Key events
*Pliskova 1-2 3-6 Keys (9) Keys’s inside-out forehand is like a guided missile to Pliskova’s backhand corner and it brings a relieving 30-all behind some poor serving. Then the ninth seed locates some service rhythm to see out the hold.
Pliskova 1-1 3-6 Keys (9)* Keys misses an opportunity at 15-30 when she clubs a short second serve wide, but still forces deuce when that inside-out forehand kisses Pliskova’s backhand corner. At which point the American misses with a crosscourt forehand and the Czech serves big to hold.
Elsewhere, Jessica Pegula (6) has won the opening set 6-3 against Oksana Selekhmeteva.
*Pliskova 0-1 3-6 Keys (9) Three aces and 16 winners in that opening set for Keys as she demonstrated her awesome power. She rips out another inside-out forehand cracker to level the scores at 30-30 then serves out a brisk hold.
Keys wins the first set 6-3
Pliskova 0-0 3-6 Keys (9)* Momentum absorbed, Keys channels that energy and sends it back Pliskova’s way, sprinting to a love break by climbing all over the Czech’s serve and finding that early pep on the forehand side once more. From 0-30 and staring down 4-4, Keys switched gears, won eight points in a row, and is now a set up.
*Pliskova 3-5 Keys (9) Pliskova has transformed this match. Her deep returning has not only provided a measure of aggression from her half of the court, it has also led to a significant decrease in Keys’s assertiveness with the American’s forehand speeds diminishing. The pattern continues with Pliskova charging up 0-30 but Keys responds with three massive aces and another huge first serve to close off a crucial game and resist Pliskova’s charge. That was clutch from the champion.
Pliskova 3-4 Keys (9)* That momentum swing gathers force as Pliskova holds to love then strides purposefully to her sun-shaded bench like a woman on a mission.
*Pliskova 2-4 Keys (9) Pliskova gets one break back, and at speed, with some superb returning. Time and again Keys found herself scrambling to regain her footing on the baseline with the ball hammered back in her direction off first and second serves. We have a match on our hands after all.
Pliskova 1-4 Keys (9)* After a 12 minute service game featuring eight deuces, Karolina Pliskova is on the board.
There’s a hint at an emerge of form as she peels off a running forehand winner from the corner for 30-30 but every rally looks a battle, with Keys by far the more assertive, fluid, and powerful player.
A brilliant second serve out wide on the Ad court saves break point, then she makes a rare advance to the net to suffocate Keys into an error. Both players then find some momentum in a mid-length rally – until Keys ends it with a beautiful change-up crosscourt drop shot.
Another big serve sets up the hold but Keys responds with her seventh clean forehand groundstroke winner, this time inside-out down the line. A second break point arrives courtesy of some more enforcing power play from the baseline, but Pliskova repels it with her increasingly effective serve. A similar pattern repeats with Keys forcing another break point from the baseline only for Pliskova to serve her way back to parity on the Ad court.
Break point four comes from a double fault, and Pliskova saves it by shortening the point with a bold backhand winner. As the game clock ticks beyond ten minutes a sliding serve is too much for Keys to control on the return, but Pliskova succumbs to a second double fault of the game, and we’re back on deuce for the eighth time. Finally Keys goes long with a pair of forehands and the bagel is averted.
*Pliskova 0-4 Keys (9) Temperatures have just hit 30C in Melbourne. Madison Keys is doing her best to find shade as quickly as possible, holding to love in quicktime.
Pliskova 0-3 Keys (9)* If Pliskova is to stay in this contest she needs to serve big, so it’s not a great sign that her first serve percentage is under 50% midway through her second service game with Keys up 0-30. The Czech finds some rhythm and a few easy points but Keys forces deuce with what is already her sixth clean winner of the day. The American is hitting the ball considerably harder than her opponent, dominating from the baseline.
Pliskova serves and volleys to set up game point but as soon as a rally forms Keys ups the ante, eventually putting away another forehand whip across her body. A double fault invites a break point and the defending champion secures the double break when Pliskova dumps a forehand into the net.
The early signs on RLA are that the ninth seed is too strong, too quick, and too aggressive for the former world number 1.
*Pliskova 0-2 Keys (9) Again Pliskova concedes soft unforced errors during innocuous establishing rallies to fall 30-0 behind. Keys double faults then overhits from the baseline as her opponent finds consistent depth in her groundstrokes for the first time this morning. A 190kmh ace sets up the hold but she can’t follow through and we head to deuce.
A lovely sliding serve out wide to the forehand side on the deuce court precedes a put-away backhand volley, but for the second time this game Keys can’t complete the job. Then she drops in her second double fault to concede a break point. She saves it with a massive forehand winner from the baseline, pulling her racket across her body and rotating her hips at speed.
And this time she does consolidate that early break with the hold, asserting herself behind some powerful serving.
Pliskova 0-1 Keys (9)* The 186cm Czech intersperses a trademark ace between a series of unforced errors to hand Keys a couple of break points. She saves the first but Keys secures the early advantage with a lovely in-to-out forehand winner. The champion has started strongly, striking the ball cleanly from the baseline. Pliskova, by contrast, looks a bit flat-footed and lacking timing.
The players are out on RLA. Key’s’s neon green Nike outfit is irridescent in the bright sunshine. Pliskova is serving in orange Adidas.
The first match we’re going to focus on today is the opener on Rod Laver Arena between defending champion Madison Keys (9) and former world number 1 Karolina Pliskova.
The 30 year old American is a known commodity following her victory at Melbourne Park last year. She has done enough in her opening two rounds without yet hitting her straps, and she’s definitely not in the form of 2025.
The 33 year old Czech is into the third round of a major for the first time since the 2023 AO following a long battle with injury. At the 2024 US Open Pliskova badly damaged her ankle, requiring two surgeries, and sidelining her for over 12 months. Between 2016 and 2021 she was a regular contender for the biggest prizes on tour, reaching two grand slam finals and ascending to number 1 on the WTA rankings. She starts today 1057 on the standings.
Both players are power hitters with two of the biggest serves in the women’s game.
Despite their ages they’ve only met once before on tour with Pliskova winning in three sets back in 2020.
Is there a better single sporting competition to secure artistic action shots?
Emma John has penned a thoughtful column on the Australian Open’s Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day and how Australian sport remains locked in a battle between its celebration of multiculturalism and the condemnation of racism.
Ever wondered what it takes to become an AO ballkid?
Ok, on with the show. Let’s move into sporting mode by checking in on yesterday’s action, when there were positive signs for an increasingly confident Alex De Minaur.
But British hopes were dashed for another year when Cameron Norrie was beaten by Alexander Zverev.
Women’s singles favourite Aryna Sabalenka was pushed hard by Anastasia Potapova.
What all that means for today’s competitors is one hell of a slog, with the threshold for intervention extremely high.
One straw for them to clutch is that conditions are expected to be worse on Tuesday, when the opposite half of the draw will be in action.
This might be cold comfort for Sinner in particular, who will be taking the court around midday for what is likely to be his only daytime appearance at this tournament. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz squeezed in their daylight obligations in more temperate conditions (both racing through in straight sets).
Some excerpts from The Australian Open Extreme Heat Protocol:
The AO-EHP takes into account the 4 environmental parameters that contribute to heat stress (air temperature, radiant heat, humidity & wind speed). It also takes into account the extent to which a person can control the rise in their body temperature and the physiological cost of doing so. These complex equations are expressed as a Heat Stress Scale (HSS) with stratified thresholds for cooling interventions.
In the event of extreme heat, the Referee has the right to suspend play or order a cooling break in accordance with this Australian Open Extreme Heat Protocol (EHP). The EHP applies to both the outdoor courts and the Arena Courts (Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena).
The EHP is based on the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale (AO-HSS) which has a scale of 1 to 5. AOHSS readings are continually made throughout each day of the Australian Open, including Qualifying.
Play is not suspended in singles competition until that scale hits the maximum 5, at which point the roof closes on the stadium courts and the outside courts are emptied.
At the time the AO-HSS reaches the thresholds noted above as relevant, the Referee may suspend the calling of any upcoming matches on outdoor courts. If matches on the outdoor courts have been suspended, the Referee may make the decision to close the roof or to keep the roof closed (as applicable) for any upcoming matches on the Arena Courts.
When that scale hits 4, cooling breaks are implemented. In the women’s singles that’s a ten minute respite between sets two and three, and for the men it’s ten minutes between sets three and four.
Preamble to a scorching hot day seven
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of day seven of the Australian Open. Due to the extreme heat forecast play will get underway at Melbourne Park at the earlier time of 10:30am.
Today’s daytime schedule is dominated by the second half of the third round draw.
10:30am starts:
Karolina Pliskova v Madison Keys (9) (Rod Laver Arena)
Jessica Pegula (6) v Oksana Selekhmeteva (Margaret Court Arena)
Lorenzo Musetti (5) v Tomas Machac (John Cain Arena)
Karen Khachanov (15) v Luciano Darderi (22) (Kia Arena)
Not before 12pm starts:
Eliot Spizzirri v Jannik Sinner (2) (RLA)
Peyton Stearns v Amanda Anisimova (4) (MCA)
Elise Mertens (21) v Nikola Bartunkova (JCA)
Linda Noskova (13) v Xinyu Wang (KA)
Not before 2:30pm starts:
Ben Shelton (8) v Valentin Vacherot (30) (MCA)
The 10:30 starts should all proceed without incident but by noon the temperature will already have passed 30C and the likelihood of heat stress contingencies kicking in arise. When Ben Shelton and Valentin Vacherot are scheduled to take the court the mercury will be tipping close to 40C.
There’s plenty of news, insight, and weekend features coming up, but I need to set my aircon to arctic and loosen the straps on my ice vest. Feel free to get in touch while I’m away or whenever the blog is live at jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
