British underdog Jody Ballage says she will ‘beat’ the ‘best player in the world’ after being given central billing in the night session at Rod Laver Arena in her match against third seed Coco Gauff at the Australian Open I swore.
Barrage was emotional at the end. Defeated Leoria Janjan in the first round on Monday. She considered retirement late last season as she struggled to come back from wrist and ankle injuries.
The 25-year-old has already experienced some of the sport’s biggest stages, including a crushing loss to Daria Kasatkina on Center Court at Wimbledon in 2023 and a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open. There is.
“I’ve never even hit on Rod Laver before,” Ballage said. sky sports Before the second round against former US Open champion Gauff, scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday in UK time.
“I’ve played against Coco before and she’s definitely the best player in the world at the moment, so it’s going to be a very tricky match.
“I’m an underdog and I’m going to bring that attitude into the game and I’m going to beat her. I’m going to see what I can do. I’m going to do it.” Try to make her as uncomfortable as possible.
“I’m so excited. Everybody loves an underdog.”
In February, Ballage required surgery for a torn tendon in her wrist, the fourth surgery of her career, and in April she tore a ligament in her ankle during a practice session with Katie Boulter. As he prepared to return to competitive action, he suffered another blow. She will miss another 10 weeks.
“It’s not easy to deal with,” Barrage said. “It’s been a really tough year. I didn’t know how much more I had to fight for this sport.
“But this is a crazy sport and it can change very quickly. That’s what kept me going, actually, because I know it can change very quickly. is.”
Draper: The crowd will bring out the best in me.
Jack Draper takes on home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis in a hostile atmosphere
jack draper He hopes a hostile crowd will bring out the best in him when he faces home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round, scheduled for a night session at John Cain Arena.
draper Won his first round match against Argentina’s Mariano Navone in five sets.Rust appeared after his preparations were interrupted by a hip injury that made it difficult for him to walk.
“It will definitely get the best out of me,” he said. “I think it will be a very good atmosphere.
“I remember what it was like to play Futures (tournaments) with no one watching, whether the crowd was on my side or against me. That’s what I play for. And to play in front of a lot of people and entertain them.”
Kokkinakis played one of his most memorable matches two years ago against Andy Murray at the recent Australian Open, where the Scot managed to come back from two sets down for almost six hours at 4:05 a.m. He won the match.
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Jack Draper speaks with Gigi Sermon about his career to date, navigating the demands of the ATP Tour, and reaching his potential in 2025.
Draper is also in a close race with the 28-year-old, who has never been to Australia before, but Murray won’t seek advice from his compatriot as he focuses on his new job as Novak Djokovic’s coach. .
“I think Andy is too focused on Novak, but I watched that fight,” Draper said. “I know Tanasi will give his all here in Melbourne. He always brings some great tennis so it’s going to be a really tough match.
“We always have a fight, so we are well prepared and ready for it. We have to improve our performance and I think this is a great opportunity to do that.”
There are also question marks over Kokkinakis’ fitness, with him withdrawing from his home tournament in Adelaide last week and suffering a foot problem in the first round in Melbourne.
Murray appears to be off-limits, but Draper may have been able to have a conversation with his old friend. Jacob Fearnleyhe calmly completed one of the toughest tasks at Melbourne Park on his debut, defeating Nick Kyrgios.
Draper turned pro as a teenager, and Fearnley opted to attend college in the United States, but since leaving Texas last spring, he has wasted no time in making a name for himself, and on Wednesday he faced unseeded France. There is a possibility that he will break new ground by playing against fellow player Arthur Cazeau.
“Fernley is going to have a great career.”
Jacob Fearnley beat home favorite Nick Kyrgios with an impressive performance
Sky Sports” Jonathan Overend said, “Fernley Nick Kyrgios coped well with the circusEven when Kyrgios hit a trick shot and had a slight comeback in the third set.
“The more I watch Fernley, the more I think he’s going to have a brilliant career as a top 100 player.
“How far is he going to go? It’s too early to say. He’s only just started his professional career, but there is a tendency in England when you have a top 100 player to expect a top 20 or top 10.”
“We seem to be good at producing world-leading players like Andy Murray and Emma Laducane, but we’re probably not so good at producing top-level players who mix in with top-level elite players every year. I’m not good at it.
“I think Fearnley has all the qualities needed to make that happen. He’s going to have a great career. He’s going to stay within the world top 100 for many years.”
harriet darttThe fourth British player to take part in the match on Wednesday, she only found out hours before her match against Jana Fett that she would be entered into the draw as the lucky loser, and despite cramps and pain, she won the 3rd place. After more time, we finally won. Calf problems.
The 28-year-old will be hoping to recover in time to face 18th seed Donna Vekic.
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