A big day in Sydney with top seeds Simona Halep and Stefanos Tsitsipas stepping out for their first matches. Also appearing would be Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitová and Australia’s own wonder boy Alex de Minaur.
- In fact Alex de Minaur (5) was first up on Ken Rosewall Arena, doing battle with qualifier Reilly Opelka, who had held serve in their second round match the day before, until rain stopped things.
Returning, the result was de Minaur winning a close contest 6-4 7-6(5)
- Before that, on Court 4, in a clash of qualifiers, Yoshihito Nishioka easily defeated Andrey Rublev 6-3 6-1 in just over an hour.
- While de Minaur was creating smiles for Aussie fans, the scenario on Show Court 1 was not so happy, with Timea Bacsinszky defeating home nation favourite, wildcard Samantha Stosur 5-7 6-4 6-3
Other ATP results
Second round
Stefanos Tsitsipas (1) defeated lucky loser Guido Andreozzi 6-3 6-4
Andreas Seppi (8) defeated Martin Klizan 7-6(2) 6-2
Diego Schwartzman (3) defeated qualifier Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-3
John Millman defeated Marton Fucsovics (7) 6-3 6-4
Gilles Simon (4) defeated Sam Querrey 7-6(5) 6-7(6) 6-4
Other WTA results
First round
After resuming their rain delayed match at 2-5, Anett Kontaveit defeated
lucky loser Monica Puig 2-6 7-5 6-1
After resuming their rain delayed match at 7-6(4) 2-6 4-1, Elise Mertens (10) defeated qualifier Katerina Siniakova 7-6(4) 2-6 6-2
Second round
Elise Mertens (10) defeated Anett Kontaveit 6-3 6-1
Qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich defeated fellow qualifier Priscilla Hon 0-6 6-3 6-3
Qualifier Yulia Putintseva continued the poor run of Sloane Stephens (4), defeating the American 3-6 7-6(4) 6-0
Wildcard Petra Kvitová (5) defeated Su-Wei Hsieh 7-6(2) 6-2
Simona Halep (1) v Ash Barty
After trading service breaks, the pair were level at 3-3 in the opening set.
Two excellent forehand winners highlighted a Barty service hold and she inched ahead 4-3. Consistency from Halep and variety from Barty made this a tight battle as the world number one evened things at 4-4.
Down O-30, due to her volley error and a Halep forehand winner, had Barty in trouble in game nine.
And another mistake gave the top seed three break points.
All were saved, one with an ace. Another ace sealed the game, and it was a key stage in the match. Barty led 5-4.
A sizzling angled Barty backhand opened the next Halep service game, and a forehand winner from the same racquet drew it to 30-30. The Australian pushed Halep all over Sydney on the following point, ultimately forcing an error and creating a set point.
Halep found the net and Barty took her first ever set from Halep 6-4
Four great first serves and Barty led 1-0 with a love game in set two.
An Australian winner and forced errors off the Romanian racquet produced two break points in game two for Barty.
A well crafted backhand from Simona and one to follow that, sent the pair to deuce.
A less than successful effort off the same side donated Ash a third chance, but she wasted it and Halep eventually held serve in the longest game of the match so far.
Two careless errors came between a pair of aces for Barty, and a put away at the net contributed to a solid hold 2-1
A lovely down the line forehand Australian winner was compromised by a trio of mistakes, and Halep delivered a strong game 2-2.
A wide serve opened up the court for a simple Barty volley but then Ash fell foul of some loose play and faced two break points.
A cross court forehand helped saved one of those, and an ace assisted the service hold. Barty ahead 3-2.
A very quick Romanian love game levelled proceedings.
A poor Barty volley and a Halep backhand winner set up yet another break opportunity. This one was converted and the top seed led 4-3.
Unforced errors were traded - two each - a big serve gave Halep game point, but an extraordinary half volley winner played by Barty turned the game. Halep hit the net twice and the break back occurred.
Barty found herself down 0-30 but a sliced backhand produced a Halep error. A big serve and 30-30, but another mistake sent Ash, for her third successive service game, down a break point.
It was saved. Another chance was gifted to Simona, but she netted a return. Ash held tough and won the game and advantage 5-4.
Simona would need to hold serve to remain in the tournament.
Halep began well, winning at the net, but Barty won the next point after a quality rally. A brilliant backhand pass from Barty and it was 30-30.
A wide Barty forehand and game point for Halep.
All court excellence displayed by the Australian and deuce.
Halep pulled a forehand wide and Barty had match point.
A Romanian netted backhand gave Ash Barty perhaps the biggest individual scalp of her career, defeating world number one Simona Halep 6-4 6-4.
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