Classic Australian Open moments: Part 1 A Set the default text size A Set large text size
Replay A Set the default text size A Set large text size
With this year’s Australian Open pushed back by three weeks, let’s take the time to look back at some classic moments from what is dubbed the happy slam.
Originally slated to start on January 18, the tournament will now start on February 8, just one day after the commencement of the television ratings season, with players to arrive in Melbourne or Adelaide this week where they will be required to quarantine for a fortnight.
Bublik retires due to right ankle injury in final
Alex de Minaur captured the fourth ATP Tour singles title of his career on Wednesday at the Antalya Open. The fourth-seeded Australian was leading eighth seed Alexander Bublik 2-0 in the first set, when the Kazakhstani retired after seven minutes of the final.
“I knew I’d put in a great pre-season, I felt good and ready to compete, said De Minaur. I gave myself the best possible chance to go deep in this tournament.
“I have got matches at the start of the year. I am very happy with my level. I got some quality wins and now I’m looking forward to returning to Australia, where I hope to have a good Aussie summer in front of a home crowd.”
Alex de Minaur wins Antalya Open newzealandstar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newzealandstar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Among the 128-player fields are the following notable names aiming to cement their spot…
Eugenie Bouchard
The Canadian is the highest-profile player in the qualifying field, a former world No.5 who remains among the top 10 most-followed tennis players on social media. After falling as low as world No.332 in March 2020, Bouchard improved her ranking to 141st by season’s end after a string of impressive results when the sport resumed in August, including a quarterfinal in Prague and final in Istanbul – her first WTA final in almost five years – before a third-round finish at Roland Garros. Bouchard is one of three former world No.5s to contest AO 2021 qualifying, the others being Sara Errani and Tommy Robredo.