João Sousa leaves Portugal without representatives at the Australian Open
João Sousa, 140th player in the world, was this Friday eliminator in the last qualifying round for the Australian Open in tennis, so Portugal will not have a representative in the main event.
The 17th seed of the qualifying series lost to Moldovan Radu Albot, 123rd in the world hierarchy and fifth in the rankings, in two sets, by a double 6-4, in one hour and 26 minutes.
On court number 5 at Melboune Park, João Sousa, the 28th player in the world on May 16, 2016, led the first partial until 3-2, recovered from a first break and drew 4-4, but returned to see your service broken and finished 6-4.
The Moldovan ‘break’ the Portuguese player again in the first of the second ‘set’ and then won his service games, with only one point of ‘break’ working, with 4-3 in the eighth, while Sousa had to save four.
subscribe newsletter
Before, also in the qualifying final, Gastão Elias, world number 217, was also removed from the main table, after losing to Kazakh Timofey Skatov, 255th, by 6-4 and 7-6 (7-5), in a hour and 43 minutes, in ‘court’ number 15.
The Portuguese player, who was already the 57th player in the world, on October 24, 2016, led the first round by 3-2, but lost four of the last five games, and, in the second, squandered a 5-2 lead. and two ‘set points’ with 5-3.
Nuno Borges (192nd ATP), forced to be infected by the coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, João Domingues (249), in the first qualifying, and Frederico Silva (240th), in the semi-finals, also had a round. chin.
The main picture is, for now, to decide whether Novak Djokovic, first in the world ranking and nine times winner against Covid-19, can still be deported.