Key posts
Day three highlights
The Australian Open: Cartoon edition
By Gemma Grant
Here’s something you don’t see every day – animated cartoon characters playing on Rod Laver Arena. And some of them are actually pretty talented. Among the best in the world, actually.
Many international fans will be eager to tune in live to the matches on at Melbourne Park, but it can be difficult or expensive to access official streams of the tournament.
So as a cheeky workaround of some international broadcasting rights, the tournament’s official YouTube page is streaming “AO Animated” matches. The cartoons are based on skeletal and ball tracking from the real match, according to the page.
They’ve gone as far as to create cartoon versions of the ballkids, the fans in the stands and the umpire. Sponsor logos can be seen the walls, and it’s complete with live commentary.
The animations are a little glitchy at times, but it gets the job done. And hey – tennis is tennis, right? I’ve linked one of the full livestreams below, if you’re interested.
Celebs step out in style at Melbourne Park
By Sophie Aubrey and Stephen Brook
It’s no secret that the Australian Open has been dialling up the glamour in recent years, and this is no more obvious than in major AO sponsor Ralph Lauren’s luxury suite.
Celebrity stylist Lana Wilkinson, a tournament attendee since she was a kid in the ’80s, breezed in on Monday wearing a red varsity jacket with white pumps to tell this masthead she was loving today’s “tennis-core” sports-luxe style.
“Everyone used to be really casual and dress like they were playing, whereas now there’s a real fashion element.”
This is fashion designer Pip Edwards’ fifth year flying from Sydney for the Open, and she has watched the event become increasingly chic.
Edwards, who co-founded P.E Nation and is now Ksubi’s creative director, describes her look as “tomboy”.
She dressed the part, with her men’s waistcoat styled over baggy women’s pants accompanied by cap and bandana. Tennis didn’t need the same high-fashion stakes of the spring racing carnival, she said.
“It’s more inclusive. Whether you’re four years old or 80 years old, you can be into tennis. It allows the fashion to be more approachable.”
On Monday, famous faces spotted courtside included rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams, Australian DJ Dom Dolla and fashion influencer Morgan Riddle, partner of tennis star Taylor Fritz.
Read more from our daily Open Season column here.
Aiava stages career-changing comeback in late-night nailbiter
By Marc McGowan
Former prodigy Destanee Aiava is celebrating a career-changing Australian Open victory after emerging from a hellish period to rediscover her love for tennis.
The 24-year-old from Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs has become one of the best stories of this year’s Open after qualifying, then securing her first grand slam match win.
Aiava had to do it the hard way after falling a set and 5-2 behind, then saving consecutive match points in the third set, before outlasting Belgian Greet Minnen 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (10-5).
“I’m just super happy to get through and finally win a first round of singles in a grand slam, especially at my home slam,” Aiava said.
“It was really nice and special. The crowd got me through. I felt it from the very first point. Everyone was so loud [and] they gave me the energy that I needed to get through that match, especially when I was down and had match points against me.”
A second-round date awaits with feisty American 10th seed Danielle Collins, who lost the 2022 final to Australia’s Ash Barty.
You can read the full story by Marc McGowan here.
Roddick lashes out at ‘hypocrite’ Kyrgios
By Ben Coady
Former world No.1 Andy Roddick has launched a scathing attack on Nick Kyrgios, describing him as a hypocrite who “lives for the likes, he lives in the comments section” of social media feeds.
Roddick’s comments come after Kyrgios, who has been a vocal critic of the situation around Jannik Sinner not receiving a ban for a positive drugs test, criticised Cruz Hewitt for being photographed with the Italian player.
Cruz, the 16-year-old son of Lleyton, posted a photo of himself with Sinner at Melbourne Park. Kyrgios replied on the post: “Love ya Cruz but this is wild.” Roddick took umbrage at Kyrgios’ comments on Hewitt jnr.
“At this point he is a tennis influencer. He lives for the likes, he lives in the comments section,” Roddick said on his podcast Served.
“What I have an issue with is the hypocrisy with which he picks and chooses when to levy judgment on others while also wanting you to digest the context of his comments – the latest being towards Cruz Hewitt.”
“Cruz Hewitt is 16 years old, son of Lleyton and the toughest competitor that I have ever played in my life, gets to hit with a guy who is No.1 in the world at the Australian Open. That is a big deal.
“Imagine as an almost 30-year-old man, going into the comments of a 16-year-old… The defence was all made that it was a joke. The lack of awareness you have with bringing trolls and all of the worst of tennis fandom into a 16-year-old’s comments is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous.”
Roddick also took issue with Kyrgios commenting on the behaviour of others as the Australian pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic violence in 2023. Kyrgios avoided a criminal conviction as the offence was ruled by the court to be low-level.
“When you have moments in your life that aren’t the best, when you’ve pleaded guilty to physically assaulting your girlfriend, but you want people to understand the context, you wanted people to understand your moment in time and life … It’s just hypocritical. It’s purely hypocritical,” Roddick said.
Aussies Aiava, Gibson, McCabe in maiden grand slam wins
Destanee Aiava and exciting young wildcards Talia Gibson and James McCabe have broken through for their maiden wins at a grand slam on a banner day for the home hopes at the Australian Open.
Gibson responded to the rampant crowd support to recover from a set and a service break down to upset Turkey’s higher-ranked Zeynep Sonmez 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 and become the first local through to the second round at Melbourne Park.
James McCabe poses for photos with fans after his round one win at the Australian Open.Credit: Getty Images
Shooting for the lines, Gibson opened up after scraping through the second-set tiebreaker and was rewarded for her courage with the most significant win of her fledgling career.
“The Aussie crowds are always so amazing. You’re always able to get so much energy from them wherever you are,” 20-year-old Gibson said.
Talia Gibson of Australia.Credit: Getty Images
McCabe also wowed a legion of fervent fans on Court 6 – including rugby league and union dual international Sonny Bill Williams – with a rousing 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory over Spanish wildcard Martin Landaluce.
Meanwhile, Aiava advanced with her first win at a grand slam on her sixth attempt, beating Belgium’s Greet Minnen 5-7 7-5 7-6 (10-5).
The 24-year-old qualifier trailed 5-2 in the second set ,but rallied and rattled off five straight games, saving two match points, to send the match to a decider.
Men’s wildcard Tristan Schoolkate joined the party, downing Japan’s Taro Daniel. Veterans James Duckworth, Ajla Tomljanovic, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Aleksandar Vukic also progressed.
AAP
Day three highlights
Welcome to day three
By Gemma Grant
Welcome to our live coverage of day three of the Australian Open. I’m Gemma Grant and I’ll be leading you through the action this morning.
It was a big second day of the tournament yesterday, with some late matches and plenty of successful Aussies. I hope you’ve had a chance to catch some rest and are ready to follow our live blog. There’s lots of exciting tennis to come!
