Australian Open 2025: Boulter and De Minaur through, but Rublev crashes out – as it happened

A picture


Otherwise, though, that is us.Thanks for your company and comments; please do join me again tomorrow at 8am GMT for another absolute jazzer of a night sesh.But until then, peace out.So to sum up the day before we finish, there were wins for Emma Navarro, Holger Rune, Daria Kasartkina, Daniil Medvedev, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz; Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini and Alex de Minaur also moved on.Mario Berrettini beat Cam Norrie and Gael Monfils eliminated Geovani Mpetshi Perricard; Ben Shelton saw off Brandon Nakashima; Ons Jabeur and katie Boulter are through; and Joao Fonseca, an 18-year-old Brazilian making his grand slam debut, routed Andrey Rublev, the number nine seed.

Stan Wawrinka lost today, and might we have seen the last of the 2014 champ? His three Slams – finals won against Nadal and Djokovic (2) – are an incredible return for an incredible talent, and his presence is reassuring for those of us who think it should be possible to play elite sport while looking like one has come straight from the club.Speaking to Eurosport, Raducanu says that in the second set, the sun made it hard to see from one side.But it’d moved by the tiebreak so she could hit better, but also, she’s good at playing big moments.Who could’ve predicted?Emma Raducanu is into round two, where Amanda Anisimova awaits; that should be a really good match.Katie Boulter tells Eurosport she’s relieved.

She credits Marino, who played really well in set three and notes that the early rounds are just about getting through.She found a way of putting her opponent under pressure, just taking care to get her returns in, and she was surprised to see her fiance come out, assuming when he did that he’d won, and it gave her a lift.Daniil Medvedev was given a bit of a shock earlier today, but he sorted himself in the end.He arrived in Australia late after celebrating the birth of his second child, which has clearly mellowed him.Fitfy-one winners, not bad.

While we were finishing off there, Kudermertova finished off Gadecki, a 6-1 6-1 win earning her a second-round match with Katie Boulter.Fonseca doesn’t look all that moved, and why should he? This what he’s meant to be doing, it belongs to him, and he knows it.“Not bad” is his summation of events that have me scanning my internal thesaurus.“I just enjoyed every moment, my first time playing in a huuuuge stadium.”He thanks the crowd, the Brasilians especially, then explains that he was just focused on his game trying to put no pressure on himself.

He was trying to call the crowd to help him, but just enjoyed playing,“I was just playing my game and now I’m in the second round,”He’s actually beaten Sonego, his next opponent, before, and asked about the tiebreaks, says he tried to put all his intensity into them,“I go for my shots,” he says; “I am courage,”He’s not wrong, explaining that as Roger says, talent is no use without hard work, and he’s putting it in.

He knows.Let’s hear from the man boy of the moment!Joao Fonseca is a genius.I don’t know what else to tell you.He is going to win everything, then win it again and again and again.On his grand slam debut, he has devastated the world no and made it look the most natural, obvious thing imaginable.

Wonderful, epochal behaviour,Oh my days! A wondrous backhand, inside-out and down the line, gives Fonseca 6-5 and raises his first match point, though on the Rublev serve…A forehand winner from Rublev ups the pressure but Fonseca takes control of the next point with evil forehands … only to slightly overhit when seeking the sideline,We’re back on serve at 5-5,Not for long! A fine return, Rublev nets, and Fonseca is again two held points away…Rublev snatches back a break, but at 4-2, Fonseca – on his Grand Slam debut – is three points away from round two,But as I type he’s caught at the net, beaten by a lob, and 4-0 is now 4-3, both mini-breaks gone.

Again, Fonseca seizes the immediate mini-break, a deft volley making 1-0.This is astonishing behaviour, it really is – the power and the touch, of course, but also the total comfort on court and in self which is moving to behold.He quickly holds for 3-0 then, when Rublev nets a forehand, the number nine seed introduces racket to GreenSet.We’re watching something exceedingly special, mates.Which leaves out with Rublev v Fonseca, the latter holding to force a second tiebreak of the match at 6-6 in the third.

If he wins it, he’s through; he took the earlier one to one.Oh, and Denis Shapovalov beat Roberto Bautista Agut in four; next for him it’s Musetti, and that’s another potential banger.Camila Osorio has beaten Maria Sakkari, seeded 31, 6-4 in the third.She meets Oor Ons next, and that should be a terrific tussle.Boulter says she’d have preferred an easier match and thanks the crowd for keeping her going.

She’s been playing great in practice but couldn’t reproduce that form and notes that, as did Thom Yorke before her, you can force it but it will not come.She assumed Demon, her fiance had won, as she heard a massive roar then saw him in the crowd, and with that, off she goes.Excellent from Boulter, who’s now beating almost everyone she should.Marino played very well today, but the British no 1 did the right things at the right times, winning the biggest points of the match to beat an opponent who, over the course of the contest, played the better tennis.next for her it’s Kudermetova or Gadecki, the former up 6-1 4-1.

Boulter coaxes a lovely forehand down the line, raising a second break point…“I think Zverev will win one slam in the Ivanisevic way,” returns Victor K, “as in when he’s way over the hill and nobody is expecting him to.having been so close in his prime.He will always regret the US Open final that Thiem stole from him.That was his best chance.As for Rublev I can’t escape the feeling that in finding his inner peace he actually blunted the inner fire and competitive instinct that made him the player that regularly wins at least 50 matches every season.

You need that fire when you’re facing a young up-and-comer swinging freely.He doesn’t have that today.”I think Zverev will get there before that.His serve and backhand are two of the best shots in the game and his volleys and forehand are much improved.I’m not sure I agree on Rublev.

Therapy doesn’t work like that, it takes a long time to assimilate lasting changes, and I’m sure it doesn’t kill competitive fire.But excuse me while I interrupt myself, Boulter has match point at 6-5 in the third … only for Marino to nail a serve on to the line, the return sailing long.Moutet goes to celebrate with the French in the crowd, hugging them and enjoying the moment; Fonseca again encourages the crowd to get involved, saving break points to make 4-4 in set three.Rublev is making more of an impression now, but if this set goes to a breaker, I know where my reals are going.I’m not sure how fit Popyrin was but that’s a massive win for Moutet, who meets Kruger, a qualifier, next.

An amazing point, won by Moutet via lob, gives him 30-all, and when Popyrin strays wide, he has match point … but then overhits himself, so to deuce we go.Boulter, meanwhile, is up 5-4 in the third, while Moutet has advantage, goes for another lob … and this time lands it well long.On Laver, Kudermoetova leads Gadecki 6-0, while on Cain, Moutet has broken Popyrin and will shortly serve for the match at 2-1 5-4.Ach, bang in the point, Fonseca opens the angle for an inside-out forehand winner, only to stray wide, and that’s deuce, three break-points squandered.But what on earth?! On the chase and on the stretch, he creams a return cross-court for a clean winner, then slices to stick in the point before taking it over with his forehand and we’re back on serve in set three, Fonseca leading 7-6 6-3 2-3.

Now then.Rublev makes deuce, a double hands him advantage, and a deep backhand takes control of the next rally, and when Fonseca nets he leads 3-1 in the third.Except in the time it takes me to relay that information, Fonseca rushes to 0-40!Terrific volley from Boulter, right on top of the tape to kill break point by killing a ball belted straight at her, then closes out for 3-2 in the third … but have a look! Also down break point – Rublev is starting to make an impression – Fonseca annihilates a backhand cross-court for a sensational winner before nosing up the crowd in a way Sinner never would.His opponent makes his what can you do face, and he’s right, a 12th ace soon raising advantage.This composure is remarkable.

In comms, they’re comparing Fonseca to Sinner and in terms of the cleanliness of his hitting, I can see why,But though he’s got the same comparable composure, he’s a bit more animated and creative – as you might expect given the stereotypical character of Italians from close to the Austria border relative to Cariocas,Once again, he’s giving Rublev all he can handle on serve – they’re at deuce – while Popyrin managed to stick in there to lead 3-2 in the fourth, Moutet by two sets to one,Rublev holds on to his serve in game one of set three, just; the sense remains he’s on borrowed time,But Popyrin has broken Moutet back for 2-2 in set four … though he now trails 0-30,Back on Laver, Kudermetova and Gadecki are under way; Gadecki is Aussie, hence the show-court presence.

Oh and after 11 minutes, Boulter hangs on to her serve for 1-0 in the decider against Marino.Moutet has broken Popyrin to lead 2-1 2-1, and there are no signs of an Aussie comeback.His power-game isn’t as effective against so cunning a hitter, and with his back limiting his ability to impose, defeat feels imminent.Brilliant! Fonseca makes 40-0, curls an ace on to the T, and I don’t k ow what else to tell you: this boy is a superstar.He leads Rublev 7-6 6-3 and there seems to be nothing the ninth-best player in the world can do about it.

trendingSee all
A picture

Wellcome Trust charity criticised over £11m in payouts to investment team

The Wellcome Trust, the UK health research charity, has been criticised for paying its investment executives more than £11m last year, more than 10 times as much as its own governors.The pay packets, which included £5m for Wellcome’s chief investment officer, Nick Moakes, were awarded after its investment portfolio rose in value, generating more funds for its mission of tackling health inequalities.Wellcome’s investment portfolio returned 5.2% in the year to 30 September, or 3.5% after inflation, and is now valued at £37

A picture

Warhammer maker Games Workshop plans fourth UK factory as sales boom

In Nottingham, an army of tiny warriors is on the advance. Space Marines, Weirdboyz, Chaos Knights – and very small paint pots – are grabbing more territory as Games Workshop confirms plans for its fourth factory and buys land for two more to meet demand for its fantasy figurines.It is the latest win for the designer and maker of miniature wargames – including the hit Warhammer franchise – which joined the FTSE 100 list of the UK’s leading companies shortly before Christmas. Its valuation has more than tripled in the past four years to just over £4.2bn – making it worth more than the airline EasyJet, the property firm British Land and the B&Q owner Kingfisher

A picture

Could Keir Starmer’s AI dream derail his own green energy promise?

Keir Starmer this week launched a plan to bring a 20-fold increase in the amount of artificial intelligence (AI) computing power under public control by 2030.But the race to build more electricity hungry AI datacentres over the next five years appears to work against another government target: to plug in enough low-carbon electricity projects to create a clean power system by the same date.The green goal was already considered to be “at the outer limit of what’s achievable” by Fintan Slye, the chief executive of the National Energy System Operator (Neso), which is responsible for delivering the net zero target. But the enormous energy appetite of an AI boom has raised concerns that the government may end up derailing the clean power pledge just months after making it one of its key election promises.To meet the 2030 target based on current power use, the government believes Britain needs to double its onshore wind, triple its solar power and quadruple its offshore wind capabilities

A picture

British novelists criticise government over AI ‘theft’

Kate Mosse and Richard Osman have hit back at Labour’s plan to give artificial intelligence companies broad freedoms to mine artistic works for data, saying it could destroy growth in creative fields and amount to theft.The best-selling novellists spoke out after Keir Starmer a national drive to make the UK “one of the great AI superpowers” and endorsed a 50-point action plan that included changes to how technology firms can use copyrighted text and data to train their models.Ministers had been consulting on whether to allow the major tech companies to hoover up massive quantities of writing, music and other creative works unless copyright holders actively opt out.It is seen as a way of supercharging the growth of AI companies in the UK. Huge volumes of data are needed to train AI models and technology firms claim copyright laws create uncertainty, which risks holding back development

A picture

Borthwick backs ‘world-class’ Itoje as England captain after stripping George

Maro Itoje will lead England into the Six Nations after Steve Borthwick made the radical decision to ditch Jamie George as captain and promote the second row before a campaign that promises to make or break the head coach’s tenure.Borthwick said George was “disappointed” to lose the captaincy after only 12 months in what he described as a challenging conversation with the hooker but explained the decision to appoint Itoje was made on the basis that he is a “world‑class player who has the respect of everybody”.The upshot is that England head into the Six Nations with a new captain for the second year in a row and ­Borthwick is tasked with guiding his side to four wins from five by the Rugby Football Union after a disappointing 2024 in which they lost five consecutive matches. Borthwick said there is no reason Itoje will not continue in the role until the 2027 World Cup but his own job will come under threat in the event of another lack­lustre campaign which begins with daunting fixtures against ­Ireland in Dublin before France visit Twickenham.Borthwick also has injury problems to contend with after confirming Immanuel Feyi‑Waboso has decided to undergo a shoulder operation and will miss the champion­ship along with Sam Underhill (ankle)

A picture

Alex de Minaur brings main character energy in Australian Open straight-sets win

On the stage of the Australian Open this year, Alex de Minaur is giving irresistible main character energy. Just one round in he has survived the elimination of would-be co-stars, is romantically intertwined, and in his first real scene delivered his lines with aplomb.The Australian No 8 seed produced a flashy opener in the first set against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, before the plot threw up just enough intrigue to entertain a full Rod Laver Arena. Of course, the local hero prevailed 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in 142 minutes.But even he admits his mind wasn’t always on his match