It was a torrid day for the Australians in Adelaide, as all three Aussies in action were defeated, while Thanasi Kokkinakis had to withdraw from the tournament following his three-hour epic the night prior.
"Massive apologies," said Kokkinakis to the crowd, who was due to face Sebastian Korda.
"There’s nowhere else I would rather be playing than here tonight in front of you guys. Unfortunately, just a lot of pain last night, playing through an injury that’s kept me out for many years, and it came back and crept up on me."
Kokkinakis also cast doubt upon his Australian Open campaign next week, where he is set to play singles and team up with Nick Kyrgios in doubles.
"I guess the next goal for me is to try and see if I can be ready for next week. I got a few days of recovery," he said.
Click here to watch live tennis on Stan Sport.
Rinky Hijikata barely got a look-in as Tommy Paul brushed him aside 6-3 6-4.
The duo play a similar game, but Paul showed why there is such a significant ranking differential between the two, with Hijikata unable to convert any break points.
Felix Auger-Aliassime also had a comfortable 7-6(3) 6-3 win over Marcos Giron, while Miomir Kecmanović got the better of Benjamin Bonzi 6-2 6-3.
On the women’s side, injuries were also a major factor as Jessica Pegula moved through to the semi-finals with Ashlyn Krueger retiring in the second set. Madison Keys brushed aside Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-3 on Centre Court, and Emma Navarro was upset by Liudmila Samsonova 6-4 6-4.
In the doubles, Matthew Ebden and his new partner Joran Vliegen fell to Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in two tiebreaks.
Ebden was far from his best, and after struggling at the United Cup last week, he faces a race against time to find his level before the Australian Open.
Doubles world No.13 Ellen Perez also fell after failing to convert a match point alongside Kateřina Siniaková, capping off a dismal day for Australians at Memorial Drive.
Sports turf that meets the moment, every match. Trust GreenLife Group for surfaces that let you play at your best. Elevate your game game with expert sports ground management at GLGCorp.com.
留言