SCHEDULE and PREVIEW | 2024 Australian Open Day Six including DJOKOVIC, SABALENKA, SINNER and GAUFF v PARKS

Friday, 19 January 2024 at 02:13

Round Three is set to begin as the first weekend of action heads towards its conclusion at the 2024 Australian Open starting with Friday including Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner all in action.

Our preview as ever looks ahead to the Order of Play and Schedule for Friday January 19 with the main talking points from the Rod Laver Arena down to Court 3 in this case in the Singles Draw as the fourth round starts to take shape.

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Sabalenka set for even earlier Rod Laver spot as Djokovic again headlines Night Session

After most of the Australian Open Night Sessions in this section of the draw featuring Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka as defending champions, this will change slightly going into Day Six with the latter opening up with Storm Hunter preferred from an Aussie standpoint who will face Barbora Krejcikova.

Sabalenka will face Lesia Tsurenko to open up the Day Session after two emphatic wins over Ella Seidel and Brenda Fruhvirtova, the same will likely be expected again from the Belarusian who has looked superb this week. While she is joined in the Day Session by Stefanos Tsitsipas who jostles with French rising star, Luca van Assche. After putting injuries behind him, the 2023 finalist has also looked in great form and also spirits this week joking that Djokovic is selfish and he would've won last year had it not been for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

The same Serbian ace who has not had it his own way this tournament and if he plays similar again could be made to pay. The next opponent is Tomas Martin Etcheverry who sees Djokovic as his idol. He has also recounted the points difference between the pair since 2016 and has played him three times since gaining his first point. After he struggled against Prizmic and Popyrin, could it be Etcheverry's time for a seismic shock?

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Sinner, Gauff-Parks and Andreeva headline other courts

Interestingly though given Djokovic's poor form and the intrigue surrounding the tie, Coco Gauff's snub from Rod Laver Arena is an interesting one as she faces Alycia Parks. Both have had the Serena Williams tag thrust onto them at one point or another.

Parks broke out in Lyon last year sealing a first WTA title, but has not been as impressive since after high expectations. While of course Gauff has been a prodigy since a teenager and won her maiden Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open. It will certainly be an awesome all American battle though and one that Gauff will be out to prove why she deserves more hype going into the second week.

Same can be said for Jannik Sinner who has gone Double Dutch so far. He has disposed of Botic van de Zandschulp and Jesper de Jong and next is 26th seed Sebastian Baez. As a top star now, he has done his business without facing much issues and albeit off on Margaret Court Arena, he will aim to show why he deserves grand billing.

Others involved on the outer courts include Russian duo Elina Avanesyan and Mirra Andreeva who produced two of the shocks of the tournament so far in terms of seeding defeating Maria Sakkari and Ons Jabeur. Both return to face Marta Kostyuk and Diane Parry in smaller billing than their last rounds. While other ties include Paula Badosa facing Amanda Anisimova with the winner potentially facing Sabalenka. Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev also headlined another stacked line-up.

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July 2016: Tomas Etcheverry wins his first ATP point (12,899 points behind No. 1 Djokovic) The saga continues this week in Melbourne! @AustralianOpen #AusOpen