The fraternal marathon in Australia

1. Australia is celebrating a great event characterized by discipline, obedience and respect for protocols. Let’s not forget that Australia has seen 909 deaths and 28,829 positive cases. At the start of the epidemic, almost a year ago, Australians took immediate precautions, closing their borders with China, South Korea and Italy and days later, to any non-Australian citizen. Today, 600 players from the teams of this tournament are celebrating a unique event on the other side of the world thanks to the responsible sponsorship of the Australian authorities.

2. The first and second rounds of the Grand Slam tournaments where the women’s and men’s singles teams start with 128 players advancing very quickly, resulting in players who have been disqualified from returning to their countries. So far, 70% of the participants have been excluded and in the first week there are few surprises. And the biggest so far is the elimination of American Sophia Kenin, who surprised the world in 2020 by winning the championship. “I can’t stand the pressure and I’m on the nerves,” Kenin, 22, told the media, with tears in her eyes. Kenin is defeated by Kaya Kanebe, 35.

A beautiful story surrounding the Kenin family and they came from Russia to New York, to the American dream, and Sophia’s father, who drives a taxi in the streets of Manhattan, managed to raise his family and then move to Florida, where Sophia developed as one of the best players in the world.

Sophia, a talented athlete, plays under pressure, because she knows her parents have done a lot for her, but now she is struggling while playing, her nerves are in control and it gives me the impression that she is playing more to please her parents than for herself.

3. They say that “for the peg to hold it must be of the same kind”, well, there were three unforgettable matches in the men’s second round, which ended dramatically in the fifth set. The first between two Italians, Fognini and Caruso, Fognini won 5 points with complaints and heated accusations between the two friends. Opleka and Fritz, North America and those who play and travel together ended with 5 very fighting sets that won by Fritz, finished with a hug, and the third was between two Greeks, Tsitsipas vs Kokinakis, the Australian nationalized and finished in 5 dramatic sets in favor of Tsitsipas who appears between the two candidates. Great game.

Come on, there are no big surprises yet, but from the third lap, the Giants will start to fall.

Mexicans Juliana Olmos qualified for the second round in the doubles, and Santiago Gonzalez was not lucky enough to qualify for the second round.

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