Another comeback win for Germany. After Iga Swiatek easily beat Angelique Kerber in straight sets, Hubert Hurkacz had two championship points in the second set in the men’s singles encounter, but Alexander Zverev fought back to win the match in three sets. Zverev then backed up with Laura Siegemund to defeat Swiatek and Hurkacz in a third-set super tie break to claim the title.
It was the second night in a row that a United Cup tie finished in early morning.
Great win by Germany, they deserved that in the end in more ways than one, I think Zverev and Kerber could do some damage at the Aus Open, but I also think they are beatable too (de Minaur and Swiatek)
AO qualifiers meant to start today. Lots of rain so I don’t know if we are getting any play at Melbourne Park.
I’ve never seen Alex have an on court tantrum if a point doesn’t go his way,no racquet smashing or swearing at the umpire,he just gets on with his game 
There is a thread for the documentary:
re-linked to correct thread
Aus Open Draw has has always been broadcast too, even if a m/c, I think in the TA contract.
–
It’s an unusual week, but at TA/AO’s own hands, in that with this extra week of activities before proper from Sunday, there’s a lot going on: AO Qualifiers, Exhibition Matches, AO Draw, Adelaide International ATP/WTA Tournament, along with all the family-friendly and Melb Park festivities.
–
Weather
According to the Bureau, at this stage, looking positive for the first few days of the Australian Open, particularly for players and fans attending:
Overcast to partly cloudy, low-mid 20s and mostly dry (you don’t want it too hot and sunny, as we very well have seen over the years! Nor too wet and miserable). Fingers crossed!
360p stream for the draw.
A snippet from last night’s final charity exhibition event at RLA, new no. 1 star Carlos Alcarez and rising gun Casper Ruud, it was on 9Now and Stan Sport:
https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1745728468950659166?s=19
–
The 2024 Adelaide International Finals are this afternoon (featuring Britain’s Jack Draper) and tonight (featuring women’s top player Ostapenko - who as we have seen can lose her cool). They’ll be on 9Gem, 9Now and Stan Sport.
The Hobart International Final is earlier this afternoon (featuring Elise Mertens). It’ll be on Stan Sport.
From what I remember, the Rebound Ace surface didn’t suit Lleyton Hewitt’s game plan (though he did reach the final on this surface in 2005), and I think it may have been difficult to track the ball too.
The change in surface proved to be a game-changer with not only Novak Djokovic dominating the AO since, but also Rafael Nadal reached his first AO semi-final in 2008 (previous best result was a QF in 2007), while on the women’s side, Maria Sharapova dominated the women’s field winning the title the same year without dropping a set - this came twelve months after Serena Williams destroyed her in the 2007 final.
Also in the mid-noughties, the inner square of the DecoTurf surface used for the US Open switched from being green to blue, giving that court two colours.
Djokovic loves the blue court
Ostapenko defeated Kasatkina in straight sets this evening, while Jack Draper lost to Jiri Lehecka in three sets this afternoon.
In the Hobart International final, Elise Mertens lost to American Emma Navarro in three sets.
What a match! Aussie qualifier 22 y/o Dane Sweeny, pushed it to a 5th set, 3 hours! Sadly been broken in this deciding set, fingers crossed 
update
A tough day for Australians, with wildcard Walton falling to higher ranked Arnaldi in straight sets at the fairly new Kia Arena this morning, while walkover qualifier Sweeny agonisingly lost in a 5 set nearly 3.5hr epic to a far better seeded opponent on JCA this arvo.
Australian Chris O’Connell (who is a better player than both the aforementioned Aussies) is currently on 1573 Arena, after losing the first set 3-6 is in a close battle in the 2nd, best of luck. He progressed to R3 IIRC at the AO a couple of years ago.
I will say it’s been nice not having any high seeded/ranked Australians expected to do well, as well as other big names on the new Sunday D1, far more relaxing and enjoyable for fans, if that makes sense, compared to the usual clusterfu*k of the old Monday D1, which could get convoluted and rather stressful!
update 2
Aussie Chris O’Connell won his R1 clash that stretched nearly 4.5 hours, an instant classic 5 set encounter.
Magda Linette was forced to retire injured in her match with former champion Caroline Wozniacki back, after the former also lost the first set. The second retirement today. Bringing forward Frances Tiafoe’s match, in some unexpectedly good news (with delays looming after the amount of long matches today depsite organisers’ wishes adding this extra day).
Meanwhile, at the time of writing this, Fritz and Acosta are locked in yet another 5th set and 4 hour epic.
And Australian Kubler is fighting Galan, after 1 set each, they’re now in a tense tie break.
I think Djokovic will win, but the young Prizmic is holding his own with him tonight.
This is one of the things that annoys people with the Joker, he does this every year in early rounds, embellish a niggle or cramp and drop a set and time waste, bounce bounce bounce, fake medical timeout, gets grumpy with the ump, with a fan in the crowd tiwddling their fingers, with his box…
Next match, he wipes the floor 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 like nothing was ever wrong the previous match 
I’ve said this elsewhere, but while the purpose of the extra day was to avoid more frequent late night finishes by instead having a minimum of two matches in the RLA day session, it is still inevitable there’ll be at least one or two days that’ll result in a post-midnight finish.
FWIW, Novak Djokovic has only ever lost in the first round of a Major tournament just twice, both at the Australian Open (2005 and 2006). The former was at his first ever Major, where he faced and lost to the eventual champion, Marat Safin (who of course beat Lleyton Hewitt in the final).
That is an insane stat
Wishful thinking, because Djokovic has just broken to start the fourth set.
Safin’s run to the 2005 AO title also included saving a match point to beat Roger Federer in the semi, while Lleyton’s run to the final included beating a then 18-year-old Rafael Nadal (Hewitt had also beaten him at the AO exactly twelve months earlier) in the fourth round, and Andy Roddick in the semis.
Fun fact: Safin ended his career with a 2-0 H2H record against Djokovic, also beating him at Wimbledon in straight sets in the second round. He eventually made the semis, losing to Federer.
I don’t understand TA’s logic with starting the tournament a day early. It’s 20 to 11 and the second match scheduled for RLA this evening hasn’t started. It makes no sense to me.
