Australian Open 2018: Men's Day 4 review

Day 4 featured the remaining second round matches.

Novak Djokovic beat Gael Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Monfils started well and won the first set. With temperatures reaching 39° C, the heat took it's toll as both players sprayed errors in the first set. Djokovic took advantage as the Frenchman started to struggle midway through the second set.

Monfils had to take a medical timeout after losing the second set as he was feeling dizzy. Monfils wilted in the third set. However, he put up more of a fight in the fourth set even saving three match points. The two players combined for 105 unforced errors and 26 double faults.

Federer victorious

Roger Federer advanced to the third round with a straight-sets victory over Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(4). Federer glided through the first two sets. The hard-hitting German still had Federer scrambling with his hard and deep shots, many of which Federer dumped into the net. Federer broke Struff once in each set without facing a break point of his own.

The Swiss maestro was serving well firing down 17 aces in the match. He was broken in the fourth game of the third set. Until that game, Federer had lost only 11 points on his serve as he had 5-0 games in the first two sets. Federer immediately broke back but again faced a break point in his next service game which he was able to hold.

As in his first round match, Federer had a few unenforced errors and missed some regulation shots. He will face French veteran, Richard Gasquet in the third round.

Fellow Swiss, Stan Wawrinka, was knocked out in straight sets 2-6, 1-6, 4-6 in one of the day’s biggest upsets. The ninth seed never looked comfortable against American Tennys Sandgren and appeared to be having some pain in his knee.

David Goffin, the seventh seed, was upset by French journeyman Julien Benneteau in four sets 6-1, 6-7(5), 1-6, 6-7(4). In another upset, 13th seed, Sam Querrey, was knocked out by Marton Fucsovics, also in four sets 4-6, 6-7(6), 6-4, 2-6.

Alexander Zverev advanced in four sets over Peter Gojowczyk while Dominic Thiem came back from two sets down to win in five against Denis Kudla 6-7(6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Juan Martin Del Potro beat Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-7(0), 6-4.

Tomas Berdych also advanced in four sets by beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. Hyeon Chung beat Daniil Medvedev 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-1. Fernando Verdasco was beaten in five sets by Maximilian Marterer 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6.