British underdog Jodie Burrage has hailed “the best player in the world” after being given central billing in the Rod Laver Arena night session during her match against third seed Coco Gauff at the Australian Open. “I will take it,” he pledged.
Burrage was emotional at her end. First round win over Leolia Jeanjean on Monday. She considered retirement late last season as she struggled to return after wrist and ankle injuries.
The 25-year-old has already experienced some of the sport’s biggest stages, having lost 6-3, 6-2 to Arina Sabalenka at the US Open after losing heavily to Daria Kasatkina on Center Court at Wimbledon in 2023. I did it.
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Highlights of Coco Gauff defeating Qinwen Zheng to win WTA Finals
“I never hit Rod Laver,” Burrage said. sky sports Ahead of the second round match against former US Open Gauff scheduled for 8 a.m. UK time is Wednesday.
“I’ve played Coco before and she’s arguably the best player in the world right now, so it’s going to be a very tricky match.
“I’m the underdog and I’m taking that attitude into the game and I’m going to take it to her. I’m going to see what I can do. I’m going to try and make her as uncomfortable as I can.
“It’s really exciting. Everybody loves an underdog.”
In February, Burrage required surgery for a broken tendon in her wrist (the fourth surgery of her career). As she prepared to return to competitive action in April, she suffered another blow when she ruptured ankle ligaments during a practice session with Katie Boulter. She will miss another 10 weeks.
“It’s not easy to deal with,” Burrage said. “It’s been a really tough year. I didn’t know how much more fighting there was to do for the sport.
“But it’s a crazy sport and it can change very quickly. That’s what keeps me going, because I know that it can actually change quickly.”
Draper: The crowd will bring out the best in me.
Jack Draper takes on home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis in a hostile atmosphere.
jack draper He hopes a hostile crowd will bring out the best in him when he faces home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round, with the fight scheduled for a night session at the John Cain Arena.
draper He defeated Argentina’s Mariano Navone in the first round in five sets.The rust showed after his preparation was halted when a hip injury left him with difficulty walking.
“It will definitely bring out the best in me,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a really good atmosphere.
“I remember what it was like to play Futures (tournaments) with no one watching, whether the crowd was with me or against me. That’s why I play, to play in front of a lot of people and have fun.”
Kokkinakis had one of his most memorable Australian Open matches in recent memory two years ago against Andy Murray. The Scot somehow battled back from two sets down before winning the nearly six-hour contest at 4.05am.
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Jack Draper sat down with Gigi Salmon to discuss his career so far, dealing with the demands of the ATP Tour and unlocking his potential in 2025.
Draper has never been to Australia before but has given the 28-year-old some stiff competition, but he will not be seeking advice from his compatriot as Murray focuses on coaching Novak Djokovic.
“I think Andy is too focused on Novak, but I watched that game,” Draper said. “I know Thanasi will give his best here in Melbourne, he always brings great tennis so it will be a really tough match.
“I’m fully prepared for that because we always have battles. I’m going to have to improve my performance and I think it’s a great opportunity to do that.”
Question marks also surround the physical condition of Kokkinakis, who picked up a leg problem for his first-round match in Melbourne after withdrawing from his home tournament in Adelaide last week.
While Murray appears to be off limits, Draper is able to chat with his old friend. Jacob FernleyHe handled one of his toughest assignments at Melbourne Park on his debut, beating Nick Kyrgios.
Draper turned professional as a teenager while Fearnley chose to attend college in the United States, but has wasted no time making his mark since leaving Texas last spring when he faces unseeded Frenchman Arthur Cazaux on Wednesday. You can break new ground.
‘Fearnley will have a great career’
Jacob Fearnley dethroned home favorite Nick Kyrgios with an impressive display.
Sky Sports’ Jonathan Overend said: “Fearnley Nick Kyrgios did a great job with the circus.Even as Kyrgios put on a show, he landed trick shots and began a minor comeback in the third set.
“The more I see of Fearnley, the more I think he’s going to have an outstanding career as a top-100 player.
“How far will he go? It’s too early to say. He’s just starting his professional career, but in England, if you have a top 100 player, you’re expected to be top 20 or top 10.
“We seem to be good at producing the best players in the world, like Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu, but we don’t seem to be very good at producing the best players who mix with the elite at the top of the game every year.
“I see in Fearnley all the qualities someone needs to do that. He’s going to have a great career. He’s going to be in the top 100 in the world for many years.”
Harriet Dartthe fourth British player to compete on Wednesday, found out she had been eliminated from the draw as a lucky loser just two hours before her match against Jana Fett. Calf problem.
The 28-year-old will be hoping to bounce back in time for her clash with 18th seed Donna Vekic.
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