Melbourne: None of the top seeds or comeback men failed, but all had to bear the brunt of Melbourne heat with temperatures soaring above the 40 degree Celsius mark. Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem as well as Juan Martin del Potro were all tested by the scorching courts and their respective opponents, but lived to see another day in men’s singles matches of the Australian Open tennis tournament here, Thursday.
Six-time champion here, Novak Djokovic emerged from the Rod Laver Arena furnace and into the third round after beating Gael Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 and take his record over the Frenchman to 15-0.
The 14th seeded Serb will play Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the third round. The Spaniard beat Tim Smyczek of the US 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(7-2).
“It was brutal,” Djokovic who wore a compression sleeve and employed a truncated service action, said after the match. “I thought, it is going to be a big challenge for both of us. Gael is one of the best athletes in our sport. It was about just hanging in there.”
Monfils after winning the first set, looked in danger of keeling over from the middle of the second set and throughout the third – pleading with the match umpire to give them more than 25 seconds between points.
Djokovic was rumoured to have requested to play his match in the middle of the afternoon, despite the predicted heatwave. But then he lost the first set after losing service thrice.
Monfils hung in for the first seven games of the second set but was clearly in distress. Djokovic broke for 5-3 before sealing the set on serve. The third set was a non-event but Monfils burst back into life in the fourth and despite breaking for a 5-3 lead it was Djokovic who became flustered as he struggled to seal victory. He finally got what he wanted on his fourth match point.
Alexander Zverev endured a mid-match lapse but steadied to defeat Peter Gojowcyzk 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in an all-Germany battle and reach the third round.
Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro battled an apparent thigh injury and sapping heat to down Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6(7-4), 6-7(0-7), 6-4 and also seal a third round spot.
While the other three went through in four sets, Austria’s fifth seed Dominic Thiem had to play five as he fought back from 0-2 down to overcome American qualifier Denis Kudla 6-7((6-8), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 victory in 228 minutes on Margaret Court Arena.
In searing on court temperatures, Thiem wore down the 190th-ranked Kudla after it seemed that his campaign was all but over.
“It’s awesome. It’s only the second time in my career I’ve come back from two sets down and especially in this very hot weather it was tough,” Thiem said after the match.
Other results
Tomas Berdych bt G Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Fabio Fognini bt Evgeny Donskoy 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1
Tannys Sandgren bt Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Martin Fucsovic bt Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
Richard Gasquet bt Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3, 6-3
Julian Benneteau bt David Goffin 6-3, 6-7, 6-1, 7-6
Agencies