Tennis: Australian Open 2025

[kihei]

The third set goes to a breaker, and Fearnley holds his nerve while Nick plays dumb tennis, 7-2. Nick hit some fine serves and intimidating shots that set, but not enough to overcome the fact that his game and his fitness were the pits most of the time.

Nole now up two sets to one against Basavareddy.

 

[kihei]

Didn't see it, but Felix opens with a very promising four set win over Struff.

 

[Incubajerks]

Kyrgios lol

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Alcaraz looked the best of the three established big names in his first round match. Other two leaked some oil.

 

[kihei]

Some tasty match ups tonight.

Rune/Zhang
Rublev/Fonseca
Berrettini/Norrie
Hurkacz/Griekspoor
Shelton/Nakashima
Musetti/Arnaldi
Cobolli/Etcheverry
Shapo/RBA

 

[kihei]

Monfils up two sets to love just let Mpetshi Perricard back into the match. Serving at 6-4 in the third set breaker, Gael double faulted twice, including on set point. So far the match has not been defined by GMP's serve but by his abject inability to return Monfils' serve. Up to the double faults, he had only won 13 points on return of serve in the entire match,.

 

[kihei]

Giovanni takes the fourth set in, natch, another tie breaker. Gael was doing a lot of huffing and puffing that set. Advantage GMP, I'd say.

Bad call on my part. GMP opens the fifth set with a horrendous service game, and Monfils serves it out without much muss or fuss. Great win for Gael, and good to see.

 

[kihei]

Kasidit Samrej, ranked #418 in the world (how did he even get into qualifying?) currently has a two set to one lead over Medvedev. I mean, yikes. No way Daniil loses this, but yikes, still.

Daniil wins the last two sets easily 1 and 2. In the three sets he won, Medvedev lost no first serves. I keep checking that stat over, but that's what it says. Safe to say, that Samrej has a very soft, unorthodox game that can prove highly frustrating for a while. But he probably has never had to go five sets before. I'd be surprised if he ever makes the top 250.

 

[Hossa]

Kasidit Samrej, ranked #418 in the world (how did he even get into qualifying?) currently has a two set to one lead over Medvedev. I mean, yikes. No way Daniil loses this, but yikes, still.

Daniil wins the last two sets easily 1 and 2. In the three sets he won, Medvedev lost no first serves. I keep checking that stat over, but that's what it says. Safe to say, that Samrej has a very soft, unorthodox game that can prove highly frustrating for a while. But he probably has never had to go five sets before. I'd be surprised if he ever makes the top 250.

Apparently Samrej got in by winning the Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff late last year, which is a pretty neat way to add a wildcard rather than just another Australian player. As somebody currently in the country, very cool to see and will be interesting to see what buzz this gets nationally. There is a bit of a tennis community here, but badminton and volleyball dominate in terms of court sports here.

Would agree with the assessment of his game though - some nice hands and feel, but little else in terms of tools. Nothing about Samrej's game suggests major potential unless this suddenly lands him some transformative coaching that makes his serve into a weapon or something.

 

[Tuggy]

Marathon 5 setter for Diallo to get his first AO main draw win.

Shapovalov with a win over RBA. Marino loses a tough 3 setter 5-7 in the 3rd.

Rublev just bounced in straight sets...