2023 AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Azarenka gets a break back but needs one more, unfortunately for her.

Doesn't get there. Rybakina breaks for set and match!

Very happy for Rybakina, that was convincing

Second SF also going to a TB

Which Sabalenka wins with ease.

Sabalenka wins the next set 6-2, so that's our final!

Tsitsipas through.

Paul has recovered from a double break down in the 1st against Djoko..

Breaks again for the set. 7-5

Djoko wellon his way with a break in the 2nd. He has barely sweated his way through the draw with 1.5 legs

Final should be a match though.

Entirely sick of this third act of ND's career. Wish he'd stayed at his post-surgery early-2018 level for good and faded away.

Also: almost to make up for last year, he gets to play every match on the same court, at the same time, under lights (I think, maybe he's been second on some nights). No dealing with 35C heat, sun & shadows, interruptions, delays, awkward scheduling, the usual stuff the other 400+ players at a Slam deal with. I know, it's always been like this for the elite, Federer got star treatment everywhere he went for the last 15 years of his career, but it really does smooth out a lot of the stuff that makes it especially tough to win an event like this.

That's just slams being slams though. They are mostly lazily, badly run. The four countries that have them will never lose slam status so no incentive to change.

I doubt the administrators have the skills to effect any changes either. A big part of that would be to dictate to media companies that these are the changes etc.

Having said that Novak is so so good in Australia though. One thing is having an advantage, another is to take it time and again. Shame he is such an utter cunt.

Yeah, sometimes it feels like a re-introduction of the Challenge Round - everyone else scrabbles around in all conditions, then you get to meet The King at 7pm on Rod Laver.
Dimitrov had him (and his hamstring) in trouble, but you can't really argue with the beatings he handed De Minaur and Rublev. Rune might have been a different story, but nah - this isn't Bercy. And, by that token, I don't really expect the final to be as close as the ST-ND semi there.

Rybakina takes the first set. Not loving this final so far, neither of them are serving consistently - Sabalenka DF-ing to hand back the break to Rybakina kinda showing the limits of biomechanics here

Sabalenka really stepping up in this second set, attacking Rybakina’s serve and forcing her to move around the court

this is very good now, both of them are such massive hitters

God this looks like a great final :-(

Sabalenka serving for the match

All the way...Sabalenka wins

And she takes it in one hell of a final game - fighting off her nerves, the untimely reappearance of her serving yips, rybakina’s return. good stuff.

Bummed for Rybakina but she’s in the top 10 now finally, where she belongs.

impressive stuff from Sabalenka. very happy for her.

congrats to nole

besides the bit of murray excitement, this tourney was abt as dull as possible on the mens side

Pretty much, yes.

Very little stopping him from Court's 24 slams in the next 12 months. Alcaraz to recover, maybe Sinner finding an extra gear, and I'm sure there is someone I don't know about otherwise the men's game being dominated like this by the little shit is about as unpleasant as it can get.

yeah aside from the murray matches I just couldn’t bring myself to care about this tournament. I’ve defected to pickleball

The women's side is going to be a lot more interesting than the men's until Djoko's invincibility inevitably wanes. Which could happen quickly or take several years, he's probably just one serious injury away from it starting to slide.

Clay court season is demanding a maverick run.

The women's game is fantastic rn. Awed by the talent and depth.