British number one Johanna Konta recorded the biggest win of her career as she knocked childhood hero Venus Williams out of the Australian Open.
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“I think I was really focussed and that first round really helped me because I was really just fighting”, world number one Williams told reporters after setting up a third-round clash against 18-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina.
Instead her bid was shattered in stunning fashion as the 32-year-old Italian rallied from a set down to claim a sensational 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph.
Serena Williams has had so much success for such a long time that even in a second-round match she can set a record at the season’s first Grand Slam event. “That’s impressive. She never let in, never gave up”.
“When the draw came out and I saw who I was playing I was like ‘Okay, I just hope to be out there playing for more than an hour, ‘” said Konta, of the challenge of facing the former world No. 1 and 2003 Australian Open finalist. “It doesn’t matter who I play, when I play”.
Williams, who has an 11-year dominance over Sharapova, is the favorite in Melbourne but faces a strong crop of resurgent and determined players. “I mean, experience is priceless for anyone, but especially for someone that’s just starting out in their Grand Slam experience”, Sharapova added.
She closed with an ace, her seventh, finishing in precisely an hour.
“I wasn’t holding serve, I was getting nowhere near his serves”.
Novak Djokovic recalled his own brush with match-fixing, as the start of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament was overshadowed by corruption allegations. Genie Bouchard advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Alexandra Krunic. “That’s why I’ve been playing really well”, Nishikori said.
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The $5,000 fine is the highest a female player has faced for skipping a mandatory news conference, and the second highest since Marat Safin was fined $10,000 at the 2001 French Open.
Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova has also made it to the third round of the campaign by sweeping aside Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2,6-1.
“To come back here and play my first match on Rod Laver is always very special as you always get those first little jitters out of the way”.
But as Sharapova served for 5-0, Sasnovich started finding her range in returning serve and a misjudged forehand from the Russian allowed her back into the set at 1-4. The reports alleged 16 players, all ranked in the top 50 at some stage and half of them playing at the Australian Open, had repeatedly raised suspicion due to their results and had been flagged with tennis authorities, but had not been sanctioned.
Melbourne Park has three stadiums with retractable roofs – Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and Hisense Arena.
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If the draw plays out according to seedings, Williams and Sharapova will face each other in the quarterfinals.
