A riveting opening week of the 112th Australian Open came to an end on Saturday evening at Melbourne Park, with the women’s draw witnessing another big shocker. Linda Noskova, who has quite been in the discussion through the better part of 2023, scripted an upset in knocking out world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the first match of the night session on Day 7, just a day after world No. 3 Elena Rybakina, who was touted to lift her second major even by the likes of the legendary Martina Navratilova, succumbed at the end of a historic 42-point tie-breaker to incur a second-round exit. While the two big upsets could strengthen Aryna Sabalenka’s chances of successfully defending her crown, reigning men’s champion Novak Djokovic awaits a tough second week in Melbourne with ATP witnessing a familiar script. As Australian Open 2024 gears up for the final week, we take a look back at what unfolded in the opening seven days at Melbourne Park.
An opportunity for Zheng Qinwen? Can Victoria Azarenka make it count?
With Noskova soaring an upset of Swiatek and Anna Blinkova of 2023 runners-up Rybakina, the top half of the women’s singles draw has been thrown wide open. Besides the No. 1 and 3 seeds in Melbourne, No.5 Jessica Pegula and reigning Wimbledon winner and No.7 Marketa Vondrousova have also been sent packing, leaving Zheng Qinwen, at No.12, is the highest seed in the top draw. Only Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Barbora Krejcikova are seeded higher, but all are in the bottom draw.
On Saturday, Zheng beat compatriot Wang Yafan in a dramatic three-setter to reach her third round of 16 at the Grand Slams, which is the most by any Chinese player in the Open Era before turning 23. At the US Open 2023, she had made a maiden quarterfinal appearance in her eighth major main draw. For Zheng, who faces Oceane Dodin (leads head-to-head 2-0) in the fourth round, a first-ever Slam semifinal seems on the cards, but the 21-year-old would be wary of the experienced Azarenka, whom she could face in the quarters.
The Belarusian, a two-time Australian Open champion, remains the only player in the top half to have the experience of making the Grand Slam final, having made the distance five times in her career. Azarenka, who made the semis last year in Melbourne, overcame a tricky test against Jelena Ostapenko on Saturday and will be up against qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the pre-quarters before possibly facing Elina Svitolina next.
Australian Open now Sabalenka’s to lose?
Swiatek and Rybakina’s exit certainly does strengthen Sabalenka’s chances of not just defending the title, but also inching closer to reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking. And the No. 2 seed has been at the top of her game, with half of her six sets ending with 6-0 scorelines. But a tough second week awaits the 25-year-old, starting with a fourth-round clash against Amanda Anisimova, the 22-year-old who has made a stunning comeback from an extended mental health break. The American has beaten her four of five times.
A win would leave her one between former Roland Garros winner Krejcikova or 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who has been touted as the next big thing in women’s tennis for a quarterfinal clash before setting up a US Open final rematch against eventual winner Gauff in the semis.
Novak Djokovic challengers on the rise
The Serb, who had shown concerns over a wrist injury heading into Melbourne, battled through a tough opening week where he survived a scare against qualifier Dino Prizmic in the opening match before local boy Alexei Popyrin looked to cause an early upset in the second round. Djokovic admitted that he had yet to find his rhythm and play his best tennis, and the 36-year-old probably found it in his straight-set win against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round.
Djokovic, who will next face Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round, could set up a 2023 final rematch with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarters before going up against Jannik Sinner or Alex de Minaur in the semis, both of whom are yet to lose a set in Melbourne.
Carlos Alcaraz, who missed the 2023 Australian Open due to a hamstring injury, made his second week in Melbourne for the first time in his career after a stellar show in the opening three rounds. With the win on Saturday against Jerry Shang, who retired hurt in the third set, the Spaniard became the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the pre-quarters in seven straight Grand Slam appearances, surpassing Bjorn Borg’s previous record set in 1977.
Should he win against 60th-ranked Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the round of 16, Alcaraz could book a date with Alexander Zverev in the quarters before setting up a US Open rematch in the semis against Daniil Medvedev, who was two points away from a second-round exit against an inspired world No.53 Emil Ruusuvuori in a five-set thriller that lasted lasting four hours and 23 minutes to finish at 3.39 am.
Nagal inspiring; Bopanna lone Indian in Melbourne
Overcoming his financial struggles and chaos over the denial of a wild card nomination for the Australian Open by AITA, Sumit Nagal, ranked 137 in the world, battled through the qualifiers before beating world No. 37 Alexander Bublik in his opening round in straight sets. He became the first Indian to beat a seed at a Grand Slam since Ramesh Krishnan’s famous win against Mats Wilander, then defending champion and world No. 1, in the 1989 Australian Open. Nagal’s dream run was, however, halted in the second round by Shang where he lost after winning the opening set.
43-year-old Rohan Bopanna remains the only Indian left in Melbourne. Partnering Matthew Ebden, with whom he won in Qatar and Indian Wells last year, the Indo-Aussie pair reached the third round in men’s doubles. Meanwhile, N Sriram Balaji, and his Romanian partner Victor Vlad Cornea, suffered a second-round exit on Saturday after they went down 3-6 3-6 to their 10th-seeded opponents, Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia, at the Rod Laver Arena. It is only the second time Balaji made the second round in Melbourne, having done so in 2023 with fellow Indian Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. Yuki Bhambri and Robin Hasse, on the other hand, had lost in the first round of men’s doubles.