Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev were sent packing from the Australian Open as wildcard Alexei Popyrin and lucky loser Michael Mmoh sprang major shocks.
Australian Popyrin said he was living a dream after beating the fancied Fritz in an epic second-round match lasting four hours and two minutes on John Cain Arena.
American Mmoh, whose mother has Australian citizenship, knocked out former world number two Zverev just moments later on Margaret Court Arena.
Their exits followed the shock defeat for second seed Casper Ruud earlier in the day, as Novak Djokovic's half of the draw lost a host of big names.
Wildcard Popyrin won 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 against American eighth seed Fritz, revelling in the chants of "Popy" from the crowd afterwards.
The 23-year-old was close to tears, his voice breaking, after reaching the third round of a grand slam for the fifth time.
"This win, it means so much to me," Popyrin said. "I had the toughest year last year, didn't win many matches. I've won as many matches this year as I won in the whole of last year, and it's only January.
"Pre-season I put my head down and worked as hard as I could. I don't want that feeling I had last year ever again.
"I wrote that down to myself in my head, and I'm going to keep working, I'm going to keep pushing, I'm going to keep trying to go all the way."
Addressing the crowd, Popyrin added: "I love this feeling. I want more of this feeling. I want you guys to have this feeling more. I love you guys so much, thank you."
He is coached by former top-20 star Xavier Malisse and felt the Belgian's influence against Fritz.
"I was playing four hours, and me and my coach were locked in, it was like two against one against Fritzy. We had the same thoughts all the time," Popyrin said. "This is the dream for me and I don't want to wake up at all."
Mmoh was beaten by Aleksandar Vukic in the final round of qualifying but received a call into the draw at the last minute, after a late withdrawal, allowing him to cancel a flight home.
The world number 109 will face fellow American JJ Wolf next, for a place in round four, having ousted 12th seed Zverev 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-3 6-2.
Mmoh's father, Tony, represented Nigeria and won a match at the Australian Open in 1988.
"Life is crazy," Mmoh said. "Right when you think everything is looking dim, everything is looking dark, there's light at the end of the tunnel.
"My week is proof of that. I could easily have been in the States, was ready to be in the States, had my bag packed, my flight booked, I was meant to leave yesterday morning. The fact I'm playing Margaret Court is insane.
"If you look at my box over there, there's about five to seven Aussies. I used to come every single Christmas to visit them, unfortunately my mum couldn't be here, I feel like I'm half Australian because of them and I love you guys. This is like my second home now so might as well make it a homecoming.
"It's the biggest win of my career hands down. Coming out I felt the nerves a little bit. I settled down at the end of the first, and at that point I told myself I shouldn't even be here. I told myself on match point if I get a chance just go for it, because I shouldn't even be here."
Nikola Jokic wants to be remembered as a "really good team player" after making franchise history in the Denver Nuggets' 122-118 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The two-time reigning NBA MVP contributed 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as the Nuggets improved to 32-13 on the season to sit top of the Western Conference.
Jokic now has 3,686 career assists, surpassing the tally of Alex English who had 3,679 in Nuggets colours. Moreover, he has reached his tally in 568 games as opposed to English's 837.
English himself paid tribute to Jokic's achievement, intimating he foresees a third MVP accolade in the near future, posting on Twitter: "I knew that eventually my all-time assist record would be broken. I'm honored to see that it's 2 time, I mean 3 time MVP of the NBA do it. Congrats big fella."
Jokic was typically humble when asked what it meant to earn a piece of Nuggets history.
"When you have a lot of assists, it just shows that you're a good team player," he said.
"That's something I want to be. I want everybody to remember me as a guy who was a really good team player."
Team-mate Jamal Murray, who nailed a game-tying three-pointer with a little over two minutes remaining, then hit the bucket that put the Nuggets into a lead they did not let go of, said of Jokic: "We clapped a little bit. That's a lot of passes. That's pretty impressive."
The Nuggets are next in action against the Indiana Pacers, who are 23-23 and ninth in the Eastern Conference, on Friday.
LeBron James could do with a break, and Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham admits he fears he might be "running him into the ground".
James had 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in a 116-111 defeat to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, a third tight loss for the Lakers in their last four games.
They stand at 20-25 for the season, despite the impressive efforts of their talisman.
James has scored 30 points or more in 13 of his last 17 games, but the Lakers have only won nine of those contests.
He is taking on a heavy share of the burden in the injury-forced absence of Anthony Davis, who is expected back in action in February.
Only once in his last eight games has James spent less than 35 minutes on court, and Ham might have to do something about that.
Ham said: "I feel bad about that. He's playing at an amazing level, but we can't run him into the ground. That was one of my main goals coming into this season. Here he is with 36 and a half [minutes] again tonight.
"We just have to manage him and have clarity in terms of scaling back his minutes some. And with the non-game days, being smart. His preparation is always on point, but we can still hold him out of some things that we may do on the court.
"He's a high-IQ basketball player, so he understands he can sit there and watch something and have it all figured out defensively and offensively.
"It is a concern. My staff and I, we talk about it all the time. It's just tough because he's such a competitor. We're in these games and he wants to win and we want to win, so you kind of lose sight of the minutes until you come back and see the stats sheet after the game.
"You're like, 'Oh hell'. We're going to figure it out. We have a team of very smart people – our medical and training staff and our coaching staff.
"We all put our heads together and see what the best course of action is to give him whatever rest can be gained, not just going forward in the short term, but the long term as well."
De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 31 points against the Lakers, and Sacramento have now won five successive games to improve to 25-18 for the season.
The Lakers will be back in action against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, with Ham looking for more from his team.
Ham said: "It sucks to lose these close games, but I still feel wholeheartedly at some point we're going to break all the way through. We're competing in my opinion at a very high level."
Rafael Nadal faces up to eight weeks out of action with the hip flexor injury he sustained on his way out of the Australian Open.
The defending champion and top seed in Melbourne was bundled out 6-4 6-4 7-5 by world number 65 Mackenzie McDonald on Wednesday, struggling to move around the court during the closing stages of the contest.
He refused to retire and afterwards confirmed he aggravated an issue he had been suffering with for a couple of days. The 36-year-old Spaniard knew the problem he had been suffering with for a "couple of days" had worsened, but he was unsure exactly what was causing it.
Now Nadal has clarity, receiving details of the injury after tests on Thursday.
He knows that provided all goes to plan, he should be back on court for the clay-court stretch in Europe leading up to the French Open, where the 14-time winner is also the defending champion.
Nadal wrote on Twitter: "Good afternoon. I have carried out medical tests after the defeat yesterday. The MRI shows a grade two lesion in the iliopsoas of the left leg. Now it's sports rest and anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. Normal recovery time six to eight weeks."
The 22-time major winner may struggle to get back to full fitness in time for the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000 events in March.
Those are due to be preceded on his schedule by a high-profile exhibition match in Las Vegas against Carlos Alcaraz on March 5; however, both men are presently injured, raising doubts over whether that will go ahead.
Nadal was distraught to suffer yet another injury setback, after severe foot and abdomen problems hit his 2022 season.
"In terms of sports and in terms of injuries and tough moments, I mean, that's another one," Nadal said on Wednesday. "I can't say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying."
LaMelo Ball is confident his latest ankle injury will not keep him out long despite exiting the Charlotte Hornets' 122-117 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Ball hurt his left ankle for the third time this season in the third quarter when team-mate P.J. Washington landed on him as both jumped to block a Jabari Smith shot.
The Hornets point guard and 2020 NBA Draft third pick overall remained on the ground in pain and appeared unable to bear weight on his left leg as he was helped to the locker room. He was ruled out with a "left ankle sprain".
"I can walk and everything, so I'll just take it day by day and see what it is," Ball told reporters.
"I feel a little better. It don't feel like them other ones so I think I'll be straight."
The game was only Ball's 21st this season, enduring an interrupted campaign where he is averaging 24.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists.
Ball said he would not require an MRI scan while Hornets head coach Steve Clifford was a bit more circumspect.
"We'll see how he feels tomorrow and that's really it," Clifford said.
Casper Ruud made two grand slam finals last year, but his 2023 Australian Open campaign fell to pieces with a shock second-round loss to 22-year-old Jenson Brooksby.
American Brooksby prevailed on his fifth match point, after fluffing three in the third set, when second seed Ruud hit a return long. That sealed a 6-3 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 victory in three hours and 55 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Ruud's demise on Thursday means he joins top seed Rafael Nadal in exiting early in Melbourne, with the Norwegian departing in the Spaniard's wake after struggling through the first two sets before a medical time-out prior to the third.
Ruud staved off three match points at 5-3 down in the third, when Brooksby got tight with victory in sight, before winning the set in a tie-break.
However, Brooksby regained his composure in the fourth set and broke twice early to open up a 3-0 lead, barely looking back.
Brooksby's triumph is the biggest of his career, having only ever previously beaten one top-10 player, Stefanos Tsitsipas, at last year's Indian Wells. It also provides an early highlight in Brooksby's first Australian Open, having missed out in 2022 after testing positive for COVID-19 on the eve of the tournament.
"I was just really proud of my mental resolve after that third-set battle didn’t go my way," Brooksby said during an on-court post-match interview. "I thought I was playing really strong. I didn’t want to lose my focus out there."
Ruud, who was the runner-up at both the 2022 French Open and 2022 US Open, could not match Brooksby's 50 winners, while the Norwegian committed 55 unforced errors. He also failed to capitalise on Brooksby's unconvincing 57 per cent first-serve percentage.
Data Slam: Americans maintain winning form in men's singles
Brooksby's triumph sets up a third-round date with compatriot Tommy Paul as the Americans continue to make waves in the men's singles draw. It was another American, Mackenzie McDonald, who upset Nadal on Wednesday, while a flood of US stars have reached the third round.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Brooksby – 2/2
Ruud – 5/4
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Brooksby – 50/48
Ruud – 33/55
BREAK POINTS WON
Brooksby – 9/13
Ruud – 4/12
The Memphis Grizzlies' achieved a franchise record 11th straight win with Desmond Bane and Ja Morant starring in a thrilling 115-114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Darius Garland had a three-point shot on the buzzer blocked by Dillon Brooks, after Steven Adams tipped in with 16 seconds left after Morant's miss.
Bane top scored for the Grizzlies with 25 points, including five-of-eight three-point shooting. Morant added 24 points with eight assists for Memphis, who improved to 31-13, along with 20-3 at home.
Morant had spent time in the locker room in the first quarter after copping a knee to his neck, but re-entered the game in the second quarter.
Game-winner Adams scored 13 points with 10 rebounds and four assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr had an excellent all-round game with 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals and four blocks.
Memphis also managed an 11th consecutive game with 115 or more points.
The Cavs were missing Donovan Mitchell due to a groin strain, with Garland top scoring with 24 points on five-of-11 three-point shooting along with 14 assists.
Caris LeVert added 23 points with four rebounds and six assists, with power forward Evan Mobley scoring 18 points and bringing down 15 rebounds with two blocks. The Cavs are now 28-18.
Trae downs Doncic as Hawks win fourth straight
The Atlanta Hawks continued their run of momentum with their fourth straight win in a 130-122 victory over Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks.
Dejounte Murray scored 30 points, making four-of-six three-pointers, while John Collins added 19 along with 18 from Trae Young plus 12 assists, as the Hawks secured a season-best four-game winning streak to move above .500 at 23-22.
Doncic, who was traded as a top-five pick for Young at the 2018 NBA Draft, scored 30 points for the Mavs, but only 11 after quarter-time, while he gave up seven turnovers.
Jokic adds another franchise record in Nuggets win
Nikola Jokic recorded his 14th triple-double of the season as he surpassed Alex English for the most assists in franchise history in the Denver Nuggets' 122-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The MVP candidate finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, going past English's 3,680-assist franchise record with a dime for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Jamal Murray added 28 points for the Nuggets, who secured their eighth straight win and 15th successive victory at home to remain top in the west, at 32-13.
Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery heaped praise on Patrice Bergeron but says he will undergo X-rays after copping a puck to the face in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the New York Islanders.
Bergeron headed down the tunnel early in the third period after a deflected slap shot from David Pastrnak missed his visor and hit him in the face.
The Bruins captain was in apparent pain, having medical attention, but would emerge back on the bench later in the period, helping his side round out a third straight win.
Despite returning to the ice, Montgomery revealed Bergeron had not been cleared by medical staff yet.
"How much respect I have for him coming back after, I know the puck got deflected, but it hits him up high and in the face," Montgomery told NESN.
"The admiration I have and everybody has for him coming back to try to help the team win after that is immense.
"We're hoping that all the X-rays come back good."
The Islanders had taken a first-period lead from Zach Parise but Bruins defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Derek Forbort responded with goals 4:12 apart in the second period to claim the advantage.
Brad Marchand and Trent Frederic added third-period goals for Boston with Charlie Coyle having two assists, while goal-tender Linus Ullmark made 25 saves in his 100th career win.
"I couldn't be more happy, it's been overwhelming," Ullmark said. "I have a lot of gratitude playing with the boys who work so hard every night."
The Bruins are the NHL's only 30-win team, improving their record to 35-5-4.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott revealed Damar Hamlin has returned to visiting the team's facility "almost daily", offering a major boost ahead of their AFC Divisional round game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Hamlin was discharged from hospital last week after being in a critical condition having suffered a cardiac arrest in the January 2 game against the Bengals in Cincinnati.
The Bills safety continues to progress on his road to recovery, which McDermott outlined ahead of their rematch against the Bengals for the first time since the incident.
"Damar is in the building now, almost starting daily," McDermott told reporters. "So that's good news. As he continues to improve, that certainly helps.
"That experience, we'll carry that with us. There's a challenge to that, but there's also a lot of good that comes with that. Right now, we need to focus on the positives that came out of that as opposed to the other piece of that."
McDermott said Hamlin's participation was still "limited", not partaking in team meetings or anything physical.
"He comes in and really just started today or yesterday and just trying to get back to a little bit of a routine and just get himself acclimated again and taking it one step, one baby step at a time here," he said.
"Kind of get himself dipping his toe back in here and you know, getting on the road to just getting back to himself."
It remains unclear if Hamlin will attend Sunday's game at Bills Stadium, having watched Sunday's 34-31 victory over the Miami Dolphins remotely.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen added that the players were boosted by Hamlin's return and the emotional trauma of the incident was easing to an extent.
"I think there's honestly not too much left over," he said. "Obviously with guys being able to see Damar, guys being able to see him and talk with him, that alleviates most of that.
"I'm not saying there's going to be none, I can't speak for everyone on the team, but we're extremely focused right now, having a good week of preparation. We'll try to go out there on Sunday and execute."
The Bengals enter the Divisional round game on a nine-game winning streak, seeking back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances. Since Week 9, Cincinnati have the third best points per game and second best points per game differential in the NFL.
Despite that, the Bills are regarded as favourites for the game, given their emotional lift, home ground advantage and having finished as the AFC second seed, but Bengals head coach Zac Taylor does not view his side as underdogs.
"We know that we're the defending AFC champions," Taylor told reporters. "There's an edge to this team, we're not an underdog. That's been the feeling the whole season. We know we belong in the field with every team."
Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley was never concerned about losing his job even after his team's historic collapse in a playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.
Asked during Wednesday's season-ending news conference if he ever felt his job was in danger, Staley responded bluntly: "No."
While the Chargers are keeping Staley on the job, they did fire offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Shane Day on Tuesday.
"I have a lot of confidence in how we do things here and what we've been able to accomplish and that's the truth," Staley said.
"Everybody that's been around me on a day-to-day basis knows that. I am aware of the speculation … but I was not worried about that because I know what goes on here on a day-to-day basis. I know what we have in our locker room. I know what's out on that field and I'm excited to keep going."
Staley guided the Chargers to a 10-7 record this season and their first playoff berth since 2018. He is 19-15 in two seasons as head coach.
Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is rumoured to be ready to get back into coaching and the Chargers would've been considered a prime landing spot with quarterback Justin Herbert emerging as a top player at the position.
Payton has already met with the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans and will soon meet with the Carolina Panthers, according to reports.
Despite Staley's success, he received criticism after he decided to play starters in the regular-season finale despite having already clinched the No. 5 seed right before kick-off. Star receiver Mike Williams suffered a back injury in that game that forced him to miss the playoff loss to Jacksonville.
That decision was only made worse when the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead to the Jaguars in a 31-30 loss that kept Los Angeles without a playoff victory since 2018.
Staley was asked if Jaguars coach Doug Pederson outcoached him.
"I wouldn't say that was the case for a half," he said. "That team that we were playing showed a lot of fight, a lot of resilience. I thought it was a high-quality game against two teams that are both young and hungry. I thought it was just a high-level game all around."
Eddie Jones will make an immediate impact on his return to Australia, for which "there was always writing on the wall", according to former England captain Chris Robshaw.
Jones was dismissed by England in December but replaced Dave Rennie as the Wallabies' coach on Sunday, taking up a role he previously held between 2001 and 2005.
Defeats in November to France, Ireland and particularly Italy proved the final straw for New Zealander Rennie, paving the way for Jones to return in time for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The Australian was in charge when the Wallabies lost to England in the 2003 World Cup final, and Robshaw always expected Jones to return in a bid to complete unfinished business.
Speaking on behalf of Sage, powering the Smart Ball at the Six Nations, Robshaw told Stats Perform: "He was a proud Australian man and I think there was always writing on the wall that one day he will be back in Australia coaching.
"They're in a bit of a tough place in terms of their confidence. They had a tough tour in England, and it's no doubt he'll be able to go and shake things up and have an immediate impact.
"It is his man-management, which is brilliant, and his ability to get the best out of people because they have a good team and they have some good players.
"But how do you turn it around quickly and generally? That's all kind of up in the air."
Jones will aim for glory at the World Cup in September, having led both Australia and England – in 2019 – to the final as well as defeating South Africa with underdogs Japan in 2015.
Former British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton believes Jones wants to be on the biggest stage to shine, as does Warren Gatland, who made a similar return to retake the role as Wales coach.
Warburton said: "I like him, and at least in the same way as Warren [Gatland], they're international coaches. They need that international kick.
"I can't imagine Eddie being a club coach anymore, same with Warren. I think Warren wanted to just be back in the international helm and Eddie wants to be back in the international helm.
"In front of 80,000 people, he will turn to a press conference of people talking about pressure, he'll be laughing inside, he wouldn't be doing the job this long at such a high level if he didn't truly love it.
"I really respect him. He's gone straight back into the deep end with international rugby with Australia, and he's got a World Cup; that's what he needs to thrive, so it is not really surprising.
"If you said in the Autumn Series, Warren Gatland and Eddie Jones are going to clash somewhere in the World Cup, then you'd be thinking how was that going to be.
"I don't think anyone would have thought it would have been Wales and Australia. Compared to where we were three months ago, it is a great story, and it's going to develop a great subplot going into the group stage of the World Cup."
Juraj Slafkovsky's rookie season appears to be over after the Montreal Canadiens announced the number one overall pick in the 2022 draft will miss three months due to a lower-body injury sustained in Sunday's game at the New York Rangers.
The 18-year-old Slovakian forward has four goals and six assists in 39 games this season for the Canadiens, who are in 15th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference and are unlikely to make the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Prior to getting injured, Slafkovsky was mired in a 15-game point drought and had not scored a goal in 21 straight contests.
"We believe his development will happen in stages," Montreal general manager Kent Hughes said on Wednesday. "It's not, 'hey, we've got 10 things [for you to do]; go figure them out'.
"Because I think when you do that, [the player] is on the ice thinking and not reacting. And I think sometimes this year we've seen him think on the ice and other times we've seen him react.
"But we're not worried about the production side of it. We're really worried about seeing the areas that we want him to improve on.
"Do we see progress in those areas? Because we know, or we certainly believe, that long term, if he makes [certain] changes to his game, it's going to allow him to adapt to the North American style and be the most successful player he can be.
"He's going to be a different style hockey player than another guy."
Emma Raducanu hopes to face Coco Gauff again with a little more practice under her belt.
Raducanu lost 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to the 18-year-old American on Wednesday, as her Australian Open hopes were dashed.
The 2021 US Open champion failed to take two set points to restore parity at Rod Laver Arena, and ultimately paid the price when Gauff won the tie-break.
Raducanu suffered an ankle injury while in action at the Auckland Open earlier in January, and battled through the pain barrier to play in Melbourne.
"What I had to [do] to be in the draw is a massive effort and achievement," Raducanu said.
"I would say all the chips were against us, and the chances of me playing this tournament were very, very low.
"So I had extremely limited practice time, I think I can say that now I'm not competing anymore.
"It was obviously going to be a push to get me on the court. I think 13 days ago if you would have said 'Hey, you're going to be in the draw and win a round', it would have been a massive effort for sure.
"Saying that, I still think I didn't necessarily play my best [against Gauff]. Although the second set I had chances, I felt like I could have done better myself. But props to her. She's a great, great opponent and great athlete."
It was the first meeting between Raducanu and Gauff, who is ranked 70 places higher than the 20-year-old by the WTA.
Raducanu has slipped down to 77 in the world rankings but is confident she will give Gauff a sterner test the next time they go head-to-head.
"I'd really like to play her again. Maybe with more than five hours of practice under my belt," Raducanu said.
"Yes, she's a great opponent. I think that we're going to be playing each other many times in the future as we're both young and coming. We're going to be the next generation."
Raducanu is now looking forward to building up her fitness and form over the first half of the season.
"I'm just looking forward to putting in the work, and I feel I'm putting in a good system in place," she added.
"I'm feeling good and confident that in six months' time I know it's not going to be the finished product, but hopefully I would have made strides."
Coco Gauff may not be the most popular person on her own TikTok, but she impressed the crowds at Melbourne Park as she beat Emma Raducanu in straight sets.
In what was a much-anticipated clash at the Australian Open between the world number seven and the 2021 US Open champion, it was Gauff who emerged on top with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory to seal passage to the third round.
It also made Gauff the first woman to win 100 Tour-level main draw matches before turning 19 since Caroline Wozniacki did so in 2009.
The 18-year-old took the opening set by stepping up her game on key points, breaking her British opponent twice while saving six of seven break points against her.
In an even second set, Gauff was forced to save two set points as Raducanu tried to take advantage of the American's struggling forehand.
However, Gauff hit back to force a tie-break that she won in style with a drop shot followed by a lob.
"I just told myself to hang in there and I was playing really good tennis," Gauff said in an on-court interview. "I think we both started off rocky but I think the match was good quality for the most part.
"Considering the circumstances I think both of us were nervous, this was a long-anticipated match basically since the draw came out so I'm glad that it was a good match for you guys.
"At a grand slam you have to win seven matches and you have to expect to play the best, obviously you hope it's not in the second round but what can you do?
"I feel like we handled the pressure really well and kudos to Emma, I know she had a tough week in Auckland [suffering an ankle injury] so good for her to be able to play at this level after such a scary moment."
Gauff also joked about a TikTok she recently posted that divided opinion on her parents' dancing ability.
"I posted a video online and it got like a million views and everyone was hating on my dad in the comments, so I kind of felt bad... parents really do anything for their kids so I'm glad my dad took one for the team."
Asked who is the best dancer of the three of them, she replied: "Probably my mom, at least that's what the comments said.
"They said my mom ate both of us up... a lot of people asked for a solo video just of her and I was like: 'No, I'm the star, how do I get outshined on my own TikTok?'"
Maria Sakkari laughed off any suggestion of a "Netflix curse" after a comeback win over Diana Shnaider at the Australian Open.
Sakkari, seeded sixth in Melbourne, came from a set down to beat Shnaider 3-6 7-5 6-3 on Wednesday.
That marked the Greek's fifth career comeback win in a grand slam main draw, though her first since the fourth round at the 2021 US Open against Bianca Andreescu, and her first at the Australian Open.
Across this season and last year, Sakkari has played 25 Tour-level matches that have gone the distance, with only Ons Jabeur (26), Belinda Bencic (27) and Aryna Sabalenka (28) having played more three-set matches in the same timeframe.
Sakkari was one of nine players (four from the WTA Tour, five from the ATP Tour) to feature in Netflix's new Break Point series, which was launched on the streaming platform earlier this month.
However, three of those players – Nick Kyrgios, Ajla Tomljanovic and Paula Badosa – had to withdraw from the season's first grand slam due to injuries, while Matteo Berrettini was defeated by Andy Murray in his first-round match.
Yet Sakkari does not believe in such superstitions as a "Netflix curse".
"Netflix curse? I have never heard that," Sakkari said.
"I mean, the only one that I can think of is Matteo, but Matteo lost his match 7-6 on the fifth set. I personally have to say that they only bring us luck, and I enjoyed my time with them because they are nice people.
"Trust me, they are very, very nice. You know, if you let these thoughts and this energy affect you, then it's when bad luck comes.
"I would say that because they are all very nice and they are all very respectful, they have only brought me good luck."
She smiled: "Obviously some tournaments I play badly because I play badly. It's not because of them! But, yes, overall it has been great."
Shnaider, in her first meeting with Sakkari, became the first female qualifier to win the opening set at the Australian Open against a top-eight seeded opponent since Angelique Kerber against Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2010.
Sakkari will face Lin Zhu in the third round, after the latter's win over Jil Teichmann.
The pair have only met once before, in qualifying for the 2016 Australian Open, with Sakkari coming out on top.
Jessica Pegula has been wearing a number three on her outfit at the Australian Open, and she confirmed it is to show support to Damar Hamlin.
Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2 and spent over a week in hospital, much of that time in critical condition.
Pegula's parents own the NFL franchise as well as the Buffalo Sabres NHL team, and during her second-round win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich in Melbourne, was seen with a number three on her skirt, which is Hamlin's number and became a symbol of appreciation from well-wishers during his recovery.
"I definitely wanted to do something," Pegula said after her 6-2 7-6 (7-5) victory over Sasnovich. "We were kind of figuring out what the Bills and the Sabres were doing, just as far as what was the message.
"I knew they would probably do something and what message were they trying to send. It ended up being [that] the three was the symbol.
“I just thought it would be cool to put on my outfit here. I thought it would be a fun way to kind of connect with the team and then also just show my support."
There had been speculation that the number was related to her ranking, with the 28-year-old coincidentally the WTA world number three heading into the Australian Open, where she is the third seed, but Pegula laughed off the suggestion.
"I saw someone tweet that: 'Why would you put your ranking on your skirt?'. I'm, like, 'No, that’s not why,'" she said with amusement.
Pegula will play the winner of Olivia Gadecki and Marta Kostyuk in round three at Melbourne Park.
Rafael Nadal refused to retire from his second-round match at the Australian Open despite suffering a hip injury in his shock defeat.
The reigning champion and top seed in Melbourne crashed out on Wednesday, going down 6-4 6-4 7-5 to world number 65 Mackenzie McDonald.
Nadal started sloppily in the first set and then pulled up with an apparent upper leg issue after chasing a forehand at 4-3 down in the second, and his movement was clearly hampered from that point on.
The 36-year-old confirmed he aggravated an issue he had been suffering with for a "couple of days" prior to his meeting with McDonald.
Nadal could well have handed McDonald a walkover, but explained that as defending champion, he did not want to go out without a fight.
"I considered all the time stopping, but I didn't ask," he said in a press conference. "I have to know myself, and I tried to keep playing without increasing the damage.
"I was not able to hit the backhand at all. I was not able to run for the ball. But I just wanted to finish the match. That's it.
"I didn't ask them [his team]. I am old enough to take my own decisions. I didn't want to retire, [as] defending champion here. No, I didn't want to leave the court with a retirement.
"It's better like this. I lost. Nothing to say. Congratulations to the opponent. Just try your best till the end, it doesn't matter the chances that you have.
"That's the philosophy of the sport. That's the essence of the sport by itself. I tried to follow that during all my tennis career, and I tried of course to not increase the damage, because I didn't know what's going on."
Nadal, who is the first top seed to go out in the second round of the Australian Open since Gustavo Kuerten in 2001, is unsure as to the extent of his injury.
"I don't know what's going on, if it's a muscle, if it's a joint. I have history in the hip, I had issues. I had to do treatments in the past," he said.
"Now I feel I cannot move. But I don't know till I do the test and all this stuff, I don't know. I don't know.
"I'm tired of talking about it. I understand, but I lost the match. That's it. I tried until the end. I don't know if in good condition I would win the match. I will have better chances without a doubt."
Nadal added that he would be "lying" if he said he had been mentally destroyed by the issue, given the comfort of his life outside tennis.
However, the 22-time grand slam champion is still motivated to return to the court.
"It's a very simple thing: I like what I do. I like playing tennis," he added.
"I know it's not forever. I like to feel competitive. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more.
"It's not that complicated to understand, no? When you like to do one thing, sacrifices always make sense. When you do things that you like to do, at the end of the day, it's not a sacrifice. You are doing the things that you want to do. Sacrifice is when you are doing things that you don't want to do."
The Spaniard conceded another long spell away from the court would be difficult, though.
He said: "Of course it's tiring and frustrating to spend a lot of [this] part of my career recovering and trying to fight against all this stuff all the time.
"I have had seven months playing almost nothing, and then if I have to spend a long time again, then it's super difficult in the end to be in rhythm and to be competitive and to be ready for the fight. Let's see how the injury is, and then let's see how I can manage to follow the calendar."
Mackenzie McDonald produced one of the upsets of the Australian Open on Wednesday as he eliminated defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4 7-5 in the second round, with the Spaniard hampered by an apparent leg injury.
There were ominous signs early on as number one seed Nadal had his serve broken in the opening game of the match, and McDonald secured a second break en route to wrapping up the first set.
It was more of the same in the second as McDonald took advantage of some uncharacteristically sloppy play from the 36-year-old, before Nadal seemed to hurt himself.
At 4-3 down in the second set, Nadal pulled up with an apparent upper leg issue after chasing a forehand, and his movement was clearly hampered from that point on.
In typical defiant fashion, Nadal's level rose in the third, hitting 24 winners, but as he improved, so did McDonald, who did not allow Nadal a single break point opportunity.
The 22-time grand slam champion saved break point at 4-4 to hold serve as he tried to get back into the contest, but was unable to repeat the trick in his next service game as McDonald secured the break before serving out to clinch a famous win.
It is the latest in a troubling run of form for Nadal, who received multiple injury timeouts on his way to a seventh loss from his last 10 matches dating back to the US Open.
McDonald will play the winner of Yoshihito Nishioka and Dalibor Svrcina in the third round.
Data Slam: Nadal joins dubious company as top-seed casualty
Nadal is the first top seed to be eliminated from the Australian Open in the second round since Gustavo Kuerten in 2001.
The Brazilian was also a clay specialist, winning all three of his grand slams at the French Open.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Nadal – 6/2
McDonald – 14/2
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Nadal – 42/31
McDonald – 42/22
BREAK POINTS WON
Nadal – 2/4
McDonald – 5/8
The Memphis Grizzlies will get a chance to tie their longest winning streak in franchise history when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Monday's 30-point demolition of the Phoenix Suns extended the Grizzlies' streak to 10, and they are now one victory away from tying the 11-game streak from the 2014-15 campaign starring Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, which was matched last season.
Over their last 10 fixtures, the Grizzlies have been a juggernaut on both ends of the court, scoring 119.9 points per 100 possessions to sit third in offensive rating, while also boasting the best defense in the NBA, allowing just 106.5.
Meanwhile, the team the Grizzlies overtook to snatch top spot in the defensive rankings was the Cavaliers, who still sit second for the season.
Another key indicator for the true contenders is net rating – which measures how much better a team's offensive rating is compared to their defense – and both of these sides have excelled through the first half of the season. The Grizzlies sit second overall with a net rating of 5.8, while the Cavaliers are third at 4.7.
Two very similar teams, both the Cavaliers and the Grizzlies utilise two defensive anchors in their starting line-up, leaning away from the more prevalent "small ball" roster constructions seen around the league.
For the Grizzlies, Steven Adams is arguably the strongest rebounder in the league while Jaren Jackson Jr leads the NBA in blocks per game at 3.3. On the Cavaliers' side, All-Star Jarrett Allen and defensive prodigy Evan Mobley roam the interior.
While these sides are almost identical defensively, the way they attack on offense, particularly through their star players, could decide their fate.
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is, without a doubt, one of the best guards in league history when it comes to finishing at the rim. He is averaging five makes per game within five feet of the basket – the only guard in the league to do so – while converting at a terrific 61 per cent clip.
The problem with that is how well both of these teams protect the basket, as it creates the question of what happens when an unstoppable force – Morant – meets an immovable object – the rim protection of Allen and Mobley.
On the other hand, the combination of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers are far more malleable with the way they create their offense.
Garland excels in 'floater range' from five-to-nine feet away from the hoop, sitting 15th in the league with 1.3 makes per game at an efficient 50 per cent, while Mitchell provides the long-range assault.
Mitchell is averaging 3.1 makes per game on deep threes (greater than 25 feet), which trails only the Golden State Warriors' Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry (3.8) and Klay Thompson (3.2).
It should be a mouthwatering clash between the league's best two defensive teams, who both have all their young stars healthy and ready to go as they look to strengthen their playoff positions.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Allen
It is no secret that Morant is the driving force behind the Grizzlies' success, and for him to dominate games, he needs to control the paint.
Allen is the Cavaliers' primary rim protector and will be tasked with preventing Morant from producing more of his highlight-reel finishes, and if he can turn Morant into a jump-shooter for the night, Cleveland will consider that a massive win.
Memphis Grizzlies – Desmond Bane
Desmond Bane is the perfect counterbalance to Morant, providing the Grizzlies with a dynamic shooting threat who holds the defense's attention at all times.
Through three seasons, Bane owns a ridiculous career three-point percentage of 43.3. It is not just a strong number, it is the seventh-best career figure of all-time, and places him in the absolute top echelon of shooters in today's game.
If he can hit a couple early and force the Cavaliers' defense to divert some of their attention away from Morant, Bane could open up everything for the Grizzlies' offense.
KEY BATTLE – Can the Cavaliers figure out how to win on the road?
Heading into this contest, both the Grizzlies (19-3) and the Cavaliers (19-4) sit top-three in the NBA's best home records.
The Grizzlies will get the honour of hosting this time, leaving the Cavs as the underdogs as they try to figure out what is behind their disappointing 9-13 record away from home this campaign.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This will be the first time this season these two teams meet, although the Grizzlies have won each of the past three matchups.
The Cavaliers defeated the Grizzlies once during Morant's rookie season in 2019, but the former Rookie of the Year has not lost to them since.
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