#ajla-tomljanovic

#ajla-tomljanovic

Long lines had already formed outside of Stadium 3 six hours before the start of Alexandra Eala's second-round match against Dayana Yastremska at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday. Holding Filipino flags and wearing shirts that read "Alexandra Eala fan club," hundreds of enthusiastic fans looked desperate to make their way inside to get a glimpse of the 20-year-old sensation.

In the BNP Paribas Open Round of 128 on Thursday, No. 85-ranked Ajla Tomljanovic faces No. 74 Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Ruse carries -160 odds to claim a win against Tomljanovic (+125).

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She had an incredible last year. She's still so young and everything for her is a new experience which is amazing. And what she achieved I think is just incredible. And she's actually my doubles partner this week, so I'm really excited to be playing doubles with with Maya, and she's going to be a little bit nervous for her first match this morning, but she's a quality player. She moves so well on the court, so really excited to see how she goes.

Amid the annual upheaval at the Australian Open, of party courts, one-point fairytales, and ever-expanding festivals, some things don't change. Alex de Minaur has had the same locker every year of the 10 he has played at Melbourne Park, and he once again carries the hopes of home fans into the year's first grand slam. On the Groundhog Day repetition of the international circuit, it's the kind of familiarity that might breed superstition.

I don't really feel like there is a lot of house money or underdog mentality that I'm feeling, because I don't feel like I have been playing anything outside of my comfort zone or outside of my normal level, Jovic said. I have come from two other tournaments where I was playing every day and winning a lot of matches, as well.

Alexander Bublik, the resident eccentric of professional men's tennis, has the lyrics to two different Eminem songs tattooed on his arm. Doubles specialists, he's said, aren't "real athletes," though Bublik himself reached the doubles final of the 2021 French Open. The 28-year-old Kazakh has quoted Kung Fu Panda to cast doubt on Jannik Sinner's doping status, and called the tennis exhibited by greats like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal "boring."

On a Wednesday in the desert last March, Reilly Opelka, the American with a cannon of a serve, was grinding out a tough match against French number one Arthur Rinderknech. Nearby, former US Open men's finalist Kei Nishikori beat Luca Nardi, part of the new wave of Italian talent, while Brazilian phenom Joao Fonseca closed out Pavel Kotov, who reached number 50 in the world in 2024.