Wawrinka battles for four and a half hours to reach the third round! Djokovic is just one step away from a brand new record

On Thursday afternoon at the Australian Open, Wawrinka created another memorable highlight in his final season, further cementing his legacy in the history books.

The 40-year-old Swiss veteran fought for 4 hours and 33 minutes to narrowly defeat the resilient French qualifier Arthur Cazaux 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(3), becoming the oldest male player to reach the third round at Melbourne Park since 44-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1978. The former world No. 3 and 2014 Australian Open champion — his first of three Grand Slam titles — has confirmed he will retire at the end of this season.

“Exhausted... As I said, this is my last Australian Open, so I wanted to last as long as possible,” Wawrinka said in a post-match interview on court. “I’m not young anymore, so I need your energy (the crowd’s). Standing on this court with so much support feels amazing.”

This marathon victory marked Wawrinka’s 58th five-set match win in his career (31 wins, 27 losses), the most in the Open Era according to available data. Using his vast experience, he outlasted 21-year-old Cazaux, who was playing his first five-set match on tour. This was Wawrinka’s 12th time reaching the third round in Melbourne. Next up, he will face world No. 9 Fritz.

Similarly, Djokovic secured a win in the second round of the Australian Open. The ten-time champion defeated Maestrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to advance smoothly. This was the Serbian’s first match since winning his 101st tour title in Athens last November. Throughout the match, he moved efficiently and struck cleanly, showing promising form early in the tournament.

“The first round was a night match, today was during the day, it felt like two completely different events, especially with the wind. I think the wind this year in Australia is stronger than any other year I’ve played here,” Djokovic said about the conditions. “I had to adjust and adapt while facing a different opponent with a strong serve. But overall, things went well, and I’m happy with my movement and shot execution.”

Djokovic achieved his 100th Australian Open match victory in the opening round. The first set took 47 minutes, during which he saved seven break points before clinching it. He maintained near-total control in baseline rallies and displayed dominant serving — winning 86% of his first serve points (43 out of 50).

Facing two break points in his first service game of the second set, Djokovic forced the 23-year-old qualifier into a forehand error. Before the match, the young player described competing against the 24-time Grand Slam champion as “one of the most exciting moments of my life.”

Currently, Djokovic is just one win away from his 400th Grand Slam match victory. If he defeats Van de Zandschulp in the next round, he will become the first player in history to reach 400 Grand Slam wins. However, Van de Zandschulp famously upset Djokovic at Indian Wells last year.

This marks Djokovic’s 21st appearance at Melbourne Park. According to the draw, he is projected to face Italy’s Musetti in the quarterfinals and defending champion Sinner in the semifinals. Musetti swept compatriot Sonego 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, matching his best Grand Slam performance of the season’s first major. Statistics show the fifth seed created 23 break point opportunities, converting six. The 23-year-old Musetti will face Czech player Machac in the next round.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)