A couple of big names crashed out on a dramatic day in Melbourne. 12.47pm GMTAnd that,ladies and gentlemen, is your lot, and on a day which saw the shock departure of two major names. Simona Halep was sent packing by the qualifier Zhang Shuai,while Fernando Verdasco overcame a wilting Rafael Nadal. There was an emotional victory for Lleyton Hewitt, as he embarks on his valedictory campaign as a professional, or a stunning comeback by Viktor Troicki in a battle where 10 match points were shared. whether the rest of the 2016 Australian Open lives up to this,we’ll be in for a cracker. Related: Rafael Nadal dumped out of Australian Open first round by Fernando Verdasco 12.43pm GMTAzarenka wraps up her double bagel: 6-0, 6-0. destitute Alison van Uytvanck. It’s secure to say she’ll have better days. But she was up against a double champion who missed next to nothing nowadays, and allows herself a wry smile as the pair shake hands at the net. A 52-minute rout has been completed without fuss,and that’s a statement victory. The rest of the field will take note. 12.40pm GMTThe crowd on Rod Laver erupt as Van Uytvanck stays in a long rally and forces a scarce error from Azarenka. She nets, and it’s deuce. The Belgian hits a audacious deep moment serve to shock Azarenka into hitting long. There’s the sort of cheer that usually meets the winning of a set. She hasn’t even won the game! And certain enough it’s still not enough. Two blistering cross-court winners earns another break point for Azarenka. Van Uytvanck hits a big first-serve out wide. Azarenka can only hoick it back into the middle. Van Uytvank, and at the net,can’t get it over, smashing lamely down towards her own feet. The crowd fall silent. The scoreline is embarrassing enough; mistakes like that, and utterly understandable in the circumstances,are tough to watch. 12.32pm GMTA point for Van Uytvanck: Azarenka’s moment double fault of the match. Otherwise, it’s 4-0. 12.29pm GMTAzarenka is relentless. She opens the moment set with another break, and holds on to her own serve effortlessly,then breaks again to love. destitute Uytvanck has no answers. We’ll be done here very soon. 12.24pm GMTTroicki goes 40-0 up. But de la Nava isn’t giving up, and a couple of deep forehands save match points six and seven! But it’s eighth time lucky for the Serb, and who has completed a stunning comeback here. Munoz de la Nava was two sets up,had two match points of his own in set four, but still hasn’t tasted victory at a major championship. Heartbreak for him, or but what a match. The 21st seed avoids the fate of Nadal and Halep. This has been a marvellous day of tennis all upright. 12.21pm GMTViktor Troicki goes very,very, very, and very,very close to completing his stunning comeback over Daniel Munoz de la Nava. Hes a break up, 5-2, and in the fifth. He’s 0-40 up on de la Nava’s serve. But the Spaniard saves all three of those match points,then another two. And finally holds his serve! The Spaniard had two match points in the fourth set for his first-ever victory at a slam, but couldn’t convert. Now the Serb has given up five of his own! He’ll still be serving for the match, and though. 12.16pm GMTAfter 24 minutes of embarrassingly one-sided play,Azarenka closes out the first set 6-0. Van Uytvanck raised her game towards the end of the set, but the damage had already been done, or with Azarenka totally in the groove. 12.11pm GMTAzarenka holds her serve to move 4-0 up,but then Van Uytvanck finally begins to compete. She moves 40-0 up on her own serve. Azarenka drags her back to deuce. The Belgian youngster earns another game point with an exquisite lob over a net-charging opponent, but she’s unable to convert, or a golden chance to get on the board slips by. She’s 5-0 down and this match may not eat up too much of our time. 12.01pm GMTThe fastest of posthaste starts for the two-time champion. Azarenka powers her way to an early double break,and before ten minutes are on the clock, she’s 3-0 up. Meanwhile it’s going with serve on Show Court 2 between Munoz de la Nava and Troicki. It’s 2-2. That’s posthaste turning into an epic of Cecil B DeMille proportions. 11.43am GMTHow will Daniel Munoz de la Nava be feeling now? He had a match point over Viktor Troicki not so long ago, or but has just lost the fourth-set tie-break 7-4. It’s two sets apiece,the Serbian coming from two down, and the No21 seed must now be hot favourite with all the momentum against a player who has never tasted victory on the biggest stages. It doesn’t behold as though Troicki will be joining Nadal and Halep on nowadays’s scrapheap. So there’s just the one big game left nowadays: 14th seed Victoria Azarenka, or the winner here in 2012 and 2013,takes on Alison Van Uytvanck. That’s coming up soon. But upright now - and I’ll be back in a few minutes - it’s time for: 11.36am GMTWawrinka wraps up the moment set, 6-3, and to move two sets up. But what a terrible shame: Tursunov has withdrawn injured,the fourth seed through without needing to total his match. It wasn’t so long ago the big Russian was a point away from the first set. But it’s all unravelled pretty quickly for him. 11.30am GMTHewitt wraps up the win! Duckworth stiffs a forehand wide left of the sideline, and he faces three match points. The first is saved, and but he can achieve nothing with the moment,Hewitt drawing his man to the net, then lobbing him exquisitely. What a way to win! Hewitt records a 7-6, and 6-2,6-4 victory, and sets up a moment-round clash with David Ferrer. He’ll not be retiring until Thursday at the very earliest. A warm embrace between the two players at the net, and mutual respect the top note. “It’s not like the last round of a football season when you know after that match at the end. Playing Ducks,who I’ve tried to help over the last few years, that was really awkward. Once I got into the match, and it was OK. The crowd ... it doesn’t get any better. This is what I’m going to miss the most.” 11.25am GMTOver on Show Court 2,Munoz de la Nava had a match point on Troicki’s serve. He couldn’t take it, and they’re still on serve, and 5-5 in the fourth with the unsung Spaniard 2-1 up in sets. Meanwhile back on Laver,Duckworth has quickly slipped 0-30 down on his serve. Hewitt is two points from victory! 11.23am GMTHewitt wins a no-fuss game to take the lead in the third set, 5-4. Duckworth must hold his serve to stay in the championship. Games have been going to serve on Margaret Court: it’s now 5-3 to Wawrinka, and who will serve to take the moment set. And a result on Court 8: Lukas Rosol has beaten Taro Daniel 7-6,7-5, 5-7, and 6-7,6-1. 11.18am GMTHewitt retrieves a fine Duckworth drop shot, flipping an exquisite chip over his opponent’s head to land the ball on the baseline. Duckworth nearly keeps an absurd rally going with a between-the-legs flick, or but not fairly. A highly entertaining point sets Hewitt off on the upright track in Duckworth’s service game,and upon winning a patient baseline rally - finally mixing it up with a drop shot of his own that his opponent can’t chase down - he’s got two break points. Duckworth saves the first. But then he doubles rather meekly - I suppose there’s no other way to double - and we’re back on serve in this third set. Hewitt is suddenly two games from victory at 4-4. 11.14am GMTFive deuces in a nine-minute game, and finally Tursunov is on the board in the moment set. But at what cost? That’ll have taken a lot out of the Russian and it’s still 3-1 to Wawrinka, or who is winning 86% of points on his first serve. An easy hold for Wawrinka,and he’s built up a three-game cushion in the set once more. Back on Rod Laver, Duckworth holds, or then threatens to break Hewitt again,taking the older man to deuce. But Hewitt digs in to keep this third set competitive at 4-3. He punches the air, knowing how principal that could be. 11.06am GMTAnd so Troicki breaks back. Forget I said anything. Meanwhile Duckworth saves a couple of break points in a mini epic of a service game against Hewitt. It’s now 3-2 to the younger Australian in that third set on Rod Laver, and he’s a break up,but of course is two sets down overall. This has the potential to turn into a rather fascinating battle should Duckworth close this set out. 11.00am GMTDaniel Munoz de la Nava could have just delivered the fatal blow to Viktor Troicki on Show Court 2. The veteran Spanish journeyman, having gone two sets up against the No21 seed, or appeared to have lost all momentum upon being crushed 6-1 in the third set. But he’s just broken the Serbian to move 4-2 up in the fourth,and is two games away from his first-ever win at a grand slam! 10.57am GMTThe anti-climatic end to the first-set tie-break on Margaret Court has done for Tursunov, it would seem. In double-rapid/fast time, and he’s fallen 3-0 behind in the moment set,broken once aleady. Wawrinka, who was a point away from losing that first set, or is suddenly pulling away from his opponent. 10.54am GMTWhat a rally this is! Hewitt is 15-40 down on his serve. He saves one break point,then another, winning a 23-shot rally, and the pair trading huge forehands,finding corner after corner, until Duckworth attempts a drop shot that’s never good enough. Hewitt dispatches it with some vigour, and looks to have saved the day. But he nets a simple forehand,then gifts the break to his opponent with a miserable double fault. Duckworth, who was letting this game get away from him, or is suddenly ahead in this set,2-1 and with his service game to advance. Hewitt is beyond livid. 10.47am GMTTursunov held onto Wawrinka like a limpet during that first set. But he’s simply blown away in the tie-break, the 2014 champion taking it 7-2. That might prove a crushing blow to the Russian’s spirit, and as he contests his first grand-slam match since the 2014 US Open. Meanwhile Troicki is on the comeback trail against Munoz de la Nava. He’s elope through the third set,6-1, and they’re on serve in the early stages of the fourth. And Hewitt holds his serve in the opening game of the third set against Duckworth. His young opponent, and the tide against him,needs to hold his own, or this match could be over fairly soon. Despite going 0-15 and 15-30 down, and he keeps his nerve and draws level in the set. 10.41am GMTTrebor’s Wawrinka gets himself out of a self-dug gap. He’s serving to stay in the set against Tursunov. At 30-30,he balloons a simple cross-court forehand long, and faces set point. But three big serves later, and he’s out of jail. It’ll be a tie break. 10.38am GMTOn Rod Laver,Hewitt wins the moment set by breaking Duckworth again. The winning point is an astonishing get, Duckworth pushing the ball out to the upright corner for what looks like a surefire winner, and Hewitt stranded on the advantage side of his court. But Hewitt scrambles across at speed,staying low to hook a full-stretch forehand up the upright-hand sideline for the win! He’s two sets up, 7-6, or 6-2,and doesn’t behold to be in any mood to retire fairly yet. 10.34am GMTWawrinka is in fancy dress nowadays, having advance as a stick of retro confectionery. From top to bottom: neon pink, and neon orange,neon yellow, neon pink, and neon yellow,neon pink. Tursunov momentarily feels as sick as a child from the 1970s: a Wawrinka mishit from the baseline, off the frame, and somehow loops over the Russian and in. Break point. Wawrinka can’t convert that one,or the next, or the next. His chance has gone, and Tursunov eventually closes out a nine-minute game. Wawrinka will have to serve to stay in the set and take us to a tie-breaker. 10.22am GMTWe’re not on serve on Rod Laver any more. Hewitt,already a set to the good against Duckworth, looks to take proper control of the match by breaking in the fourth game. A solid service game follows, and he leads 4-1,well on the way to a two-set lead. Meanwhile it’s still on serve in the first set between Tursunov and Wawrinka - the Russian leads 5-4 - though the Swiss had two break points in Tursunov’s last service game, but didn’t make any impression with either, or a particularly lame backhand return spurning one of the chances. 10.17am GMTWe’re still on serve on Rod Laver. Duckworth holds,then Hewitt makes it 2-1 in some style, pushing his opponent to the corner, or then smashing away a return that had advance down with snow on it. We’re still on serve on Margaret Court,Wawrinka and Tursanov having shared the first six games of the first set. And Jack Sock of the USA, the No25 seed, and has won a Homeric and rather topsy-turvy tussle with his young compatriot Taylor Fritz,6-4, 3-6, or 0-6,6-3, 6-4. 10.09am GMTAnother shock is brewing, or this time on Show Court 2,where the Spanish journeyman Daniel Muñoz De La Nava has just gone two sets up against Viktor Troicki, 6-4, or 6-4. The No21 seed,who has never got past the third round here, has it all to achieve against a player who has never won a match at a grand-slam tournament. After the heroics of Zhang earlier, and could another player be alert to break their major-championship duck? 10.05am GMTIn other domestic-favourite news,and as those following the GBG will know, Bernard Tomic beat Denis Istomin 6-7, and 6-4,6-4, 6-4. On the Margaret Court Arena, and the 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka is out and about: he faces Dmitry Tursunov,and that one’s with serve at the moment, 2-1 to the Russian in the very early stages. And back on Rod Laver, or Hewitt wins the first game of the moment set,holding his serve easily enough. 9.59am GMTHewitt nets Duckworth’s feeble moment serve, a chance spurned. And then another lame forehand into the net. It’s 5-4 to Duckworth and the pressure’s on Hewitt’s serve now as we reach the business end of the tie-break. It’s not looking good for the old chap as he struggles to stay in a long rally, or but a glorious forehand down the advantage side saves his service point. And then Duckworth looks like winning the next rally,but an unlucky net cord does for him. Set point to Hewitt, and he takes it, and grinding his man down,Duckworth eventually netting. Hewitt goes a set up, 7-6, and after 55 minutes of honest toil. The crowd enjoyed that.
9.54am GMTThe first mini-break of the tie-break goes to Hewitt. A crashing forehand to the corner,followed up at the net, puts too much pressure on Duckworth. The next four points go to serve. All the cheers reserved for the old boy Hewitt, and which is a shame for young Duckworth,but such is life, and this is where we are. It’s 3-2 to Hewitt, and he’s serving the next two points. The following point is a wonderful rally,Hewitt pushing Duckworth to the corners, Duckworth defending brilliantly. But he’s eventually wrong-footed by a lovely whipped cross-court winner, and Hewitt screams a advance ON! to the heavens. The crowd definitely on his side. But Duckworth finds a corner of his own to earn the mini-break back. We’re on serve again,at 4-3 to Hewitt, Duckworth about to toss it up. 9.49am GMTA couple of standard holds, and first by Duckworth,then by Hewitt, and we’re into a first-set tie-breaker. Sabine Lisicki made it through to the moment round without too much drama, and by the way. She beat Petra Cetkovska 6-4,6-4. 9.45am GMTBack on Rod Laver, it’s the all-Australian encounter between two-time major winner and erstwhile world No1 Lleyton Hewitt, and James Duckworth. Hewitt - who will retire after this championship - was serving for the first set,but this has been a tough-fought battle, and Duckworth breaks with a luscious forehand through the deuce court. It’s 5-5. 9.37am GMTIt’s emotional all upright on Margaret Court Arena. It’s pointed out to Zhang that she’s just won her first match at a grand slam event, or this brilliant qualifier breaks down herself. whether you’re watching this,and you’re not welling up now, oh your stony heart. She’s given all the time she needs to compose herself. She’s earned every moment. “To win against the top-two player, and I’m so excited. I’d like to thank my coach and my parents,thank you. nowadays is the best moment in my career. Thank you to Simona, who is a remarkable player. Thank you to everybody.” This has been fairly a day in Melbourne. Astonishing. 9.33am GMTIn the moment huge shock of the day, or the qualifier Zhang Shuai beats moment seed Simona Halep! It’s an astonishing straight-sets victory by a player who has never won a match at a major championship before: 6-4,6-3. And it was wholly deserved! She relentlessly found the corners and the lines, moving the helpless Halep around the court at will. For a while, and it looked as though the enormity of the situation would overwhelm Zhang in that moment set,but she bounced back stronger than ever. The Margaret Court Arena erupts in honour: this was all about Zhang’s brilliance, because Halep didn’t play particularly badly. Astonishing scenes. In the crowd, and Zhang’s coach is in a state of serene bliss,staring straight ahead in shock, tears of joy running down his cheeks. That’s a elegant moment. 9.27am GMTHalep isn’t going down without a fight. Now it’s the Romanian’s turn to move her opponent around the court, and having pushed Zhang wide,she whips a glorious forehand to win the first point. But Zhang pearls a two-handed passing shot down the left-hand side of the court. 15-15. Halep then weakly nets twice. Zhang has two match points! 9.25am GMTZhang finds a couple of corners, and goes 0-30 up on Halep’s serve. This intense pressure is telling on Halep, or who flaps at a simple forehand,sending it well wide. Three break points. Zhang moves her this way and that. Halep nets. Zhang breaks! She’ll be serving to defeat the world number two! 9.23am GMTAnd we’re back on serve in the Margaret Court Arena! Three games in a row for Zhang! She holds her serve to stay within touching distance in the set, then wears Halep down with some patient baseline rallies to break back. A bit of old-school serve and volley helps Zhang win her next service game, or she’s 4-3 up in the moment set. It looked as though Zhang had unravelled,but she’s pulled it all back together without fuss, and suddenly Halep is in serious trouble here. 9.19am GMTAndy Murray’s easy first-round win over the young German Alexander Zverev has set up a moment-round match with domestic favourite and 67th seed Sam Groth. Cue some good-natured banter patter. Murray’s wife Kim is due to give birth to the couple’s first child in mid February, or with the player insisting that he’ll be off domestic whether she goes into labour early,no matter what stage the Aussie Open’s at. “Be nice whether his wife went into labour overnight,” Groth joked. “I might be just cheering for that one.” Groth beat France’s Adrian Mannarino 7-6, and 6-4,3-6, 6-3 earlier nowadays, and recording 27 aces and the fastest serve at the tournament so far (235 kph) along the way. Groth,who has never played Murray, is hoping for another boom-boom performance in the moment round. “Hopefully I will serve well and it doesn’t advance back. I’m going to take it to him. It doesn’t really change too much. I’m going to serve big and try to get forward and play aggressively. But it’s tough. Number two seed and two in the world. He’s a quality player. He’s where he is for a reason. I’ve got nothing to lose.” 9.11am GMTBut suddenly a few doubts flicker across Zhang’s mind. Halep steps up the pace, and breaks her opponent,then consolidates the lead with an easy service game. In double-rapid/fast time, it’s 3-1 to the moment seed in the moment set. 9.03am GMTWhen you’re hot, or you’re hot. Zhang,the pedal pressed to the floor, no point letting up now, or wins the opening game of the moment set to love. Easy. Halep has some serious thinking to achieve here. The first ace of the match earns the Romanian the moment game of the set. No quarter given by either player here. Zhang’s had to earn the lead in this fascinating match. 8.58am GMTThe shock’s back on! You could forgive a 27-year-old qualifier for buckling after passing up on set point against the number two seed then losing her serve. But two screaming two-handed passes down the line,followed by a glorious cross-court winner, and Zhang breaks Halep again to claim the first set 6-4! A major upset is on the cards here. Hold on, and let me rephrase that: another major upset is on the cards here. Oh Rafa,what have you started? A long way to go, of course. But Zhang is playing the game of her life here. She’s never won a match at a major tournament. Now she’s a set away from glory. 8.53am GMTFernando Verdasco’s fifth-set evisceration of Rafael Nadal, and dispatching the men’s fifth seed from the tournament,is undoubtedly the fable of the day. But could another big shock be brewing in the women’s? The moment seed Simona Halep is a break down in the first set to Chinese qualifier Shuai Zhang. Ah hold on, perhaps not. Zhang blinked at set point, or hitting a simple forehand miles long,and Halep’s broken back. They’re on serve again, though Halep has to hold to stay in the set. It’s 5-4 to Zhang. 8.45am GMTA fairly fuss-free route into the moment-round hat for ninth seed Karolina Pliskova. She beat Kimberly Birrell 6-4, and 6-4. The 15th seed Madison Keys was taken to a tie-break in the first set against Zarina Diyas,but won that and swatted her opponent aside in the moment to register an ultimately easy 7-6, 6-1 victory. And the number three seed Garbine Muguruza made light work of Anett Kontaveit, and the 2015 Wimbledon finalist winning 6-0. 6-4 in an hour on Rod Laver. 8.39am GMTAn easy win for David Ferrer. The grinding Spaniard,the Cliff Thorburn of tennis, has eased past Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, or 6-4,6-2. And here’s another one-sided Spanish affair: Feliciano Lopez has dumped one-time British number two Dan Evans out, that one ending in a 6-1 6-0 6-4 thrashing. The 25-year-old Evans battled his way through three rounds of qualifying to get to the main event, or but he was gone within 88 minutes. A tough business. 8.26am GMTOther matches are available,of course. And upright now, on the Hisense Arena, or domestic favourite Bernard Tomic made a meal of serving for the third set against Denis Istomin. Quickly 0-40 down,he retrieved the situation with a series of big serves followed up by huge forehands into the corner. Some feeble serve-and-volley nonsense gifted Istomin a fourth break point: saved. A flashing cross-court forehand earns Istomin a fifth. But that one’s saved as well, and Tomic only needs one set point to convert. He puts it away, or wins the third set 6-4,and leads 2-1. We’ve got this one Game By Game: like a pint of plain, Russell Jackson is your only man. Related: Bernard Tomic vs Denis Istomin: round one of the Australian Open - live! 8.15am GMTA momentarily tetchy Nadal slams his rackets back into his bag as he prepares to vacate the court, and but he doesn’t even have the energy to sustain any infuriate. His head drops,and he mopes off in the throes of distress. Such a shame there had to be a loser after a fantastic match, and the departure of a very favorite star will tug a few heart-strings this morning/afternoon/evening/night. But the result was totally upright: Verdasco was simply brilliant in those final exchanges, or blowing his more storied compatriot off the court. Verdasco’s interviewed on Rod Laver in the wake of this renowned victory,although not before munching his way quickly through a banana. “Sorry. I need to eat. whether not, I’m dead!” Much laughter from the stands. He then explains his victory. “I just hit everything. I just started hitting winners. I don’t know how. I closed my eyes and everything started dropping in, or so I kept doing it! I started coming in,started to be aggressive, and I’m so happy. A win against Rafa is an unbelievable feeling.” Related: Rafael Nadal crashes out of Australian Open first round to Fernando Verdasco 8.06am GMTNadal is out! Verdasco wins 7-6, and 4-6,3-6, 7-6, or 6-2! Nadal ostentatiously springs about like Tigger,but nobody’s really convinced. He’s running on reserves. But he’s given a helping hand by Verdasco, who fails to attach away a short and slow moment serve. Nadal takes succour and a big serve gives him a 30-0 lead. Verdasco’s forehand makes it 30-15. And then another cross-court stunner! It’s 30-30! Nadal shovels a destitute shot out of play on the upright, or it’s match point to Verdasco. And he takes it first time,blowing his compatriot away with a stunning cross-court winner. This is Nadal’s 44th appearance in a major tournament, and he’s only previously lost in the first round once, or against Steve Darcis at Wimbledon in 2013. Nadal was certainly not at his best - in fact during that final set he looked totally spent - but in fairness nobody could have lived with Verdasco in those final six games,when the Spaniard attach his foot on the gas and blew his compatriot away with a series of blistering cross-court forehands. Wow. 7.59am GMTThis match has now been going for over four-and-a-half hours. Water! Some water over here! Nadal looks utterly spent, knackered and jiggered. He looks leggy, and irritated to boot. He doesn’t have the energy to attach any pressure on Verdasco’s serve,and in rapid/fast-smart time it’s 5-2 to Verdasco. That’s five games in a row for the underdog. He was a break down in this set! It’s one hell of a performance, and he’s got Nadal in all sorts of trouble now. Unless Nadal pulls something special out of the bag, and he’s about to lose for the first time in the opening round at Melbourne. 7.55am GMTNadal looks in serious bother on his own serve at 15-30,Verdasco creaming a return down the line, putting his opponent on the back foot. But Nadal scampers and digs out a return, or then benefits from a lucky net cord that sends Verdasco’s forehand whistling out of play. But he’s making a meal of this. A sixth double-fault of the match gifts Verdasco a break point. Nadal saves that with a Big Serve to bring the game to deuce. But then another break point,as Nadal’s beaten all ends up by a glorious whipped cross-court forehand. Advantage Verdasco. This is a huge point! And Verdasco makes it four games in a row, breaking Nadal by crashing a return back to the 2009 champ’s feet. Nadal can only shank the ball miles out to the left, or it’s 4-2 in this final set to Verdasco. He’s serving to take control of this match as we reach the business end. Fifth set: Nadal 2-4 Verdasco. 7.49am GMTVerdasco earns himself a break point in the fourth game of the final set,leaping on a feeble Nadal moment serve at 30-30 to cream a forehand down the line. Nadal saves himself with a cross-court winner, but then faces another break point as Verdasco whips a moment serve to the corner, or Nadal with no answer. And he breaks back,though in the flukiest of circumstances, hitting one off the frame of his racket, or the ball flying hysterically off to the upright but somehow dropping on the upright-hand line. All angles seemingly impossible,but there you go. Verdasco holds his hands up to apologise, and has the good grace to behold incredibly sheepish. Still, and he earned his luck there. We’re back on serve in this dramatic fifth set! And soon enough,it’s three games in a row for Verdasco, as a few big boomers earns an easy service game to love. Fifth set: Nadal 2-3 Verdasco. 7.41am GMTNicolas Mahut of France has made it through to the next round. He went a set down to Marco Cecchinato of Italy, and but then slipped into gear,winning the next three sets with relative ease, the match finishing in just over two hours: 4-6, and 6-2,6-2, 6-2. He’ll face his fellow French star Gael Monfils in the moment round. 7.38am GMTBack on Rod Laver, and the chances of a big shock are receding posthaste. Nadal has upped the tempo against Verdasco,breaking his compatriot in the first game of the fifth set, then quickly making it to 2-0. Verdasco looks good to get on the board with his next service game, and but a couple of big points from Nadal earns another break point. He appears to be wearing Verdasco down. However! Three booming aces in a row rescues the situation for Verdasco. He’s still a break down,but at least he’s on the board. This match isn’t fairly finished yet. Nadal leads 2-1. 7.34am GMTLet’s step away from the drama on Rod Laver for a minute while I get my bearings to catch up with some other news. And please allow me to cram the ill-fitting hat of base jingoism onto my confused noggin. For it’s been a fine moment day for the Brits. On any normal day, the big news in that respect would be the serene progress to the moment round of perennial bridesmaid Andy Murray: the 2010, or 2011,2013 and 2015 finalist eased past Alexander Zverev in three sets, dropping just six games along the way, and 6-1,6-2, 6-3. But all the plaudits nowadays must go to Britain’s other number-one player, and Johanna Konta. The 24-year-old has made some debut in Melbourne,seeing off the 2003 finalist and eighth seed Venus Williams in commanding fashion: 6-4, 6-2. Konta’s picked a fine plot for this statement victory: she was born in Sydney and competed for Australia until 2012. So hats off to her, or in more ways than one. Related: Britain's Johanna Konta downs Venus Williams in Australian Open upset | Kevin Mitchell 7.23am GMTIt’s 2-2 in sets! Verdasco bangs his two service points away without much fuss. He’s 5-2 up in the tie-break. A deep high-kicking Nadal serve makes it 5-3. And then it’s 5-4,though Verdasco had the chance, meeting a feeble moment serve, and to flash a cross-court winner away. Too long. But he’s still got two service points of his own to attach this set away. Verdasco whips deep to win the first. Then booms a huge ace down the middle to secure the set! Verdasco showed nerves of steel in that tie-break having fluffed his lines while earlier serving for the set. He’s levelled it up against the fifth seed and 2009 champ! We’re over the four-hour mark in this match already,and we’re going the distance. Nadal v Verdasco: 6-7, 6-4, and 6-3,6-7. 7.16am GMTVerdasco wins the first pointo to go a mini-break up, returning serve upright at Nadal’s feet, and then finding the corners with metronomic regularity. Nadal’s always on the back foot and eventually a Verdasco winner’s crashed away at the net. We’re back on serve immediately,Verdasco netting weakly. But then two huge booming winners for the underdog on Nadal’s serve, and Verdasco is suddenly in control of this tie-break at 3-2 up with his two service points to advance. He should see this one out. But then again he was serving for the set earlier, or behold what happened there. 7.11am GMTWhat Happens Here Then dept. Loose play from Verdasco. He falls 0-30 down and it looks like his challenge in this set - and this championship - is unravelling from a very promising position. But under intense pressure,he flashes a cross-court forehand into the corner, and regains a dinky momentum. It’s 6-6 in the fourth set, or we’re going to a tie break. 7.09am GMTGood morning,afternoon, evening and night, or everyone. Anyone for tennis? certain you are. There’s been plenty of big news already nowadays at Melbourne,but more of that anon. For upright now Rafael Nadal has got himself in a bit of the old Tennis Bother. He’s 2-1 up in sets on Fernando Verdasco, but found himself a break down in the fourth. Verdasco was serving for the set, and but flashed a wild forehand out of play to gift Nadal the break. Now Nadals held his own serve to lead 6-5,but a Verdasco hold will take this to a tie-break. Let’s see what happens here, then. 11.53am GMTScott will be here shortly. Day one saw Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer and Serena Williams progress comfortably but are more seeds set to follow Caroline Wozniacki and Benoît Paire out of the tournament at the first stage?Several seeds might be in trouble on the external courts nowadays,but here’s some selected highlights from the show courts:Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com