After Rafa Nadal, three other big names fall in Melbourne: in addition to Casper Ruud limited by a physical problem, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz also leave the scene.
Instead, Novak Djokovic advances, but with too many difficulties mainly due to a thigh grievance, who beats the Frenchman Enzo in four sets.
Italy smiles with Camila Giorgi who once again takes the pass for the third round at the Australian Open: the 31-year-old from Macerata, No. 70 WTA, after leaving only one game to the Russian Pavlyuchenkova in her debut, beat 6-4 6-3, in just under an hour and a half of the match, the Slovak Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova, No. 105 WTA.
Next Saturday the Italian will try to dispel the Australian taboo in the third round against the Swiss Belinda Bencic, n.10 in the ranking and 12th seeding favourite.
The 25-year-old from Flawil - back in the top ten 15 months after the last time on the eve of the Aus Open thanks to her success in the WTA 500 in Adelaide II - is ahead 3-2 in direct comparisons with Giorgi and won in the last two, but the Swiss and the blue haven't crossed paths for almost four years.
Instead, the adventure of Lucrezia Stefanini ends.
The 24-year-old from Carmignano, n.141 in the ranking, promoted from the qualifiers, after having achieved her first victory in a main draw Major (in her first participation) by beating the German Maria, n.71 Wta, semifinalist at Wimbledon last year , gave up 63 61, in one hour and 22 minutes, to the Russian Varvara Gracheva, WTA n.98, who surprisingly had only two games left to her compatriot Kasatkina, n.8 in the ranking and seeding.
Not without difficulty Novak Djokovic manages to pass the round at the Australian Open.
The Serbian defeated the French Enzo Couacaud, n.
191 ATP, with scores of 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0 over three hours.
Nole accused an empty pass in the second set, when she requested a medical time out due to a problem with her left thigh.
Dimitrov awaits him in the third round.
To sign the last two surprises of the day are Michael Mmoh and Alexei Popyrin: the American, number 107 in the world, eliminates number 13 Zverev, less continuous than his optimal standard, and signs his best result in a Grand Slam.
Mmoh finished 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-2 and becomes the fifth lucky loser in the third round at the Australian Open in the Open Era.
Fritz, number 9 in the world, also falls, beaten for the first time in Australia by an opponent outside the top 30. Popyrin, number 113 Atp and in the draw thanks to a wild card, won 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-7 6-2, thus equaling his best result in a Grand Slam.
Bad news for Rafael Nadal.
After elimination in the second round of the Australian Open,
the Spaniard underwent an MRI which showed a second degree lesion to the iliopsoas muscle of his left leg.
As announced on social networks, the recovery time is estimated at 6 to 8 weeks.
If this timing is respected, the Spaniard will miss the February tournaments and could also forfeit the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000, returning to the field for the clay court season.