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Lehecka holds for 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-6, meaning he and Tu will now play a tiebreak. The home crowd are giving their man plenty of backing.
Oh, and Zverev’s rig is now there for all of us to see. Yeah, I know.
A booming backhand down the line backs up a short slice and Pouille has 0-30 on the Zverev serve. But it’s soon 30-all, a ridiculous serve out wide earns game-point, and an ace means it’s 5-3. The no 2 seed is a hold away from set one.
Lehecka quickly holds for 5-5, while Zverev consolidates and now leads Pouille 4-3 in the first.
It’s getting exciting on Court, where Tu has just held for 5-4 in set four; trailing 1-2, he’s a break away from a decider. Meantime, Onclin looks a really good player, leading Opelka 6-3 3-2 on serve. At 23, he’s plenty of time to develop and a win here should get him off the Challenger circuit.
Hady Habib, a Lebanese quailifier, is through to round two having beaten Yunchaokete Bu in three. That’s nice to see.
Calv Betton, our resident coach, gets in touch with thoughts on Pouille – who, for those unfamiliar, made the semis of this competition in 2019 and once beat Nadal at Flushing Meadow.
Calv notes that he’s a very good player hitting it nicely off both wings, but has struggled with serious physical and mental health issues in recent times. His lowest point, he said, was playing Challenger doubles in Ilkley, when his partner, Constant Lestienne, got into it with Aiden McHugh, an opponent. He’s finding his way back, though – even if, as I type, Zverev breaks him for 3-2.
Humbert has won his first-set breaker against the qualifier, Gigante – this is a big day for him etc etc – while on Court, we’re on serve in set three, Lehecka leading Tu 6-1 3-6 6-3 2-3.
I’ve now given Don McRae’s Rublev interview a proper read and you should too. It’s great to see him speak so candidly and I’m glad he getting the help he needs.
Onclin has sealed a very impressive set against Opelka, now up 6-3 1-0, while Pouille and Zverev are away with a hold apiece, the latter’s rig catching Tim Henman’s attention. Pic to follow as soon as I have it.
Who doesn’t hope this is Ons’ hour?
Clara Tauson has beaten Linda Noskova, the 29th seed, 5-7 6-3 6-4 and meets Tatiana Maria next; Tomas Mahac (26) leads Sumit Nagal 6-3 6-1; and Humbert is playing a first-set breaker against Gigante.
I should say, while those of us in the UK were sleeping, play on outside courts was interrupted by rain, so various matches – including Jerry Shang v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina – have been rescheduled.
Normal service resumes on Court, Lehecka seeing out set three to lead Tu 6-1 3-6 6-3; Onclin leads Opelka 4-3 with a break; and Zverev, looking frankly dreadful in red headband, top, socks and trainers with burgundy shorts, is knocking up with Pouille.
Rublev is, I’m told, a sound lad. He could, perhaps, do with a little help in not assaulting himself on court, but is a very fine player and the only one on tour with wins over Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz. The problem he has is that he’s very very good but not quite able to beat anyone better than him in a Slam – and unless he improves his volley and slice, he probably never will.
Next on Laver: Lucas Pouille (WC) v Alexander Zverev (2).
Sabalenka is, of course, “super-happy” to be back in Melbourne and wastes no time in thanking the crowd as per protocol. It’s always tough against Stephens, she says, and didn’t play her best but is glad to be through.
Set up to say Melbourne feels like home, she says Melbourne feels like home, then it’s time to talk Tik Tok dances, the music is duly delivered, and Sabalenka leads the crowd in some rudimentary moves, the desire to “go viral” brazenly asserted by the interviewer.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) beats Sloane Stephens 6-3 6-2
She can play loads better but was still far too good for a very fine opponent. Sabalenka meets Bouzas Maneiro next.
Very quickly, Sabalenka makes 30-0. She knows she’s going to win, and the wahey abandon of her hitting is a joy to behold.
Stephens forces Sabalenka to serve for it at 6-3 5-2. I fear she is up to the task.
Sabalenka holds to 30 and Stephens must now serve to stop in the match at 3-6 1-5. She did well enough at the back end of the first, but hasn’t been able to play well enough for long enough to seriously trouble the champ.
With Kartal now finished, I’m having a look at Reilly Opelka, at 6”11, the tallest player ever to be ranked by the ATP. He’s struggled with injury but beat Djokovic in Brisbane the other day and leads Gauthier Onclin, a qualifier from Belgium, 1-0.
Sabalenka breaks Stephens again to lead 6-3 4-1 and this is almost over; Gaston has beaten Jasika and will face Lehecka or Tu next, the former having righted himself to break at the first time of asking in set three.
A backhand pass down the line and Tu takes set two off Lehecka, levelling the match at 1-6 6-3! He’s playing really nicely now, and this is a proper contest.
Talking of whom, Sabakenka has broken in set two to lead 6-3 2-1; as Michael van Gerwen likes to say, she’s doing the right things at the right times, and however she gets through, we can be pretty certain she will get through.
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro beats Sonay Kartal 6-1 7-6(5)
Credit to Kartal for how she fought – and, making her debut in this competition whole playing her first match of the season, circumstances were not in her favour. But Bouzas Maneiro is a proper player and found what she needed to move on. Next for her it’s Sabalenka or Stephens.
Kartal is giving Bouzas Maneiro a proper ruckus, but down 5-6 in the second-set breaker, now faces a second match point…
Leylah Fernandez is through, having beaten Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-5 6-4, and meets Bucsa or Paquet next; Gaston leads Jasika 2-1 4-2; and Noskova leads Tauson 1-0 on serve in their decider.
Kartal and Bouzas Maneiro are now playing a second-set breaker; Stephens holds to open set two, now trailing Sabalenka 3-6 1-0.
On Court, Tu is making a better first of the second set, forcing break points at 1-6 2-1 … and pumping his fist at the crowd when he eventually converts! He’s serving beautifully now too, so there’s every chance he consolidates.
Sabalenka serves out to 30 and, well though Stephens rebounded from going down 0-4, she’s now down 3-6. It’s a long way back from here and the sense is that the champ can do whatever she has to do in order to win.
Kartal fights through deuce for her hold, now trailing Bouzas Maniero 1-6 5-5, while Sabalenka is dialled back in, outlasting Stephens to eventually break again. She’ll now serve for set at 5-3 and it’s hard to see her faltering.
Sabalenka wins a net exchange for 15-40 and two break points, so Stephens chucks in a couple of moon-balls to buy time and is rewarded when the champ nets, quickly making deuce. Meantime Kartal, down match point, forces Bouzas Maneiro to hit an extra ball, it goes out, and she too makes deuce.
Oh, Kartal has broken! Bouzas Maneiro has struggled a little with the match on her racket and has plenty of work to do if she’s to close it out, leading 6-1 5-4.
Yeah, Bouzas Maneiro has rediscovered herself, breaking Kartal and now serving for the match at 6-1 5-3. As for Sabalenka, I imagine she lost a little focus after finding the start so easy and concurrently Stephens, the first set apparently gone, was able to relax into things under no pressure.
Now then! Down 15-40, Sabalenka comes in, her approach short … and Stephens flows a forehand pass past her! We’re back on serve at 4-3 to the champ! Do we got ourselves a ball-game? We got ourselves a ball-game!
Stephens is into this now, holding for 2-4, while Kartal, whose serving style is not unlike Jo Durie’s, racket coming almost from behind head, has broken Bouzas Maneiro again and now serves at 1-6 3-4.
Next on Cain: Ugo Humbert (14) v Matteo Gigante (Q)
Paula Badosa (11) beats Wang Xinyu 6-3 7-6(5)
Badosa has the talent to make a mark in majors, if she can only find the necessary consistency. She meets Sonmez or Gibson next.
…and Sabalenka overhits a forehand! Stephens, now playing more aggressively, is on the board at 1-4 and, while it may be too late to save this set, if she’s settled for the second, this isn’t over.
On Court, meanwhile, Lehecka has just clinched a 6-1 set one against Tu and Kartal has taken back a break to trail Bouzas Maneiro 1-6 2-4.
Talking of Andreeeva, here she is talking to Tumaini Carayol.
I can’t wait to see how she develops but, seeded to meet Saba in round four, she might be on borrowed time. That, contest, though, would be a treat – and most likely a lot closer than our current one. Sabalenka breaks again for 4-0, but Stephens quickly earns 15-40…
Of course this is our evening sesh, meaning we’ve already had a full day’s play already. I was, as you might imagine, kipping for that, but looking through what’s gone down, a few highlights;
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Arthur Fils, seeded 20, came through in four.
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Mirra Andreeva, seeded 14 and aged 17, dealt with Bouzkova 3 and 3.
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Ruud, seeded 6, beat Munar in five.
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Nishikori, aged 54, beat Monteiro in five.
Kartal has been broken at the start of set two, now trailing Bouzas Maneiro 1-6 0-3, while Lehecka is up 4-1 on Tu. Oh, and as I type, Sabalenka rushes through her consolidation for 3-0. If ever you wonder what equilibrium looks like – and, let’s face it, we’re all of us searching – this is it.
Stephens, a Grand Slam champ – she won the US Open in 2017 – and a beautiful mover, hasn’t won a match since Wimbledon and is barely in the top 100 these days. Sabalenka will know that a fast start will make her hard to catch and she quickly earns a love-hold then a break to 30. Gliding about isn’t that useful when the ball’s coming back at the speed of light. Sabalenka 2-0 Stephens
On Court, Lehecka and Li Tu are away, tied at 1-1 in the first; on Laver, Sabalenka is ready to serve and … play.
On Court 5, Bouzas Maneiro has taken the first set off GB’s Kartal 6-1 and played very nicely in so doing.
It’s not easy to work out a way Sabalenka doesn’t win this title for a third year in a row. She’s in her absolute prime – not just as a player but as a person, so settled in her life and so confident on court that it’s moving to behold. Life comes so naturally to her these days, she can make light of the sluggish balls with her frankly unprecedented power, and no one looks good enough to stop her. We shall see!
Here come Sabalenka and Stephens…
Going on currently:
Paula Badosa (11) 6-3 2-2 Wang Xinyu
Yuliia Starodubtseva 5-7 0-1 Leylah Fernandez (30)
Bernarda Pera 6-7 3-3 Tatiana Maria
Hugo Gaston 6-2 3-6 1-1 Omar Jasika
Sonay Kartal 1-4 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Claire Tauson 5-4 Linda Noskova (29)
Preamble
G’day and welcome to the Australian Open 2025 – day one!
Not only are we starting a day earlier than strictly necessary, but we begin our first night dig with Aryna Sabalenka, no1 seed and defending champ, against the graceful and nasty Sloane Stephens, as dangerous a round one opponent as could be. If the American is at it, we could be on the cusp of a classic.
Otherwise, we get our first look at Alexander Zverev, once again trying to win his first Slam, while Jiri Lehecka also gets under way and we’ve plenty of action hanging over form the day sesh to absorb ourselves into.
Let’s go!