MELBOURNE, Feb 12: If Serena Williams somehow manages to conjure up another on-the-run, back-to-the-net, no-look, over-the-shoulder shot in her next Australian Open match, a local coronavirus flareup means there won’t be any spectators to react with the appreciative applause and yells that greeted this one.
That’s because while Williams was using that bit of magic Friday to help pull off a comeback victory over an opponent who is 20 years younger, the head of the Victoria state government was announcing a five-day lockdown in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at a quarantine hotel.
Competition at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament will be allowed to continue, but no fans can attend as of Saturday.
After the pandemic led to the cancellation of Wimbledon, zero fans at the U.S. Open and only 1,000 a day at the French Open in 2020, the government let Tennis Australia admit up to 30,000 daily, 50% of normal capacity. But not anymore.
“It’s going to be a rough few days for, I think, everyone. But we’ll hopefully get through it,” Williams said after beating 19-year-old Anastasia Potapova 7-6 (5), 6-2 despite 25 unforced errors in the first set alone.
Williams now plays seventh-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who matched her best Grand Slam showing by reaching the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ann Li.
No. 8 Diego Schwartzman became the highest-seeded man to lose so far, eliminated 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 by Aslan Karatsev, a qualifier from Russia ranked 114th and making his Grand Slam debut at age 27.
No. 3 Dominic Thiem, who won the U.S. Open in September, appeared to be in real trouble against Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in front of a raucous crowd, but came all the way back from a two-set deficit to win 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Thiem’s fourth-round opponent is No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov, who advanced when Pablo Carreno Busta retired after losing the first seven games.
Karatsev is the first qualifier to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park since Milos Raonic a decade ago and will meet No. 20 Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated No. 11 Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 in an all-Canadian matchup.
In other action, 2020 U.S. Open runner-up Alexander Zverev won in straight sets and now takes on No. 23 Dusan Lajovic.
While Novak Djokovic’s bid for a ninth Australian Open championship was thrown into doubt after he took a fall during a 7-6 (1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Taylor Fritz and said he tore a muscle.
The No. 1-ranked Djokovic said he might not be able to play his next match, scheduled for Sunday against Milos Raonic. (AP)
