‘Aussies don’t appreciate Demon’: Great’s victory plea as Osaka act lashed by Djokovic — AO Wrap

Alex de Minaur is through to the fourth round of the Australian Open for a fifth consecutive year after a very impressive straight sets win over Frances Tiafoe.

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The exciting American No.29 seed was no match for the athletic Aussie who used his court coverage and intelligence to force his opponent into mistakes at critical moments.

De Minaur was rarely troubled in the 6-3 6-4 7-5 win on Rod Laver Arena – with the exception of a late third-set burst from Tiafoe – sparking a plea for Aussie fans to understand just how good the world No.6 really is.

“Our public here at times hasn’t appreciated just how good and what Alex is achieving in our sport,” doubles great Todd Woodbridge said on Nine.

“And for him to be showcasing it here on the biggest arena in the country – I’m loving it.”

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It’s the fifth straight year de Minaur has made the second week of his home slam – something no Aussie has ever done since the tournament moved to Melbourne Park.

De Minaur will either face No.10 seed Alexander Bublik or Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Sunday in the fourth round.

Bublik came back from two sets down to beat de Minaur in the second round of last year’s French Open, a victory which sparked the Kazakh’s career-best year.

‘RULE CHANGE I MISSED?’ DJOKOVIC LASHES OSAKA ACT

Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena has lashed Naomi Osaka for the controversial act which drove her Australian Open opponent crazy.

Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea delivered an angry spray to the two-time Open champion after their Thursday night clash on Margaret Court Arena.

“You don’t know what fair play is, my friend,” Cirstea appeared to say at the net.

“You’ve been playing for so long and you have no idea what fair play is.”

She was angry about Osaka saying “c’mon” to herself while Cirstea was serving, complaining to the umpire about it at one stage during the third set.

Osaka apologised after the match but fans and tennis players alike have been left confused as to why the act wasn’t called out during the contest.

The chair umpire explained to Cirstea at one stage it wasn’t hindrance because the comments were coming between points, not during them.

“Hmm, I’m surprised that this is not being called hindrance. In between 2 serves, when crowds are applauding or shouting the chair ump asks to not shout between serves as it is disturbing to the player,” Jelena Djokovic wrote on Instagram.

“The point is not finished. Sorana missed her first serve and is focusing on getting in the second, it is a slight pause.

“And it is disrespectful to applaud at someone’s first serve mistake too.

“I am surprised that chair/Naomi thought that was fair?! Were there any rule changes that I missed?”

She then added in a reply: “It is about when and how. She as a professional player would know that it is definitely NOT in between 1st and 2nd serve of your opponent. Unless you want to provoke.

“In this case, I don’t see why she is acting surprised at the end that Sorana got provoked. Naomi is being cheered on by her fans for pumping herself, great. I just didn’t see her ever doing this to another player so I thought it was a rule change or something.”

Osaka will face Aussie qualifier Maddy Inglis in the third round.

NIGHT 6 PREVIEW

With just two locals left in the Australian Open singles, the nation’s best remaining hope is in action tonight, as No.6 seed Alex de Minaur faces American excitement machine Frances Tiafoe.

Tiafoe, the 29th seed, made the Melbourne quarter-finals in 2019 before losing to Rafael Nadal – but that was the only time he has made it past the third round here.

He has twice made the semi-finals of his home slam.

De Minaur finally made the quarter-finals here last year and has never lost to a player ranked below him at the Australian Open, being a perfect 19-0 all-time.

In contrast the Aussie is 1-9 against players ranked above him at the Australian Open – his lone win coming in his 2017 main draw debut when, ranked 301st in the world, he upset Austrian world No.87 Gerald Melzer in a five-setter.

De Minaur’s potential fourth-round opponent will be decided in the second match on Margaret Court Arena when in-form 10th seed Alexander Bublik faces unseeded Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

De Minaur has lost to players ranked below him at every other slam, including in the second round at Roland Garros against Bublik last year.

In other matches, Germany’s No.3 seed Alex Zverev, well beaten by Jannik Sinner in last year’s final, dropped a set in both his opening two matches and faces British 26th seed Cameron Norrie this evening.

Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva plays Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second night match on centre court.

– with AFP

AUSTRALIAN OPEN NIGHT 6 ORDER OF PLAY

Men’s and Women’s Singles third round