Australian Open updates: Djokovic launches 21st Open campaign; 100,000+ record attendance; Popyrin in five-set battle

Righto, it’s time for a tie-break – first to 10 points (with a two-point advantage) to decide this five-set ripper.

It’s as close as it gets between Popyrin and Muller – 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-6.

1-0 - Big serve Popyrin. Nice start

1-1 - Muller on the board

1-2 - Points on serve. Yes, it’s tight

1-3 - GULP. Mini-break. Muller has won three points in a row

We’re down to money time on John Cain Arena between Australia’s Alexei Popyrin and Alexandre Muller, of France.

It’s 5-5 in the deciding set, with momentum swinging marginally either way.

World No.50 Popyrin is about to serve.

The match is closing on the four-hour mark and Popyrin leads Muller 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 5-5

Iga Świątek knows she has plenty to work on in her bid for a first Australian Open title and a career grand slam.

The No. 2-ranked Świątek never got comfortable in a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over No. 130-ranked Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in the first round on Monday night.

After winning Wimbledon last year to go with her four French Open titles and her victory at the 2022 US Open, the Australian Open is the only major missing from her collection. She has twice reached the semi-finals.

Yuan was swinging freely and rifling winners as she took a 5-3 lead, and Świątek had to switch things up.

“I was a bit rusty at the beginning,” she said. “Many ups and downs, but overall I have some stuff to work on. I’ll just focus on that.”

From 5-3 down in the first, she held a service game at love to force Yuan to serve for the set. Świątek broke back to level and then, in the tiebreaker, she remained composed and converted on her second set point.

“I started a bit tight. I needed to get my legs moving. Go after my shots. Be brave with the decisions,” she said of the change up.

“It wasn’t perfect, but that’s why I’m happy,” added Świątek, who has only ever lost once in the first round at a major. “It’s not hard to win matches when everything is going well. Today it wasn’t, but I was able to win.”

AP

We said earlier it had been a good day for Australia, so let’s take stock.

Here are our winners in the men’s and women’s singles thus far.

We’d love to be able to Alexei Popyrin to the list by the time tonight ends.

The Aussies still to play include Dane Sweeny, Christopher O’Connell, James Duckworth, Taylah Preston, Daria Kasatkina and the women’s 30th seed Maya Joint.

There’s also an all-Australian women’s match tomorrow between qualifier Maddison Inglis and Kimberly Birrell, so one of those two is guaranteed to progress into the second round.

It’s all tied up at two sets all in the battle of the Alexes – Alexei Popyrin versus Alexandre Muller. But no matter who wins, this won’t be the last meeting between two players with the name Alex (or a version of it) in the men’s singles at this year’s tournament. In fact, the man waiting in the second round for the winner of this match is German No.3 seed Alexander Zverev.

What’s more, by our reckoning there are four other Alexes left in the men’s singles at this year’s Australian Open. Of course, there’s Australian No.6 seed Alex de Minaur. Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik have both won their way into the second round, while Alex Michelsen (USA) is still to play his first round match.

So that will be six Alexes left in contention for the title.

And would you believe the loser tonight will join five others who’ve already been eliminated in the first round? We counted Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA), Australian Aleksandar Vukic, Alexander Blockx (Germany), Alejandro Tabilo (Chile), Alexander Shevchenko (Kazakhstan).

That makes it 12 of the 128 players in the men’s draw who have a first name that is a form of the name Alex at this year’s Open.

Click here to read article