Coco Gauff ghosted and legality of Tsitsipas shot questioned – Aus Open overnight wrap

US Open champion Coco Gauff revealed she has been ghosted by her own tennis federation as she started her final Grand Slam as a teenager with a win. Stefanos Tsitsipas turned around his match with a stunning winner played on his opponent’s side of the net as temperatures soared on the second day of the Australian Open.

Classy Daniil Medvedev comforted his opponent after he retired in tears with cramp while the Wimbledon champion was knocked out by an inspired Ukrainian. A Chilean star lost a match after getting a point penalty when a ball fell out of his pocket.

The Australian Open boss has responded to criticism from Novak Djokovic over new crowd control rules this year. And his next Aussie opponent has appealed for home support in the second round.

Andy Murray is the only Brit in action today with the remaining five – Cam Norrie, Dan Evans, Jack Draper, Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu – are playing tomorrow. And British No.4 Draper will go into the first Major of the year with a brutal new haircut.

Coco who?

The American superstar has insisted her saying a USTA social media post meant to promote American players at the Australian Open had made them look “awful” was a joke.

But the 19-year-old has still not had a response from her home federation explaining the promotional cartoon on social media.

Gauff initially responded to the post, which has since been deleted by the USTA, in the U.S., in an Instagram story, saying: “Worst thing I’ve ever seen. Like a caricature artist decided to make (us) all look like hideous looking people. The art style is cool for a cartoon show but not for a hype post. Foul.”

After beating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-0 in her opening match, Gauff said her initial posts were meant to be funny but she restates that the image, which was in the style of the Wild Thornberrys cartoon, had made all the Americans look bad.

“People thought I was being serious, that I was actually mad with it,” she said. “And I realize TikTok humor is very different than Twitter. I was like, no, I wasn’t mad. We looked awful.

“I did DM the USTA account and I was, like, what was the thought process behind this, as a joke,” she said. “They never responded. I got left on read by USTA, which sucks. But, you know, it is what it is.”

Tsitsipas’ game-changer against lucky loser

Last year’s finalist lost the first set to Zizou Bergs before breaking the Belgium in his first service of the second set. The lucky loser, who replaced the injured Matteo Berrettini, played a high sliced backhand volley which dropped on the Greek’s side of the net and then span back over the net. No.7 seed Tsitispas had the speed and the presence of mind to reach over the net and hit a winner while Bergs looked at the umpire asking if it was legal. It was.

Tsitsipas said: “That shot was extraordinary – I don’t know I got to that shot. I think that point turned around the match.” The Greek went on to win 5-7 6-1 6-1 6-3.

Medvedev comforts his crying opponent.

French qualifier Terence Atmane broke down in tears after retiring from his Grand Slam debut with cramp. The world No.144 took the first set but was trailing 0-3 in the second when he started to struggle.

In the third set he was forced to serve underarm before he was given a time violation and then forfeited a game to rest – and was later hit with a code violation for smashing his racquet. At 5-7 6-2 6-4 0-1, the 22-year-old could not carry on and French-speaking Medvedev told him at the net: “If you keep playing like that, all the best tournaments are yours”.

Tsitsipas’ game-changer against lucky loser

Last year’s finalist lost the first set to Zizou Bergs before breaking the Belgium in his first service of the second set. The lucky loser, who replaced the injured Matteo Berrettini, played a high sliced backhand volley which dropped on the Greek’s side of the net and then span back over the net. No.7 seed Tsitispas had the speed and the presence of mind to reach over the net and hit a winner while Bergs looked at the umpire asking if it was legal. It was.

Tsitsipas said: “That shot was extraordinary – I don’t know I got to that shot. I think that point turned around the match.” The Greek went on to win 5-7 6-1 6-1 6-3.

Medvedev comforts his crying opponent.

French qualifier Terence Atmane broke down in tears after retiring from his Grand Slam debut with cramp. The world No.144 took the first set but was trailing 0-3 in the second when he started to struggle.

In the third set he was forced to serve underarm before he was given a time violation and then forfeited a game to rest – and was later hit with a code violation for smashing his racquet. At 5-7 6-2 6-4 0-1, the 22-year-old could not carry on and French-speaking Medvedev told him at the net: “If you keep playing like that, all the best tournaments are yours”.

Ukrainian reveals motivation behind Marketa Vondrousova win

The Czech No.7 seed was a shock winner at Wimbledon but she was thrashed by Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-1 6-2.

Yastremska said: “I’m very proud of Ukraine, proud of the people, proud of the warriors and just the civilians.

“When I was in Brisbane, before my match the rocket arrived on my grandmother’s house so it was pretty hard to play, but I think we just need to remember about it and give as much support as possible to Ukraine. I’m proud to be Ukrainian.”

Tournament organiser defends new fan policy

Novak Djokovic angrily told one fan to “shut the **** up” and was generally not happy about the crowd during his four-hour win over Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic – his longest ever first round match.

Told fans were being allowed to their seats during games – and not waiting for the changeovers – the Serb said: “It’s hard, I must say. I understand that and I support it to some extent, but at the same time all my career, all my life I’ve been used to some kind of atmosphere. When that changes, it kind of messes up, distracts you a bit.”

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley told holst broadcaster Channel Nine today: “”We’ve got to go on a bit of a journey, with the players and with the fans. We’ve been doing it in the upper bowl of the stadiums now for years, and we just want to bring it down to the lower bowls. Obviously you’ve got to use discretion, you don’t want to just be running into the stands. That’s a disruption.

“We’re leaving the gates open and we’re having our front of house staff manage getting people in and out.

“The majority of players will be fine with it – there will be some that it will be distracting, but we’ll work with that.”

Djokovic next faces the Aussie world No.43

Alexei Popyrin beat local boy Marc Polmans 6-3 7-6 6-2 in an Aussie derby. Polmans wore a legionnaires hat to keep away the sun – and did a group of his fans – but he could not stand in the heat in the second match in the John Cain Arena over lunchtime.

Popyrin admitted he grew up idolising the 24-time Grand Slam singles champion but added: “I’ll need the crowd on my side for the whole match. Hopefully you guys can come out and support me like you did today.

“That will be amazing. Looking forward to playing him – I’ve known him since I was a kid. And I’ve watched him play since I was a kid. I last played him when I was 19. I’ve improved since then.”

Chilean ball-breaker

Nicolas Jarry and Flavio Cobolli were locked at 5-5 the fifth set when a ball fell out of the Chilean’s pocket during a rally for the second time in the match – and he was hit with a point penalty.

From being 30-0, the score moved to 30-15 before an unforced error from No.18 seed Jarry made it 30-30.

Two more balls into the net saw the Italian triumph 6-4 3-6 6-3 2-6 7-5 – and Jarry smash his racquet into the court in fury.

Draper wants to be a cut above the rest

The British No.4 hopes his “atrocious” new Aussie-style mohican mullet will get him home support Down Under.

And the British pack have sworn to get the same severe cut if the world No.55 wins his first Major title at the Australian Open.

The big left-hander, 22, is trending in the right direction after following his best ever Grand Slam showing in New York – where he reached the fourth round – by reaching his first two ATP Tour finals.

But the big talking point before his second Australian Open appearance is his drastic new hairstyle for the new season.

Draper, who faces American Marcos Giron in the first round on Tuesday, lost the Adelaide International final on Saturday

“Some people might say it’s atrocious but I’d say it’s bold, isn’t it?” he laughed. “I saw a barber last week in Adelaide. And they did it and my coach (James Trotman) was like: ‘It looks like they faded it much better, it looks good’. I said to him, ‘It’s not bold enough’. So I went to a Turkish barbers here (Melbourne) and you know they’ll do the job all right.

I might get a few more fans here because of it. I like to be different and express myself. I think that’s part of tennis, right , expressing your game on the court. And I think I’m a bit different in that aspect.”