de Minaur the only Aussie to advance on day 3
After a fantastic day two at the Australian Open it was not so good for the Australians on day three.

This was the final day for round one action and it was only Alex de Minaur that advanced.
Olivia Gadecki was humbled by Veronica Kudermetova, losing 6-1, 6-1.
World no. 1 junior Emerson Jones was also shown the door following a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Elena Rybakina the no. 6 seed.
The no. 25 seed Alexei Popyrin flopped after securing the first set against France’s Corentin Moutet, losing his match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. After having won a Masters tournament in 2024 there was much more expected from Popyrin.
Unfortunately injury got in the way for Popyrin.
“It was really painful for me to push off my left leg and land on my left leg and hit running forehands. I just had to dig deep and play through the pain,” said a dejected Popyrin.
Despite the injury, Popyrin continued battling through and later praised the crowd for their unwavering support.
“I was 5-1 down in the third set and came back to 5-4. It was all them; it wasn’t me. That was all them. You could just see the energy, (it) never stopped throughout the whole four sets,” he said.
“That’s an experience and a memory I’ll take with me, but the rest I’m just going to throw in the bin and forget, because it’s not been great.
“I think I’m known to show heart, but I also want to be known for showing tennis consistently. That’s been my main goal for my whole career.
“I have showed good tennis in glimpses, and for me I want to show it consistently.”
Kimberly Birrell was caught by surprise when the no. 13 seed Anna Kalinskaya withdrew at the last minute from their match. Lucky Loser Eva Lys took her place and easily secured a 6-2, 6-2 win over Birrell.
The last Australian to play on day three was Rinky Hijikata. He faced a qualifier, Mitchell Krueger from the USA, the world no. 146 was too good for the Australian, he won the match 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
After a disappointing showing from the Australians it was left to world no. 8 de Minaur to show the way. He took care of business with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 win over Botic van de Zandschulp.
“Honestly what gives me a sense of calm is knowing the amount of work I’ve put in behind the scenes, knowing that I’ve done everything in my power to be ready,” he said.
After a career-best year that saw De Minaur reach the quarterfinal stage of every other Grand Slam, there’s equal assurance in knowing the hip injury that undermined the second half of his season is firmly in the past.
“The body feels great. It’s been a long time since I felt this good and I’m just more than anything, relieved,” he added with a smile. “I’m happy to move, I’m happy to slide around the court, burn my shoes – it’s a good sign that one.”