SNAPSHOT FROM DAY FOUR OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN AT MELBOURNE PARK:
PLAYER OF THE DAY: Jenson Brooksby – the unseeded American despatched world No.3 Casper Ruud packing with a stirring five-set win after needing six match factors to seal the most important victory of his profession.
STAT OF THE DAY: After coughing up a whopping 19 double-faults in her corresponding second-round win final yr, world No.5 Aryna Sabalenka served up a warning to her rivals in a 6-1 6-3 drubbing of Shelby Rogers that did not function a single double-fault from the Belarusian.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This win means so much to me. I had the toughest year last year. I’ve won as many matches this year as I won last year and it’s only January.” – Aussie wildcard Alexei Popyrin after scoring an emotion-charged 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 upset win over world No.9 Taylor Fritz to achieve the final 32 of the Open for a 3rd time.
TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: The exits of Ruud and prime seed Nadal within the house of 24 hours has left Novak Djokovic an odds-on favorite seize a tenth males’s crown whereas fourth seed Caroline Garcia and Sabalenka proceed to loom as girls’s title threats after assured second-round wins.
