Europe 1 with AFP 7:41 p.m., January 18, 2023

Eight French were in the running on Wednesday: three to join the third round, Clara Burel, Constant Lestienne, Corentin Moutet, without any success, and five to climb to the second. he was eliminated.

Humbert, Couacaud and Mannarino landed an extra round at the Australian Open, not Gasquet or Laurent Lokoli.

Couacaud, 191st in the world, treated himself to a gala evening: by beating the Bolivian Hugo Dellien (131st) 6-4, 7-5, 6-0, he opened the door to the Rod Laver court where he will face Thursday evening Novak Djokovic.

Passed by the qualifications, Couacaud participates for the first time at 27 in the main draw in Melbourne, where he plays the fourth Major of his career.

Yet crowned with a 16th ATP title last week which brought him up to 42nd ATP place and become number 1 tricolor again, Gasquet was powerless against Humbert (106th) who inflicted a severe 6-3, 6- 4, 6-3.

Humbert will face the American Denis Kudla (108th) in the next round.

For his part, Mannarino (45th) dominated the American giant John Isner (43rd) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (10/8), 6-2, 6-2.

The interruption on Tuesday was beneficial to the French who had lost the first round.

He will face the Australian Alex De Minaur (24th) on Thursday.

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It breaks for Gasquet, Lokoli, Burel, Moutet, Lestienne

Like Gasquet, Lokoli (175th) finally lost his first round match started the day before.

But he had a match point on Tuesday against the American Michael Mmoh (107th) before giving up Wednesday 4-6, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, 6-2.

Burel (130th) lost her second round match to Czech Barbora Krejcikova (23rd) 6-4, 6-1.

It was from qualifying.

Moutet (62nd) lost to Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo (29th) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5.

As for Lestienne (55th), he made life difficult for Briton Cameron Norrie (12th) for 3 hours 13 before giving up 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.

At 30, he played for the first time in his career the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.

The Frenchman managed to push Norrie to his limits by varying his shots a lot and hampering him with his slices, including in the forehand.

But the Briton finally had the last word.

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“I am mentally destroyed”

Diminished by a painful hip, defending champion Rafael Nadal was eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday in Melbourne, where world No.1 Iga Swiatek quietly qualified, on a new day. disturbed by rain.

"I couldn't hit backhand or run, but I wanted to finish the game. As the defending champion, I didn't want to give up," Rafael Nadal said minutes after limping off the beaten Rod Laver court. by American Mackenzie McDonald (65th) 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

Injured in the left hip since the end of the second set, the 36-year-old Spaniard only postponed an inevitable outcome as best he could, before confessing, in a very unusual fit of discouragement: "I am mentally destroyed" .