Jan 15, 2024; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Coco Gauff of the United States scores a point against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (not pictured) of Slovakia in Round 1 of the Women's Singles on Day 2 of the Australian Open tennis at Rod Laver Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Highlights of the third day of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, all times local (GMT +11):
1855 OSTAPENKO BLASTS PAST WILD CARD BIRRELL
Jelena Ostapenko, the 11th seed, stormed past Aussie wild card Kimberly Birrell in straight sets, winning 7-6(5) 6-1.
The Latvian sent down five aces and 28 winners while making a typically high 35 unforced errors as she closed out the match in 100 minutes.
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Australian Open order of play on Wednesday
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1759 RUNE BATTLES PAST NISHIOKA
Danish eighth seed Holger Rune was made to work in a 6-2 4-6 7-6(3) 6-4 win over Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka as he moved into the second round, where he will face wildcard Arthur Cazaux.
1740 AZARENKA COMES THROUGH TOUGH FIRST-ROUND CLASH
Victoria Azarenka, who won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, progressed with a 6-1 4-6 6-3 victory over Italy's Camila Giorgi.
Earlier, Brisbane International champion Grigor Dimitrov fought back from a set down to beat Hungary's Marton Fucsovics 4-6 6-3 7-6(1) 6-2.
1538 KERBER DUMPED OUT BY COLLINS
Three-times Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber bowed out in the first round after a 6-2 3-6 6-1 defeat by 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins.
German Kerber, who was making her return to Grand Slam action for the first time since the 2022 U.S. Open following a maternity break, faded in the third set as Collins sprinted over the finish line.
The American next faces world number one Iga Swiatek.
1500 RUUD GOES FROM HARD COURT TO CURTAINS AND CARPETS
Casper Ruud's preparations for his second-round match at Melbourne Park will have to wait until the Norwegian 11th seed has nailed down the decor of his new home.
"I actually have a Zoom call with an interior architect tonight. I'm going to have to prepare for that and think about other things," Ruud said. "Fabric, colour, mixing, blah blah blah. It's a bit different than tennis."
1452 TSITSIPAS BROTHERS OUSTED
Stefanos Tsitsipas and his younger brother Petros were beaten 7-5 7-5 by Germany's Daniel Altmaier and Mexico's Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela in their first-round doubles match.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded seventh in the singles, returns to action on Thursday when he faces Australian Jordan Thompson.
1415 DOMINANT RUUD BREEZES PAST RAMOS-VINOLAS
Ruud fired off 42 winners as he eased past Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1 6-3 6-1 in just over two hours.
1408 SWIATEK OFF TO WINNING START
Four-times Grand Slam champion Swiatek overcame a tough first set before wrapping up her match in style, claiming a 7-6(2) 6-2 victory over American Sofia Kenin in a rematch of the 2020 French Open final.
1328 NORRIE CRUSHES VARILLAS
British number one Cameron Norrie crushed Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas 6-4 6-4 6-2 to reach the second round.
1305 KASATKINA ADVANCES, FACES STEPHENS NEXT
Russian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina beat American Peyton Stearns 6-2 3-6 6-2 to set up a second-round meeting with former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens.
1209 AMERICAN STEPHENS SWEEPS INTO SECOND ROUND
Stephens swept into the second round with a 6-3 6-1 victory over local wild card Olivia Gadecki on John Cain Arena to snap a run of four consecutive first-round exits at Melbourne Park.
"Really pleased with the way I played," said the 30-year-old American, a semi-finalist at the 2013 Australian Open.
1110 PLAY UNDERWAY IN MELBOURNE SUNSHINE ON DAY THREE
Play got underway as scheduled on the outer courts under sunny skies on the third day of the Australian Open.
The temperature was already 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees fahrenheit) in the Melbourne Park precinct and a high of 31 is forecast for the late afternoon.
Australian Open order of play on Tuesday
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, Aadi Nair and Simon Jennings, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
