The number:
0
There are no longer any French players in the singles tables in Melbourne.
Caroline Garcia, tense, was never able to deploy her attacking game and lost 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 against the Polish Magada Linette who, after successes against the Estonian Anett Kontaveit ( n°16) and the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (n°19), continues and will experience her first Grand Slam quarter-final (during her 30th participation in a Grand Slam tournament) against the Czech Karolina Pliskova (n°30).
Caroline Garcia will surely long be haunted by the regrets of a missed opportunity attached to an open board.
The Lyonnaise got off to an ideal start, confiscating her rival's serve from the start twice to lead 3-0, before losing the thread, like a sudden less free gesture, less lively movement.
Penalized by unforced errors (33), she saw the Polish return to the match to lead 6-5 and place her, due to evaporated efficiency in service (3 double faults; 49% of 1st serves), under pressure after a 1st set lost in the tie-break.
"
I can't anymore
”.
In the 1st game of the 2nd set, annoyed by the grip of Linette, Garcia barely expressed his frustration with rage, that of a game tied up, deprived of flames.
In the wake of a fantastic end to the season (marked in particular by a semi-final at the US Open, before a title at the Masters), Caroline Garcia had given birth to the wildest dreams.
Melbourne sounds like a screeching halt.
Against Leylah Fernandez in the 2nd round, then against the German Laura Siegemund, she had managed, without playing well, to climb the obstacle.
Her game was not completely there, she logically faded away.
To discover
Australian Open: ladies schedule and results
Australian Open: men's schedule and results
The solo rider
Led 4-2 after pocketing the 1st set 6-0 (only 13 points lost), the Czech Karolina Pliskova (n°30, former world n°1) found the solutions to conclude 6-4 (in 55 ') against the Chinese Shuai Zhang (n°23).
Carried by 12 aces, 33 winning points to validate a 10th Grand Slam quarter-final.
The line:
“
Please someone help me fix this fucking service…
”
Signed Aryna Sabalenka who still has not conceded a single set in 2023. Victorious in Adelaide, the Belarusian (n ° 5) continues.
She dominated Switzerland's Belinda Bencic (10th) 7-5, 6-2, only had to save one break point, won 11 of the last 14 games and will play a quarter-final in Melbourne for the first time. .
Since the start of the tournament, 47.7% that she has scored have been on winners.
The expression of a confident, successful player.
For a place in the semi-finals, the one that opposes the Croatian Donna Vekic, hopes to rely again on a recovered serve (4 aces; 78% of points scored on her 1st serve) thanks to the help of a biomechanic: "
I'm so happy this happened to me.
I was, at that time, open to everything.
I was just like, "Please, someone help me fix this fucking service."
I'm sorry I swore, but that's how it was.
»
The comeback
After two seasons cut short by injuries, the Croatian Donna Vekic is well and truly back.
The Croatian, advised by Pam Shriver, eliminated 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 the Czech sensation Linda Fruhvirtova (17 years old; 82nd).
She will live the second major quarter-final of her career, after the US Open 2019. Fruhvirtova, a name to remember, will have, in no way crushed by the event, once again displayed her qualities.
To be continued
, from 9 a.m.
On the Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic (n°4) will be on the track against the Australian Alex de Minaur (n°22), a player he has never faced.
The Serb, who hasn't lost in Melbourne since 2018 (in 2022, unvaccinated with Covid-10 and expelled, he didn't play), will try to register his 25th consecutive victory at the Australian Open and to equal his longest winning streak in Melbourne.
At 6:20, Andrey Rublev who had pocketed the 1st against Holger Rune 6-3 was trailing 5-2 in the 2nd set.
And in the 100% American duel JJ Wolf pocketed the 1st set 7-6 (7/5) against Ben Shelton who led 4-2 in the 2nd set.
