If you weren’t glued to your TV this weekend, you missed a lot of action at the Australian Open, but don’t worry — we’ll catch you up. Here’s the top news from Melbourne and what you need to know about tonight’s matches.
The Biggest Loser
After blowing past three top players in the preliminary rounds of the tournament, Victoria Azarenka shocked fans when she lost to 11th seed Dominka Cibulkova. It was the first three-set match Azarenka played the entire tournament, during which Cibulkova hit 44 winners to overcome the two-time Australian Open champ 6-2,3-6,6-3. But don’t forget that Cibulkova lost to Li Na in the finals of this event last year, so she’s is hungry for the title. She’ll face Serena Williams next, who’s been up and down throughout the tournament — she dropped the first set of her last two matches before coming back to defeat her lower-ranked opponents, one to whom she lost at the French Open last year. If Serena drops the first set to Cibulkova, it might be tough to pull a hat trick.
Hate It or Love It, the Underdog’s on Top
While Serena’s third-round win didn’t come as a big surprise, most didn’t predict that older sister Venus would oust sixth seed Aga Radwanska. But looking at Venus’ statistics in 2015, we shouldn’t be shocked that she’s done so well in this tournament. The world no. 18 won the ASB Classic earlier this month, dropping no more than four games a set until the finals when she defeated top-10 player Caroline Wozniacki in three sets. The last time Venus made it this far in a grand slam it was at Flushing Meadows in 2010. She’ll play compatriot Madison Keys next, who she beat soundly in 2013. We’re rooting for you Venus. It’s your time to shine again.
Sweet Home Australia
It’s exciting to win on your home turf and it’s a feeling that 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios is riding as the sole Australian left in this tournament. He’s defeated some big-time veterans over the past week including Ivo Karlovic and Andreas Seppi, who stunned Roger Federer in the third round. Kyrgios has quickly captured the attention of Australian Open viewers with his confident attitude and incredible talent, which he showcased to the world last year as a Wimbledon quarterfinalist. Next-round opponent Andy Murray said of his younger counterpart: “I didn’t feel like I was going to win these events when I was that age, but I read that he felt like he could win the Australian Open this year a few weeks ago. So he obviously backs himself a lot.” Will a cocky Kyrgios upset Murray in the wake of his comeback? We think he has what it takes.
