2025 Australian Open Day 6: Djokovic Faces Machac Test; Sabalenka, Gauff, Pegula
Daniil Medvedev won’t be back in the Australian Open final after falling in five last night to teen Lerner Tien. But Novak Djokovic still has designs on getting back and playing for a 25th Slam.
The Serb, who hasn’t looked particularly good thus far against low-level competition, will actually face a formidable test in Tomas Machac as the third round begins.
The 24-year-old Machac beat Djokovic last year on clay just before the French and has been in better form of late than the Serb.
“It’s always tricky to play these kind of opponents, mentally to sustain that level,” Djokovic said of qualifier Jaime Faria. “Obviously you don’t know whether they’re maybe going to fold under the pressure of playing on the center court or they’re actually going to go the different way, which I think both of my opponents in first and second round did, which I feed off that energy and just, like, play their lights-out tennis.”
Djokovic, if he wins, looking ahead could run into Carlos Alcaraz in the quarters.
Playing his first event of 2025, Alcaraz has been strong and today takes on Nuno Borges in the afternoon.
Alexander Zverev, teen Jakub Mensik, Tommy Paul and a French battle between Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert dot the schedule.
The women have defending champion Aryna Sabalenka back on court against the Auckland winner Clara Tauson. Coco Gauff faces former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, Naomi Osaka faces Belinda Bencic and Jessica Pegula is also on court.
FRIDAY AUSTRALIAN OPEN SCHEDULE
Rod Laver Arena – 11:30 AM
SABALENKA, Aryna [1] vs. TAUSON, Clara (DEN)
Not before: 2:00 PM
BORGES, Nuno (POR) vs. ALCARAZ, Carlos (ESP) [3]
7:00 PM
DJOKOVIC, Novak (SRB) [7] vs. MACHAC, Tomas (CZE) [26]
DANILOVIC, Olga (SRB) vs. PEGULA, Jessica (USA) [7]
Margaret Court Arena – 11:30 AM
SHNAIDER, Diana [12] vs. VEKIC, Donna (CRO) [18]
Not before: 1:30 PM
FEARNLEY, Jacob (GBR) vs. ZVEREV, Alexander (GER) [2]
7:00 PM
GAUFF, Coco (USA) [3] vs. FERNANDEZ, Leylah (CAN) [30]
DRAPER, Jack (GBR) [15] vs. VUKIC, Aleksandar (AUS)
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