40am finish Medvedev, Hijikata and Kubler doubles win, match schedule, order of play, scores, news

After day five’s 3:40am finish, Aryna Sabalenka wanted to make sure things kept moving quickly on Rod Laver Arena.

The reigning champion’s impressive title defence reached a new high with a double bagel thumping of No.28 seed Lesia Tsurenko on centre court.

The Belarusian No.2 seed took just 52 minutes to record a 6-0 6-0 win, the first at grand slam level since Ash Barty’s first-round win over Danka Kovinic in 2021.

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Sabalenka has dropped just six games in three matches thus far at Melbourne Park. She was 6-0 5-0 up before Ella Seidel got on the board in their first-round match.

Courtside interview Andrea Petkovic quipped Sabalenka had been “sucking the life out” of her opponents, leaving the champ stunned and only able to laugh.

“Last year Iga (Swiatek) won so many sets 6-0 and this is one of the goals, try to get closer to her,” Sabalenka explained.

“I’m just super happy with the level I’m playing so far and hopefully I can keep going like that, or even better.”

The last three grand slam double bagels have all come in Melbourne, the third being Maria Sharapova’s 2019 demolition of Harriet Dart.

Sabalenka’s was the first double bagel this deep into a slam since Naomi Osaka achieved the feat against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at the 2018 US Open.

She will face Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round, after the American overcame an apparent stomach injury to down Paula Badosa 7-5 6-4.

TENNIS ‘P***ED OFF’ OVER 3:40AM AUS OPEN FARCE

The Australian Open has been roasted for its total inability to rein in late finishes, after former finalist Daniil Medvedev wrapped up play at 3:40am on Friday morning.

Just four matches were played on Rod Laver Arena on day five (Thursday), one of a series of changes made to – theoretically – ensure play wrapped up at a reasonable time.

But with two women’s matches lasting a combined six hours, including the longest tiebreak in grand slam history between Anna Blinkova and Elena Rybakina, plus nine lengthy sets across the men’s matches Medvedev didn’t wrap up his win over Emil Ruusuvuori until well into Friday.

The Tennis Podcast host and BBC commentator David Law asked: “Why did they send this match (Medvedev-Ruusuvuori) on today? It was 11 o’clock plus when they sent them on.”

Fellow commentator Caroline Whitaker added: “He (Medvedev) should be pissed off. They should all be pissed off.”

But it was their co-host Matt Roberts who ripped Australian Open boss Craig Tiley the strongest.

“We all knew that the Sunday start was never going to do anything about the late finish. You did not have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out once you realised what they were actually going to do with the schedule. It was going to make no difference whatsoever,” Roberts said.

“The Sunday start is an admirable effort to push up the attendance at the Australian Open.

“Craig Tiley is targeting a million people through the gates. Does it really count if so many of those people have to leave before tennis is over? Like are they really seeing the tennis?

“Are we really counting them as coming to the Australian Open when they’re having a diminished experience because they can’t stay and watch?

“This match, which is great, is being played in a largely empty Rod Laver Arena. Of course it’s empty. It’s 2.30 in the morning! What the hell are we doing?

“There is a tennis tournament that takes place every single year called Wimbledon – you may have heard of it, it’s pretty big.

“They have a curfew at 11pm, they stop playing. It’s like the best tournament in the world.

“It’s a total non-issue to have a curfew and not be playing at 2.30 in the morning. If you want to actually do something about the scheduling, just have a curfew.

“Wimbledon happens every year and it’s great. No one goes, ‘Oh I can’t believe we’re not playing at 3 o’clock in the morning’. I’m so angry about this.”

Former American star John Isner tweeted: “No one should be playing tennis at 330am. This is looney tunes.”

The claim adding an extra day to the tournament would help avoid late finishes was always thought to be preposterous by American great John McEnroe.

“First of all, it’s a money grab as far as I’m concerned,” McEnroe said pre-tournament.

“They just found another way to make some money. I don’t agree with it. I’m a commentator. No one’s particularly concerned about my feelings.

“The players, if they accept it and they’re getting something from it, like some money for their pensions or retirement for some players that don’t have insurance, I would say that’s a good thing that they have added an extra day.

“I don’t think that has happened (players getting more money), just like it didn’t happen at the French Open. I completely disagree with it.

“That’s probably me being selfish that I have to be away from home an extra day or two.”

AUSSIE SLAM CHAMPS BACK WINNING

Reigning Australian Open men’s doubles champions Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler are through to the second round after downing compatriot Christopher O’Connell and Serbia’s Laslo Djere 6-2 6-4.

The Aussies, seeded 16th after their wildcard run to the title last year, will face Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer next.

They are hoping to make it three straight titles for local teams after Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis’ magical run in 2022.

No team has gone back-to-back in the Australian Open men’s doubles since the Bryan brothers won five of six crowns between 2006 and 2011.

DAY 6 PREVIEW

Alex de Minaur will look to progress to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the third consecutive year as he takes on Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli.

The Aussie star made it to the third round via Milos Raonic’s third-set retirement before dispatching Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets.

Although Cobolli may be a qualifier, De Minaur cannot underestimate him after the Italian outlasted No.18 seed Nicolas Jarry in a five set thriller before beating Russia’s Pavel Kotov in the second round.

Whoever emerges victorious won’t have long to celebrate, as a clash against either No. 29 seed Sebastian Korda or No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev awaits in the fourth round.

De Minaur’s clash against Cobolli will take place on John Cain Arena and not before 7pm AEDT.

Elsewhere across Melbourne Park, Aussie duo Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler kick off their defence of the men’s doubles.

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The pair, seeded 16th, face fellow Aussie Christopher O’Connell and Laslo Djere in the first round of men’s doubles on Court 3 at 11am.

There’s a raft of other Australian pairings competing in the women’s and men’s doubles.

On Rod Laver Arena, No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic faces another difficult test in the form of Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the night session.

Djokovic has looked a little vulnerable in his first two matches, dropping the second set against teenager Dino Prizmic and Australia’s Alexei Popyrin before rallying back to win.

However, Etcheverry has been in fine form in Melbourne having dispatched both Andy Murray and Gael Monfils in straight sets.

DAY 6 ORDER OF PLAY (Show Courts – all times AEDT)

Day session from 12pm, Night session from 7pm unless listed

ROD LAVER ARENA