Australian Open 2025: Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sabalenka progress; Draper v Kokkinakis to come on day four – live | Australian Open 2025

Ajla Tomljanovic had her moments but was unable to match her younger opponent’s power from the baseline as the Australians love-hate relationship with her home grand slam continues. The 31-year-old is still to progress to the third round of the women’s singles at Melbourne Park since making her debut in 2014.

Diana Shnaider overcomes gallant local hope Ajla Tomljanovic and is through to the third round of the Australian Open for the first time. The 20-year-old continues her rise after reaching the third round at Wimbledon then the next stage at the US Open last year.

The 12th seed will face the winner of the clash between 18th seed Donna Vekic and lucky loser Harriet Dart.

Diana Shnaider opens the door for Ajla Tomljanovic as she loses her serving range but the Australian is unable to make the most of the opportunity while losing the game to 30. Once again, the Tomljanovic is serving to stay in the Australian Open and this time to take the second set to a tiebreaker.

Another commanding service game from Ajla Tomljanovic. When her forehand is up and running, she can be hard to resist! Tomljanovic wins the game to love and the second set is level at 5-5 with Diana Shnaider to serve.

Ajla Tomljanovic stays alive! The Australian breaks Diana Shnaider as she clinches the game with a powerful forehand winner. Tomljanovic looks pumped as the crowd rises as one, but now needs to hold serve.

Ajla Tomljanovic undoes much of her hard work as she is unable to hold serve. The Australian’s smash into an open court on break point for Diana Shnaider goes long and her head drops as it becomes apparent that she is really up against it now. The 12th seed is serving for a spot in the third round.

Ajla Tomljanovic gets the break that she needs and will serve to even up the second set against Diana Shnaider (12). Plenty of support from the home crowd at John Cain Arena is helping the Australia to lift.

A dominant service game from Ajla Tomljanovic holds to love and takes the second set to 4-2. The Australian still needs to break Diana Shnaider to stay alive.

Ajla Tomljanovic takes Diana Shnaider to deuce but the 12th seed has the Australian scampering around the court and forces a pair of errors to claim a 4-1 lead in the second set. Tomljanovic to serve to all but stay in the game.

Ajla Tomljanovicis falling further behind Diana Shnaider with time running out to turn things around. The 12th seed leads the second set 3-1 and is serving to extend her advantage after taking out the first.

There is another pause in play with the following matches still in the balance:

Quentin Halys holds a narrow 2-6, 6-4, 6-5 lead over Arthur Fils (20).

Arthur Cazaux has held his serve then broken Jacob Fearnley at his first attempt before their match was postponed moments after it began.

In women’s singles the Anastasias – Pavlyuchenkova and Potapova – are all but impossible to split with the former taking the first set in a tiebreaker and the second set just as evenly poised at 1-1.

Rain is falling again with play suspended on the outside courts. That hasn’t come a moment too soon for James Duckworth as he searches for a way back into the match against Roberto Carballes Baena. The Spaniard will serve for the match when play resumes after taking a 6-4, 6-2, 6-5 lead into the locker room.

After a sluggish start Diana Shnaider (12) takes the first set from Ajla Tomljanovic. The Australian fought hard and saved three set points but was unable to hold serve. Shnaider has had a bit too much power from the baseline but Tomljanovic is far from out of the contest especially with her forehand hitting its mark often enough.

James Duckworth is hanging on against Roberto Carballes Baena as the Australian aims to reach the third round of the singles at his home grand slam for the first time at his 12th attempt. The 32-year-old currently has evened up the third set at 5-5 after dropping the first couple of sets to the Spaniard.

Sebastian Korda has come out of the sheds firing against Aleksandar Vukic. The American has picked up the first two games after the rain delay to take command of the second set with the scoreline looking more promising at 6-4, 0-3.

Ajla Tomljanovic has given up her early advantage over Diana Shnaider as the 12th seed breaks back on JCA. They are playing some high-quality tennis and it’s all square at 3-3.

Australia started with three seeds in the men’s singles draw at a grand slam for the first time since 2000 but just four days later are down to one – Alex de Minaur – after Jordan Thompson was beaten by Nuno Borges in straight sets.

The Australian was up against it from the start with a foot injury that ruled him out of recent tournaments limiting his movement against an impressive opponent. But Thompson refused to blame the injury for his defeat.

I was coming back, but I had a chance there. I barely won a point after the foot. I was getting outplayed before that anyway, but it’s disappointing because I did have a chance there.

Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic is about to resume on Kia Arena with a one-set lead over Sebastian Korda. The American held serve to start the second set before the rain arrived, and it is now Vukic taking the balls in his hands to kick things off again.

Another local in James Duckworth will hope the break has given him time to reset after falling behind to Roberto Carballes Baena. The Spaniard currently leads 6-4, 6-2, 3-4 with play about to get under way on court 3.

Local hope Ajla Tomljanovic is in action against Diana Shnaider (12) under cover on John Cain Arena as players start to warm-up again on the outside courts after a rain interruption. The Australian gets the first break to take an early 2-1 lead against the 12th seed.

The 37-year-old Novak Djokovic is through to the third round and keeps his hopes of claiming grand slam 25 in 2025 alive after overcoming a gentle scare from Jaime Faria in four sets.

Next up for Djokovic is Tomas Machac (26) after the Czech defeated American Reilly Opelka in five sets earlier this afternoon.

Novak Djokovic (7) is within one game of taking out the second round match after he holds serve from a pair of deuces with Jaime Faria. The Portuguese up-n-comer rattles through his own serve but is on the ropes with Djokovic leading 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, 5-2.

Martin Pegan

A doff of the cap to you, Jonathan. Nice of 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and his less-heralded opponent Jaime Faria to add more spice to what has been an entertaining afternoon at Melbourne Park. I’ll see us through the next two hours before Daniel Harris takes charge for the evening session.

Jonathan Howcroft

A second break of the set for Djokovic and this one is all over bar the shouting.

I shall hand responsibility for reading the last rites to Martin Pegan. See you back here soon.

Another quick hold and Djokovic moves up 3-1 in the fourth. Faria has delivered the performance of a lifetime but he is starting to wilt.

That sound you can hear is Djokovic tightening the screws on Faria. He breaks his young opponent in the opening game of the fourth set, then holds in quicktime to take a stranglehold on this second round match.

We’ve seen this so often in the era of the big three – and especially with Djokovic. Most of the circuit can find an hour, maybe two, of good tennis, but when the going gets tough the grand slam winning giants raise their games – none more so than the indefatigable Serbian.

Novak Djokovic (7) moves two sets to one up over Jaime Faria. The Melbourne Park specialist has not had things all his own way but there was a significant momentum shift midway through that third set. Djokovic has been playing within himself but is starting to open up as his confidence builds.

It will take a massive effort for the young Portuguese to regain a foothold.

The rain isn’t heavy but enough to cause a disruption. A change in wind direction and strength over the next couple of hours should blow it away.

It’s one of those frustrations of scheduling that two stadium courts are currently unused for singles play, but there’ll be action on John Cain Arena soon with Diana Shnaider (12) taking on Ajla Tomljanovic, then Margaret Court Arena will welcome Casper Ruud (6) and Jakub Mensik at 7pm.

There are four singles matches in play on the outside courts, all of which have been suspended because of rain. Djokovic v Faria under the RLA roof is the only ticket in town as the 10-time champion serves his way to a 5-2 third set lead.

Djokovic’s mood has improved significantly, and the cries of “Nolé!” reverberate around Rod Laver Arena. After Faria won the opening point of game five, Djokovic authoritatively served his way to a hold, then capitalised on a dip in form from the Portuguese to move a break up. The third set is now on the veteran’s racket.

Leylah Fernandez (30) has beaten Cristina Bucsavs in three sets. She will face Coco Gauff or Jodie Burrage in round three.

Djokovic dumps a routine backhand into the net to allow Faria to hold at 2-2 in the third set. The Serbian immediately gesticulates to the heavens and begins chuntering to nobody in particular. Then he receives a time violation before his first serve of the fifth game. That game starts with Faria taking a static ball on the baseline and wrapping a backhand crosscourt winner with supreme confidence.

Djokovic is simmering. Watch out Andy!

Play has resumed on Rod Laver Arena, now in indoor-mode. The delay benefited Faria, who was starting to lose focus, but returns to hold serve.

As the match ticks over the two hour mark, we’re 1-1 in the third set and Djokovic is beginning to look irritable.

The odd spot of rain has been falling on Melbourne Park for half-an-hour or so, but now it’s coming down at a rate to bother officials. There will be a minor delay on RLA as the roof closes and floodlights blink into life, while players are making their way off court elsewhere in the precinct.

Better news for Australia elsewhere with Aleksandar Vukic taking the opening set from Sebastian Korda (22).

It’s becoming a day to remember for Portuguese tennis with Nuno Borges completing his straight sets victory over Australia’s Jordan Thompson (27).

Meanwhile, way, way, way off broadway considering today’s action, France’s Benjamin Bonzi, the world number 70, has beaten Italy’s Francesco Passaro, the world number 105, in four sets.

Bonzi will face 24th seed Jiří Lehečka in the next round.

… he only needs two! Brilliant from Faria, pushing Djokovic backwards with his power then executing a sublime sliced forehand drop shot to level the match at one set apiece. This is the first time the 21-year-old qualifier has ever made the main draw of a grand slam but he looks to the manor born. His Challenger Tour record suggests he’s a clay court specialist, but there’s a serve-volley weapon in there if he can unlock it.

For the second match in a row Djokovic is not having things all his own way against an opponent that – on paper – should be a routine easybeat.

Superb serving and Faria has three sets points to level the match…