'HAD TO GO DOCTOR'S OFFICE TO GET MEDS': AROUND THE PRESSERS, AO DAY 3

Day 3 wrapped up the end of first-round matches. So, what was being said in the pressers?

Amanda Anisimova and Emma Raducanu both made it through their early matches and will play each other in the second-round. They were asked similar questions about reaching success at a young age.

Anisimova responded: "I think there are a lot of lessons that I had to learn. You grow up very quickly, but at the same time, I feel like that really prepares you for your career. We both have so much ahead of us. At the same time, we're very young, and we have so much experience, so I feel like that serves us with a lot of positives."

Raducanu was equally forthright in her response.

"I think there are challenges in the sense of obviously you get a lot of attention. Maybe certain decisions are judged or what you're doing is potentially criticised," she said.

"At the same time, I feel like it's given us a great platform to be able to have opportunities, to be able to invest in our team, to be able to enjoy playing on big courts, for example."

Matteo Berrettini made the semi-finals here three years ago and spoke about where his level is compared to 2022.

"Today I think I played a really good match. My backhand I think is better than three years ago. My return is better than three years ago. There is still room for improvement, luckily, and it's just a matter of time and matches and opportunities to play against the best players in the world," the former Wimbledon finalist said.

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Taylor Fritz was completely untroubled in his encounter with American compatriot Jenson Brooksby. Fritz is now entrenched in the top-five, and is looking for more success this season.

"I think the general goal right now is to have just big results at the big tournaments. I would like to win a big title this year," he shared.

"I would really want to be in another Slam final. The goal is to win, but another opportunity at winning a Slam would be great."

While Fritz was on and off the court before he’d raised a sweat, Holger Rune had to battle five sets to get past Zhang Zhizhen. However, he doesn’t see that as an issue at the start of the tournament.

"Good to start the tournament with a long match. I think you get a lot of rallies, you get a lot of rhythm. I played a lot, so that's a nice feeling," the Dane said.

"Physically I know I'm going to recover for next match. So that's not going to be a problem."

Aussie Kimberly Birrell was due to play Anna Kalinskaya, but the Russian pulled out moments before the match, giving lucky loser, Eva Lys the chance to play.

For Birrell, she admitted that the change of opponent threw her off totally.

"I had prepared to play Anna. She's a really amazing player. I knew that I was in for a battle against her, and I had done my research and spoke a lot with my team. Unfortunately, that isn't who I faced today," she said.

"Then to find out that she withdrew and that I was playing someone completely different, it did rattle me, unfortunately. I take responsibility for not handling that, and credit to her."

In one of the most entertaining matches of the day, 38-year-old Gaël Monfils got over the line in a five-set epic against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

Monfils overcame Perricard’s huge serve, but admitted it’s one of the best on tour.

"He is one of the top servers that you face, and now he is in the category of Reilly (Opelka), John (Isner), Ivo (Karlović), Milos (Raonic)," he said.

"His serve is two points. Of course, it's a bullet, his first serve, but [the] stand out [is] this category is because his second serve is crazy good. He is I think even better than those guys."

Daniil Medvedev had an almighty scare, taken to five sets by relatively unknown Thai player, Kasidit Samrej.

Medvedev has come agonisingly close to winning the Australian Open, and is unequivocal about using his near misses as motivation.

"100 per cent, big motivation. It's finally the tournament I like, the tournament I can play well in, because I played some of my best matches here," the three-time runner-up said.

"To be honest, the two finals I lost against Rafa and Jannik, I was playing unbelievable tennis. Maybe the tennis that I don't play every time.

"It's a great motivation to try again, have the final, try to do better, be in two sets to love up. I will take it again and just try to finish it three, four, five sets, doesn't matter.

"Big motivation to try to get the title, for sure."

Seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam, Alexei Popyrin failed to capitalise on a favourable path to the round of 32 as he suffered a shock exit.

The No.25 seed revealed afterwards that niggling injuries and sickness didn't help the result.

"Throughout the week I have had little niggles, had abdominal niggles," said Popyrin.

"I've been sick for four days. Still am sick. Had to go to the doctor's office today to get some meds. It's not an excuse, nothing like that for me.

"I'm disappointed with the way I played. I take full responsibility with the way that I played, and, it was shocking. It was really bad. And I know I can do better."

But the big story of the day was at Margaret Court Arena, as Brazilian sensation João Fonseca blew away ninth-seed Andrey Rublev in a scarily dominant showing.

The 18-year-old star, who had to get through qualifying to be in the main draw, this is only the beginning.

"I think when I arrived here, my first goal was to qualify for the main draw," he said. "Of course, my expectations are bigger now. I want more and more.

"I'm very happy with the way that I played today with the win, but I already think about the next match. It's going to be a good one against a very great player [Lorenzo Sonego].

"[I] want more and more. I think that's the mentality of the champion. So I'm just trying to think about the next match."

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