Australian Open: China’s Wang Xinyu into third round; Sinner, Osaka in contrasting wins
Compatriot Jerry Shang misses chance to face Djokovic, who pays tribute to ‘his’ tree, while National Games champion Wu Yibing loses in five
Two-time reigning champion Jannik Sinner wasted no time in barrelling into the Australian Open third round with a demolition of home player James Duckworth on Thursday, as nature-lover Novak Djokovic strolled through and an erratic Madison Keys did enough to keep her title defence on track.
Three players from China were in action on day five. Wang Xinyu made it to the third round of the Open for the first time, but Jerry Shang Juncheng missed out on the chance of joining her and facing Djokovic next, after losing to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands 7-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Also missing out was National Games champion Wu Yibing, who lost to American Eliot Spizzirri 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3 in a match that lasted almost four hours.
Wang, China’s highest-ranked player in Melbourne, upset 24th seed Jelena Ostapenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and will next face Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, the 13th seed.
Second seed Iga Swiatek, who has won six major titles but has never been successful in Melbourne, blazed past Czech Marie Bouzkova with a 6-2, 6-3 victory as she hunts for her first major title in Melbourne.
Men’s second seed Sinner romped to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory in just one hour and 49 minutes against the shell-shocked wild card Duckworth on Rod Laver Arena.