Thursday, January 22, 2026

AO26 - All in the Family

Pegula of the Day: Jessie, by a significant margin.










=AO NOTES=
...while the U.S. President continues to threaten to wreak havoc here, there and everywhere, the Bannerette women are doing their own damage (in a far more acceptable way) in Melbourne. After more U.S. women (12) advanced out of the 1st Round than from any other nation, the group kept up the pace in the 2nd Round. By the end of Day 5, there were still seven Bannerettes remaining in the Final 32, with Thursday seeing the top U.S. seeds leading the way.

At the top of the list would be the defending champion, as #9 Madison Keys continues to try to build momentum toward a potential repeat, while also settling into the notion that she pulled off her lone remaining career goal a year ago in Melbourne and because of that nothing that happens in AO26 will ever spoil it. It's a mindset, when you think about, that is *exactly* the sort of no-pressure-here plan that "New Madi" would definitely approve of. For now.

Facing off with countrywoman Ashlyn Krueger, Keys put away her ninth straight AO match victory, winning 6-1/7-5.



The longer Keys sticks around and, little by little, gains momentum the better chance she'll have of leaning into the sort of familiar comfortability in the moment that is possible only for a past (or reigning) champion at an event as big as this. At some point, though, the comfort will have to transform into something more pointed, via some kind of re-igniting spark of her '25 Melbourne experience that makes the fire in the eyes of a potential repeat winner apparent.

In her opening match vs. Oleksandra Oliynikova, Keys rallied from 4-0 down in the 1st, with her opponent serving for the set and then holding two SP in a tie-break, before Keys won in two. Today she staged a comeback from 4-2 down in the 2nd vs. Krueger to facilitate getting off court in straight sets once again.

Are those the sort of moments that might turn Keys from "satisfied" into a champion "hungry for another?," causing last year's muscle/mental memory to kick in and make her a *real* threat into the second week? Probably not on their own, but a potential Round of 16 match-up -- after a 3rd Rd. vs. the player-formerly-known-as-(and-suddenly-known-as-once-again) Karolina Pliskova -- against #6 Jessie Pegula might provide the opportunity for that sort of "it all changed there" moment.

Pegula had no trouble in her 2nd Rounder today, dominating McCartney Kessler in a 6-0/6-2 win. So, after a bad sports weekend for the Pegula family, and an even worse few days after that back in Buffalo, at least *one* member of the family had a moment in the sun on the big stage.

Pegula has dropped just five total games through the first two rounds.

Meanwhile, #4 Amanda Anisimova joined her fellow highly-touted countrywomen in the 3rd Round, continuing her rampage on the slam stage since that unfortunate Wimbledon final last summer (she's now 8-1 in majors since SW19, 14-2 in the last three). Aside from a pair of back-to-back long games in the middle of the 2nd set -- a stretch in which Anisimova dropped serve in a seven-deuce game and then failed to quickly get the break back despite having four BP chances -- she was once again on her game vs. Katerina Siniakova, defeating the WD #1 6-1/6-4 and keeping alive the hopes for a *third* straight major final (and maybe something *more* this time).



...while the Bannerettes are winning matches, so are the Hordettes once again. Despite a fairly lackluster 1st Round (4-5 combined), all four of the surviving Russian woman have backed up their opening match success by going undefeated in the 2nd Round.

On Day 5, that meant, after #8 Mirra Andreeva and #23 Diana Shnaider advanced yesterday, wins from #31 Anna Kalinskaya and Oksana Selekhmeteva, the latter of which upset #25 Paula Badosa 4 & 4 to reach her maiden slam 3rd Round.



...the Aussies were on fire in the 1st Round, pushing through six women at the AO for the first time in 34 years. But the group went 0-4 on Day 4, and wild card Taylah Preston couldn't erase the zero from the stats when facing #13 Linda Noskova today. Preston made the Czech work down the stretch, not going away after falling down 6-2/2-0, as she forced a 3rd set and got things back on serve after again falling down a break early in the set. Noskova ultimately kept the proverbial train on the tracks, though, winning 6-2/4-6/6-2 to reach the 3rd Round at a third straight major. She was a quarterfinalist in Melbourne two years ago.



Thus, it was left to qualifier Maddison Inglis to save the day from total oblivion for the Aussie woman. But again the world #168 had to work overtime to do it.

In the 1st Round, Inglis nearly squandered a 7-6/5-2 lead vs. countrywoman Kimberly Birrell, failing to convert two MP as Birrell won an 11-9 TB to force a deciding set, where Inglis prevailed with a late break/hold combo. Today against German vet Laura Siegemund, Inglis found herself in another battle. Siegemund, remember, had rallied from 6-0/5-2 back in *her* 1st Rounder vs. Liudmila Samsonova, saving two MP and then recovering from another 3-1 deficit in the 3rd.

Here, after taking the 1st set, Inglis battled back from 5-2 down in the 2nd, saving a SP and getting the chance to serve out the win at 6-5. But she was broken at 15, and quickly fell behind en route to a 7-3 TB loss. In the 3rd, Siegemund grabbed an early break edge and served for the match at 5-4. But Inglis surged back in the big moment again, forcing a MTB and jumping out to a 6-2 lead. She reached MP at 9-5, and then sweated out a final stretch that could have gotten really sticky really quickly had she not finally put away MP #3 to win 6-4/6-7(3)/7-6(10-7) in 3:20, reaching her first AO 3rd Round since 2022. She's the Last Aussie Standing.

Other than those two AO runs, Inglis is 0-5 in her other major MD appearances, as well as having lost 15 times in slam qualifying.



While the Australian contingent going forward is now severely reduced, the Czechs seem to be multiplying. Right behind the U.S. for the most women in the 3rd Round is the Czech Rebublic, with the group of five including Pliskova and Karolina Muchova, joined by a record three Crushers, Noskova and the pair of teenagers who hit their way through on Thursday.

18-year old Tereza Valentova won the all-Czech battle with qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova. Falling behind 5-2 in both the 1st and 2nd sets, she managed to take the opener, denying four SP with Fruhvirtova serving at 5-3 and getting the break on her own fourth BP in the game. She went on to finish off a five-game run to claim the stanza.

After Fruhvirtova knotted the match, Valentova finally seized control early in the 3rd, opening with a break of serve, leading by a double-break at 4-1 and going on to win 7-5/2-6/6-3 to reach her first slam 3rd Round.



Joining her will be 19-year old countrywoman Nikola Bartunkova, as the qualifier was behind the exit of the first Top 10 woman to fall at this AO, taking out #10 Belinda Bencic (ending her six-match '26 winning streak), 6-3/0-6/6-4 for her maiden Top 10 victory.



..elsewhere, Week 1 Auckland finalist Wang Xinyu pulled off the upset of #24 Alona Ostapenko despite trailing the Latvian 6-4/4-2, then going down an early break in the 3rd. Wang won 4-6/6-4/6-4 to reach her maiden AO 3rd Round in her sixth MD appearance in Melbourne.



Later, everyone was on pins-and-needles to see what Naomi Osaka would wear when she entered MCA (for her 2nd Round match, in case anyone lost the thread of the actual reason she's here, which sort of happened with all the breathless accounts of her walk-on the last time out).

With less of a stage than she had on Laver, and with darkness yet to settle over the court, the entrance was (probably appropriately) underwhelming, as the #16 seed was simply clad in a scaled-down version of what she wore two days ago (without the veil, oversized hat and parasol).



Thing is, Osaka has generally done well in major events in which her entrance gets so much attention, winning the '20 U.S. Open while donning name-emblazoned masks, and last year reaching the semis in New York while debuting custom-made "blingy" Labubu dolls modeled after tennis greats. She won again tonight, as well, defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-3/4-6/6-2 to end what the veteran Romanian says will be her last AO, as she's announced her intention to make 2026 her final year on tour.

It wasn't the most congenial of meetings at the net.



Can't wait for the non-tennis commentators on ESPN to mangle Cirstea's name later today, since they'll surely talk about it since this is the sort of stuff it takes to get them to mention the AO.

...in wheelchair play, the first Kamiji-de Groot face-off of 2026 went to... the world #1.

Yui Kamiji defeated Diede de Groot 6-2/7-6(5) today in the semifinals of the Melbourne Open, taking back the momentum in the series after de Groot had beaten her in their last '25 meeting. Kamiji is now 5-1 in the last six matches between the two, after having lost the previous 28 contests in a row.

Kamiji will face Japanese countrywoman Momoko Ohtani in the final. Ohtani advanced past Kgothatso Montjane in the SF after the South African retired from their match, leading to her also pulling out of the doubles final (w/ Manami Tanaka) and seeing the title go to Kamiji & Zhu Zhenzhen.







...BACK TO THE FUTURE, AO PART II on Day 5:




...A MOVIE DOUBLE-FEATURE (though I'm sure those no longer exist) on Day 5:




...RYBAKINA-vs.-VALENTOVA SLAM MATCH #2 INCOMING on Day 5:




...THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PEGULA FAMILY LEDGER on Day 5:



At least Jessie was defending the team and getting better headlines in Buffalo than dad after a controversial playoff loss and even worse aftermath...





...THE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF A WTA MARKETING TEAM MEETING (starring Mirra) on Day 5:





















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*RECENT AO "LAST WILD CARD STANDING" WINNERS*
=2020=
Patricia Hon, AUS (both 3rd Rd.)
Arina Rodionova, AUS
=2021=
Dasha Gavrilova, AUS (both 2nd Rd.)
Samantha Stosur, AUS
=2022=
Maddison Inglis, AUS (3rd Rd.)
=2023=
Kimberly Birrell, AUS (all 2nd Rd.)
Olivia Gadecki, AUS
Taylor Townsend, USA
=2024=
McCartney Kessler, USA (both 2nd Rd.)
Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
=2025=
Talia Gibson, AUS (all 2nd Rd.)
Iva Jovic, USA
Ajla Tomljanovic, AUS
Zhang Shuai, CHN
=2026=
Talia Gibson, AUS (all 2nd Rd.)
Priscilla Hon, AUs
Taylah Preston, AUS

*RECENT AO "LAST AUSSIE STANDING" WINNERS*
2016 Dasha Gavrilova (4th Rd.)
2017 Dasha Gavrilova (4th Rd.)
2018 Ash Barty (3rd Rd.)
2019 Ash Barty (QF)
2020 Ash Barty (SF)
2021 Ash Barty (QF)
2022 Ash Barty (W)
2023 Kimberly Birrell & Olivia Gadecki (2nd Rd.)
2024 Storm Hunter (3rd Rd.)
2025 D.Aiava, T.Gibson & A.Tomljanovic (2nd Rd.)
2026 Maddison Inglis (in 3rd Rd.)

**AO "AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD" WINNERS**
=2020=
["Good On Ya, Mate"] Aces for Bushfire Relief
=2021=
["G'Day, Naomi"] Naomi Osaka & the "good luck" butterfly
=2022=
["Freakin' Hell?"] Tennis Australia sides with unvaccinated Novak Djokovic, but bans visible support for Peng Shuai
=2023=
["Don't Spit the Dummy"] One year after Ash Barty is first Aussie AO champ in 44 years, #160 Fourlis is highest ranked AUS in MD; only two AUS wild cards get 1r wins, none go past 2r
=2024=
["Crikey!"] Anna Blinkova & Elena Rybakina play slam record 42-point tie-break
=2025=
["A right corker"] The "Great Melbourne Coffee Scandal" erupts when Iga Swiatek says she prefers the cafe offerings of Sydney
=2026=
["Show Pony Fashion Sense"] Naomi Osaka's jellyfish-inspired, "My Fair Lady" nighttime introduction outfit





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TOP QUALIFIER: Guiomar Maristany/ESP
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #6 Jessie Pegula/USA (lost 5 games in 1r/2r)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 - Guiomar Maristany/ESP def. Tatiana Prozorova/RUS 6-2/2-6/7-6(10-7) - saved four MP (at 6-5 in the 3rd), reached maiden slam MD
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - Elsa Jacquemot/FRA def. #20 Marta Kostyuk/UKR 6-7(4)/7-6(4)/7-6(10-7) - 3:31; first three-TB women's match at AO; Jacquemot saves MP in 2nd set, wins 10-7 MTB in 3rd for first Top 20 win
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: (WC) Talia Gibson/AUS (def. Anna Blinkova/RUS)
FIRST SEED OUT: #26 Dayana Yastremska, UKR (1r- lost to Gabriela Ruse/ROU)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Nikola Bartunkova/CZE (1st slam MD), Linda Klimovicova/POL (1st), Petra Marcinko/CRO (1st), Taylah Preston/AUS (3rd), Oksana Selekhmeteva/RUS (5th)
PROTECTED RANKING BEST: in 3r: Pliskova/CZE
LUCKY LOSER BEST: 0-1 in 1r
UPSET QUEENS: The Crush of Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: Australia (6 in 2r most since 1992)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Russia (4-5 1st Rd.; only 9 in MD after AO-best 9 to 2r in '25; has lost 7 notable players to other nations since '23; lost 2 Top 20 seeds)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: in 3r: Inglis/AUS, Sonmez/TUR, Bartunkova/CZE
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Talia Gibson/AUS, Priscilla Hon/AUS and Taylah Preston/AUS (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Maddison Inglis (in 3r)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: x
IT (?): Nominee: Zeynep Sonmez (Turk)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Pliskova/CZE
CRASH & BURN: Nominees: first two seeds out are UKR (Yastremska/Kostyuk) in back-to-back ANZ Arena matches on Day 1
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Nominees: Siegemund (down 6-0/5-2 vs. Samsonova in 1r; saved 2 MP 5-3, then down 3-1 in 3rd); Shnaider (saved 3 MP at 6-5 in 2nd set vs. Gibson)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: Nominee: Venus Williams/USA (at 45 years and 7 months, breaks 2015 record of Kimiko Date as the oldest woman in an AO singles MD match)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: Sabalenka, Osaka
AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD: ["Show Pony Fashion Sense"] Naomi Osaka's jellyfish-inspired, "My Fair Lady" nighttime intro outfit
DOUBLES STAR: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x





All for now. More soon.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:49 AM 

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