Second set: Serena Williams 6-2 *4-3 Tamara Zidansek: At last, Williams finally breaks. Once again, she moved to 0-40 with for a third consecutive game, but this time she nailed a point ending backhand down-the-line and cheered to her team. This seems like the decisive break.
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Second set: Serena Williams 6-2 3-3* Tamara Zidansek: Serena digs out a hold, but what a struggle that was. She missed numerous routine forehands, screamed dramatically after every winner and dumped one particulary dire forehand drive volley into the net as her mother, Oracene, screamed “why?” to the heavens.
However, Williams also found big serves on the break points and she held with a great backhand down the line. Still on serve.
It has been drizzling in Melbourne for some while and the roof is now sliding into action on Rod Laver Arena. Meanwhile, Michael Mmoh and Roberto Bautista Agut, who are competing on an outside court, have been sent to the locker room.
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Second set: Serena Williams 6-2 *2-3 Tamara Zidansek: Once again, Williams worked her way to 0-40 before faltering. She missed the first break point with a backhand return into the net, the second after failing to track down a sweet drop shot from Zidansek and the third with another netted backhand return. At deuce, Williams sent a forehand return flying many metres wide and then she shanked final forehand return close to the back fence.
In other words, she just missed four returns in five points. Oh dear.
Second set: Serena Williams 6-2 2-2* Tamara Zidansek: The good news for Serena is that she is winning the vast majority of the big points here, even as she seethes and shows her displeasure at some of her play. This time, she fell down 15-30 after some great play from the Slovenian. Her response? Three unreturned serves in succession to hold.
Second set: Serena Williams 6-2 *1-2 Tamara Zidansek: Zidansek digs out another hold! This time she saved four break points with winners that included a gutsy net point and a searing down the line backhand winner. She is showing her ability and Williams is getting increasingly frustrated with every point. A small amount of pressure for the American.
Second set: Serena Williams 6-2 1-1* Tamara Zidansek: After another underwhelming hold from Williams, she is understandably not happy. Williams led 40-15 before a couple of errors, including a limp forehand into the bottom of the net at 40-30, brought her back to deuce. Williams then found two big serves to hold.
Second set: Serena Williams 6-2 *0-1 Tamara Zidansek: That was an infinitely better start to the set from Zidansek. At 30-30, she hooked a brilliant forehand down-the-line winner into the corner before executing a delicate dropshot to hold immediately. Williams has hit 14 unforced errors today and she may well hit more errors with more games like that from the Slovenian.
First set: Serena Williams 6-2 Tamara Zidansek: Serena Williams snatches the first set with few problems on her second set point, sealed with a huge body serve service winner. Business as usual on Rod Laver Arena.
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First set: Serena Williams *5-2 Tamara Zidansek: Good effort from Zidansek, who saved set point with an unreturned body serve and then marched to a second hold of the match. She kept her depth in the rallies and actually managed to push Williams back on game point, forcing a wayward backhand error from the former number one. Williams will serve for the first set now.
First set: Serena Williams 5-1* Tamara Zidansek: Serena Williams has raced to a 5-1 lead but she has not had it all her own way here. She saved break point before holding for 3-1 and then Zidansek pushed her to deuce at 4-1. Serena seems to be overplaying a little and she dumped an easy overhead into the net on her first advantage. However, she came through with a service winner followed by a booming crosscourt forehand.
Tommy Paul beats Grigor Dimitrov in thriller
Tommy Paul defeats Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 6-4 3-6 6-7 7-6 (10-8). What an effort from Tommy Paul to recover from a break down in the final set. By far the biggest win of his career and his first ever slam third round.
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Fifth set: Grigor Dimitrov vs Tommy Paul 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-6 (3-9*): Match point for Tommy Paul after Dimitrov dumped a backhand into the net.
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Fifth set: Grigor Dimitrov vs Tommy Paul 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-6 (3-8*): Dimitrov sprayed a forehand long and then bunted a volley out. Paul to serve for an incredible win.
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Fifth set: Grigor Dimitrov Tommy Paul 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-6 (*3-6): Tommy Paul took the minibreak and then he nailed two brilliant crosscourt forehands in successive points. Great serving from him there and he has a significant lead in the tiebreak.
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Fifth set: Grigor Dimitrov vs Tommy Paul 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-6: We are heading to a final set tiebreak after Dimitrov held with some good serving and then a great combination of volleys at the net.
This is very difficult to call – Paul looks more likely to take the ball on and make something happen in the tiebreak, but he is also visibly tired. Dimitrov could probably run for another 10 hours, but he is so tense on the big points.
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First set: Serena Williams 2-0* Tamara Zidansek: Serena Williams has started on Rod Laver Arena and she is already in full flow. She battered Zidansek’s serve to open the match with a break, then she pieced together a brilliant hold to 15, punctuated with a 187kmh unreturned serve.
Fifth set: Grigor Dimitrov defeats Tommy Paul 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 *5-6: Paul looks absolutely exhausted out here and nothing in his short career has prepared him for such a tense 5 setter on the biggest stage, but here he is fighting his heart out. After an unreturned serve at 30-15 and an ace out wide at 40-15, he will get at least a deciding tiebreak.
Fifth set: Grigor Dimitrov defeats Tommy Paul 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 5-5*: Incredible scenes as Tommy Paul breaks back for 5-5! Dimitrov was 30-0 up but as the Bulgarian faltered, Paul threw the kitchen sink across the court. At 30-30, he nailed a backhand down the line and then, after a long and tense rally, he attacked the net and forced a backhand error from Dimitrov to break back. The Bulgarian is far too passive in these tense moments and he is paying for it.
Serena Williams and Tamara Zidansek have arrived on Rod Laver Arena. Serena could not have had a better start to the year, really. She started her season with a tough, hard fought title in Auckland and she looked fantastic in her opening round against Anastasia Potapova. This is another opportunity for her to show her level against a lesser opponent. We’ll see if the 22 year-old can disrupt Williams with her slice and defence. It will be certainly be hard.
Fifth set: Grigor Dimitrov 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 *4-3 Tommy Paul: Tense, tense moments on Margaret Court Arena with a flurry of breaks. First Dimitrov broke for 3-2, then Paul broke straight back, but Dimitrov was unperturbed. He restored the break lead with a pair of brilliant points: at deuce, he broke up a long 20 stroke rally with a wicked down the line slice that forced a Paul forehand error. On break point, he nailed a backhand down the line passing shot. We’ll see if Dimitrov has the nerve to finish it.
What has happened so far today? The good news for most of the top seeds: not much has happened. Petra Kvitova, Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka are all through in the women’s draw, while Caroline Wozniacki pulled off a great 7-5 7-5 win over Dayana Yastremska, recovering from a double break down in both sets to brush aside retirement for one more day. Coco Gauff, meanwhile, edged out Sorana Cirstea 7-5 in the third to book another meeting with Naomi Osaka. 13th seed Elise Mertens fell to Julia Goerges, a superior player despite the rankings, while 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka was outplayed by former top 5 player Carla Suarez Navarro, the woman with the glorious single-handed backhand, who will retire at the end of theyear.
In the men’s draw, Dan Evans was ousted by Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan, Novak Djokovic was an easy winner, Stefanos Tsitsipas received a walkover and Milos Raonic also won. The major upset so far is 8th seed Matteo Berrettini, who fell in five sets to Tenny Sandgren
The big match in progress right now is between 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov and young American Tommy Paul on Margaret Court Arena. 22 year-old Paul started incredibly well, but the the Bulgarian has admirably fought back from two sets down to force a fifth set. The current score at 4-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 1-1* and there will be a one set shootout for a spot in the third round.
Here is Kevin Mitchell on Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff, who will meet again on Friday after their victories today.
Preamble
Hello! Welcome to our coverage on night three of the Australian Open. After the 88 completed singles matches yesterday, today has thankfully been a little more relaxed and the tournament will be hoping that we are also in store for a relaxed night as its two most famous players return to the Rod Laver Arena.
Serena Williams will kick off the night session with her first ever meeting against Tamara Zidansek. The Slovenian is a resourceful, intelligent player with great movement, but she is also quite underpowered and the lack of weight behind her shots will make this a tough match-up against the supreme weaponry of Serena Williams.
It will likely be a similar scenario when Roger Federer faces Filip Krajinovic, a stylish Serbian player with a lovely backhand and ample variety. However, Krajinovic’s game also lacks the heft required to go toe-to-toe with the 20 time slam champion’s vicious aggression. Still, the pair have played three times before and, although Krajinovic lost each meeting, he should take heart from snatching a set against Federer in 2018.
On Margaret Court Arena, Australia’s Jordan Thompson will face 12th seed Fabio Fognini and 10th seed Madison Keys, a former semi-finalist, will be up against Aranxta Rus.
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