Italian Jasmine Paolini inflicted a dreaded ‘bagel’ on Chinese qualifier Wei Sijia.© AFP

Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in a major Australian Open shock on Tuesday as racquet-smashing 2024 finalist Daniil Medvedev narrowly avoided the same fate. A rampant Taylor Fritz, veteran Gael Monfils and home hope Alex de Minaur also all progressed into round two at Melbourne Park. In the women’s draw, Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina were both emphatic winners on day three, with Emma Navarro and Emma Raducanu also victorious. But the day belonged to the 18-year-old Fonseca, who defeated Russia’s Rublev 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) on his Grand Slam debut.

Roared on by Brazilian fans decked out in yellow, Fonseca appeared totally unfazed as he set up a second-round meeting with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

“It’s the first time playing in a huge stadium,” he told an energised Margaret Court Arena.

“There are a lot of Brazilians here cheering for me and I enjoyed every moment, thanks a lot.”

Rublev’s fellow Russian Medvedev, a three-time losing finalist in Melbourne including a year ago to Jannik Sinner, was heavy favourite against Thailand’s 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej.

But in his first match of the season, the fifth seed nearly imploded in a fit of anger before finding some measure of calm.

“Second and third set I couldn’t touch the ball. I didn’t know what to do,” Medvedev said after finally winning 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

The 28-year-old mangled his racquet as he spectacularly lost his rag in the third set, slamming it into the net camera repeatedly until they both became a broken mess.

There was no such trouble for fourth seed Fritz as he blitzed fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 to launch his bid for a maiden Grand Slam crown.

“It’s never easy playing that first match in a Slam, there are some nerves, so I did a really good job shaking them off early and playing really solid,” said Fritz, who took just one hour and 46 minutes to dismantle his compatriot.

France’s Monfils battled through a five-set thriller to topple young countryman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and continue the 38-year-old’s late-career resurgence.

Crowd-pleaser Monfils became the oldest singles champion in ATP Tour history when he swept to victory at the Auckland Classic on Saturday.

He kept the momentum going against lethal-serving Mpetshi Perricard, 21, over a gruelling three hours and 46 minutes.

“I’m crazy happy,” said the popular Monfils.

“Everything is a win now, so, you know, no pressure on me.”

De Minaur, nicknamed “The Demon” by Australian fans and media, eased past Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.

‘Mind of its own’

Italy’s Paolini breezed past Wei Sijia 6-0, 6-4 in just 73 minutes to underline her title credentials.

The 29-year-old has said she got a taste for playing on the biggest stage after rocketing to world number four last year on the back of finishing runner-up at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

“Maybe everything began from here last year,” Paolini, who reached the fourth round 12 months ago, said after hammering the world number 117 from China.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina dished out a harsh lesson of her own to 16-year-old Emerson Jones, winning 6-1, 6-1 in a ruthless statement of intent. 

The sixth seed from Kazakhstan demonstrated her pedigree as she manoeuvred the world junior number one from Australia to all parts of Margaret Court Arena.

The 2021 US Open champion Raducanu blew hot and cold in beating 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2).

The 22-year-old Briton, who next faces American Amanda Anisimova, clocked up 15 double faults and said that her serve had “a mind of its own”.

Navarro, the eighth seed, beat fellow American Peyton Stearns in three sets.

The 13th seeding proved unlucky for Anna Kalinskaya, a quarter-finalist last year, who withdrew moments before her match against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.

Kalinskaya was replaced by lucky loser Eva Lys of Germany, who took full advantage of her last-minute call-up by winning 6-2, 6-2.

Many of the top names including Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka will be back in action on Wednesday when the second round begins.

Italy won the Billie Jean King Cup for the fifth time as Jasmine Paolini beat Rebecca Sramkova to secure a dominant 2-0 win over Slovakia on Wednesday. World number four Paolini triumphed 6-2, 6-1 in the second singles rubber to follow up Lucia Bronzetti’s 6-2, 6-4 victory against Viktoria Hruncakova. Italy were runners-up to Canada in last year’s final but went one better in Malaga to become world champions for the first time since 2013.

The victory capped a stunning year for Paolini who finished as runner-up at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

“Unbelievable year, unbelievable, to finish like this with the Billie Jean King cup, it’s amazing, I don’t have words to describe it,” said Paolini.

“I’m trying just to enjoy it, it’s important to understand where you are, I feel lucky to be in this position, I feel lucky to be part of this team…

“I’m really happy that this year we could bring the trophy home again.” 

Slovakia, who won the competition in 2002, had never lost a BJK Cup tie in Spain. 

The underdogs defeated USA, Australia and Great Britain on a stunning run to this year’s final, but Bronzetti breezed past Hruncakova in under 90 minutes.

The in-form Sramkova, ranked 43rd, survived two break points to hold for 2-2 in the first set but the superior Paolini broke for a 4-2 lead, which she consolidated.

The Slovakian double faulted to hand Paolini two set points and the Italian took the first of them when Sramkova slapped a shot into the net.

Paolini broke in the second game of the second set and it looked like she might power to victory without a fight, but Sramkova immediately hit back to get back on serve.

Sramkova defeated Danielle Collins, Ajla Tomljanovic and Katie Boulter on Slovakia’s charge to the final but Paolini was a bridge too far.

The 28-year-old Italian restored her advantage with a fizzing forehand to move 3-1 ahead and then consolidated.

Having spent most of her career outside the top 50, 2024 has been a huge leap forward for Paolini.

She broke again when Sramkova went long and served it out to seal an emphatic victory in one hour and five minutes.

“I feel so sad now, disappointed, but all respect to (Italy), for what they did,” a deflated Sramkova told reporters.

“Maybe in a few days we will enjoy that we are second and take something for the future from those matches.”

– ‘Dream come true’ –

In the first match world number 78 Bronzetti denied the experienced Hruncakova the chance to use her power and forced her opponent to move around the court.

“I am very proud to be here, to represent Italy and I am so happy for this win,” said Bronzetti.

“(The plan was) to hit the ball, stay solid and try to move her when I had the chance.”

Bronzetti secured three breaks in the first set, conceding just one in her first service game as she hit her stride.

Hruncakova, ranked 159th, battled gamely in the second set, breaking for a 4-2 lead, but the Italian immediately hit back, winning the last four games to triumph.

Bronzetti sealed her victory serving to love when the Slovakian sent a return long, before Paolini finished the job for Italy.

“For now the emotions are a little bit sad but we need to look at the whole picture and what we did here was actually amazing,” said Hruncakova.

“Before the tournament if someone told this to us we would be thrilled.”

Italy, captained by Tathiana Garbin, defeated Iga Swiatek’s Poland as well as Japan at the finals on the way to winning the tournament dubbed the ‘World Cup of Tennis’.

“It’s a dream come true… I’m so proud of the (players), they fight every day and this journey was incredible,” said Garbin.

“(They) never give up and stayed focused on the goal and they still keep trying to work to be better people and players.”

Jasmine Paolini during the Wimbledon 2024 final© AFP

Barbora Krejcikova beat Jasmine Paolini in three sets to win the 2024 Wimbledon women’s title on Saturday. AFP Sport looks at five things to know about the Czech 28-year-old, who now has two Grand Slam titles.

Legoland to dreamland

When Krejcikova is not playing tennis, she is building Lego models.

In her repertoire are the Milky Way, and Dobby, a character from the world of Harry Potter.

“I have many of them actually. Yeah, I even received some from my team here,” she said.

She hopes one day to put together a Lego version of Wimbledon Centre Court.

“If there’s one for me, I’ll do that,” said Krejcikova.

Helping hands

Krejcikova sacked coach Ales Kartus, who helped her to the 2021 French Open title, in July last year. Since then, she has not had a full-time coach but is working with Pavel Motl, who is two years younger, at 26. 

They went to the same school and occasionally trained together.

Recalling how they first met, Motl told the iDNES.cz news website: “Bara was 10 and she played in the village where I live. She was playing on court number three and beat our adult neighbour 6-0, 6-0.” 

Motl refuses to call himself a coach. 

“I don’t know whether I will ever call myself a coach. For me, it’s a kind of a lifetime journey.”

Family life

At Wimbledon, Krejcikova shuns life in official hotels, preferring instead to stay with a local family as she has done for the past decade.

Krejcikova has often spoken of the “relaxed atmosphere” at the house, where her late coach Jana Novotna used to stay too.

The 31st seed paid an emotional tribute to Novotna, who also hails from Brno, in an on-court interview after her semi-final win.

Novotna, who won Wimbledon in 1998, died from cancer in 2017 at the age of 49.

“I remember thinking about her a lot,” said Krejcikova. “I have so many beautiful memories and when I step on the court I fight for every single ball as that is what she would want me to do.”

School’s out

Krejcikova admits she was committed to reaching junior finals as it often meant a day off from school.

“I always liked playing the finals at minor tournaments, because we played on Mondays and I didn’t have to go to school. That was my goal for the weekend,” she said.

Olympics dream

Krejcikova is due to team up with Katerina Siniakova for the Paris Olympics as the pair seek to defend their doubles title from Tokyo. 

The two split last November after winning seven Grand Slam titles together.

The split was initiated by Siniakova, who decided to team up with Storm Hunter but the Australian picked up an Achilles tendon injury in April, meaning a spell on the sidelines.

Siniakova won the French Open women’s doubles with Coco Gauff last month and has reached this year’s Wimbledon final with Taylor Townsend.

Krejcikova teamed up with Laura Siegemund for the women’s doubles at Wimbledon but they knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Wimbledon 2024 Womens Singles Final Highlights© AFP