Routliffe Advances Amid Heat at Australian Open
Erin Routliffe has made significant progress in the Australian Open, partnering with American Asia Muhammad. The duo reached the third round after defeating Shuko Aoyama from Japan and Poland’s Magda Linette in an intense match.
Match Details
The second-round matchup lasted 2 hours and 29 minutes. Despite delays caused by heat, the match did not reach the peak temperature of 40 degrees. The score was 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 in favor of Routliffe and Muhammad.
Set Breakdown
- First Set: Routliffe and Muhammad started strong, leading 3-1 after breaking Linette’s serve. A subsequent service break from Routliffe allowed Aoyama and Linette to make a comeback. The set proceeded to a tiebreak, which the sixth-seeded pair won 7-3.
- Second Set: Aoyama and Linette gained an advantage by breaking Muhammad’s serve and later Routliffe’s, leading 5-2. Although Aoyama dropped her serve, Linette maintained hers to win the set 6-4.
- Final Set: The last set saw an early break of Linette’s serve. After some strong holds, Routliffe and Muhammad were up 4-2. Despite a drop in serve, Routliffe quickly regained the advantage, finishing the match with a decisive 6-3.
Future Outlook
This Australian Open marks the first Grand Slam for Routliffe and Muhammad as a team. They will face Ena Shibahara from Japan and Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva in the upcoming third round. Their performance will be crucial as they aim for a spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
