DEMON ADVANCES AT ‘SECOND HOME SLAM’; DASHA OVERCOMES ‘NERVOUS’ VOMITING

(Getty/Kirill Kudryavtsev)

Few tennis players get the privilege of playing in a home Grand Slam. For Alex de Minaur, he almost feels it twice per year.

The Australian No.1 won through to round two of Wimbledon in front of a huge support box and a near full-Australian Court 18 crowd at the All-England Club.

“It definitely feels like a second home Slam for me,” the Aussie said after a 6-2 6-2 7-6 win over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.

“I spend a fair bit of time here when the tournament's not on, so it just feels quite natural,” de Minaur, who is engaged to Brit Katie Boulter, said.

“And whenever [I play in] Europe, it's a lot easier for friends, family to kind of visit and come watch…it's a great feeling to have.”

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De Minaur had his mother and three siblings courtside today; something he doesn’t often get, and it makes it extra special.

“This is probably the first time this year that they're all together," he revealed.

“My mum has started travelling more frequently and she tries to make most of the slams. My siblings, it's a little bit more of a rare occasion that they come out.

“So, the whole family's out here, which is pretty cool and pretty special.”

The Aussie earned his 13th consecutive victory in the opening round of majors and broke a run of consecutive losses from Roland Garros and Queens.

Kasatkina overcomes pre-match ‘nervous’ vomit

Daria Kasatkina’s first-round clash ended in style with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Emiliana Arango, but that’s not exactly how it began.

The Aussie was struggling from serious nerves before the match, causing her to vomit beside Court 14 just before stepping on.

“Five metres from the court, the little accident happened — completely out of nerves… but then, as soon as I stepped on court, it was much better,” Kasatkina told the media.

“I was actually happy that it happened before I got on court… I felt lighter before going to work.”

Kasatkina spoke openly about her experiences with nerves and how she attempts to overcome them in matches.

“I’ve been through a lot of years on tour, plus junior career, when I sometimes felt even more nervous than I do now…with experience, playing tons of matches, you get used to it a little bit," she insightfully shared.

“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves by ourselves…and it doesn’t help. But sometimes, it’s just how it is.”

“We’re humans…we’re working hard, we want to achieve big things, and when not everything’s going our way, we’re getting frustrated and nervous. That’s how our mental system works.

“There’s no 100 per cent exit, no particular recipe…breathing helps a lot, thinking positively helps, but sometimes it’s just how we are.”

The Australian advances to the Wimbledon second round for the seventh time and maintains her perfect record in the opening week of majors this year (now 7-0).

Hijikata scores ‘unexpected’ maiden Wimbledon win

Rinky Hijikata made light work of the experienced David Goffin, cruising to a 6-3 6-1 6-1 victory: his first at the All England Club.

Hijikata revealed he was somewhat shocked by the result, having not taken confidence from his recent hitting sessions, including a particularly tough session against Alex de Minaur.

“A little bit unexpected, to be honest, considering I feel like I haven't been practising all that well and I haven't been able to find a good rhythm the last few weeks,” Hijikata shared.

The surprising part to the Australian was the comfort which he felt during the match, dropping just five games to record his sixth win at a major.

“It's pretty rare to have a match like that where it's all kind of smooth sailing,” Hijikata said.

“To come out and put on a performance like that, I’m pretty happy.”

The Aussie will now face big-serving American Ben Shelton, seeking to beat a top-25 player for the first time (previously 0-18).

Vukic sets up Sinner clash

It’s been an up-and-down season for Aleksander Vukic, playing below his 2024 level, but the Aussie earned a hard-fought win on Tuesday at Wimbledon.

“It was good to win one of these matches where you have to dig a little deep and find a way,” Vukic said.

Defeating Chun Hsin Tseng 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 in the peak of the London heat, the 29-year-old set up a second-round meeting with world no.1 Jannik Sinner on Thursday.

“He’s not bad,” Vukic said when asked if he’s heard of his next opponent.

Having played Carlos Alcaraz this time last year, Vukic is well aware of the challenge and knows that this surface gives him a relative edge.

“Grass is such a different surface. No one moves amazing on it, so that’s probably where I’ll have more of an advantage than the previous times I’ve played him on hard court.”

“I’ve really got nothing to lose, so I’ve just got to play well, serve well, and give it a crack.”

After Sinner earned a straight sets victory on Wimbledon’s secondary court today, he’ll likely return to Centre Court on Thursday, but not if Vukic gets his preference.

“Maybe I’ll request Court 18, see how he does out there.”

Five Aussie campaigns come to an end on Tuesday

Adam Walton suffered a five-set defeat to talented Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, whilst James McCabe in straight sets went down in his Wimbledon debut.

Maya Joint – after little practice and time at Wimbledon following her Eastbourne triumph over the weekend – fell to 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova.

Priscilla Hon’s Wimbledon debut ended at the hands of Ekaterina Alexandrova, 2-6 5-7, after Hon led 4-1 in the second set.

Alex Bolt, seeking the best win of his career, pushed 10th seed Ben Shelton, but went down 4-6 6-7 6-7.

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