Max Purcell is better known for his doubles results, but the Aussie came close to reaching the third round of the 2024 Australian Open after posting a 93 against Norway’s Kasper Ruud.

Max PurcellPhoto: Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire/AP/Profimedia

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Max Purcell knocked out by Casper Ruud after a dramatic match

The 2022 Wimbledon doubles champion (also played in two Australian Open finals in 2020 and 2022), Purcell has also started to climb the singles rankings and is currently ranked 45th.

Purcell had a big match against Ruud (11th seed / three-time Grand Slam finalist) but lost after almost four hours of play, 6-3, (5)6-7, 6-3, 3 -6, 7-6 (7).

Max made 93(!) game-winning shots in that game (only 44 to Casper), but he also made far more unforced errors (65-19).

Oleksandr Zverev, seriously tortured by Lukas Klein, is ranked 163 in the world

Lucas Klein (163 ATP) found himself in a similar situation to the Australian. In the match against Oleksandr Zverev, the Slovak hit 80 decisive shots, but also made 83 unforced errors.

The favorite of the 6 events in Melbourne, the German won after a dramatic match (4 hours 37 minutes), the score 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(7).

“Honestly, until today I did not know him, I had never seen him. If he had been in the same room with me before the match, I wouldn’t have known he was my opponent. But he played extremely well.

I’d rather win in an hour and a half. He was hitting every ball as hard as he could on both sides and I didn’t know what to do. He probably deserved to win today more than I did, but that’s how tennis works sometimes” – Oleksandr Zverev.

Also on Thursday, Cameron Norrie (19 favourite) made a comeback after Italy’s Giulio Zeppieri (133 ATP) led 2-0 in sets. The Brit won after three and a half hours of play with a score of 3-6, (4)6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Australian Open 2024 will be held from January 14 to 28. The reigning champions are Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenko.

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