The Fort Worth Press - 'You pay my bills' and 'kick him out': Australian Open storylines

USD -
AED 3.67298
AFN 72.04561
ALL 90.426454
AMD 393.432155
ANG 1.790208
AOA 915.999514
ARS 1073.539026
AUD 1.662925
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.697767
BAM 1.784082
BBD 2.031653
BDT 122.253136
BGN 1.783472
BHD 0.376858
BIF 2990.649943
BMD 1
BND 1.345222
BOB 6.952794
BRL 5.8688
BSD 1.006157
BTN 85.842645
BWP 14.014139
BYN 3.292862
BYR 19600
BZD 2.021163
CAD 1.42256
CDF 2873.000253
CHF 0.852102
CLF 0.0249
CLP 955.539989
CNY 7.28155
CNH 7.319425
COP 4181.71
CRC 509.007982
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 100.583808
CZK 22.978968
DJF 179.18358
DKK 6.779725
DOP 63.5439
DZD 133.362103
EGP 51.122457
ERN 15
ETB 132.622212
EUR 0.908545
FJD 2.33545
FKP 0.774458
GBP 0.774045
GEL 2.749879
GGP 0.774458
GHS 15.595895
GIP 0.774458
GMD 71.511953
GNF 8707.867731
GTQ 7.765564
GYD 210.508552
HKD 7.76747
HNL 25.744128
HRK 6.846702
HTG 131.657925
HUF 370.294993
IDR 17107.05
ILS 3.786485
IMP 0.774458
INR 85.67875
IQD 1318.129989
IRR 42100.000231
ISK 131.650446
JEP 0.774458
JMD 158.686431
JOD 0.708901
JPY 145.790981
KES 129.302255
KGS 86.768798
KHR 4028.278221
KMF 450.497808
KPW 900
KRW 1464.820499
KWD 0.30762
KYD 0.838495
KZT 510.166477
LAK 21794.298746
LBP 90155.803877
LKR 298.335234
LRD 201.240593
LSL 19.187412
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.866591
MAD 9.582851
MDL 17.779704
MGA 4665.906499
MKD 55.945995
MMK 2099.820881
MNT 3508.612
MOP 8.055188
MRU 40.127708
MUR 45.169802
MVR 15.398803
MWK 1744.766249
MXN 20.65045
MYR 4.465959
MZN 63.909895
NAD 19.187412
NGN 1544.690307
NIO 37.026226
NOK 10.831075
NPR 137.348233
NZD 1.797835
OMR 0.384971
PAB 1.006249
PEN 3.697332
PGK 4.15325
PHP 57.403
PKR 282.466317
PLN 3.88355
PYG 8066.59065
QAR 3.667868
RON 4.521101
RSD 106.437007
RUB 84.490919
RWF 1450.034208
SAR 3.753164
SBD 8.316332
SCR 14.349108
SDG 600.552097
SEK 10.05059
SGD 1.346445
SHP 0.785843
SLE 22.749585
SLL 20969.501083
SOS 575.051311
SRD 36.646502
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.804561
SYP 13001.844432
SZL 19.194527
THB 34.5575
TJS 10.95252
TMT 3.5
TND 3.081231
TOP 2.342098
TRY 38.009301
TTD 6.815964
TWD 33.163798
TZS 2691.722
UAH 41.414641
UGX 3677.993158
UYU 42.563284
UZS 13000.684151
VES 70.161515
VND 25800
VUV 122.117563
WST 2.799576
XAF 598.364424
XAG 0.033482
XAU 0.00033
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.744173
XOF 598.364424
XPF 108.789054
YER 245.649928
ZAR 19.33705
ZMK 9001.195602
ZMW 27.896921
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    69.0200

    69.02

    +100%

  • CMSC

    0.0300

    22.29

    +0.13%

  • RYCEF

    -1.5500

    8.25

    -18.79%

  • VOD

    -0.8700

    8.5

    -10.24%

  • NGG

    -3.4600

    65.93

    -5.25%

  • BCC

    0.8100

    95.44

    +0.85%

  • RIO

    -3.7600

    54.67

    -6.88%

  • GSK

    -2.4800

    36.53

    -6.79%

  • CMSD

    0.1600

    22.83

    +0.7%

  • SCS

    -0.0600

    10.68

    -0.56%

  • RELX

    -3.2800

    48.16

    -6.81%

  • JRI

    -0.8600

    11.96

    -7.19%

  • BCE

    0.0500

    22.71

    +0.22%

  • BTI

    -2.0600

    39.86

    -5.17%

  • AZN

    -5.4600

    68.46

    -7.98%

  • BP

    -2.9600

    28.38

    -10.43%

'You pay my bills' and 'kick him out': Australian Open storylines
'You pay my bills' and 'kick him out': Australian Open storylines / Photo: © AFP

'You pay my bills' and 'kick him out': Australian Open storylines

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, ends on Sunday when defending champion Jannik Sinner faces Alexander Zverev for the men's title.

Text size:

AFP looks back on five memorable storylines from the past two weeks in Melbourne:

- Djokovic courts controversy -

Novak Djokovic refused to do post-match on-court interviews after a leading Australian television presenter called him a "has-been" and said: "Kick him out."

The 24-time Grand Slam champion labelled the comments "insulting and offensive" to him and Serbian fans.

The row soon blew over when broadcaster Tony Jones apologised, saying it had been "banter".

Djokovic's bid for a record-extending 11th Melbourne title ended in anti-climax when he retired injured from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev.

He was booed out of Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic said on the eve of the tournament that he was "poisoned" by lead and mercury in his food while held at a Melbourne hotel in 2022 before his deportation.

- Collins is pantomime villain -

Danielle Collins sarcastically thanked hecklers in the crowd for "paying my bills" after she defeated home player Destanee Aiava in three tense sets.

The 31-year-old American also blew kisses to the fiercely partisan crowd, cupped her ear and pointed to her backside.

"Bring it on. All I have to say is seriously, good luck trying to get under the skin of somebody that really doesn't care," she said.

Collins was booed in and out of the arena in losing in the third round to eventual champion Madison Keys.

- Teenage kicks -

Remember the names: Learner Tien, Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik.

The teenage trio gave a glimpse of a bright future in men's tennis as each defeated a top-10 player.

The 19-year-old American Tien went the furthest of the three in becoming the youngest man to reach the last 16 in Melbourne since Rafael Nadal in 2005.

He stunned last year's runner-up Daniil Medvedev in five sets in a late-night epic in the second round.

Brazilian Fonseca, 18, dumped out ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round.

Mensik, a 19-year-old Czech, stunned sixth seed Casper Ruud in the second round.

- Lucky, lucky loser -

Eva Lys had her bags packed and flight booked, having lost in qualifying.

But the 128th-ranked German hung about in the hope that a player would withdraw from the main draw, and Anna Kalinskaya did just that, giving Lys a lifeline.

The 23-year-old had just 10 minutes to get ready for her first-round match and still won it, going on to win twice more.

Lys was the first women's "lucky loser" to reach the fourth round since the event moved to Melbourne Park in 1988.

She was thrashed by Iga Swiatek but it was still "the nicest week in my life" and she departed $420,000 richer for her efforts. Her total career earnings to that point had been $798,000.

- Happy couple -

Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina will always remember the super Saturday in which both players stunned opponents ranked fourth in the world to reach the last 16.

The 38-year-old Frenchman Monfils beat Taylor Fritz, then on the same Margaret Court Arena he watched as his Ukrainian wife did the same to Jasmine Paolini.

"I warmed up the court for her," joked Monfils.

Svitolina said: "It's really a great day for us today, beating top-four players and playing great tennis."

M.Cunningham--TFWP