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Talia Gibson will be thinking what might have been after not being able to convert one of three match points with Diana Shnaider serving at 4-5 in the second set.
Gibson had played brilliantly to secure the first set and found herself with a chance to close out the match in straight sets.
Gibson had come down from an early break in the second set to have the match points after recovering from 2-4.
The first break point was saved with an Ace down the T, the ball just touching the outer side of the centre line.
Gibson earned a match point when she reached for a ball that was in front of her, it fell short and Shnaider hit the ball into the net.
The Australian was in to the rally for the next match point but overplayed a wide backhand that she sent wide.
A well hit backhand that was behind Shnaider forced an error, another match point. Shnaider managed to force an error from the Australian and her forehand sailed wide. The next serve was pushed wide and Shnaider had advantage. Gibson lost control of a backhand and the game was gone.
Shnaider then broke before holding serve to send the game to a third set.
Gibson started the third set with a service hold despite facing two break points.
The wildcard broke Shnaider to take a 2-0 lead, but then Shnaider took control of the match. Gibson was at 40-15 in the 5th game but could not close it out. Shnaider would break.
Gibson kept herself in the game after winning the 7th game for 3-4 but Shnaider held serve and then broke to escape with a win.
Hunter humbled by Baptiste
After Storm Hunter’s great effort to reach the main draw from qualifying, and after claiming a first round victory, it all came crashing down after USA’s Hailey Baptiste convincingly defeated the Australian.
It was 6-2, 6-1.
Thompson finally claims a set against Borges, but he needed more
In the opening game world no. 111 Jordan Thompson was under pressure and saved a break point at 30-40 with a forehand winner against the world no. 46 Nuno Borges from Portugal.
Borges holds a 2-0 advantage in the head-to-head.
In the opening set games went with serve to send the set to a tiebreaker.
Thompson saved a set point at 5-6 in the opening set tiebreaker after a brilliant serve that landed short in the service box and went wide to evade Borges. Another Ace followed to give Thompson a set point. Borges answered with a good serve that Thompson could not return.
Thompson again was down a set point when he hit a return just over the baseline. He countered with attacking play that saw him take the point with a well hit backhand volley.
Another Ace and Thompson was up 9-8, it was the 9th Ace of the match for the Australian. A long rally followed, Thompson approached the net but was passed by Borges, the breaker would continue.
Borges hit long to give Thompson another set point at 10-9 with the Australian serving. Thompson came to the net and he would eventually smash to take the set.
Thompson had never won a set against Borges. The Portuguese player hit back, taking the second set 6-3.
A foot fault and then a serve sent long saw Thompson drop his service game to fall behind 2-1 in the third set.
Borges dominated the third set.
Thompson was looking on track to get back into the match when he jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fourth set.
Borges had netted a shot to give Thompson a break point at 2-1. A backhand winner followed and Thompson was up 3-1. He held for 4-1 before Borges won the next five games to win the match.
The final score was 6-7(11), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Borges had again eliminated Thompson at the Australian Open in the second round after doing so in 2025, but in straight sets.
Tomljanovic no match for Ruse
Tomljanovic started serving against Ruse and was down a break point straight away. Ruse would return wide to take it to deuce.
After that first game test, the Australian held serve.
A double fault in the third game took Ruse to 15-30, then she played a great return deep to the corner, Tomljanovic failed to control the ball and it was two break points. Another double fault gifted the game to Ruse.
The single break was all that Ruse needed to claim the set.
The head-to-head was 1-1 going into this match. The players were ranked no. 78 and no. 79, with Tomljanovic the higher ranked player.
In the second set Tomljanovic broke Ruse in the fourth game and was leading 3-1. The Australian wasn’t able to consolidate the break and Ruse had it at 2-3 with her serve to follow.
Ruse would break again in the ninth game and then serve out the match to win 6-4, 6-4.
de Minaur shines again
World no. 6, Alex de Minaur was up against world no. 90 from Serbia Hamad Medjedovic in their round two match.
The opening set was decided in a tiebreaker after neither player could get a break of serve.
The Serbian had jumped to a 6-2 lead but he was not able to close out the set until he hit a winner to make it 7-5.
In the second set it was 2-2, from there the Australian ran off four straight games, but he did have to save a break point in the fifth game.
There was a rain delay and the roof was closed, but after that it was still all de Minaur. The Australian cruised to a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Hon no match for Jovic
Priscilla Hon followed de Minaur onto Rod Laver Arena. She was up against the no. 29 seed Iva Jovic from the USA.
Jovic is in good form after claiming the runnerup spot in Hobart last week.
The 18-year-old American broke Hon in the second game of the match. She would break again in the 6th game before serving out the set.
Hon was again under pressure in the first game of the second set, she saved a break point before taking the game with a forehand winner.
Jovic started game two with a double fault. At 30-30 Hon hit a backhand winner to earn a break point. Hon returned well and then hit a deep shot to the far right corner to force an error from Jovic. Suddenly it was 2-0 with Hon serving.
Jovic was ripping returns and with Hon choosing to charge the net she faced some dipping shots at her feet. Jovic had a break point at 30-40 but attacking play from Hon saved that.
Hon had game point after Jovic returned into the net, but then a double fault had it back at deuce.
A Hon error followed by a Jovic winner and games were back on serve.
Jovic would break again in the fifth game before holding serve to lead 4-2. Another break for Jovic came after the American hit the ball into the top of the net and it fell over on Hon’s side, it was unplayable.
Jovic raced to 40-0 in the 8th game and after a long rally the American hit a winner to claim a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
So at the end of the day it was just Alex de Minaur that managed to get a win.