Australian Open 2026 | Mixed luck for Americans as Jessica Pegula dominates, while Nishesh Basavareddy exits

The second round of the Australian Open continues in both the men’s and women’s draws. Thursday’s session opened with an impressive win from world No. 6 Jessica Pegula at Rod Laver Arena, defeating compatriot McCartney Kessler 6-0, 6-2.

On the other side, 20-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy ended his run in Melbourne after losing in straight sets to 15th seed Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. The Next Gen player had advanced through qualifying and won his debut main-draw match in five sets against Christophe O’Connell — his first Grand Slam main-draw victory — but could not continue his streak against the top Russian star.

For Pegula, it took just under an hour to dispose of her opponent, winning eight consecutive games before conceding a game for the first time. So far, Pegula has advanced without issues, dropping only two games after an almost perfect debut against Anastasia Zakharova.

Pegula had another trouble-free day in Melbourne, again showing her consistency against a dangerous opponent like Kessler (No. 37), a regular top-40 player, who did not have the tools to challenge the 2024 US Open runner-up.

Pegula broke early and began setting the rhythm of the match, then won her first service game with some difficulty to take a 2-0 lead. From there, Pegula dominated the rest of the set with ease against an erratic rival, winning 16 of the next 19 points and closing the set 6-0 in just 21 minutes. The 31-year-old American won an impressive 76% of points on serve and 75% of return points, totaling 10 winners and only two unforced errors — far ahead of her opponent’s 2 winners and 9 unforced errors.

The second set started in the same tone for Pegula, who again broke early and quickly led 2-0. When the lead seemed almost unassailable, Kessler briefly challenged Pegula, taking a service game and a consecutive break to level at 2-2.

However, those were the only moments in which Kessler could cling to hope. From that point, the consistent Pegula continued to dictate the match’s rhythm, using several backhand winners and net approaches in rallies that often went long. The world No. 6 won the next four games in a row and closed the match 6-0, 6-2 in just under an hour.

Her next challenge will be against the Russian surprise, Oksana Selekhmeteva, who reaches the Round of 32 at a Grand Slam for the first time after beating former world No. 2 Paula Badosa in straight sets.

The 20-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy (No. 242) could not continue his great run in Melbourne and lost in straight sets to world No. 18 Karen Khachanov. The young American had come through qualifying and survived a tough five-set first-round debut against O’Connell, recovering from a set down twice to secure victory.

This time, Basavareddy could not keep pace with the former top-10, and Khachanov dominated from the start. After Basavareddy’s first service game, the Russian was ruthless, winning six games in a row to close the first set 6-1, converting three of four break points and giving up no opportunities.

In the second set, Basavareddy fought to compete on equal terms for a while, holding serve and saving some break points, though without generating much from returns. Khachanov conceded just two points on serve in the set and seized one opportunity late to take it 6-4.

The third set was no different: despite some strong first serves from Basavareddy, he could not engage in long rallies and was overpowered by Khachanov. The Russian’s superiority was clear, and a single break was enough to secure the match 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. In the third round, Khachanov will face the winner between Luciano Darderi (22nd seed) and Sebastian Baez.