| Match: In Play | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| T. Zidansek (SLO) | 7 | 4 |
| D. Gavrilova (AUS) | 5 | 1 |
| Completed Sets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Set won by T. Zidansek | 7 - 5 | T. Zidansek leads 1 to 0 |
Daria Gavrilova will be out to begin a new Australian Open campaign on the front foot when she takes on the little-known Tamara Zidansek in the first round. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from around 2:15pm (AEDT).
Known as ‘Dasha,’ Gavrilova is a crowd favourite in Australia and will be looking to make up for lost time last summer.
A second-round exit in a game which didn’t start until almost midnight wasn’t the script Gavrilova would have written last year, and all of her grand slam performances for the rest of the year were well below what might have been otherwise expected.
While the grand slam performances weren’t great, it was something of a year to forget for Gavrilova, as the Australian slipped outside the top 40 in the world. After being seeded throughout the big tournaments last year, she will have to fight her way with tough draws for the first part of 2019.
The draw at Melbourne Park has smiled favourably on her though, getting a youngster ranked 78 in the world from Slovenia in Zidansek for the first round.
Dasha will be more concerned by her form though, with a pair of first-round straight-set losses in Brisbane and Sydney to Anastasija Sevastova and Yulia Putintseva respectively.
Her opponent, who is still trying to make a name for herself on the WTA tour, has also kicked off her season with a pair of losses, in qualifying at Auckland and the first round of the Sydney International.
The loss to Viktoria Kuzmova will concern her greatly, because it’s players like Kuzmova that Zidansek needs to be beating on a regular basis. The loss to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in Sydney was a little more expected, but the nature of a 6-1 beatdown in the second set won’t leave her with confidence heading to Melbourne.
Prediction
If Gavrilova doesn’t win this, something will have gone very badly wrong. Zidansek will fight, but at the end of the day, there is a huge class difference between the pair.
Gavrilova in straight sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the match from around 2:15pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me here on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2019 Australian Open. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. You can join Stuart Thomas for the live call of Thanasi Kokkinakis and Taro Daniel right now, or, check out live scores of every match on site. I'll be back in a bit with Samantha Stosur's first round match, and again later for Nick Kyrgios to start his campaign. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the match Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
Tamara Zidansek defeats Daria Gavrilova in straight sets Tamara Zidansek has ended Daria Gavrilova's 2019 Australian Open campaign at the first hurdle, holding her nerve time and time again throughout the match with Gavrilova her own worst enemy from start to finish. While there was a break of serve each way early in the first set, leaving things level, it was Gavrilova who had the best of the opportunities for the remainder of the first set. However, by the time Zidansek broke her serve again to take it 7-5, the Australian had missed a staggering 13 break point opportunities, including squandering a 0-40 on the 18-year-old's serve at one point. The second set was more of the same for Gavrilova, but there was no bouncing back after a break of serve this time around, as Zidansek held on to take the best victory of her young career to date. Zidansek 7 6 Gavrilova 5 3
Scott Pryde
Expert
GAME, SET, MATCH, TAMARA ZIDANSEK Zidansek is through to the second round of the Australian Open with Gavrilova finishing it by putting a return of serve wide. A real talent is the 18-year-old Slovenian, but wow that was a shocking performance from Daria Gavrilova, who has had another Australian Open campaign cut short early in the piece. Zidansek 7 6 Gavrilova 5 3
Scott Pryde
Expert
ACE! Down the T from Zidansek and she has match point. Zidansek 7 5 - 40 Gavrilova 5 3 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Shocking overhead from Zidansek. Got forward and netted it. Zidansek 7 5 - 30 Gavrilova 5 3 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fault from Zidansek. The second this time is ran around by Gavrilova before a rally of slices breaks out, broken by Gavrilova going up the line and Zidansek netting a forehand. Zidansek 7 5 - 30 Gavrilova 5 3 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Zidansek up to the net now and she volleys over for the winner. Zidansek 7 5 - 30 Gavrilova 5 3 - 0
Scott Pryde
Expert
Good from Zidansek. Wide serve, forehand up the other line and she has one out of four in the quest to serve it out. Zidansek 7 5 - 15 Gavrilova 5 3 - 0
Scott Pryde
Expert
Another serve sliding away out wide and Gavrilova holds. Zidansek will have to serve it out then. Zidansek 7 5 - Gavrilova 5 3 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
Wide serve. Zidansek returns out on the backhand. Zidansek 7 5 - 15 Gavrilova 5 2 - 40
Scott Pryde
Expert
Down the middle here from Gavrilova. Zidansek returns the backhand long. Zidansek 7 5 - 15 Gavrilova 5 2 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Wide serve this time to the corner of the service box. Short return and a missed forehand from the Aussie. That's poor. Zidansek 7 5 - 15 Gavrilova 5 2 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Gavrilova serving to stay in the match then. Grabs the first point Zidansek 7 5 - 0 Gavrilova 5 2 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Huge from Zidansek! Big forehand approach shot, then she gets to the net and nails the volley for the point. One game away. Zidansek 7 5 - Gavrilova 5 2 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
Good work this time from Gavrilova. Depth on the return and Zidansek doesn't move the feet well, putting a forehand into the net. Zidansek 7 4 - 40 Gavrilova 5 2 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Serve and volley from Zidansek. Didn't get in well though and volleyed into the net. Zidansek 7 4 - 40 Gavrilova 5 2 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Gavrilova really on the back foot in this point, then she goes for a cold winner on a crosscourt forehand, but it's missed. Zidansek 7 4 - 40 Gavrilova 5 2 - 0
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fault from Zidansek, then a short return, a forehand back in behind and that's too good from the Slovenian. Zidansek 7 4 - 30 Gavrilova 5 2 - 0
Scott Pryde
Expert
Zidansek just needs to hold serve two more times to get into the second round of the Australian Open now. She goes wide with the serve here and Gavrilova, out in the corner, sends a crosscourt backhand wide. Zidansek 7 4 - 15 Gavrilova 5 2 - 0