By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook
A thrilling five-set duel between Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Reilly Opelka got rowdy and crowded on Kia Arena.
Davidovich Fokina, annoyed by “four ignorant drunks” in the crowd, withstood 37 aces from the explosive American edging Opelka 6-3, 7-6(3), 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the Australian Open third round for the second time.
Afterward, Davidovich Fokina ripped into four apparently inebriated fans, who were cheering Opelka after the Spaniard slipped to the court and hurt his ankle.
“Yeah, well, I twisted my ankle and he won the point. And I think it’s not fair for me they cheered that point because maybe I could get twisted worst,” Davidovich Fokina said. “But, no, it was a low twist. I
didn’t have anything. I didn’t have any pain.
“But at the end it was not fair that they were cheering at that point because it was a free point for him.”
The 14th-seeded Spaniard said overall the crowd atmosphere was exciting, except for the “four ignorant drunks” cheering after his fall.
“I think today was a very good match,” Davidovich Fokina said. “The crowd wanted to see a fifth
set. It can happen here, it can happen wherever in the world.
“So there were four ignorant drunks that I cannot doing nothing about. Nothing more.”
WHAT A WIN!
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina survives Reilly Opelka in five sets and almost four hours to reach the 3rd round vs. Tommy Paul.
6-3, 7-6(3), 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.
Broke twice all match, the second on the last game. He is PUMPED. pic.twitter.com/KUdFLkXvZr
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 21, 2026
Each man converted two of 11 break point chances. Davidovich Fokina survived 78 winners from Opelka, winning 23 of 30 net points.
Aiming to match his AO best fourth-round result this week, Davidovich will face a familiar face, Opelka’s former roommate, Tommy Paul, for a spot in the round of 16.
The 20th-ranked Paul is 4-0 lifetime vs. Davidovich Fokina with two of the four wins coming in Melbourne Park, including a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 thrashing in the 2025 fourth round.
“It’s going to be a battle. We play two times here,” Davidovich Fokina said of Paul. “The first
time was in five sets, he beat me. And I was dead last year. I will not count that one.
“But every time I practice or play against him, he always putting a lot of pressure, even when he’s serving and returning. So we kind of have similar game, it can be, but maybe I’m a little bit more aggressive than him.”
