MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 22, 2022 (by Michael Dickens)
Within a matter of about 10 minutes across Melbourne Park, on a sunny and warm 33-degree (Celsius) Saturday afternoon, Simona Halep, Danielle Collins and Alizé Cornet all won their respective third-round matches to advance to the round of 16. Each were survivors in the battle of the summer heat, too.
First, on John Cain Arena, the 14th-seeded Halep of Romania ended the run of No. 98 Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the round of 16 for the fifth straight year. She hit 19 winners during her 65-minute win to improve to 8-0 on the season and her third-round record in majors to 21-3. Halep is a perfect six-for-six in sets played and won and has dropped just 12 games.
Sealed with a kiss 😘
🇷🇴 @simona_halep sails past Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-1 and into Week 2.#AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/cgx0zULa2o
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2022
Next, on Rod Laver Arena, No. 27 seed Collins of the United States hit 33 winners to 33 unforced errors and rallied from a set and 4-2 down to gain a two hour, 35 minute 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 win over 19-year-old Clara Tauson of Denmark. Tauson was the last remaining teenager in the field, who came in ranked at a career-high 39th. On Monday, Collins will oppose No. 19 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium in the fourth round. Mertens advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 74 Zhang Shuai of China in 70 minutes, aided by five breaks of serve.
Leaving it all out there 👏
A battle royale between Danielle Collins and Clara Tauson.#AusOpen · #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/wMO4zhvrOv
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2022
Finally, the 61st-ranked Cornet of France celebrated her 32nd birthday with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback victory over 29th seed Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia on Margaret Court Arena. Cornet overcame 39 unforced errors with 16 winners and took advantage of 63 unforced errors by Zidansek to earn her second trip into the round of 16 and first since 2009. Next, Cornet will play Halep in the fourth round on Monday.
Pure joy 😁 Happy Birthday, @alizecornet! #AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/FufOn2TWgw
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2022
“It was mostly about survival today,” Cornet said during her on-court interview. “I can’t believe this Australian heat – it’s so brutal! On a day like today, it’s about surviving on the court.
“I can’t believe I won this match. I was 6-4, 4-1 down. I couldn’t find solutions, but somehow I turned it around. Tamara was playing good tennis, I wasn’t playing my best. I kept going. Finally, I came back. It was magic win for me. I’m so happy.”
Looking back at Day 5: Big moments, big emotions
🇺🇸 @AnisimovaAmanda stuns defending champion 🇯🇵 Naomi Osaka in a three-set thriller 🔥
Check out the highlights from Friday’s match 👇#AusOpen • #AO2022 • @espn • @Eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/ItJAS4XpoR
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 22, 2022
Big moments, big emotions…brought to you by Day 5⃣#AusOpen · #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/7oq0mUPvVi
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2022
Now it can be told
• Following her third-round victory Friday afternoon, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka brought her son Leo with her to the podium for her press conference.
Reporter: “Leo, how did mummy play today?”
Leo: “Awesome!”
Vika: (Laughter). “Thank you for that!”
Cuteness overload ❤️@vika7 + Leo#AusOpen • #AO2022• #AOTennis pic.twitter.com/lJpHdRO6vw
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2022
• Hall of Famer Mats Wilander, who is a pundit on Eurosport‘s tennis coverage said after women’s defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka was beaten by unseeded Amanda Anisimova: “I’m not sure if we’re going to ever see the great Naomi Osaka win Grand Slam tournaments again.”
What they’re writing
• David Kane, Tennis.com, “Paula Badosa Shares Wholesome Exchange With BFF Kostyuk After Australian Open Epic”
ICYMI: @paulabadosa and @marta_kostyuk went from foes back to friends after an intense #AusOpen clash:
— TENNIS (@Tennis) January 21, 2022
• Christopher Clarey, The New York Times, “In Tennis, Carlos Alcaraz Is About To Cause A Big Commotion”
Went to Spain to spend time with Carlos Alcaraz, a teenager with justifiably big #tennis dreams who’s drawing comparisons to #Nadal at the same age but has a photo of #Federer in his room
Today he plays for a spot in the Round of 16 in Australiahttps://t.co/Xn8v04Wo98 pic.twitter.com/wCYBBcQs3E
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) January 20, 2022
Saturday’s Australian Open results
Sunday’s Australian Open order of play
By the numbers
• After the Australian Open fortnight is in the books, a week from now, 2021 women’s champion Naomi Osaka will drop in the next WTA rankings from No. 14 to No. 84. To be seeded in future majors, she will need to play more tournaments than last year. She was asked about after her third-round loss to Amanda Anisimova Friday night.
“I just want to go into this year, like, know that I’ll play the whole year and I’ll just have the greatest attitude ever,” Osaka said.
• Through her first three matches, top-seeded Ashleigh Barty has dropped just eight games.
“Quotable …”
• “The last match that I played in New York I think I had a completely different attitude, so I’m really happy with … I lost, but I’m happy with how it went.”
– Naomi Osaka of Japan, defending Australian Open women’s champion, who lost in the third round to Amanda Anisimova on Friday evening.
• “I don’t know who I’m going to play against next. I don’t like to watch and I don’t want to know. It’s 3 a.m. Just finished my match. I don’t really care who I’m playing next. It’s the last thing I’m going to think about.”
– Adrian Mannarino of France, who didn’t finish his third-round match against Aslan Karatsev until 2:33 a.m. Saturday. For the record, Mannarino will play Rafael Nadal in the fourth round on Sunday.
What they’re sharing on social media
Victoria Azarenka / Good morning 🌞
Good morning ☀️ pic.twitter.com/eKRsuHlWsU
— victoria azarenka (@vika7) January 18, 2022
