Jordan Thompson leads Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin, Christopher O’Connell loses, latest scores, results, highlights, news

Aussies Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson are attempting to turn into giant-killers, and follow Alex de Minaur into the Australian Open’s third round, on night four at Melbourne Park. Follow live below!

Thompson, who turned fan seating arrangements into a talking point with his proclamation the Australian Open was “the wokest tournament”, led off the night session on Margaret Court Arena against No.7 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. After an early lead he trails, 4-6 7-6(6) 6-2.

Thompson is bidding for his fourth career win over a top-10 player, after recording two in 2023, including a three-set victory over Tsitsipas at Indian Wells.

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The winner of their clash will face unseeded Frenchman Luca Van Assche, after he upset No.25 seed Lorenzo Musetti in five sets earlier on Wednesday.

Meanwhile on centre court Popyrin is facing the massive challenge of ending world No.1 Novak Djokovic’s five-year unbeaten run at the Australian Open, the winner to face No.30 seed Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the third round.

Djokovic took the opening set 6-3 but Popyrin got the break in the second and led 5-2 with the 10-time champion to serve.

The pair got underway relatively early after defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka’s avoided the fate of many of her colleagues who fell to a teenage sensation – this time Czech qualifier Brenda Fruhvirtova, who is just 16 years old – with a quick 6-3 6-2 win.

THOMPSON vs TSITSIPAS

Jordan Thompson’s bid to knock off former Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas got off to an almost perfect start, earning multiple break points in the opening game of the match before the Greek star held on.

Thompson continued to give Tsitsipas difficulty though.

“Good start for him. A little unlucky he hasn’t broken,” John McEnroe said on Nine.

Tsitsipas quickly became frustrated at fans moving to their seats between games – the issue which triggered Thompson’s fury in the first round – and asked the chair umpire if the rules could be changed mid-match.

“Maybe you can inform them that maybe they should keep it the same way. Is that possible?” he asked.

Tsitsipas’ indifferent start to the match then saw Thompson gain the opening break for a 4-3 lead, comfortably holding from there for a 6-4 first set win.

“I’m loving his aggressiveness. He has taken it to Tsitsipas. He is not sitting way back hoping for some mistakes,” McEnroe said.

While Thompson was playing well, the bigger story of the match was Tstisipas’ poor play.

“I’m a bit surprised to see him miss this many forehands,” McEnroe said.

But fellow commentator Todd Woodbridge believed Tsitsipas was playing hurt.

“He is nowhere moving as well out into the corners as he normally does, particularly out to the backhand,” he explained.

“You watch him when he runs to the ball. He just continues running in a straight line very deliberately. He hasn’t got the adjusting straight back into getting into the neutral part of the court as dynamically as he normally does.”

The pair also pointed out it was “unusually quiet” in Tsitsipas’ player’s box.

With no break point opportunities earned or given the second set moved into a tiebreak where Tsitsipas earned the quick mini-break after a lengthy rally, then another when Thompson failed to serve and volley.

The Aussie quickly recovered one, then saved three set points – the last, at 5-6, when Tsitsipas butchered a smash. That still left Thompson to defend a set point on his own serve and a poor backhand gave the Greek the second set, 7-6(6).

Thompson was then broken to begin the third set with Tsitsipas showing much more positive body language and seemingky rounding into form.

“He is playing a lot more confidently now, Tsitsipas. Different guy than the man who stepped odd to the court about 7pm,” McEnroe said.

The contrast was complete when a super-frustrated Thompson delivered a big racquet smash as he was broken again for 0-3.

Only the interruption of a pesky seagull could halt Tsitsipas’ surge to a 6-2 third set win.

Thompson was praised for his reaction to the bird’s intrusion, which came as Tsitsipas was taking his first serve – meaning he technically was supposed to lose it.

“What in the world! Shouldn’t he get his first serve?” McEnroe asked.

“I mean, no offence, but he had to stop playing. Look at this. Got to get him another serve.”

After the seagull flew into the rafters Thompson signalled for Tsitsipas to take his first serve which Woodbridge said was “the right thing”.

DJOKOVIC vs POPYRIN

Australian hopeful Alexei Popyrin’s dream of upsetting world No.1 Novak Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena has suffered an early blow in their second round Australian Open clash.

The No.43 ranked Popyrin was able to stay with the 10-time champion at Melbourne Park until midway through the opening set, but Djokovic then hit the accelerator when breaking serve while leading 4-3.

Sprinting towards the net like a man half of his age, the 36-year-old seized the sole service break of the set he claimed 6-3 when chasing down a drop volley to strike a forehand winner.

The opening set followed a logical path given their respective strengths. Popyrin boasts an extremely good serve but is outmatched at the baseline against Djokovic, as the set showed.

Djokovic, who wrapped up the set in 39 minutes, was untroubled on serve when dropping just three points for the set, while holding break points against Popyrin in two separate games.

O’CONNELL FALLS SHORT AGAINST AMERICAN YOUNG GUN

A third Aussie in action this evening, Christopher O’Connell, pushed American young gun and No.16 seed Ben Shelton to the brink on John Cain Arena, 6-4 6-1 3-6 7-6(5).

He was keeping things tight with last year’s quarter-finalist before allowing Shelton his first break point while serving to stay in the opening set – which the American gladly claimed to win it 6-4.

Shelton then handed O’Connell two break points early in the second set but with what commentator John Millman predicted will become the “best serve on tour”, the American held his nerve – including a 200 km/h second serve ace – before breaking the Aussie in the very next game. He soon took the second set 6-1.

With his tournament life on the line O’Connell lifted, finally cracking Shelton’s serve and holding from there for a 6-3 third set.

But after earning a break for 3-4, O’Connell gave it right back to Shelton, and the American survived the tiebreak 7-6(5).

“That Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi chant, I hear it when I sleep at night,” Shelton quipped post-match.

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NIGHT 4 ORDER OF PLAY (Show courts & Aussies in action)

Night session from 7pm AEDT, unless listed

ROD LAVER ARENA

No.2 Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) def Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) 6-3 6-2

No.1 Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 6-3

MARGARET COURT ARENA

Jordan Thompson (AUS) vs No.7 Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 6-4 6-7(6) 2-6

No.8 Maria Sakkari (GRE) vs Elina Avanesyan (RUS)

JOHN CAIN ARENA

No.16 Ben Shelton (USA) def Christopher O’Connell (AUS) 6-4 6-1 3-6 7-6(5)

Christopher Eubanks (USA) v No.5 Andrey Rublev (RUS) 4-6 4-6