Navarro Shines In Australian Open Three-Set Triumphs

Emma Navarro
Emma Navarro (photo: Australian Open TV/YouTube)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 18, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Emma Navarro doesn’t mind playing three-set matches. Honestly. In fact, the World No. 8 from the United States loves to play deciders – the more the merrier.

On Saturday afternoon at the Australian Open against former AO quarterfinalist Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, now ranked 39th, Navarro dug herself in for the long haul and eventually won, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in two hours and three minutes – with energy to spare.

Each of the eighth seed Navarro’s three wins this week in Melbourne, in her second trip to the AO, have resulted in three-set victories. First, she defeated fellow American Peyton Stearns, ranked 46th, 3-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5. Then, Navarro bested No. 94 Wang Xiyu of China, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Since the start of the 2024 season, she has played a total of 31 three-set matches – most in the WTA.

When Navarro was asked by Chanda Rubin during her on-court interview what made the difference against Jabeur, after spending more than two hours on Margaret Court Arena, she emphatically replied: “I love three sets – and I love tennis so much I can’t resist. I gotta play three sets!”

Against Jabeur, Navarro overcame 32 unforced errors by hitting 13 winners and converted six of 14 break-point chances. Although Jabeur hit 31 winners of her own and broke Navarro’s serve six times, she was undone by 58 unforced errors.

“I came out real well and maybe she wasn’t playing her best,” Navarro said. “She played a really good four games to get it back to 5-4 [jn the first set] and a really good second set. I just wanted to stick in there and keep believing in myself. I knew if I put myself in the best position to do what I wanted to do, I would come out on top.”

Through to the fourth round for the first time at the AO, Navarro will next face No. 9 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia, who beat No. 24 seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, 7-5, 6-1, in an hour and 19 minutes on Kia Arena. Kasatkina converted six of six break-point opportunities in advancing to the fourth round at the AO for the first time.

Iga’s bakery open for business

World No. 2  Iga Swiatek of Poland needed just 70 minutes to complete a bakery of a victory – a breadstick and a bagel – in defeating No. 61 Emma Raducanu of Great Britain, 6-1, 6-0, to move into the fourth round for the fifth time at the AO. She improved to 4-0 against Raducanu and has not lost to an opponent ranked outside of the WTA Top 50 since 2023 at Wimbledon.

Swiatek hit 24 winners, won 51 percent of her receiving points and broke Raducanu five times (twice in the first set, three times in the second set) in 12 opportunities. She did not face any break points on her serve. Swiatek outpointed Raducanu 59-29 and improved her win-loss record this season to 7-1.

“I just enjoyed playing,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview. “I hit a few shots where I thought after, ‘this is what I practice for.’ To play these kind of shots. That’s why I really enjoyed today’s match. I felt pretty confident. At the end I could push her even more. Converting all those break points as well was important. I’m happy with today’s performance.”

Next, Swiatek will play 128th-ranked lucky loser Eva Lys of Germany, who eliminated No. 82 Jaqueline Cristian of Romania, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Lys is the first lucky loser to make the round of 16 at the Australian Open.

Draper has become a marathon man at this Australian Open

No. 15 seed Jack Draper, Great Britain’s last hope in the men’s singles draw, has become a marathon man the first week in Melbourne. That’s because the World No. 18 from Sutton, England has won three straight five-set matches to reach the round of 16.

With Draper’s thrilling five-set triumph over No. 68 Aleksandar Vukic of Australia that started Friday night on Margaret Court Arena and finished after midnight, he now holds a 5-1 win-loss record in matches that have gone the distance.

Physically, despite a hip injury during the off season that shelved Draper and forced him to miss the United Cup earlier this month, Draper has stood up to his competition, which includes a trio of five-set wins against No. 47 Mariano Navone of Argentina, No. 71 Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia and Vukic. He was on court for 4:01 against Navone, 4:35 against Kokkinakis and 3:58 versus Vukic.

“My body doesn’t feel too great but luckily I have got a good physio,” Draper said post-match early Saturday. “Mentally I have competed hard and I have loved the atmosphere. It has given me a lot of energy to keep pushing myself and I am surprising myself.”

Each round, Draper has graduated to a larger venue at Melbourne Park. He started on Court 3 against Navone, then John Cain Arena against Kokkinakis and Margaret Court Arena for Vukic. On Sunday, Draper will likely face World No. 3 and third seed Carlos Alcaraz on either Rod Laver Arena or, at worse, Margaret Court Arena.

Scrappy Davidovich Fokina fighting for every point

Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is through to the fourth round for the first time following his three-hour, 31-minute five-set victory over 19-year-old Jakub Mensik of Czechia on Friday, which advanced him to face No. 12 seed Tommy Paul of the United States on Sunday. It’s the first time the 66th-ranked Davidovich Fokina has reached the fourth round at a major since 2022 at the US Open and he will be going after his first career win against Paul, who owns a 3-0 record against the Spaniard.

In rallying from two-sets-to-none down, the scrappy, 25-year-old Spaniard saved a pair of match points when the 48th-ranked #NextGenATP rising star Mensik was serving for the match at 6-5 in the third set.

“I don’t remember that I saved two match points, wow,” Davidovich Fokina said afterward during an interview. “I was focused. On every point I knew the tie-break was so tight. I was just focusing on every point and then in the fourth set I knew I would have my chances. The first two sets I didn’t play great but I am very happy to come back.”

Davidovich Fokina is 9-7 in five-set matches in his career. It’s all about mentality and how well one can handle pressure. Just two days earlier, Davidovich Fokina came from two sets down for the first time in his career when he beat No. 29 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

“In all these years I had a lot of up-and-downs,” Davidovich Fokina admitted. “I had decided this year to fight for every point. It doesn’t matter how the result is going. I don’t look at the result. I think to be quiet and just focus, to play and enjoy the match. I think that gives me a lot of strength and power to still continue.”

Around the Australia Open

#NextGenATP rising star Alex Michelsen of the United States, one of six American men to reach the third round of the Australian Open this year, and at 20 years 154 days, has become the fifth-youngest American man in the Open Era to reach the round of 16 at the Australian Open.

On Saturday afternoon, playing in the first match of the day on John Cain Arena against No. 19 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia, who was making his eighth AO appearance and playing in his 31st Grand Slam overall, Michelsen pulled off an upset with a 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory in two hours and 15 minutes to earn his first trip to the fourth round in a major.

Michelsen hit 39 winners, including eight aces, and converted four of four break points. Michelsen outpointed Khachanov 97-85, which included winning 22 of 29 net exchanges.

“I played unbelievable for most of the match; don’t think I’ve ever hit my forehand that well,” Michelsen said in his post-match interview. “I’m super happy and hope to keep this momentum going.”

Next, Michelsen will face World No. 8 and eighth seed Alex de Minaur of Australia, who defeated No. 31 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-3, in three hours and 53 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to advance to the fourth round for the fourth consecutive year.

Saturday’s Australian Open results

Sunday’s Australian Open order of play

By the numbers

World No. 7 Jessica Pegula of the United States, the American No. 2 behind World No. 3 Coco Gauff, has now lost four of her last six Grand Slam matches to unseeded players.

On Friday evening, the No. 7 seed Pegula lost to No. 55 Olga Danilovic of Serbia, 7-6 (3), 6-1, in an hour and 30 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. Danilovic saved all six break points she faced from Pegula, a three-time AO quarterfinalist. Her win advanced her to the fourth round against No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain and equals her best major finish, when she reached the fourth round as a qualifier last year at the French Open.

Danilovic is also the first Serbian woman to reach the AO fourth round since 2014, when both Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic achieved that plateau.

“Quotable …”

“I’m just happy to see a full crowd here watching my matches. It’s just a privilege to feel this love here in Australia, in the other part of the world. I’m trying to play different tennis, some different kinds of shots. That’s what makes me enjoy playing tennis, what makes me smile on court and helps me to show really good tennis — and try to entertain the people as well, making them happy.”

– World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, during his on-court interview Friday after defeating No. 33 Nuno Borges of Portugal in four sets on Rod Laver Arena.

 

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