AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 3 LIVE BLOG, HOW TO WATCH, PREVIEW

Jan 16

Jan 16 AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 3 LIVE BLOG, HOW TO WATCH, PREVIEW

We're back at Forget the Protocol with more tennis madness. Today we have Round 2 action and the start of the doubles section. The big match today will certainly be the Shapovalov vs. Tsonga rematch (Shapovalov won in straights in the US Open), but there's plenty of other action to choose from. Watch on ESPN2 and catch up on Ben's live blog from yesterdayfor more info.First up on the slate we have Svitolina vs. Siniakova, Carreno Busta vs. Simon, and Pavyluchenkova vs. Bondarenko. 15-year-old Marta Kostyuk is also in action against Olivia Rogowska.Other things to watch:

Nadal is facing Leonardo Mayer later in the session. Mayer took a set off Nadal at the US Open, so it shouldn't be as bad of a beatdown as the Estrella Burgos match.
NCAA tennis fans will get to see Mackenzie McDonald, singles champion from UCLA, play Grigor Dimitrov in the night session.
There's lots of doubles!
Goerges/Cornet should be a fascinating matchup later tonight.

6:23 p.m. CSTCarreno Busta has already had to save two break points again Gilles Simon. I figure there will be at least 35 break opportunities in this match for both players, so it should be fun if you hate serving.6:44 p.m. CSTCarreno Busta has broken Simon, send tweet. Bondarenko has taken the first set off Pavyluvhenkova 6-2, which is a surprise.6:55 p.m. CSTBusta broke Simon again. Simon has now retired down 0-3 in the second and that will send Carreno Busta into the third round. Tough for Simon, who won a tournament before the Australian and was looking pretty good.8:35 p.m. CSTTristan: Alright, we just finished a podcast here at FTP Studios (not a real thing) but not much has happened. After Svitolina dropped the first set to Siniakova, she showed some real, real class in beating the Czech 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Tsonga dropped serve to love against Shapovalov and has lost the first set 6-3. It's crushing stuff from the young Canadian, who looks very, very back.It a stunning result, Belinda Bencic has gotten breadsticked by Luksika Kumkhum, a Thai player who only tennis hipsters know about. It wouldn't be the first big upset of the day in the women's draw, as Pavyluchenkova tamely went out to Bondarenko.Ben: SHAPOHOURS HAVE ARRIVED, Y’ALL GO ON AND SMASH THAT GODDAMN LIKE BUTTON.Holy crap, he just put the HURT on Tsonga in the first set. We warned you after Tsitsipas that Shapovalov looked better than he ever did in Montreal or Flushing Meadows. That serve is crisp, that forehand is massive, and he is scampering all over the damn court. Tsonga looked like he got caught in the headlights in set one. He’s supposed to be the veteran here.Tsonga is going to get back into the second set, because he’s Tsonga, but this appears to be the Shapovalov show. Again.9:31 CSTWowowowowow, Bencic is out courtesy of Kumkhum. That blows that part of the draw open for Goerges, you'd figure. Edmund is bossing around Denis Istomin though!8:22 AM CST

Dimitrov won 28% of second serve points against Mackenzie Mcdonald and is still expected to be a decent favorite for a slam. I love Mackie. I hope he stays good. Could be the American De Minaur with that return.
Julia Goerges, my sweet champion, is out thanks to noted loud grunter and Frenchwoman Alize Cornet.
Gavrilova just blew a 5-0 lead to Elise Mertens.
Kyrgios played really well and stayed composed for an entire match against Troicki.
Leo Mayer played the best tennis he'll ever, ever play...and it only earned him a lost tiebreak against Nadal.
Andrey Rublev survived a second set scare from Baghdatis and now gets Dimitrov in a Round 3 blockbuster. Another great mental showing from the young Russian.
Suarez Navarro, Ostapenko, Kanepi and Kontaveit all advanced.