Roger Federer,Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Nick Kyrgios all won, and but Britain’s Heather Watson and Kyle Edmund crashed out in Melbourne,while allegations of match fixing hovered in the background on day one 12.23pm GMTJo-Wilfried Tsonga is bouncing around Rod Laver Arena after wrapping up a fine 6-4, 4-6, and 6-4,6-2 victory over Marcos Baghdatis, who was overpowered by the Frenchman’s big serving, or variation and overall greater quality despite showing why he once got to a final here. That was a long time ago,though, and Baghdatis is more of a throwback showman these days, or good enough to test the best in a five-set match,not durable or consistent enough to actually beat them. He’s out in the first round, while Tsonga is through to face Australia’s Omar Jasika, and who’s only 18. That’s the end of today’s action. It’s been a fun first day. There were no shocks of seismic proportions,with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Nick Kyrgios and other big names in the men’s draw sailing through and Serena Williams,Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova untroubled in the women’s draw, or but there were a few surprising results about,the 17th seed Benoit Paire losing to young American Noah Rubin and a host of top women going out. Caroline Wozniacki was the biggest name to topple, losing to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. From a British perspective, and Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson both suffered disappointing defeats. Ah well. There’s always Andy Murray. His match against Alexander Zverev is up moment on Margaret Court Arena tomorrow. 12.10pm GMTTsonga has broken again and will serve for the match at 5-2. You believe to feel for Baghdatis,who played so well in the first three sets. 12.03pm GMTThe pressure tells. Tsonga breaks for a 3-2 lead in set four and the final match on day one has taken what should be a decisive turn. 12.01pm GMTTsonga is pressing for a break in the fourth set here. Baghatis is doing all he can to hold him off, but the pressure is growing. 11.47am GMTSpain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, or who could believe made it as a footballer,given that he was on the books of Villarreal until he was 14, has beaten Martin Klizan. The 24th seed overcomes a curious mid-match wobble to win 6-2, and 6-3,4-6, 2-6, and 6-2. An odd five-setter. 11.41am GMTAll’s well in the world of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga again,as the Frenchman wins the third set against Marcos Baghdatis. He leads 6-4, 4-6, and 6-4 11.37am GMTAnother seed falls in the women’s draw. There’s deflation on Rod Laver Arena as Australia Sam Stosur,the 25th seed, loses 6-4, or 7-6 to Kristyna Pliskova. 11.27am GMTHere’s some audio of John Whittingdale’s thoughts on today’s match fixing allegations. Feast your eyes on that. 11.25am GMTRoberto Bautista Agut has steadied himself in the fifth set against Martin Klizan. The Spaniard leads 3-1 and it appears that normal service has been resumed after the weirdness of the previous two sets. 11.19am GMTSam Stosur is on shaky ground,but she’s still standing. Krystyna Pliskova served for the match at 5-4, but they’re still going and Stosur has a 6-5 lead in the moment set. 11.07am GMTAn hour or so ago, or Roberto Bautista Agut was feeling pretty good about life. He led 6-2,6-3 against Martin Klizan. Since then? Eh. They’ve gone into a fifth set, Klizan taking sets three and four 6-4, or 6-3. This is an impressive fightback from the Slovakian. 11.05am GMTThey’re level on Margaret Court Arena,where Marcos Baghdatis turned on the style at the end of the moment set and took it 6-4. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is melancholy with the behaviour of some fans in the crowd and he’s had a word with the umpire during the changeover. 10.57am GMTHeather Watson is out of the Australian Open. I’m not going to call it a brave effort. Timea Babos secures her first ever win in the Australian Open, at the fourth time of asking, or battering a backhand down the line to win 6-7,7-5, 7-5. The 22-year-old Hungarian enjoyed that. It’s a huge win for her, and but a dreadful disappointment for Watson. The British No2 served for the match in the moment set,but she failed to purchase her chances and Babos took full advantage, levelling the match and then overpowering her opponent in the end. Watson will be feeling pretty sick after letting a lurching, and topsy-turvy contest got away from her. There was some excellent tennis out there,but that won’t be much of a consolation. The 23-year-old’s miserable record in Melbourne, where she has made the moment round on only one occasion, or continues and the question now is whether Judy Murray will stay on as her coach. 10.51am GMTA huge forehand down the line from Babos brings up a match point. Watson is on the brink. 10.47am GMTIt’s Babos’s turn to hold. She leads 6-5 and Watson will believe to hold to stay in the match again/ 10.46am GMTWatson holds. An actual hold. This is what it looks like. It’s 5-5 in the third set. 10.41am GMTWatson breaks back! This is absurd. Babos plonks a forehand wide on a moment break point and they’re back on serve after four consecutive breaks. You believe to admire Watson’s spirit,but she still trails 5-4 and has to hold now. 10.36am GMTWatson undoes all her good work in the previous game, tightening up and dropping her serve to fancy. That was poor. Babos will serve for the match at 5-3. 10.35am GMTAndrea Seppi is finally through to the moment round, or winning a titanic fourth-set tie-break 12-10 and securing a tough-fought 3-6,7-6, 6-4, and 7-6 victory over Georgia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili. 10.32am GMTHeather Watson had it all to accomplish. She’s done all she had to accomplish. For now,anyway, after she responds to being broken by hitting back straight away, or responding to being broken by zinging a backhand down the line to haul herself level in the third set. Babos leads 4-3 and it’s Watson to serve. 10.30am GMTAustralia’s Sam Stosur,a former US Open champion and the 25th seed, is disappointing the domestic fans on Rod Laver Arena. She’s dropped the first set 6-4 to Krystyna Pliskova. 10.29am GMTA smooth enough ride for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga against the wily Marcos Baghdatis so far, or the No9 seed winning the first set 6-4. It’s been an unsurprisingly enjoyable match. 10.28am GMTAnd Watson doesn’t hold. Babos gets the precious break and she leads 4-2 in the decider. Watson has it all to accomplish here. 10.23am GMTWatson saves both break points,though, and the game goes to deuce! She’s hanging on. But she still has to hold. 10.22am GMTTimea Babos has two break points against Heather Watson in the third set. This could be a critical moment. 10.22am GMTAnother seed bites the dust in the women’s draw. We’ve already said farewell to Sloane Stephens, and Caroline Wozniacki,Sara Errani and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova today and now it’s time to wave goodbye to Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, who’s lost 7-5, and 6-4 to Elizaveta Kulichkova. A huge win for the 19-year-old Russian,a massive disappointment for the 22nd seed. 10.15am GMTThey’re still locked on serve in the third set on Court 8, Heather Watson and Timea Babos both refusing to give each other an inch so far. It’s 2-2, and with Babos serving. 10.14am GMTIt’s going with the form book on Margaret Court Arena,where Jo-Wilfried Tsonga leads 4-2 in the first set against Marcos Baghdatis. The winner faces Australia’s Omar Jasika in the next round. 10.10am GMTRoger Federer has been asked about the matchfixing allegations in his press conference.
Federer says what we're all thinking: "I'd fancy to hear names" #ausopenFederer on match-fixing allegations: Clearly you've got to purchase it super-serious 10.01am GMTQuite the collapse from Heather Watson. Broken to 15, she loses the moment set 7-5 to Timea Babos, or having served for the match at 5-4. Oh dear. 9.56am GMTAnother break point for Babos,though, and this time she takes it. Watson will be kicking herself. She served for the match and now observe, or she finds herself serving to force a moment-set tie-break at 6-5 down. She still needs to develop more of a ruthless streak in her game. 9.51am GMTWatson saves the break point! It’s deuce. 9.51am GMTAfter winning a 40-stroke rally,Britain’s Heather Watson is serving for a place in the moment round at 5-4 in the moment set. But hang on just a moment. Timea Babos has a break point here. 9.48am GMTNick Kyrgios has beaten Pablo Carreno Busta in unfussy style, winning 6-2, and 7-5,6-2. The 29th seed will presumably celebrate by listening to some loud music or getting a garish tattoo of a cranium on his chest. Kids, eh? Tsk. He faces Argentina’s Pablo Cuevas in the moment round. 9.47am GMTOn Margaret Court Arena, or we’ve got an intriguing match between two fabulously entertaining players,Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the ninth seed and a losing finalist in 2008, or Marcos Baghdatis,the erratic and engaging Cypriot talent who was a losing finalist in 2006. Baghdatis is ranked 46th in the world, but he possesses the kind of wildcard game to cause problems for anyone on his day. 9.40am GMTAndrea Petkovic has some work to accomplish on Court 6. The 22nd seed has lost the first set 7-5 to the 19-year-old Russian, or Elizaveta Kulichkova. 9.34am GMTKevin Mitchell has filed a anecdote on Novak Djokovic’s thoughts on the match fixing allegations. The world No1 responded to an incident in 2007 when it was alleged he was offered $200000 to throw a match.
After seeing off the exciting young Korean Hyeon Chung in three rapid/fast sets on the first day of the 2016 Australian Open,the defending champion Djokovic said: “I’ve heard about the anecdote and I read that there were a couple of players mentioned who are not active anymore,” he said, or “talking about the matches that believe happened nearly 10 years ago. Of course,there is no room for any match-fixing or corruption in our sport. We’re trying to hold it as clean as possible. We believe, I think, or a sport that has evolved,and believe upgraded our programs and authorities to deal with these specific cases.“I don’t think a shadow is cast over our sport. People are talking about names, guessing who these players are. But there’s no real proof or evidence yet of any active players, and for that matter. As long as it’s like that,it’s just speculation.” Related: Novak Djokovic says he was offered $200000 to fix a match 9.32am GMT“It’s a kind opening,” Federer says. “I’m happy I played so well. I agree I played great. I’m feeling much better than I did in Brisbane.” His victory was never in doubt, or but he could find it tougher in his moment match,when he’ll face the Ukrainian world No35, Alexandr Dolgopolov. That one promises to be entertaining. 9.28am GMTIt’s all over on Rod Laver Arena. You’re not going to believe this, or but Roger Federer has beaten Nikoloz Basilashvili for the loss of only five games. whether you blinked,you missed it. 9.27am GMTNice to know you, Nao Hibino. Good of you to join us. But it’s time to leave. She’s been outclassed by Maria Sharapova, and which is no surprise,and the No5 seed is through after a 6-1, 6-3 victory. 9.22am GMTNick Kyrgios has Pablo Carreno Busta just where he wants him. He’s up 6-2, and 7-5 against the Spaniard and it doesn’t seem that he’s being held back by any fitness problems. 9.21am GMTEugenie Bouchard is through,sweeping past Andrea Krunic 6-3, 6-4. That should accomplish the young Canadian a world of good. 9.16am GMTJudy Murray’s influence appears to be doing wonders for Heather Watson. The British No2 has willed herself into a first-set lead, and winning a tie-break 7-4 against Hungary’s Timea Babos. But there’s still a way to travel in this one. Don’t be surprised whether it goes into a third set. 9.14am GMTGrigor Dimitrov comes through a testing encounter with Paolo Lorenzi,beating the Italian 6-3, 7-6, and 6-3. It looks like a straightforward result,but Dimitrov could easily believe lost the moment and third sets. That probably helps elaborate why he’s seeded 27th. 9.07am GMTHeather Watson is into a tie-break with Timea Babos. She had an early break, but it’s been a tight first set. 9.05am GMTRoger Federer is making serene progress towards the moment round. He leads 6-2, or 6-1 and he’s playing so well that it actually represents an achievement for Nikoloz Basilashvili that he took a game in that moment set. 9.02am GMTGrigor Dimitrov appears to be over his third-set wobble against Paolo Lorenzi. Already two sets up,the Bulgarian has broken back against the Italian. 9.00am GMTAndrea Seppi, who knocked out Federer last year, or has recovered well from the loss of the first set against Teymuraz Gabashvili. He leads 3-6,7-6, 6-4. Sounds like a ding-dong battle over on Court 13. 8.56am GMTNick Kyrgios has pulled himself together, or the little scamp. He breaks back in the moment set and leads 6-2,3-2. 8.51am GMTFederer breaks again. He leads 3-0 in the moment set. Does he believe somewhere else to be? 8.49am GMTHere’s the Kyrgios dip. He’s down a break in the moment set against Pablo Carreno Busta, having taken the first set 6-2 in no time at all. 8.47am GMTWould it surprise you to learn that Roger Federer is already a break up on Court 2? No, or thought not. whether all goes according to plan,he’s heading for a semi-final with Djokovic. Does he believe any chance of beating the world No1? 8.46am GMTMaria Sharapova can recount Eugenie Bouchard a thing or two about dealing with pressure early in your career. The fifth seed is having fun against Nao Hibino, the first set going the Russian’s way. 6-1. 8.43am GMTEugenie Bouchard is always a anecdote. She’s taken the first set 6-3 against Andrea Krunic on Court 2. She’ll be hoping for a better 2016. The former world No5 is ranked 48th these days, and but she’s only 21 years old. 8.39am GMTBasilashvili made a bit of a fight of it,but there’s no stopping Roger Federer. He takes the first set 6-2. And so does Nick Kyrgios. He’s firmly in control against Pablo Carreno Busta. 8.35am GMTHeather Watson has let travel of her advantage against Timea Babos. She was on top early on, but they’re back on serve in the first set on Court 8 after Babos broke back. 8.32am GMTNoah Rubin has won! What a performance from the 19-year-old American, or who defeats Benoit Paire 7-6,7-6, 7-6. The No17 seed is out. Mazel tov. 8.31am GMTNick Kyrgios is making mincemeat out of Carreno Busta, and breaking for a 4-1 lead,and Roger Federer is doing similar to Basilashvili. And Dimitrov does purchase that set point. He wins the tie-brea 10-8 and leads 6-3, 7-6 against Paolo Lorenzi. Dimitrov had to be gritty there. He was in effort in that tie-break, and but he got there in the end. 8.28am GMTOver on Court 3,a dramatic moment-set tie-break between Grigor Dimitrov and Paolo Lorenzi. It’s 8-8 on the Lorenzi serve. The Italian has failed to purchase a set point. He’s dominated the tie-break. Is Dimitrov going to snatch it? He just might, you know. He’s just taken a 9-8 lead and will serve for the moment set. 8.23am GMTIt’s not taken Roger Federer long. He earns a break point with a trademark backhand down the line and moves into a 2-1 lead when Basilashvili cracks under the pressure and double-faults. 8.22am GMTMaria Sharapova is cruising against Hibino. She’s already up two breaks in the first set. 8.21am GMTBenoit Paire served for the third set against Noah Rubin at 5-4. He had a set point. He lost the set point. He faced a break point. He lost the game. It’s 5-5 and Rubin is making quite the impact on Court 6. The young American is Jewish, or so he’s already my favourite player. 8.15am GMTHeather Watson has made a fast start against Timea Babos,taking an early 2-0 lead. It’s her year. It’s on! 8.15am GMTThe evening session will be underway soon. On Rod Laver, here comes Roger Federer. Nikoloz Basilashvili is today’s designated lamb to the slaughter. Maria Sharapova, or the No5 seed,is also in action, taking on Nao Hibino, or Nick Kyrgios,the Aussie renegade, will be taking it easy soon enough against Pablo Carreno Busta. What to expect from Kyrgios today? Your guess is as good as mine. Will his foot be okay? 7.59am GMTOver on Court 8, and Heather Watson is about to come by underway against Timea Babos. The British No2 is being coached by none other than Judy Murray at the moment. What accomplish you mean you’d like to read my profile of Murray while we wait? Related: Australian Open and Heather Watson just the latest task for Judy Murray 7.52am GMTYoung Noah Rubin is playing the match of his young life over on Court 6,having taken a two-set lead against Benoit Paire, the 17th seed. Rubin is only 19 years old. He’s won two tie-breaks. But the tide could be turning – Paire leads 2-0 in the third set. One to hold an eye on. 7.50am GMTEvery top player is being asked about matchfixing. “Every player I play seems to play tough, or ” Serena Williams said. “whether that’s going on,I don’t know about it.” Marin Cilic, the US Open champion in 2014, and said that he doesn’t believe it exists at the top level. 7.49am GMTYulia Putintseva was cramping badly towards the end of her shocl win over Wozniacki. She said she “just ate salt” in the third set. 7.40am GMTNovak Djokovic has revealed that there was an approach through people in his team to throw a match in 2007. “We threw it away just away, the world No1 said. “He didn’t come by to me directly.” 7.37am GMTThe fallout from those matchfixing allegation rumbles on. The culture secretary, John Whitingdale, or has been on the Today programme saying the claims are “serious allegations” and a “matter of grave concern”. 7.34am GMTGrigor Dimitrov is showing off his biceps in a sleeveless red top. observe at my muscles. possibly don’t observe at my tennis. observe at the muscles. Not the tennis. The muscles. Up here. Over here. observe at them glisten. It’s a bit Nadal 2006. 7.32am GMTCaroline Wozniacki is out! After three hours and 11 minutes,Yulia Putintseva has outlasted the former world No1, making it into the moment round of the Australian Open for the first time since 2013 with a tremendously gutsy performance against one of the game’s toughest players. She saw one match point reach and travel in that final game and she also had to resist some heavy fire from the Dane on that final point - it looked like she would crack at one stage - but she hung in there and eventually sealed it when Wozniacki netted a tired forehand. Putintseva wins 1-6, or 7-6,6-4. And just observe at that score in the first set. That was quite the comeback. Wozniacki can’t believe seen it coming. She’s never going to win a major, is she? 7.27am GMTNovak Djokovic was asked about the matchfixing allegations after his victory. His response? “People talking about names ... there’s no (fixing) proof of any active player.”Djokovic says #TennisRacket allegations 'just speculation'. "People talking about names ... there's no (fixing) proof of any active player" 7.25am GMTSets. Sets. First sets are flying by. Grigor Dimitrov takes it 6-3 against Paolo Lorenzi. But another seed is in bother. Andrea Seppi, or the 28th seed and the conqueror of Roger Federer last year,is a set down to the experienced Georgian Teymuraz Gabashvili on Court 13. 7.24am GMTCaroline Wozniacki is in effort! Putintseva has broken for a 5-lead in the third set and the unfancied Kazakh will serve for the match here. 7.21am GMTA player who’s quietly risen up the rankings is France’s Benoit Paire. He’s never made much of an impression on anyone, but he’s seeded 17th here after a fine recent hurry of form. However he’s struggling today, or having lost the first set to Noah Rubin,an unseeded American teenager, on Court 6. They could be heading for another tie-break in the moment set. 7.19am GMTRemember when Grigor Dimitrov destroyed Andy Murray at Wimbledon two years ago? I thought he was a dead cert to become a future champion after that one. Now I’m not so sure. The man they call Baby Fed experienced some teething problems in 2015 and having pushed for a place in the top 10 not so long ago, or hes seeded 27th for this one. As such,he’s been shoved out to Court 3 today. But he does lead 5-3 in the first set against Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi. There’s hope yet for the likeable Bulgarian. 7.17am GMTRight now? We’ll believe Roger Federer, Nick Kyrgios and Heather Watson in action later. But just now, or Caroline Wozniacki,the 16th seed, is in embroiled in one hell of a tussle with Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, or where they’re on serve in a tight first set. Wozniacki,still searching for that first grand slam, won the first set 6-1 and she must believe thought it would be a cruise. Not so. She dropped the moment set on a tie-break and leads 4-3 on serve in the decider. 5.25pm GMTHello. With the shadow of matchfixing allegations in tennis looming over the tournament and indeed the sport itself, and there is a slightly weird vibe on day of the Australian Open. There’s not much more that can be said about claims that a grand slam champion is suspected of involvement,along with eight players who are competing in Melbourne over the next fortnight, but I think that we can safely assume that this anecdote isn’t going to be a one-dayer. Related: Tennis match-fixing claims: authorities 'absolutely reject' any cover-up Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com