SPORTS Thursday, January 18, 2018 21 Relieved Dimitrov survives huge five-set scare Melbourne him to only five winners in the successful college career with reaching the last four at Wimbledon elieved world No.3 Grigor marathon match and restricted UCLA. in 2014 and in Melbourne last year. Dimitrov survived a massive Dimitrov to just 28 percent of second “He has improved so much. I just McDonald, 22, was making only scareR to beat American qualifier service points with the Bulgarian had to fight and the experience in the his second appearance at a Grand MacKenzie McDonald in five sets committing nine double faults. end really helped me,” Dimitrov said. Slam after his debut at 2016 US Open. and reach the third round of the It was a mighty relieved Dimitrov “I’m very happy with win, not The American has a successful on Wednesday. who lived to fight another day, and because of the way I played, but college tennis background, The Bulgarian needed to pull out line up a third round clash with young because the way I fought. It all came winning the 2016 NCAA all stops to see off the 186th-ranked Russian . down to a few points here and there.” singles and doubles McDonald, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 0-6, 8-6 in “What can I say, it was a tough The stylish Bulgarian claimed the titles before turning the 3hr 25min night match on Rod day,” he said. biggest title of his career when he beat professional. Laver Arena. “I’m most happy with that. He was Belgium’s in the ATP (AFP) Dimitrov, who is ranked only below playing absolutely unbelievable, he Finals in London among his four titles and , drew deserves a lot of credit.” for the year. o n all his experience to avoid Dimitrov But he has never been beyond his first defeat to a qualifier said the pair the semi-finals of a at a . had practised Grand Slam, McDonald attacked together in the third seed’s California, where of Bulgaria signature , McDonald had a returns a shot during the limiting men’s singles second round match against Mackenzie McDonald of the United States Wozniacki battles back from the brink Melbourne match but rallied when the 21-year-old Fett, ranked 119th in the world, of the third round at 5-1 40-15 up. econd seed Caroline blinked and knocked off six straight played some brilliant shots throughout “I was thinking at that point she still Wozniacki saved two match games on the trot avert the upset and the contest and rattled off eight has to win four more balls to win this Spoints as she battled back from claim her place in the third round. straight points to win the opening set match,” said Wozniacki. 5-1 down in the deciding set “That was crazy, I don’t know how in 33 minutes. ”I felt like I was one foot out of the to beat Melbourne Park I got back into the match,” said a Fired by the first of two rows with tournament. She served a great serve debutante 3-6 6-2 relieved Wozniacki. umpire Richard Haigh over delayed down the T, as well. It was just slightly 7-5 in the second round of ”I‘m very proud of the way I came challenges, Wozniacki worked her out. I was kind of lucky. the Australian Open on back. It was definitely very difficult. way back into the contest to take the “Then I felt her tighten up just Wednesday. Definitely wasn’t my best match, second stanza when Fett hit a return slightly. I thought to myself ... ‘make Former world especially in the beginning. long. her win it, don’t give it to her’.” number one “All of a sudden seeing myself The Croatian refused to fade away, Fett twice served for the match but Wozniacki was down, almost out of the tournament, though, and Wozniacki threw her nerves got the better of her both times simply outplayed I started playing better and started racket to the ground in disgust after and Wozniacki took full advantage by the Croatian for really playing the tennis that I wanted being broken for 3-1 with Fett driving to set up a third-round meeting with large parts of the to play.” home her advantage to stand on brink Belgian . (Reuters) Kyrgios fined for Australian Open: colourful language Day three Highlights Melbourne $5,000 penalty for racquet abuse ustralia’s volatile Nick during his defeat to Australia’s Melbourne defeat to snap the German’s Kyrgios has been fined for John Millman. orld number one Rafa 15-game winning streak and a colourfulA directive to the rowdy Argentina’s Diego Nadal eased to a second set up a third round clash crowd during his opening round Schwartzman and Romanian roundW victory at the Australian with Belgian Elise Mertens, win at the Australian Open. Marius Copil were fined $2,000 Open on Wednesday while who beat 23rd-seed Daria The 22-year-old was slapped with each for the same offence. third seed Grigor Dimitrov Gavrilova. a $3,000 penalty for unsportsmanlike Kazakhstan’s Alexander was made to work hard to Seed slayers conduct early in his 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win Bublik was handed reach the third round in a five- and , who ousted over Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva in two $1,000 fines set thriller against American Venus Williams and Sloane a night match on Hisense Arena on and American Mackenzie McDonald. Stephens in the opening round, Monday. Stefan Kozlov was Caroline Wozniacki were knocked out by Thai The Australian was among six players penalised $1,000, progressed to the last 32 of qualifier Luksika Kumkhum fined a total $15,000 for indiscretions in both for audible the women’s draw and will and Czech Republic’s Denisa qualifying and the main draw’s first obscenities be joined by Ukrainian Allertova respectively. phase at the year’s opening Grand Slam. during qualifying. and Home favourite Nick Croatia’s Borna Coric was hit with a (AFP) Jelena Ostapenko. Kyrgios, sixth-seeded France’s Alize Marin Cilic and Britain’s Cornet handed also sealed Caroline Wozniacki of 12th-seed Julia progression to the third round Goerges a surprise of men’s draw. (Reuters) Denmark Nick Kyrgios