…saved with an excellent second-serve into the body, though it’s surprising to see Djokovic fail to get it back. An ace follows, Basavareddy’s third of the match, and though Djokovic takes control of the next point with a backhand to the corner, he then nets a forehand and the young American leads 6-4! He is playing beautifully, and Djokovic, who leaves the court, knows he’s in a very serious match.
Djokovic gets Basavareddy, serving for the first set, to 30-all, and when a hooked forehand lands wide a 20-stroke rally ends and here comes break-back point…
But back to Cain, Kyrgios goes long, and Fearnley, making his debut in this tournament, takes the first-set breaker to three! Kyrgios spends change of ends ranting, but that was a really solid effort from the young Brit, who’s handling the atmosphere and occasion superbly.
Arthur Cazaux, a hero of last year’s tournament, beating Rune and Griekspoor, has ejected another seed – Sebastian Baez is gone, 6-3 in the fifth.
On Cain, meantime, Fearnley holds to secure a first-set breaker and quickly takes a pair of mini-breaks to lead 5-1; there’s so much going on and my ADHD is delighted. Djokovic holds to 30, so after a little sit-down, Basavareddy will serve for the first set at 5-4.
Djokovic knows he’s in a match here and earns break point at 30-40, but Basavareddy outhits him from the back, enticing him to go long, and makes deuce. Then, when he reaches advantage, we see Andy Murray looking terse – yes, I know he almost always looks terse – and two tremendous forehands from his charge restore us to deuce. But then he goes long with another, his seventh unforced error of the match so far, except in a way all of them are forced because he’s being put under Benjamin Constant pressure. And from there, Basavareddy closes out, and at 5-3 he’s within a game of the first set!
Fearnley and Kyrgios are now at 5-5 in the first; Alcaraz leads Shevchenko 6-1 1-1; Kostyuk has beaten Hibino 3-6 6-3 6-1; Golubic leads Mertens, who has a break in the second set, 6-4 1-2; and Auger-Aliassime leads Struff 6-3 6-0 2-3.
Now then! Basavareddy breaks Djokovic to lead 4-3 in the first, and he is not waiting to be asked. I wonder if, perhaps, Djokovic’s aura isn’t quite what it was – opponents now feel that, if they play well, they can beat him.
A colossal win for Draper, who came into this match having barely played in the last few months, but worked his way into rhythm and form to win a belter. He’ll be so much better for that and meets Kokkkinakis or Safiullin next, in what’ll be another taxing assignment.
Draper opens what might be the final game of the match with a terrifying ace down the T, and though Navone responds well, a forehand winner curled into the corner makes 30-15. But when he comes in next point, he can’t get a cross-court pass up and over; naturally another ace on to the T raises match point at 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 5-2 40-30…
Draper holds for 5-1 then Navone does likewise for 5-2, forcing him to serve for the match, just as Fearnley raises two break points. Kyrgios saves one with an exocet of a s second serve, then the other with a deft volley. From there, he closes out for 4-3 in short order, and this is brewing into a terrific contest.
We’ve not visited with Djokovic yet, but the crowd are on their feet applauding the 19-year-old American, Basavareddy, who’s hitting it hard from the back and chucking in cunning drops too. They’re 2-2 on serve and this has the makings of a decent ruckus.
Back on Cain, it’s a nice quiet night in at the library. Not! I don’t think! We’re on serve for now, though, Kyrgios up 3-2 and, as I type, creaming a forehand return cross-court for a clean winner and 0-15. Two gap yahs or not, few hit it harder and flatter. Fearnley, though, is handling himself well, securing a hold to 15 in impressive style whiole, on Court, Alcaraz leads Shevchenko 5-1.
A booming forehand winner down the line earns Draper deuce, and this feels like the match here; that last hold will have hit Naovne like a heel to the solar plexus and shonuff he nets to hand over a point for the double-break. He plays a nice rally, though, forcing his man to stretch into a baseline backhand before laying a tasty drop … which Draper sprints in to flip back down the line for another winner! He leads 4-1 in the fifth and is nearly there.
Alcaraz won’t have enjoyed being usurped as world no 1 by Jannik Sinner, and there’s a wild, vicious look about him out there. He’s broken Shevchenko for 2-1 and looks in frankly ludicrous condition, a hold to 15 giving him 3-1.
Source: theguardian.com
