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SPORTS A21
Friday 22 January 2016

Australian Open: Azarenka introduces “dabbing” Down Under
What to Watch for on Friday
JOCELYN GECKER Azarenka explained Thurs- first tournament victory in 28
DENNIS PASSA Associated Press day after hustling through months. She had entered
AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) her second-round match the Brisbane tournament
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champions — Victoria Azarenka is in- against Danka Kovinic to unseeded after slipping to
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are back on troducing tennis fans Down win 6-1, 6-2 in just 63 min- No. 22 in the rankings at the
court Friday for their third-round matches at the Aus- Under to “the dab.” utes. “I think it’s really fun. end of 2015, following two
tralian Open. The what? It’s entertaining. I love do- injury-interrupted seasons.
Six-time champion Williams is playing Russian teenag- “The dab. D-a-b,” Azaren- ing it.” The former No. 1-ranked
er Daria Kasatkina. ka said, and then spelled, If Azarenka’s recent per- player is visibly fired up and
Djokovic, seeking his sixth Australian Open title, plays when asked about the dis- formance is any guide, determined to win. She has
No. 28-seeded Andreas Seppi. Djokovic has never lost tinctive victory salute she she will be “dabbing” at dispatched her first two op-
in 11 career meetings with the Italian player, including
a straight-set victory in the third round of the U.S. Open Victoria Azarenka of Belarus celebrates with a “dab” after defeating Danka Kovinic of Montene-
last year, but he’s not taking anything for granted. gro during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne,
“He likes playing here,” Djokovic said of Seppi, who Australia, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
has advanced to the fourth round in two of the past
three years. “He’s not really overwhelmed by a big oc- (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)
casion.”
If Djokovic gets past Seppi, he could face Gilles Simon has displayed after winning Melbourne Park for a few ponents in Melbourne in
in the fourth round and potentially Kei Nishikori in the her first two matches at the rounds to come. In the third quick, clinical straight sets
quarterfinals — if Nishokori wins his third-round match Australian Open. It entails round she faces Japanese with a dominance that puts
Friday against No. 26-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. leaning into a bended el- qualifier Naomi Osaka. her on the short list to po-
Here are some other things to watch on Friday: bow and raising the other The 2012 and 2013 Austra- tentially win the Australian
arm up straight. lian Open champion start- Open — where she could
SISTER ACT: Serena will have a chance to exact some “It comes from American ed 2016 by winning the Bris- meet No. 1 Serena Williams
family revenge on Kasatkina, who beat Venus Williams football,” bane International for her
in an Australian Open warm-up tournament at Auck- in the final.q
land last week. “I don’t think it’s going to be easy,”
Serena Williams said of her night match at Rod Laver. Shuai turning game around in Australia
“Any time someone is beating Venus they are more
than likely playing really good.” Serena has never JUSTIN BERGMAN short at the Grand Slams year knocked Zhang’s con-
played Kasatkina, so will do some advance scouting. Associated Press again, extending her win- fidence. And after losing in
“I obviously will ask Venus what she thought of the MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) less streak to 0-14. qualifying at the U.S. Open,
match, and I’m sure Patrick (coach Patrick Mourato- — Zhang Shuai went eight “So very tough. I was feel- she thought about quitting
glou) will know everything about her match and stuff. years without a victory at ing very sad every day,” tennis for good. “But, I’m
He’s really good at studying.” a Grand Slam tournament. she said. “I almost retire.” feeling no, I want come
Now, within a span of two Two wins later, the 27-year- back. I want to try one
FEDERER AND MORE: Roger Federer and Grigor Dimi- days, she has two. old Tianjin native says it’s more time, only one more
trov meet for the second time this month when they Zhang has turned her ca- “like a dream come true.” time,” she said. “I will try
play their third-round match on Rod Laver Arena. reer around at the Austra- Zhang had once been last tournament at the Aus-
Dimitrov, who has a similar playing style to the Swiss lian Open with a shocking considered the best hope tralian Open. If Australian
star and was even nicknamed “Baby Fed” when he upset win over No. 2 Simo- to step into Li Na’s sneak- Open not good, maybe I’ll
first came on tour, hasn’t beaten Federer in four meet- na Halep in the first round ers when the two-time ma- finish tennis.” Since it might
ings. In fact he hadn’t taken a set from Federer until and another victory on jor champion retired and have been her last tourna-
the Brisbane International two weeks ago, when he Thursday against France’s lead the next generation of ment, Zhang decided to
lost in three sets. Federer lost the Brisbane final to Milos Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-3. Chinese players. She had bring her parents with her
Roanic and Dimitrov went on to make the Sydney In- When Zhang’s ranking fell shown tremendous poten- from China. Her father had
ternational final. “Brisbane overall was tough to judge to No. 200 last year, the tial early on in her career, never watched her play
in the sense that I was just playing within myself, trying Chinese player considered notching a win over then- before. “I want them come
to sort of get through the matches without too many walking away from the No. 1 Dinara Safina in Bei- to see the last 20 years
long rallies,” Federer said. “I think he did well in Syd- game. She had only won jing in 2009 and rising to No. what I’m doing,” she said.
ney, and that definitely also gave him a bit of a lift if four main draw matches 30 in the rankings. “So, yeah, this is so lucky my
he takes the positives out of the tournament ... so he’s all year and had come up But a string of losses last parents coming and I win.”
on a high right now.”

SERENA IN SIGHT: Fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova
plays Lauren Davis, and a win would keep her in with
a chance of facing Serena Williams in a quarterfinal
featuring last year’s finalists. Sharapova hasn’t played
Davis but goes into the match fully recovered from a
left forearm injury that forced her to withdraw from
the Brisbane International, where she was defending
champion. “I feel pretty good, I felt I was more confi-
dent with my left hand today,” Sharapova said after
her second-round win.
“That’s always something that especially when it’s like
in the hand/wrist area, it’s in the back of your mind
even though you’re feeling it.” Davis advanced on
Wednesday when Magdalena Rybarikova retired af-
ter losing the first set.q