Second round action is the order of the day on Wednesday at the 2024 Australian Open with the schedule confirmed ahead of Day Four in Melbourne featuring Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner as well as a standout clash between Ons Jabeur and Mirra Andreeva.
Our preview takes a look at the main clashes and talking points as the first week of the 2024 Australian Open continues with the third round starting to take shape.
It is groundhog day in many ways on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday as it will mirror the opening day with albeit with the matches swapped round so another iteration of the same issue from Sunday doesn't occur. Aryna Sabalenka was made to wait until past midnight and opened her title defence albeit in emphatic fashion with a thrashing of Ella Seidel but in front of a half empty Rod Laver Arena as many stayed for Novak Djokovic and then left.
That will be alleviated this time as Sabalenka will play first against Brenda Fruhvirtova and the way she took down Seidel, another teenager means it could be another quick night before Djokovic then takes on Alexei Popyrin. Facing a home hero, he will hope not to get embroiled like against Dino Prizmic albeit he will also face the crowd who will be behind their home hero.
Also on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday includes Alex de Minaur who will continue his campaign against Italian ace, Matteo Arnaldi. But opening up is one of the ties of the day as Ons Jabeur faces 16-year-old prodigy, Mirra Andreeva.
Tie of the day as Andreeva sees Jabeur as one of her idols and so brings an interesting dynamic to the tie and also sees the Russian ace find her way onto the big show court for the first time after being on one of the smaller courts for her opening win. Jabeur though is under no illusion that Andreeva will want to kick her a** in her own words during her press conference but the mutual respect is there and should hold the key to a superb tie.
Also over on Margaret Court Arena, Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff who usually would be on the main Rod Laver Arena instead play in the mirroring slots as Jesper de Jong awaits for the Italian, while Caroline Dolehide will face Gauff as two of the favourites in the ATP and WTA draws continue their campaigns. Stefanos Tsitsipas also will face Jordan Thompson in a double Greek end to the night as Maria Sakkari faces the dangerous Elina Avanesyan.
Elsewhere, it is a very American theme as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Christopher Eubanks and Frances Tiafoe all play on John Cain and Kia Arena. As well as Caroline Wozniacki and Leylah Fernandez continuing their campaigns. Another bumper day awaits in Melbourne.
ROD LAVER ARENA
6-Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) v Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
10-Alex de Minaur (Australia) v Matteo Arnaldi (Italy)
Night session
Brenda Fruhvirtova (Czech Republic) v 2-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v Alexei Popyrin (Australia)
MARGARET COURT ARENA
4-Jannik Sinner (Italy) v Jesper de Jong (Netherlands)
Caroline Dolehide (U.S.) v 4-Coco Gauff (U.S.)
Night session
Jordan Thompson (Australia) v 7-Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
8-Maria Sakkari (Greece) v Elina Avanesyan (Russia)
JOHN CAIN ARENA
Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) v Maria Timofeeva (Russia)
Laura Siegemund (Germany) v Storm Hunter (Australia)
Christopher O'Connell (Australia) v 16-Ben Shelton (U.S.)
Christopher Eubanks (U.S.) v 5-Andrey Rublev (Russia)
KIA ARENA
(32) Leylah Fernandez (Canada) v Alycia Parks (U.S.)
(12) Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v Hugo Gaston (France)
(17) Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) v Tomas Machac (Czech Republic)
Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) v (25) Elise Mertens (Belgium)
1573 ARENA
Daniel Elahi Galan (Colombia) v (26) Sebastian Baez (Argentina)
Alina Korneeva (Russia) v (10) Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil)
(16) Caroline Garcia (France) v Magdalena Frech (Poland)
COURT 3
Tamara Korpatsch (Germany) v (9) Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic)
Aleksandar Kovacevic (U.S.) v (15) Karen Khachanov (Russia)
Gael Monfils (France) v (30) Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Argentina)
COURT 6
Pavel Kotov (Russia) v Flavio Cobolli (Italy)
Paula Badosa (Spain) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia)
(29) Sebastian Korda (U.S.) v Quentin Halys (France)
COURT 7
Amanda Anisimova (U.S.) v Nadia Podoroska (Argentina)
(25) Lorenzo Musetti (Italy) v Luca van Assche (France)
(28) Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) v Rebeka Masarova (Spain)
COURT 8
(20) Adrian Mannarino (France) v Jaume Munar (Spain)
COURT 13
Kamila Rakhimova (Russia) v Diane Parry (France)
Fabian Marozsan (Hungary) v (22) Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina)
COURT 17
Anastasia Zakharova (Russia) v Kaja Juvan (Slovenia)