After winning the first set in a tie-break, Saville went down 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 5-7, and she was still feeling the pain on Tuesday morning.

“Yesterday hurt. This morning it still hurts,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Struggling to come up with anything positive to say about my performance except for fighting real hard in the end.

“Thanks to everyone who came and supported me and I’m really sorry but hey … at least I’m healthy and woke up feeling half decent.”

11.15AM: AUS OPEN BOSS RESPONDS TO ‘WOKE’ BARB

Jordan Thompson on Monday night slammed the Australian Open as the ‘wokest tournament ever’ for allowing a controversial new rule change which allowed fans to move around at the end of games – rather than the change of ends.

And, on Tuesday, Australian Open boss Craig Tiley returned serve, saying the move was made to avoid the ‘worst situation’ for fans.

“It just disrupts everyone’s rhythm,” a fired-up Thompson said after his round-one win.

“If someone is walking out the back and you are throwing the ball (for the) toss-up it is impossible to see because you have got a moving person behind it.

“It is in my opinion not good.”

World No.1 Novak Djokovic was another vocal critic of the increased crowd movement.

When asked specifically about Thompson’s ‘woke’ comments and criticism from players, Tiley defended the decision and said there’d been ‘no rule change’.

“What we’ve said is we want fans to sit in their seats when play is on – that’s the expectation coming into the stadium and that’s always been the case. And that hasn’t changed this year either,” Tiley told Channel 9.

“What we have done is try to get their fans into their seats quicker – the worst situation you can have as a fan is waiting outside the stadium for three games, for five games, you could be waiting for up to 20-30 minutes before you get in.

“We don’t want that for the fans either.

“There’s been no rule change other than trying to get the fans into the stadium as quickly as possible.

“The fans know, that come and watch tennis, when you’re in your seat the idea is not to disrupt play.”

11.00AM: DAY TWO UNDERWAY AT MELBOURNE PARK

The first matches are about to get underway this morning, with Australia’s Olivia Gadecki facing a stiff challenge on John Cain Arena against American Sloane Stephens.

Women’s 14th seed Daria Kasatkina is also up against an American, with Peyton Stearns her first-up opponent.

In the men’s, Australian James McCabe will be looking to join the likes of Alex de Minaur, Chris O’Connell and Alexei Popyrin in the second round when he takes on American Alex Michelsen.

Later tonight, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ajla Tomljanovic will fly the Aussie flag through until the early evening.

10.40AM: THE END? TENNIS GREAT’S SAD ADMISSION

– AFP

Five-time finalist Andy Murray said Monday there was a “definite possibility” that he has played his final Australian Open after slumping out at the first hurdle.

The 36-year-old put up stiff resistance in a 61-minute first set against Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry, but the 30th seed slowly ground him down to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

Murray had a frustrating end to 2023, winning just one match in his last four tournaments, and said previously that unless his form picked up the curtain could be coming down on his career.

“Yeah, it’s a definite possibility that will be the last time I play here,” he said.

“In comparison to the matches that I played here last year, it’s the complete opposite feeling walking off the court. Wish I involved the crowd more. Just disappointed with the way I played. Tough, tough way to finish.”

10.15AM: NADAL TAKES SAUDI CASH AMID SPORTWASHING CRITICISM

– AFP

Rafael Nadal was named ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation on Monday, as the Gulf kingdom aims to host more professional tournaments as part of a broader sports push.

“Everywhere you look in Saudi Arabia, you can see growth and progress and I’m excited to be part of that,” the 37-year-old Spaniard, winner of 22 Grand Slams, said in a federation press release.

“I continue to play tennis as I love the game. But beyond playing I want to help the sport grow far and wide across the world and in Saudi there is real potential.”

Nadal was due to feature in the ongoing Australian Open having been out of the game since injuring his hip at the 2023 edition.

After winning his opening two matches at the warm-up event in Brisbane, however, to tore a muscle and was forced to miss the first grand slam of the year.

Sport is a major component of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a tourism and business hub while transitioning the world’s biggest crude oil exporter away from fossil fuels.

Saudi Arabia has lured football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to play in the Saudi Pro League, hosted heavyweight bouts and funded the upstart LIV Golf tour to take on the PGA Tour.

The kingdom has also been named host of the 2034 World Cup.

But Saudi Arabia has been accused by its critics of “sportswashing” by using sport to improve its international reputation after widespread criticism for its human rights and environmental record.

9.50AM: ZVEREV SET TO FACE TRIAL IN GERMANY

German tennis player Alexander Zverev is set to go on public trial in May over allegations he allegedly assaulted former partner Brenda Patea in 2020.

News of the hearing broke ahead of the current six-seed at the Australian Open’s first round match against fellow German Dominik Koepfer.

Zverev has been “accused of physically abusing a woman and damaging her health during an argument” in Berlin over three years ago.

Zverev, the sixth seed at Melbourne Park, begins his Australian Open tournament on Margaret Court Arena tonight against countryman Dominik Koepfer.

9.30AM: MCENROE SLAMS ‘LAUGHABLE’ MONEY-GRABBING PLOY

Tennis legend John McEnroe has hit out at suggestions Saudi Arabia could host this year’s WTA Finals – calling the move ‘laughable’ as he pointed out the Petrostate’s questionable treatment of women.

Jeddah will host the ATP Next Gen Finals until 2027, and it has been speculated that more tournaments are on the radar of the oil-rich nation.

McEnroe, who is in Australia to commentate on the Australian Open, has also seen reports that Saudi Arabia is eager to purchase high-profile tennis tournaments the Miami Open and Madrid Open, and was not afraid to voice his opinion on that development.

“It wouldn’t shock me,” McEnroe told ESPN prior to the tournament starting.

“Let’s put it this way: money talks. ‘Oh, no, I wouldn’t do that. How much was I offered? On second thought maybe I will do that.’

The move that truly offends McEnroe is that of moving the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia.

“Personally, I disagree with it completely, with the golf and the tennis,”

“The ladies are going to play the WTA Finals there? Are you kidding me?

“Because they treat women so well? That part is to me laughable.

“At the same time, which is also laughable, is the people that can criticise tennis players or golfers for doing something that virtually every business and the government do, which is deal with Saudi Arabia.

“This idea that tennis players have to set the moral standard, or golfers for that matter, when they’re all making the money, it’s a total joke as far as I’m concerned. We’ll see what happens.”

One player who went on record recently as having touted the positives of a LIV Golf-style tennis breakaway tournament was controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios.

“I would have been the first one to jump off. I would have gone. I would have just let the ATP ship sink,” Kyrgios told the Athletic of a hypothetical Saudi-backed tour.

9.00AM: RADUCANU RETURNS, IGA’S OMINOUS THREAT

Women’s world number one Iga Swiatek is in imperious form, with 16 straight wins under her belt, including five at the recent United Cup. She begins her Australian open journey today, as Emma Raducanu makes her grand slam comeback from injury.

The Polish player, 22, opens her account with a rematch of the 2020 Roland Garros final against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, which Swiatek won.

“It was nice to play some high-quality matches against the top players (at the United Cup),” said Swiatek, who has never gone past the fourth round in Melbourne.

“I realised that I’m feeling pretty confident, a little bit better than last year. Hopefully this feeling is going to stay with me.”

Last year’s beaten finalist Elena Rybakina, fresh from winning the Brisbane International, takes on former world number one Karolina Pliskova.

Fifth seed Jessica Pegula is also in action and two-time champion Victoria Azarenka faces Italy’s Camila Giorgi.

Former US Open champion Raducanu, now ranked a lowly 296, is an unknown quantity after an eight-month layoff.

The British player stunned the tennis world when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021 as a qualifier but only on one other occasion has she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

However, she is confident she can recover her best form after a frustrating period.

“I think my level, to be honest, is just too good not to come through if I put consistent work together.”

8.45AM: ALCARAZ KEEN TO TOPPLE RLA KING

– AFP

Carlos Alcaraz is the headline acts in the men’s draw on day three of the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Wimbledon champion Alcaraz is vying with Novak Djokovic for the coveted number one spot during the tournament at Melbourne Park.

The Spaniard, 20, edged the Serbian great in a thrilling final at the All England Club last year to win his second major.

Since that meeting at Wimbledon world number one Djokovic, a 10-time winner in Melbourne, has come out on top twice against his young opponent, including at the ATP Finals in November.

But Alcaraz, who missed last year’s Australian Open with a hamstring injury, is undaunted as he prepares for his first match against veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

He said the challenge of toppling Djokovic – king of Rod Laver Arena – gave him “extra motivation”.

“I always want to play against the best players in the world to see what my level is,” he said.

“Obviously it’s a good test, playing against him in the places or in the tournament that he’s almost unbeaten.

“Yeah, I am looking to reach the final and hopefully playing a final against him. It would be great, obviously.”

Elsewhere, sixth seed Alexander Zverev makes his bow while Grigor Dimitrov launches his campaign fresh from a title success in Brisbane.

8.30AM: ‘NO REGRETS’ FOR OSAKA AFTER FIRST-ROUND EXIT

Naomi Osaka said she had no regrets and had done “the best that I could possibly do” after her Grand Slam comeback came to an abrupt halt at the Australian Open on Monday.

A single break proved enough for French 16th seed Caroline Gracia to win the opening set against her rusty opponent before dominating a second set tie-break to win 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) in the first round.

Japanese star Osaka, who has won four Grand Slams, stepped away from tennis in September 2022, citing mental health concerns.

After giving birth to a baby girl, Shai, in July, she decided to return for the 2024 season.

“I felt like I did the best that I could possibly do. It was just really nice to be on Rod Laver again, hear the audience, how much they interacted with the match. That was fun,” she said.

“Of course I have to tell myself, ‘Hey, like six months ago you were pregnant’, stuff like that. Of course, there’s a voice in my head that is, ‘Who are you to think you can come back and immediately start winning matches?’

“I don’t know. I kind of always expect myself to stand a chance anyways. So I guess just being nicer to myself is like a key thing that I learned in my time away.”

Originally published as Australian Open 2024 day 3: Latest news, results and highlights from Melbourne Park