Key events
Amanda Anisimova is the first to hold serve as a pair of powerful forehand winners are too much for Emma Raducanu. The American leads 2-1.
Over on John Cain Arena, Hubert Hurkaczvs (18) has been broken by Miomir Kecmanovic as the Serbian opens up an early 3-1 lead in the first.
Emma Raducanu gives up her early advantage with a limp service game as Amanda Anisimova breaks back. Both players are still finding their range from the baseline on the short rallies, but this time Raducanu nets on a pair of simple returns.
Amanda Anisimova takes the balls in hand but it is Emma Raducanu with the fast start. A pair of sloppy forehands from the American – the first across court, the second a simple return down the line – sail wide to set up two break points. Raducanu only needs one as Anisimova sends a backhand too long.
Emma Raducanu and Amanda Anisimova are just completing their warm-up and both should have little to hide ahead of their second-round clash after being regular practice partners and becoming good friends in recent times.
The former US Open winner told Tumaini Carayol what it will mean to play Anisimova for the first time.
I think we’re going to be playing each other many more times in the future. This is the first time. And it’s gonna be a good match. I think she’s a tough opponent. She took some time out, obviously, off the tour, for sort of mental health reasons and just to find herself again.
The Australian contingent has seen better days at their home grand slam, with Jordan Thompson and Ajla Tomljanović among the locals to exit the tournament along with Thanasi Kokkinakis.
If you missed out on the five-set thriller between 15th seed Jack Draper and Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis last night, fret not as we have you covered.
Tumaini Carayol was at Melbourne Park to cover the match of the tournament thus far.
While Jack Snape sat in an at times emotional press conference with Kokkinakis, who was one game away from progressing to the third round but in the end succumbed to injury and an equally determined opponent in Draper.
I know I don’t have forever left, so I don’t know how long I’m going to be out [injured], or what the future holds, even if I can get back to this point if I get [surgery] done. So I’m just [in] a lot of doubt and pretty upset. One thing’s for sure I can’t keep doing what I’m doing, it’s mental torture and physical torture.
Now for the weather. The clouds have returned after rain interrupted day four – at least on the outside courts – on a confusingly wintery summers day. The forecast is only slightly better for today but the eye-test tells us that we should get a lot more tennis in.
Isolated showers on and south of the ranges, remaining dry and sunny in the north. A cool to mild day with temperatures below average. Fresh south to southwesterly winds, through north central districts and along the Gippsland coast during the afternoon.https://t.co/UYVuRwgKlp pic.twitter.com/lb5tSbjK98
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 15, 2025
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of day five at the 2025 Australian Open. The second round in the men’s and women’s singles continues while there is plenty of doubles action kicking off on the outside courts.
Day four pushed into the wee hours as Great Britain’s Jack Draper overcame local hero Thanasi Kokkinakis in five gruelling sets, but as is the way at Melbourne Park the punters have popped off for a nap and are back into it again.
Great Britain’s other high-profile hope Emma Raducanu is one of the first to step onto the hardcourts today with the 2021 US Open winner hoping to pass the second round in the singles for the first time at Melbourne Park. The 22-year-old won’t have a free pass against American Amanda Anisimova. Women’s second seed Iga Swiatek will face Rebecca Sramkova on Rod Laver Arena shortly, with Alex de Minaur to follow on the main court against American qualifier Tristan Boyer.
We’ll have our eyes peeled on Raducana, Swiatek and de Minaur to start with, but here are the tastier match-ups to fill our afternoon with:
11am: Emma Raducanu v Amanda Anisimova
11am: Hubert Hurkacz (18) v Miomir Kecmanovic
11.30am: Iga Swiatek (2) v Rebecca Sramkova
11.30am: Emma Navarro (8) v Xiyu Wang
1pm: Taylor Fritz (4) v Cristian Garin
1.30pm: Alex de Minaur (8) v Tristan Boyer
1.30pm: Elena Rybakina (6) v Iva Jovic
I’ll be with you until 3pm AEDT when Jonathan Howcroft will take the reins. Let me know your thoughts and predictions on email or @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
