The Latest: Evans moves on in Australia; opponent withdraws
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Latest on Thursday at the Australian Open tennis tournament (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
Dan Evans has moved into the third round at Melbourne Park because Arthur Rinderknech pulled out with an injured wrist before they were supposed to play each other.
If Andy Murray is able to win his second-round match later Thursday, it would mark just the second time in the past 20 years that more than one British man made it to the third round at the Australian Open.
The only other instance in that span came in 2017, when Murray and Evans did it.
The 31-year-old Evans made it to the fourth round that year, the only time he’s been that far at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.
On Saturday, No. 24 seed Evans will face No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Rinderknech, a 26-year-old from France ranked 48th, never has made it past the second round at a Grand Slam tournament.
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11:15 a.m.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza is getting Day 4 started at Melbourne Park, facing Alize Cornet at Rod Laver Arena in second-round action under a cloudless sky.
Muguruza was the runner-up at the 2020 Australian Open and is seeded third this year.
Among the other top women slated to play Thursday are second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and reigning U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu.
The most-anticipated men’s match comes at night: 2021 U.S. Open champion and Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev against entertaining Australian crowd favorite Nick Kyrgios.
Also on the schedule is three-time major champion Andy Murray, who seemed destined to retire after losing at the 2019 Australian Open but resumed his career after getting an artificial hip.
Murray’s five-set victory in the first round was his first win at Melbourne Park since 2017 and he now goes up against Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel.
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