Author: Australian Associated Press

• Australia No 1 defeated 6-3 6-1 by 19-year-old in second round

• World No 8 has lost six of past 10 matches in alarming stretch of form

Alex de Minaur has suffered a startling defeat, crushed by the latest teenage Spanish wonder boy in the second round of the Madrid Open.

On a day when Carlos Alcaraz caused consternation by announcing his withdrawal from the upcoming French Open with a wrist injury, 19-year-old Madrid local Rafael Jodar filled his place seamlessly by blowing away the Australian 6-3 6-1 in 75 one-sided minutes.

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• Australian loses 6-3 3-6 7-6 (15) to Ukrainian qualifier Daria Snigur

• 28-year-old drops from No 12 last April to world No 83 in next rankings

Daria Kasatkina’s career in Australian colours has plummeted to a new low at the Madrid Open after she suffered an agonising first-round defeat which will send her tumbling to her lowest world ranking for 11 years.

On a day when all four Australian women crashed out in the clay-court event, Kasatkina suffered the most frustrating reverse, succumbing 6-3 3-6 7-6 (15-13) to qualifier and lucky loser Daria Snigur after being unable to convert four match points.

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• Burrage and Dart overcome Hunter and Perez 6-3, 6-4

• Australia to miss BJK Cup finals for second straight year

Australian team captain Sam Stosur’s fears of a “funky” upset have been realised as an understrength Great Britain sent Australia crashing out of Billie Jean King Cup contention.

After the visitors claimed both opening-day singles matches at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena, new British doubles pairing Jodie Burrage and Harriet Dart completed a 3-0 rout in the best-of-five qualifying tie on Saturday. Their 6-3, 6-4 win over Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez gave Great Britain an unassailable lead, sending last year’s semi-finalists into to September’s finals in China. It is the second straight year Australia have missed the eight-nation finals.

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• 17-year-old defeats in-form Australian 7-6(4), 7-5 in qualifier

• Harriet Dart beats Kimberly Birrell 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Melbourne

Australia’s quest to win a place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals is off to the worst possible start, losing both opening-day singles matches, with spearhead Talia Gibson falling to British teen Mika Stojsavljevic.

Gibson was expected to get the tie at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena off to a flying start on Friday, but she was a shock loser 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 against the lowly ranked 17-year-old.

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• 40-year-old committed five anti-doping rule violations

• Matosevic, now a coach, critical of ITIA’s investigative practices

Six weeks after branding the International Tennis Integrity Agency “corrupt”, one-time Australian No 1 Marinko Matosevic has been handed a four-year ban for multiple doping offences.

An independent tribunal determined that Matosevic committed five anti-doping rule violations between 2018 and 2020, including use of a prohibited method through blood doping and facilitating another player to blood dope, providing advice to others on how to avoid positive tests, and use and possession of the prohibited substance clenbuterol.

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