Australia has a new fairytale story to get behind as qualifier Maddison Inglis takes on world No.2 Iga Swiatek on Rod Laver Arena, while the two-time men’s defending champion is also in action.
Follow all the news from Night 9 of the Australian Open below!
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 | SUN 1 FEB 1PM AEDT | For the first time in his storied career, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will defend his championship in his home city of Sydney, in a rematch with Brazil’s Diego Lopes. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
‘CAN’T LET THE INMATES RUN THE ASYLUM’: IGA’S SCHEDULE REQUEST SHUTDOWN
Iga Swiatek lost a tense battle with tournament officials before her clash with Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis on Monday night.
The world No.2 did not want to be playing her fourth round match in the night session on Rod Laver Arena.
Instead, Swiatek wanted to take on the local hope in blazing sunshine and it sparked tense conversations behind the scenes at Melbourne Park.
Broadcaster Channel 9, of course, wanted the last remaining Australian in the women’s singles draw to be playing in prime time and they got their way.
Swiatek has had to suck it up, but the decision did not go down without a fight, according to former world No.1 Jim Courier.
“Yesterday’s schedule meeting went exceptionally long, because Swiatek wanted a day match and the Australian network – which I also work for down here – desperately wanted an Australian playing in prime time. That’s what they pay the big money for,” Courier said on ESPN.
“It was a long, drawn-out battle and it went to the wire. Eventually Channel 9 got what they wanted – and also what the tournament wants – and Iga didn’t get what she wanted. But those are the backroom happenings at tournaments here like this.
“There’s lots of little skirmishes happening underneath the tunnels.”
2000 Australian Open champion Lindsay Davenport backed tournament organisers call to deny the Polish star her wish.
“You can’t let the inmates run the asylum. And every player has an opinion but eventually it’s a business and as Jim said, Australian TV should win,” the American great said.
While the best result for Australian audiences was secured, Courier also pointed out the fact that Swiatek’s preference would have been a worse result for her fans back home in Poland.
“And by the way, her playing at 11.30 in the morning is terrible for Europe, where she’s from,” he said.
“That’s middle of the night for them. This makes a lot more sense.”
‘IT’S CRAZY WHAT YOU CAN DO’: AUSSIE UNDERDOG DARES TO DREAM
Australians are hoping for one of the biggest upsets in tournament history on Monday night on Rod Laver Arena.
Maddison Inglis has been the feel good story of the Australian Open so far, and it would only get even better if she can down second seed Iga Swiatek.
The 28-year-old from Perth became the first local woman to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park since Ash Barty, in her title-winning campaign of 2022, courtesy of Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal with an abdominal injury.
But she well and truly earned that stroke of good fortune.
“Maddison Inglis has just been struggling around the tour, just scraping into qualifying,” Australian tennis great Pat Cash told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I don’t think she ever believed she would be in the fourth round.
“Obviously she’s got the walkover but she’s played really well and – for somebody who struggles around making a 1,000 bucks a year here and 1,000 bucks there, trying to get into the Grand Slams where you can make 150,000, or something like that (for the first round) – it’s life-changing for her,” Cash added.
“I’m really happy for her because she works really hard and has just been grinding away on the circuit for years and years.”
Continuing the theme of “grinding away”, Inglis spent more than three hours on court in her first and second round victories against fellow Australian Kim Birrell and German veteran Laura Siegemund.
She has certainly not shied away from doing things the hard way.
Ranked 168th in the world coming into the tournament, Inglis was snubbed for a wildcard by Tennis Australia.
So, she went to the qualifiers and won three hard fought matches in three consecutive days.
Combined with her doubles and mixed doubles, where she plays alongside fiancé Jason Kubler, schedules and Inglis has spent more than 16 hours on court at Melbourne Park in the last two weeks.
The extra day off afforded to her was certainly welcome, but Inglis believes the momentum she gathered behind her will be just as important as refreshing her legs.
“Once you get out there and playing, and you want it so bad, it’s crazy what you can do,” she said after her second round victory.
For a player who has been plugging away on lower level tours, it is obvious why she wants “it so bad”.
Inglis is guaranteed what she described as a “life-changing” payday of $480,000 for reaching the final 16.
It is a steep increase from her last three tournaments in Australia at the lower level, where she earned $4,886, $935 and $598 respectively.
The WTA live rankings also have her closing in on her career best ranking of 112th in the world.
That number continuing to improve can lead to more main draw opportunities and the more lucrative finances that come with them.
“That’s massive, it’s not something I was thinking about even a week ago … someone told me I am close to my career high and I’m not done yet, we’ll see what I can finish this tournament at,” Inglis told Channel 9.
“To start the year like this, I couldn’t be happier, I’m excited.”
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 8 ORDER OF PLAY
Men’s and Women’s Singles fourth round
Show courts and Aussies – all times AEDT
Rod Laver Arena
Night session from 7pm
Maddison Inglis (AUS) vs [9] Iga Swiatek (POL)
Followed by
[8] Ben Shelton (USA) vs [12] Casper Ruud (NOR)
Margaret Court Arena
Not before 6pm
[22] Luciano Darderi (ITA) vs [2] Jannik Sinner (ITA)
Discussion about this post