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It was a great day for American players on the second day of the 2023 Australian Open on Tuesday (January 17).
The USA went a perfect eight on eight on Day 2 of the first Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park. That included a fairytale first Grand Slam match win for Ben Shelton. The 20-year-old American saved a match point before downing Zhang Zhizhen in a fifth-set super tiebreak.
Shelby Rogers, Tommy Paul, Taylor Townsend, Taylor Fritz, J.J. Wolf, Katie Volynets, Jenson Brooksby and Ben Shelton comprised the perfect-eight US contingent on the day.
Rogers saw off Arianne Hartono (6-3, 6-4). Paul beat qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff (6-1, 7-6(6), 6-2). In an all-wildcard battle, the left-handed Townsend beat Diane Parry for the loss of just two games (6-1, 6-1).
Eighth seed Taylor Fritz dropped a set before seeing off Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Wolf also needed four sets to beat home favorite Jordan Thompson (6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5).
Elsewhere, qualifier Volynets beat Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 6-2. Brooksby beat Christopher O'Connell 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, and Shelton beat Zhang 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 [10-4].
As if that wasn't enough, two other Americans, Michael Mmoh and Lauren Davis were up a break in the decider before play was called off due to rain on a day plagued by extreme heat and torrential downpours.
Taylor Fritz happy to move into next round on super day for Americans at Australian Open
Eighth seed Taylor Fritz commenced his campaign for a maiden Grand Slam singles title against big-servian Nikoloz Basilashvili at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The American took control of the match, conceding six games en route to taking a two-set lead. Although Basilashvili stopped the rut by taking the third, Fritz reasserted his ascendancy. The 25-year-old took a tight fourth set 7-5 to sail into the next round.
He said after the win:
"I don’t want to put too many high expectations but I do expect a lot of myself. I’m in a really good spot right now, I’ve been playing really well, I’ve had a great start to the year and I’m looking to have a really big week.”
Fritz will next take on Tseng Chun-Hsin or local Alexei Popyrin on Thursday for a place in the third round. The American's best showing at Melbourne Park is a fourth-round appearance last year, losing to eventual semifinalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in a five-setter.
