• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
    • Marineland
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • First Amendment
    • Second Amendment
    • Third Amendment
    • Fourth Amendment
    • Fifth Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Eighth Amendment
    • 14th Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Privacy
    • Civil Rights
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Up 2 Sets, Palm Coast’s Opelka Falls in 5 After Rain Delay at Australian Open

January 21, 2020 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Reilly Opelka. (Brian Coleman for FlaglerLive)
Reilly Opelka. (Brian Coleman for FlaglerLive)

The heavy rains that hit Melbourne, Australia Sunday night likely were extremely welcome for the citizens there that have been ravaged by brushfires.




But they did no favors for one of the top tennis players in the world.

Former Indian Trails Middle School student Reilly Opelka was cruising along in his first-round Australian Open match against No. 12 seed Fabio Fognini, up two sets to none, and was a few games away from scoring the upset.

But after rain washed out the match Sunday night, they came back Monday and it was a whole different story.

Fognini, who lost to Opelka at the U.S. Open last August, rallied for a dramatic five-set win, including a fifth-set tiebreak victory, grabbing a 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 triumph.

All the momentum and positive vibes from a day earlier were gone, and though he played an outstanding fifth set, Opelka couldn’t quite get over the line against the volatile but talented Fognini.

It was the second year in a row the 22-year-old Opelka was knocked out of the season’s first Slam in a five-setter, and has to be bitterly disappointing given how the match started.

Opelka got off to a terrific start at 1573 Arena, breaking Fognini in the eighth game of the first set, then serving the set out, 6-3, to grab an early lead.

Then in the second set, Opelka continued his outstanding play, holding serve with ease and playing a stellar tiebreak, as his opponent, as is typical, got extremely frustrated. Fognini smashed a racket during the tiebreaker and Opelka cruised to a 7-3 breaker win and a two-sets lead. (Both players eventually had arguments with the chair umpire, as Opelka got upset in the fourth set when he was given a time violation).

Opelka fired 35 aces in the match, but committed 73 unforced errors to go with 60 winners.

Prior to the tournament Opelka, who reached the second round here last year after upsetting John Isner, also made a big change in his clothing, switching from New Balance, who signed him when he turned pro in 2016, to Fila.

–Michael J. Lewis for FlaglerLive

Support FlaglerLive's End of Year Fundraiser
Thank you readers for getting us to--and past--our year-end fund-raising goal yet again. It’s a bracing way to mark our 15th year at FlaglerLive. Our donors are just a fraction of the 25,000 readers who seek us out for the best-reported, most timely, trustworthy, and independent local news site anywhere, without paywall. FlaglerLive is free. Fighting misinformation and keeping democracy in the sunshine 365/7/24 isn’t free. Take a brief moment, become a champion of fearless, enlightening journalism. Any amount helps. We’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donations are tax deductible.  
You may donate openly or anonymously.
We like Zeffy (no fees), but if you prefer to use PayPal, click here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Harry says

    January 21, 2020 at 11:13 am

    Very excited to have a local tennis pro to cheer for. I think he is young and has a great chance of winning a Grand Slam tournament in the future.

    Loading...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Conner Bosch law attorneys lawyers offices palm coast flagler county
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Skibum on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
  • Joe D on FWC Employee Fired Over Charlie Kirk Instagram Post Sues Accuses Agency of 1st Amendment Violation in Lawsuit
  • Here we go again on Republican Push for Snitching on Charlie Kirk Posts Drives Unprecedented Purge of Public Workers
  • Joe D on FWC Employee Fired Over Charlie Kirk Instagram Post Sues Accuses Agency of 1st Amendment Violation in Lawsuit
  • Pogo on FWC Employee Fired Over Charlie Kirk Instagram Post Sues Accuses Agency of 1st Amendment Violation in Lawsuit
  • Dusty on Flagler County Home Builders Sue Palm Coast Over Impact Fees, Seeking Immediate Invalidation of Sharp Increases
  • Jay Tomm on Flagler County Home Builders Sue Palm Coast Over Impact Fees, Seeking Immediate Invalidation of Sharp Increases
  • Mo Froatz on Creekside Music and Arts Festival Set for Weekend Is Postponed to February as Precaution Against Storms
  • Skibum on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 2, 2025
  • Darla on Trial of Andrew Mintz Over Crash in Flagler Beach Pushed to July
  • Mothersworry on Flagler County Home Builders Sue Palm Coast Over Impact Fees, Seeking Immediate Invalidation of Sharp Increases
  • James on Flagler County Home Builders Sue Palm Coast Over Impact Fees, Seeking Immediate Invalidation of Sharp Increases
  • t.o. Doug on Flagler County Home Builders Sue Palm Coast Over Impact Fees, Seeking Immediate Invalidation of Sharp Increases
  • Gary Kunnas on Flagler County Home Builders Sue Palm Coast Over Impact Fees, Seeking Immediate Invalidation of Sharp Increases
  • FlaglerLive on Flagler Beach Approves Flat Tax Rate and $87 Million Budget, But Not Before 2 Commissioners Kill Engineer’s Job
  • Skibum on 12-Year-Old Indian Trails Middle School Boy Arrested on Felony Charge After Threatening to Stab a Student

Log in

%d