Four Aussies will take to the court looking to advance to the last 32 as the 2023 Australian Open enters Day 3.
Here is The Roar‘s official guide to every Aussie in action, as well as all the other major matches you can’t miss.
Organisers are scrambling to cram 22 cancelled or postponed first-round singles matches into Wednesday after extreme heat delays were compounded by night-time downpours at Melbourne Park.
Australians Thanasi Kokkinakis, Max Purcell and Aleksandar Vukic are among the players who will have to finish their respective matches after rain saw play suspended late on Tuesday night.
As of last night, ten matches had been cancelled and another 12 postponed at varying stages. They will all need to be recommenced or started on Wednesday, when the other side of the draw will start the second round.
Kokkinakis was only five points away from a surprisingly easy straight-sets win over Fabio Fognini, leading 6-1 6-2 4-2 with the Italian serving at 15-40.
Vukic was partway through his clash with American qualifier Brandon Holt, trailing 6-4 1-6 4-2.
Purcell was about to enter a potentially decisive fourth-set tiebreak with Emil Ruusuvuori, down 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-6.
Currently, due to a major heat delay on Day 2 and the likelihood of heavy rain on Day 3, matches have only been scheduled for the three major courts, with all others to be determined on the day.
As a result, fans may have to wait until the late afternoon to catch the first of the Aussies in action in the second round, with Jason Kubler to take on Russian Karen Khachanov no earlier than 5pm.
Khachanov took out Nick Kyrgios in the quarter-finals of last year’s US Open, and has made it to the third round at Melbourne Park four years running. However, Kubler is in the form of his life, and after breaking his Australian Open duck on Monday, will fancy his chances of another upset.
Fellow Aussie wildcards John Millman and Rinky Hijikata have tougher assignments, coming up against Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas respectively. Both will be comfortable underdogs against the two-time finalist and three-time semi-finalist respectively; but Millman in particular has a history of giant-killing at grand slams, including famously taking out Roger Federer at the 2018 US Open.
The Australian with the best chance of advancing might be the sole woman on court, Olivia Gadecki. She will take on Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk on one of the outside courts, though the prospect of rain throughout the day might see that match also take place in the evening.
The headline non-Australian match will likely be the showdown between world No.7 Coco Gauff and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Two future champions of women’s tennis, Raducanu is hoping to bounce back from a troubled 2022 season, while 18-year-old Gauff has enjoyed success at every slam but hasn’t made it past the second round at Melbourne Park since 2020.
Coco Gauff (Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Australian Open Day 3 – Aussies in action
12.30pm (approx.) – Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Fabio Fognini, Kia Arena
12.30pm (approx) – Aleksandar Vukic vs Brandon Holt, 1573 Arena
1pm (approx) – Max Purcell vs Emil Ruusuvuori, Court 7
5pm (approx.) – Jason Kubler (WC) vs Karen Khachanov (18), John Cain Arena
7pm (approx.) – John Millman (WC) vs Daniil Medvedev (7), Margaret Court Arena
9pm (approx., second match of evening session) – Rinky Hijikata (WC) vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (3), Rod Laver Arena
4th Match – Olivia Gadecki (WC) vs. Marta Kostyuk, Kia Arena
Major matches
11am – Iga Swiatek (1) vs Camila Osorio, Rod Laver Arena
2pm (approx.) – Rafael Nadal (1) vs Mackenzie McDonald, Rod Laver Arena
7pm (approx.) – Coco Gauff (7) vs Emma Raducanu, Rod Laver Arena