on Wednesday to book a third-round showdown with defending champion Naomi Osaka for the second Grand Slam in a row.

Challenge Accepted ??@cocogauff does it again ousting Cirstea 4-6 6-3 7-5 to set up a blockbuster third round clash with defending champion Naomi Osaka.#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/xHrsOMng2N

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2020

The 15-year-old American has quickly become a crowd favourite in her debut appearance at the tournament and drew on that support to haul herself back into the match after going a set down, rallying for a 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory over the Romanian.

Gauff, the youngest player in the draw, will next face Japan’s Osaka, who defeated her 6-3 6-0 in the third round of last year’s U.S. Open. That encounter ended with Osaka drawing praise for allowing an emotional Gauff to thank her home fans in a post-match interview.

“Yeah, it was definitely a good moment I think for both of us, especially me,” Gauff told reporters. “But I think more just for the people watching, the little girls and little boys who can kind of see what sportsmanship is really. When it’s all said and done, we still look at each other with respect and the same.”

“I think they kind of like me, so I hope I can keep that going.”@cocogauff gets emotional talking about the Aussie crowd. ??#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/lMycgBLIWP

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2020

Gauff expects to be “less nervous” against Osaka this time around as she looks to make the fourth round at a major for the second time after her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon last year.

“We’re both familiar with each other’s games. She plays really aggressive. This time coming in, I’m going to be more aggressive,” she said.

WOZNIACKI REFUSES TO RUSH INTO RETIREMENT

Caroline Wozniacki refused to be rushed into retirement on Wednesday as the former world number one fought back from 5-1 down in the first set to beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 7-5 7-5 in the second round of the Australian Open.

She’s still in it to win it 🏆@CaroWozniacki keeps her #AO2020 dream alive by taking out 23rd seed Yastremska 7-5 7-5#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/sQtnP96z25

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2020

The Dane had appeared set for an early exit at Melbourne Park, the scene of her only Grand Slam triumph in 2018, but rallied to win six games in a row against the 19-year-old to take the opening set.

Wozniacki, who is hanging up her racket after the tournament, made up for her lack of firepower with her trademark defensive skills, forcing the aggressive Yastremska into a series of errors.

“I was just, like, it’s coming really fast at me. She’s not making a lot of mistakes. I’m not getting depth on the ball,” Wozniacki told reporters.

“I was trying to think what to do out there to change that, and she started making a little more unforced errors. I got a little more depth on the ball, I started serving a little bit better. All of a sudden I kept getting one point after another and started getting the belief that I could get that set.”

BARTY BOUNCES BACK

World number one Ash Barty overcame high winds and a potentially tricky opponent to ease into the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Polona Hercog on Wednesday.

There’s no place like 🏠@ashbarty closes out Hercog 6-1 6-4 in front of the Rod Laver Arena crowd to reach the third round.#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Uaen87z63V

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2020

After choking smoke from recent bushfires and torrential rains, players at Melbourne Park on Wednesday had to contend with swirling winds.

Nothing the Australian weather could throw at her was about to put Barty off her stride, however, as she continued her quest to become the first home-grown champion at the Australian Open since Chris O’Neil at Kooyong in 1978.

“The wind was a massive factor today, changed end to end dramatically,” the 24-year-old told reporters after a second success on Rod Laver Arena. It was important for me to get a good start, and I was able to do that.”

“This is the highlight of my day.”

BFFs and former dubs partners @caseydellacqua and @ashbarty meet again 😍#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/gF5Pp5sThA

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2020

The world number one next faces 29th seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who was the other WTA title winner along with Barty in the final week of warm-ups for Melbourne Park when she won in Hobart.

“I think for me it’s about doing what I do best regardless of whether it’s a first round, third round, or a final,” said Barty. “It doesn’t really matter for me what round it is. I’m still going out there trying to do the same thing essentially.”

SERENA INTO THIRD ROUND

Serena Williams overcame an erratic performance at the Australian Open on Wednesday to beat Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-2 6-3 and advance to the third round.

Simply sensational @serenawilliams!

Our seven-time champion advances to the third round with a 6-2 6-3 win over Zidansek #AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/qECnJFeWfh

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2020

The 38-year-old American, who is bidding for a record 24th Grand Slam singles title, was hardly troubled in the first set as she broke Zidansek twice to wrap up the opener in just over half an hour.

But the 70th-ranked Zidansek put up an impressive defence in the second set, saving seven break points as an increasingly frustrated Williams racked up more than a dozen unforced errors.

Zidansek, however, could not keep up the resistance and Williams clinched the victory with a cross-court forehand winner to set up a meeting with China’s Wang Qiang.