Djokovic v Prizmic, Seidel v Sabalenka and extra: Australian Open 2024 day one – live | Australian Open 2024

Tumaini Carayol

Former teenage prodigy Amanda Anisimova, who reached the semi-finals of the 2019 French Open aged 17, took a break from tennis in April final yr so as to handle her ailing psychological well being. Nine months later, Anisimova returned to grand slam competitors with a win, defeating thirteenth seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-3 6-4. Here she is after her massive win:

Q. Do you have got a brand new outlook in your tennis after having a break final yr?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: “In some ways I do. But the most important thing is that I feel a lot more refreshed. I’m enjoying practicing. I’m enjoying every second that I’m out there. Even when I was down today, I was still just enjoying the challenge. Yeah, I’m just happy with how I feel coming back. I feel like I was very burned out while I was playing, and that really wasn’t a nice feeling. Being able to just reset is really nice.”

WOW! Prizmic nets the primary serve of his remaining set level however makes the second and, after an epic, tension-building, rally Djokovic misses! And an 18 yr outdated attracts stage with the world No. 1!

Djokovic has received his final 16 first-round matches at Australian Open and dropped solely one set within the course of (v Jan Lennard Struff, 2020). He has simply dropped his second.

Prizmic takes the primary level however can’t do something with Djokovic’s massive second serve. Prizmi goes two-one up profitable a fizzing rally, Djokovic attracts stage. Prizmic goes 3-2 up however then 4-2 after a fortunate web twine, and 5-2 after Djokovic nets his backhand. 6-2 as Djokovic goes lengthy…. Djokovic saves the primary of 4 set factors, and a second…and a 3rd….

Ace, a love maintain, and we have now a tie-break!

The second set will go to at the least a tie-break as Prizmic holds to like!

“Prizmic is going for the lines, playing carefree tennis” says Pat Cash. Carefree is the phrase. Carefree cock of the stroll, 18-year outdated exuberance. But he can’t take the set. Djokovic needs this recreation, and although he hits lengthy on the finish of a protracted rally at 40-15, Prizmic then nets.

Night falling in Melbourne as Djokovic hits huge on the backhand. Then an ace takes Prizmic to 40-0, earlier than he makes and error and hits lengthy. But Djokovic returns lengthy and that’s the sport, if he can simply break Djokovic within the subsequent, Prizmic has taken a set off the World Number one.

The Djokovic machine holds to like to suitably dampen expectation.

Tenacious, free, frisky, tennis from Prizmic who appears to have countless bounce in his trainers. Wins a protracted cross court docket rally as Djokovic hits lengthy, exhibiting indicators of irritation. Snatches issues with an ace. Fabulous maintain.

Djokovic hits the web together with his forehand, however Prizmic does the identical together with his double-handed backhand. Prizmic is sweaty, Djokovic field contemporary. The balls are settling into sogginess once more, new ones due in three video games time. Djokovic misses a forehand on recreation level, appears to be like irritated, however takes the sport.

A stern, elegant wanting member of Djokovic’s entourage, conveys a message. Whatever it was, it really works, Djokovic breaks again instantly, helped by a few unforced errors. Djokovic blows his nostril.

Prizmic out of the blue alight! A leaping overhead smash into the nook to go 15-0 up on the Djokovic serve, completed by a cross court docket scorcher to take the sport. Wow! He raises his finger to acknowledge the gang and clenches his fist in youthful headiness.

Prizmic begins by getting the higher of a protracted rally after a wild forehand from Djokovic. Storms the sport with some highly effective whipping photographs, holding to like. This boy can play.

Djokovic, hewn of granite, holds his serve to fifteen. Prizmic, with nascent moustache, questions the smiling umpire about one thing, however all is resolved.

Important maintain within the first recreation of the second set for Prizmic, strapped left thigh matching strapped proper wrist. Enthusiastic applause from his crew and the gang as he recovers from a double fault to win with a zipping forehand.

The new ball does its job instantly as Prizmic returns the primary serve lengthy. Djokovic has two set factors, picks up the primary and eats it with an ace. First set finished and dusted in lower than 45 minutes, not all one method although.

Djokovic breaks Prizmic to like, two tight factors adopted a few pressure-honed errors by Prizmic. New balls now, and the speak across the coaches in Melbourne is that this yr’s balls get very sluggish and soggy halfway by means of their life on court docket (usually 9 video games, however seven for the primary lot due to the warm-up). Then the brand new ones ping like bullets.

The Djokovic machine cranks up a notch. Service recreation to like.

Not really easy! The crowd buzz because the younger pretender leads Djokovic a merry dance by means of this recreation, sending him this fashion and that. Service held, Prizmic requires the physio, although not for his closely strapped proper wrist. He lies down on a towel to have his higher thighs massaged. Feels barely intrusive to have overhead cameras watching this therapeutic massage however possibly that’s simply me.

Glorious! After a protracted rally at 15-0, Prizmic kisses a cross-court drop shot to win the purpose. But Djokovic, whose blue trainers are embroidered with 24 to characterize his 24 main titles – 25 would take him previous Margaret Court – powers onwards.

Prizmic eats a half-hearted Djokovic smash to go 15-0 up and then hits an excellent backhand straight down the road to outfox his opponent. A fragile flutter of a drop store is adopted up by a cross-court profitable waft. At 40-0 up a double fault provides Djokovic a method again, however Prizmic holds on to take the sport . Very properly finished!

Prizmic, dressed very a lot like a younger Ronaldo, shifts from foot to foot ready to obtain the Djokovic serve, however it’s a reasonably straightforward win to fifteen for the defending champion.

The first match of the primary evening session of the Australian Open. From the gang, Djokovic’s coach Ivanisevic watches intently. Djokovic ought to eat 18-year-old Prizmic alive – well-known final phrases – however Prizmic, I’m reliably informed, will probably be a star. He got here by means of the qualifying occasion dropping simply one set. Prizmic loses the primary two factors, however holds onto two break factors earlier than hitting into the web and Djokovic breaks. But it wasn’t a breeze.

The world’s biggest male tennis participant has the ball in his hand as he and Prizmic heat up on the Rod Laver area. Djokovic is in all royal blue, Prizmic in brief shorts, white T-shirt and backwards baseball cap.

A nasty day for the British quantity two Jodie Burrage, who danced by means of the primary set in opposition to Tamara Korpatsch, however then utterly misplaced her mojo, defeated 2-6 6-3 6-0.

“A bit of a tough one today. Still pretty raw, to be honest, so still a lot of emotions there. It was just a tough end to a match really.

“I found it tough to serve in that wind and just my game in general. I tried to adjust as much as possible, but yeah, when you hit a bigger ball I guess and don’t grind it out, when it gets windy, it’s not as easy to play, but that’s just what I need to learn to do. I need to learn to have a bit of a plan B because there was no plan B there today.”

In the final ten minutes, Number 5 seed Andrey Rubelev has simply thrown himself on the bottom and roared in triumph, shaking his mane of pink hair, after struggling by means of a five-set thriller in opposition to Thiago Seyboth Wild: 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(6) .

Good morning! It’s could also be black outdoors right here within the UK however throughout the oceans, summer time is beaming. The first day of the primary Grand Slam of the yr is underway in Melbourne, all squeaky trainers, blue courts and Novak Djokovic hungrily licking his lips for his eleventh Australian Open title.

His outdated foe Rafa Nadal isn’t right here, withdrawing with a muscle tear in his hip, however Carlos Alcaraz, Danniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner prowl, desperately-looking for indicators of ageing within the ageless one. In the ladies’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka defends her title after profitable her first profession main right here final yr. No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek is the favorite for the crown whereas there’s numerous curiosity in comeback queens Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Britain’s personal Emma Raducanu.