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Your view: Who wins, Sinner or Medvedev?
So, who will it be, dear readers? The young Italian in his first grand slam final or the Russian US Open champion in his third Australian Open final?
Sinner or Medvedev?
3.45pm
Mertens and Hsieh take first set in women’s doubles
Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei take claimed the first set in the women’s doubles final against 6-1 Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko and Ukrain’s Lyudmyla Kichenok.
The women’s doubles final at the Australian Open 2024.Credit: Getty
It was a pretty dominant opening performance from the No.2 seeds and they’re now halfway to the trophy.
Can the 11th seeds mount a comeback in this second set?
3.34pm
Glitterati take to Melbourne Park
By Kishor Napier-Raman
Ahead of tonight’s men’s final, the glitterati are starting to descend on Melbourne Park.
Heiress Francesca Packer Barham, granddaughter of Kerry Packer, is set to make an appearance at the Emirates marquee later this afternoon, accompanied by her boyfriend Robert Bates, a polo-loving former Young Rich-Lister and controversial wellness entrepreneur.
Also joining the Packer entourage is her best friend Ian Stewart and Elizabeth Ross.
Francesca Packer in the Emirates marquee at Derby Day. Photo by Jesse Marlow.Credit: Jesse Marlow
3.07pm
Women’s doubles final getting underway
Good news for fans who are ready to watch some tennis, the women’s doubles final is almost underway at Rod Laver Arena.
It’ll likely be an entertaining affair too.
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko is back in action today in the women’s doubles final with Ukrainian Lyudmyla Kichenok.
The pair are seeded 11th and up against the No.2 seeds Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei.
It’s Hsieh’s second final this Open, after taking out the mixed doubles title with Poland’s Jan Zielinski.
2.36pm
Melbourne Park turning it on
The gates have opened at Melbourne Park, the fans have streamed through, the Glam Slam final has kicked off on court 6 and the ‘Peach’ icecream is flowing.
The weather gods are doing their part too because it is an absolute pearler of a day.
Pride flags blowing, racquets swinging and the buzz of the men’s singles final in the air, it feels like the final day of the Open now and pundits are taking to soak in as much as possible before nightfall.
In just a few hours, the finals festival will ring out across Melbourne Park, with the likes of Groove Armada, Rudimental, Sunshine and Disco Faith Choir, Latifa Tee and DJ Cooper Smith.
2.10pm
Watch: Why Medvedev will clinch maiden Open crown
Jannik Sinner has taken out the Melbourne Park king – world No.1 Novak Djokovic – and been in the top 10 for a while now. In the past six months, he’s beaten all the top players in the world, including Daniil Medvedev the last three times.
But Nine tennis caller Sam Smith thinks tonight might the Russian star’s time to clinch one back over the young Italian.
“There is part of me though, and it’s maybe not a rational part of me, that feels despite Daniil’s … marathon matches, it’s kind of his time,” said Smith on The Today Show.
“And I don’t know why I feel like that. But it’s just one of those instinct things, maybe from watching so much tennis over the years. But I think we will have a much more competitive men’s final than women’s final.”
She added that because the match is in the evening, it’s so much faster than in the day.
“When Sinner played Djokovic, that really helped this brilliant young Italian,” said Smith.
“At night, it really slows down, and that plays into the hands of Medvedev. For me, that’s a huge factor, the conditions out there for that men’s final.”
1.47pm
Peter FitZsimons: Why I and so many others needed to apologise to Jelena Dokic
This one is absolutely worth your time.
Columnist and author Peter FitZsimons interviews former champion tennis player, now-tennis commentator, Jelena Dokic.
It’s a raw and tender conversation published as the transcript between the two.
“I’m very proud of where I am today and how far I’ve come” … Former tennis player Jelena Dokic.Credit: Eddie Jim
Fitz: On that subject, you’ve been extraordinarily open about the “mental, emotional and physical abuse” you received from your infamous father, Damir, from the age of six. His explosiveness was no secret. Did the tennis world do enough to protect you, to at least reach out and say, “Hey, Jelena, are you OK?”
JD: Look, I think that’s probably a question for others. Do I know people that definitely knew of things that were going on? Absolutely. Is it a very different world to what it is today, in terms of how we look at general child abuse and domestic violence? Absolutely. But look, that was the whole point of me writing my books and being open about it, to help someone else and to see what changes we can make. I never told my story to blame anyone. We didn’t have enough measures in place to protect kids like me. But we do now.
Read the full transcript here.
1.13pm
Tunes before the tennis: Day two of finals festival
Lather on the sunscreen and grab your best hat, we’ve got a full-on day here at Melbourne Park.
Not only are there tennis finals on, with the blockbuster men’s singles final tonight between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev and the women’s doubles final in the afternoon, but there’s plenty of fanfare.
The third day of the finals festival will see a slew of big names take the stage, including Groove Armada and Rudimental with support from Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir, Latifa Tee and Cooper Smith.
Danielle Laidley and Donna Leckie at last year’s Glam Slam celebrity match.
There’s also the Glam Slam finals, in which over 200 players from the LGBTQI+ community from 30-plus countries have competed this week for the right to be a Glam Slam champion.
That’ll be toasted by a celebrity match, with Jordan Roughhead, Darcy Vescio, Ben and Hester Brown, Sophie Cachia, Dolly Diamond, Maria Thattil and Moana Hope in attendance.
Huge!
12.33pm
Pictures in! Sabalenka stuns in new grand slam champion photoshoot
A lot of people expected Sabalenka to win the final. She was outright favourite, but there were some who thought Zheng Qinwen could cause an upset.
One thing across the board was an absolute certainty, however: that the now two-time grand slam champion would nail her winner’s photoshoot.
Sabalenka took to Carlton Gardens – thank you weather gods for the fine morning – and posed with the trophy and, of course, some champagne.
I present to you, the evidence:
Aryna Sabalenka poses with the trophy at Carlton Gardens after winning the 2024 Australian Open women’s singles final.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
Aryna Sabalenka with the trophy, the morning after her 2024 Australian Open win.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
Aryna Sabalenka pops the champagne the morning after her 2024 Australian Open win.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
12.20pm
Going to be a good showdown: Women’s doubles final
Get some snacks ready for the mid-afternoon.
Latvia’s entertaining Jelena Ostapenko is back action today in the women’s doubles final, combining forces with Ukrainian Lyudmyla Kichenok.
The duo is seeded 11th and upset No.4 seeds and reigning US Open champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe 7-5, 7-5 in their semifinal to book their spot in the championship match.
They have a tough task ahead of them though.
The pair is taking on No.2 seeds Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei. It’s Hsieh’s second final this Open, after taking out the mixed doubles title with Poland’s Jan Zielinski.
They’ll be squaring off on Rod Laver Arena at 3pm.
11.50am
AI analysed Jannik Sinner’s skeleton. This is what it found
By Scott Spits
The raw numbers tell plenty about the effectiveness of Jannik Sinner’s serve at the Australian Open, but sometimes it takes a vanquished opponent to best explain just why it’s become one of the Italian’s weapons of choice.
Sinner has dropped serve just twice in six matches at Melbourne Park so far this tournament. He’s only lost one set, too – the third set on Friday when Djokovic did everything to stop the inevitable and forced a tie-breaker. The Italian’s only other tie-breaker came against Andrey Rublev in the quarters.
His tournament numbers tell a simple story. The percentage of service games won (98 per cent) is strikingly top of the tops among the men. Of those men’s singles players who went deep in the tournament, only Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz (91 per cent) and Rublev (also 91 per cent) are within range.
World No.4 Jannik Sinner.Credit: Getty Images
Sinner hasn’t had the highest first-serve percentage (60) but he’s ultra-effective when on-target, recording a return of 78 per cent on first serve points won. That’s not far behind the effectiveness of the big-serving Hurkacz (83 per cent).
What has been more closely observed by tennis insiders, however, is the slight change to Sinner’s service motion. Before our eyes at Melbourne Park this fortnight, those tweaks are bearing fruit.
Data provided to this masthead about some of the world’s best men’s players shows how effective their serving has been. Figures generated for the players in the first three rounds from skeletal tracking technology – used for the first time in professional tennis at the Australian Open – for example, show that Sinner’s leg drive and fast-arm statistics have been particularly important.
It’s some interesting findings, which you can dive into more here.
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