Two big Grand Slam rematches are set for Melbourne Park, both from U.S. Opens past: Defending champion Naomi Osaka vs. Coco-Gauff and Roger Federer vs. John Millman.
Osaka beat Gauff in the third round at last year's U.S. Open, prompting tears from the 15-year-old American. Less than five months later, they'll meet in the third round again.
“I think I'll be less nervous this time,” Gauff said after her second-round win. "We're both familiar with each other's games. She plays really aggressive. This time coming in I'm going to be more aggressive."
Federer was beaten in the fourth round by Millman at the 2018 U.S. Open, a match played in high humidity and extreme temperatures. The two have played since — last year at Halle when Federer won in straight sets. But the 20-time major winner hasn't forgotten the conditions that night in New York when he lost to the unheralded Aussie.
"I don't know anything remotely close," Federer recounted.
“I was just happy it was over. I never had that. (Usually) I would rather go back in time, if I could play that match again, but I don't have that feeling about that match.”
In other key women's matches, 23-time major winner Serena Williams plays Wang Qiang and top-seeded Ash Barty takes on Elena Rybakina.
Seven-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic meets his second Japanese player in a row when he takes on Yoshihito Nishioka, and Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Milos Raonic.
FRIDAY'S FORECAST
Partly cloudy, high of 23 Celsius (73 Fahrenheit)
THURSDAY'S WEATHER
Rain delayed play on outside courts, then muddy courts from an overnight dust storm and rain delayed play on most of the side courts until mid-afternoon. Six men's doubles and seven women's doubles matches were postponed. High temperature of 22 Celsius (72 Fahrenheit).
THURSDAY'S KEY RESULTS
Men's second round: No. 1 Rafael Nadal beat Federico Delbonis 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-1; No. 4 Daniil Medvedev beat Pedro Martinez 7-5, 6-1, 6-3; No. 5 Dominic Thiem beat Alex Bolt 6-2, 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-2; No. 7 Alexander Zverev beat Egor Gerasimov 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-5; No. 10 Gaels Monfils beat Ivo Karlovic 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5; No. 11 David Goffin beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-3; No. 15 Stan Wawrinka beat Andreas Seppi 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; No. 16 Karen Khachanov beat Mikael Ymer 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8); No. 19 John Isner beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; No. 23-Nick Kyrgios beat Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; No. 29 Taylor Fritz beat Kevin Anderson 4-6, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-2.
Women's second round: No. 2 Karolina Pliskova beat Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3; No. 4-Simona Halep beat Harriet Dart 6-2, 6-4; No. 5 Elina Svitolina beat Lauren Davis 6-2, 7-6 (6); No. 6 Belinda Bencic beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 7-5; No. 9 Kiki Bertens beat Arina Rodionova 6-3, 7-5; No. 17 Angelique Kerber beat Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-2; CiCi Bellis beat No. 20 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-4; Yulia Putintseva beat No. 26-Danielle Collins 6-4, 2-6, 7-5; No. 30 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Taylor Townsend 7-5, 7-6 (1); Garbine Muguruza beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
STAT OF THE DAY: 2 — years since 20-year-old CiCi Bellis was fit enough to play at a major. She's had four operations on her arm and is ranked 600th. Now she's beaten a seeded player to reach the third round at Melbourne Park.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I apologized as soon as I went back into the locker room. They don't deserve that. They do a lot of things for me on and off the court. No, it's not acceptable from me. Nothing to do with them.” Kyrgios on his court-side remarks directed at his support team during the third set against Simon.
