Late-night heartbreak as Aussie loses five-set epic; Djoker raises the bat — Aus Open wrap

Alexei Popyrin has fallen agonisingly short of the Australian Open second round after losing a five-set epic against France’s Alexandre Muller, while Novak Djokovic won his 100th match at Melbourne Park.

Catch up on all the news from Night 2 of the Australian Open below!

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Up two sets to one, Popyrin led 4-2 in the fourth set and then 5-2 in the tiebreak but coughed up both leads.

In between the Aussie took a medical timeout requiring treatment on his calf.

Popyrin again led by a break in the fifth set but couldn’t serve out the match at 5-3, and in the 10-point match tiebreak ran out of puff, with Muller victorious 2-6 6-3 3-6 7-6(5) 7-6(4).

He will face No.3 seed Alex Zverev in the second round.

Meanwhile Novak Djokovic showed no signs of rust in his first competitive match in two and a half months, thumping Pedro Martinez in their opening round Australian Open clash.

The No.4 seed got the job done 6-3 6-2 6-2 while looking confident athletically, going for tricky balls and blasting 49 winners.

It was Djokovic’s 100th match win at Melbourne Park.

He will be heavily favoured against Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in the second round and would also face an unseeded opponent in the third round.

Asked post-match how he felt, Djokovic quipped: “It always feels good at the beginning of the tournament.

“Let’s see how it progresses - tonight was definitely great.

“I’m using every hour that I can to get my body recovered and in shape for the next challenge.”

AJLA’S INCREDIBLE TURNAROUND AS RINKY CRUISES

Ajla Tomljanovic and Rinky Hijikata became the seventh and eighth Australians through to the second round, and the fifth and sixth on Monday, after wins on Monday evening.

Hijikata downed French veteran Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-3 6-1 while Tomljanovic produced a come from behind win over Yuliia Starodubtseva on John Cain Arena.

The 32-year-old is into the Round of 64 at Melbourne Park for the seventh time in her career, but she has never made it beyond that stage.

Tomljanovic needed three match points to book her clash with Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who knocked out 26th seed Dayana Yastremska.

She certainly did not do it the easy way as she came from behind to win 4-6, 7-6, 6-1 in two hours and 31 minutes.

“Less than a week ago, her Australian Open looked done with that shoulder injury in Adelaide. How quickly things can change,” Sam Smith said on commentary.

This time around it was her opponent Starodubtseva who had injury issues.

She took a medical timeout after the second set, and after giving up a double break in the third set.

Starodubtseva holds the remarkable record of being the only person to come through qualifying at all four grand slams in a year, having done so in 2024.

She once again qualified in Melbourne, but Tomljanovic’s class prevailed in the end despite her opponent’s fitness concerns.

The momentum turned in the Australian’s favour during the second set tiebreak when she won what the commentators dubbed “the craziest point of the entire contest” - an awesome 26-shot rally.

Meanwhile Hijikata will face No.30 seed Valentin Vacherot who stunned the world by winning the Shanghai Masters late last year, at the time ranked No.204, after the Monegasque beat Martin Damm Jr.

FAIRYTALE FAREWELL CONTINUES FOR EX-CHAMP

At 40 years of age, Stan Wawrinka is through to the second round of the Australian Open.

The 2014 champion, who was awarded the tournament’s last remaining wildcard earlier this month, came from behind to defeat Serbia’s Laslo Djere 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) on Kia Arena.

The quality may not have matched many of his famous battles on Rod Laver Arena with another Serbian more than a decade ago, but the fourth set tiebreaker delivered some of the best scenes of the tournament.

The vocal crowd were right behind the three-time grand slam champion and he soaked up the adulation after Djere’s backhand crashed into the net on match point.

It was Wawrinka’s first grand slam win since he made the second round at Wimbledon in 2024, and his first at the Australian Open in five years.

It also comes 20 years after his debut in Melbourne.

“It’s because of you guys - thank you, thank you,” he said post-match when asked how he has done it for two decades.

“So many memories here ... the only reason I come back is the love you give me.”

The Swiss superstar is the second oldest player to win men’s grand slam match at Melbourne Park.

Only Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic in 2020, who was also 40 at the time but was 30 days older, was more of an elder statesman than Wawrinka.

“I think it’s been too long that I keep coming back but the passion is still in tact,” he said.

“I’m not young anymore so I have to be careful.

“I’m so happy that I won. I have the chance to play one more.

“It’s my last one so I’m trying to enjoy it, but I’m also a competitor so I’m trying to fight.”

Wawrinka will most likely face 17th seed Jiri Lehecka in the Round of 64 as the Swiss superstar attempts to extend his fairytale farewell.

Elsewhere on Monday evening, promising Aussie wildcard Emerson Jones was no match for 17th seed Victoria Mboko, losing 6-4 6-1.

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NIGHT TWO PREVIEW

Kicking off proceedings on Monday night is Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic against Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine on John Cain Arena.

Tomljanovic was in doubt of making it onto court in the lead-up to the Australian Open after she withdrew from a clash with compatriot Maja Joint at last week’s Adelaide International with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.

If fit, the 32-year-old three-time grand slam finalist is one of the nation’s top prospects in the women’s draw.

But, she has endured a wretched run at Melbourne Park, never progressing beyond the second round.

Also flying the Australian flag are Alexei Popyrin, who follows Tomljanovic on John Cain Arena, Emerson Jones and Rinky Hijikata.

Popyrin, who was seeded last year, is looking to snap a seven match losing streak that dates back to a loss to Jannik Sinner in the second round at the US Open.

Meanwhile, top junior Jones will be hoping to pull off a major upset against 17th seed Victoria Mboko.

Jones, 17, is viewed as a future top prospect and along with Maya Joint is arguably Australia’s next big women’s hope.

Fellow wildcard Rinky Hijikata is eyeing off a second round appearance at his home slam for the second time in his career, but faces a tricky prospect in Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

On Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic begins his campaign against Pedro Martinez.

The 38-year-old is chasing a 25th grand slam title but his clear decline in form with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now dominating men’s tennis has led to speculation of an impending retirement.

The Serbian avoided any talk of calling it quits in the lead up to the tournament, but did hint at being satisfied with what he has accomplished.

“There has been a lot of talk about the 25th, but I try to focus myself on what I have achieved, not what I’m possibly achieving,” Djokovic said.

“I hope it comes to that [winning 25], but 24 is also not a bad number. I have to appreciate that and remind myself of the amazing career I had.”

AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 2 ORDER OF PLAY

Show courts and Aussies - all times AEDT

Rod Laver Arena

Night session from 7pm

[Q] Yue Yuan (CHN) vs [2] Iga Swiatek (POL)

Pedro Martinez (ESP) vs [4] Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Margaret Court Arena

Night session from 7pm

Donna Vekic (CRO) vs [8] Mirra Andreeva (RUS)

Mattia Bellucci (ITA) vs [12] Casper Ruud (NOR)

John Cain Arena

Not before 5pm

[Q] Yuliia Starodubtseva (UKR) vs Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS)

Not before 6:30pm

Alexei Popyrin (AUS) vs Alexandre Muller (FRA)

1573 Arena

[17] Victoria Mboko (CAN) vs [WC] Emerson Jones (AUS)

Court 6

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