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| - Defending champion Sofia Kenin exited the Australian Open in tears on Thursday as world number one Ashleigh Barty negotiated a sticky moment to reach the third round. Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas also survived a five-set marathon with Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis, a close friend of showman Nick Kyrgios, to maintain his hopes of a first major win. With Rafael Nadal resuming his quest for the all-time Grand Slam titles record later, Kenin and Barty topped the day-time bill -- but their matches had very different outcomes. Self-imposed pressure has weighed heavily on Kenin, 22, the world number four who was defending a Grand Slam title for the first time. And after an emotional first-round win over wildcard Maddison Inglis, Kenin met her match in the in-form Estonian Kaia Kanepi, who ousted the American 6-3, 6-2. "I know I couldn't really handle the pressure," said an emotional and red-eyed Kenin, who wiped away tears during her press conference. "I mean, obviously I haven't experienced that. I obviously felt like I'm not there 100 percent physically, mentally, my game. Everything just feels real off. It's not good." While Kenin became just the third defending champion since 1970 to fail to reach the third round, Barty further lifted hopes of a first Australian winner since 1978. Playing with her left thigh heavily strapped, the top seed twice failed to serve out the win before ousting her 387th-ranked compatriot Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 7-6 (9/7). Barty, who is unbeaten in seven matches after sitting out nearly all of last year, blamed the lapse on ring-rust. "I haven't played a lot of tennis over the last 12 months. Obviously going to have ebbs and flows not only in concentration but level of play as well," said the Aussie, dismissing any injury concerns. "This isn't very subtle," Barty said, referring to her large bandage. "I'm as fit as a fiddle." Elsewhere, world number 192 Mackenzie McDonald beat Borna Coric 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to hand the Croatian 22nd seed the biggest upset of his career. McDonald, 25, became the lowest-ranked tour-level winner against Coric, a US Open quarter-finalist last year, and reaches a Grand Slam third round for only the second time. Later, Tsitsipas was not expected to be troubled by 267th-ranked Kokkinakis but the Aussie, roared on by Kyrgios, saved a fourth-set match point before going down 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4. "He is a great competitor, a great fighter and it was very difficult facing him today. He has a great serve and all the weapons from the baseline," said Greece's Tsitsipas. "Was a hell of a day." Spain's Feliciano Lopez, 39, was also taken five sets in his record-extending 75th consecutive Grand Slam before beating Italy's Lorenzo Sonego 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic had few problems in beating American Danielle Collins, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park two years ago, 7-5, 6-2. Swiss 12th seed Belinda Bencic was pushed harder by veteran Russian Svetlana Kutznetsova before coming through 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in 2hr 39min. And Russian rising star Andrey Rublev maintained his unbeaten start to the year with a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) victory over Brazil's Thiago Monteiro. Later Thursday, Nadal will test his sore back again as he chases a record 21st Grand Slam crown. The ailing Spanish second seed had to modify his service action during a straight-sets cruise past Serbia's Laslo Djere in the first round. He will round off the night session on Rod Laver Arena against American qualifier Michael Mmoh, having never lost a match at the Australian Open to a player ranked as low as the world number 177. Before that match, teenage sensation Coco Gauff is looking for her latest big-name scalp in the prime-time evening slot on Rod Laver Arena. The potential victim this time is Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina, who will be all too aware that last year Gauff, then 15, knocked out Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka on her way to the fourth round. th/dh
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