{"id":1849,"date":"2026-02-02T18:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/?p=1849"},"modified":"2026-02-02T18:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:15:11","slug":"australian-open-wrap-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/2026\/02\/02\/australian-open-wrap-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian Open &#8211; Wrap Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Carlos Alcaraz won his first Australian Open title on 1 February 2026, defeating Novak Djokovic in a thrilling four-set final. Elena Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in the ladies final to win her first Australian Open and to take revenge after losing to Sabalenka in the final in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udfbe Men\u2019s Singles Drama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Quarter-finals (27\u201328 Jan):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alcaraz breezed past Aussie favourite Alex de Minaur in straight sets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Djokovic advanced after Lorenzo Musetti retired mid-match.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jannik Sinner crushed Ben Shelton 6\u20133, 6\u20134, 6\u20134.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Semi-finals (30 Jan):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Djokovic outlasted Sinner in a five-set epic: 3\u20136, 6\u20133, 4\u20136, 6\u20134, 6\u20134.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alcaraz survived Alexander Zverev in another marathon: 6\u20134, 7\u20136, 6\u20137, 6\u20137, 7\u20135.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Final (1 Feb):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alcaraz beat Djokovic 2\u20136, 6\u20132, 6\u20133, 7\u20135.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fun fact: Alcaraz became the youngest Aussie Open men\u2019s champion since Mats Wilander in 1983.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udc69 Women\u2019s Singles Highlights (29 Jan \u2013 31 Jan 2026)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Quarter-finals (27\u201328 Jan):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Elina Svitolina vs Coco Gauff<\/em>: Svitolina stunned the third seed Gauff 6\u20131, 6\u20132.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Elena Rybakina vs Iga \u015awi\u0105tek<\/em>: Rybakina dominated the world number two 7\u20135, 6\u20131.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Jessica Pegula vs Amanda Anisimova<\/em>: Pegula won 6\u20132, 7\u20136.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina<\/em>: Sabalenka powered through 6\u20132, 6\u20133.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Semi-finals (29 Jan):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Sabalenka vs Svitolina<\/em>: Sabalenka was ruthless, winning 6\u20132, 6\u20133.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Rybakina vs Pegula<\/em>: Rybakina edged Pegula in straight sets, 6\u20133, 7\u20136 (9\u20137).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Final (31 Jan):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka<\/em>: Rybakina triumphed 6\u20134, 4\u20136, 6\u20134 under the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rybakina is the first Kazakhstani player to win the Australian Open.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leaderboard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>1st Position, <\/strong>is a familiar owner but a new team. <strong>Faulty Feet <\/strong>managed to snag the win by just 2 points. The managed to have both winners which propelled them to the top. Kunnie will be taking home the grand prize for the 2nd time. Well done for winning the R1000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>2nd Position <\/strong>and just falling short was &#8216;<strong>Joey<\/strong>&#8216; owned by <strong>Mike Parker. <\/strong>A great effort from the team. They also picked both the winners but unfortunately fell just 2 points short of the win. They will be taking home <strong>R750.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>3rd Position<\/strong> was 2 teams in fact. They sit just 4 points off the lead. It really was so close at the top. &#8216;Pat&#8217;s Pick&#8217; and &#8216;Eeny Meeny&#8217; come home in 3rd position. A great effort from both. They just like their rivals ahead picked both the winners. They will be taking home <strong>R375 each.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The final prize position was taken by &#8216;<strong>Downtown Boy<\/strong>&#8216;. All the way in the UK and getting 5th spot. A fantastic effort. The top 5 were streaks ahead of the rest with the gap between 5th and 6th being 12 points but the gap between 5th and 1st being just 11 points. Ron will be taking home <strong>R100.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Random Prizes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now onto the random prizes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>17th spot<\/strong> and winning <strong>R50 <\/strong>is <strong>SINsational.<\/strong> They picked both winners however the rest of the team struggled. However that struggle has allowed them to take home R50 as a spot prize. Well done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>31st Spot <\/strong>and winning <strong>R50 <\/strong>is <strong>Net Net. <\/strong>They only picked 1 winner and that being Alcaraz but not a bad performance to finish top half. They take away R50 so not a bad day at the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>47th spot <\/strong>and winning <strong>R50 <\/strong>i<strong>s&#8230;<\/strong>Well it was a tie between 2 teams however after a lucky spin it was <strong>Johnny B Goode <\/strong>who has won the spot prize. They to picked just 1 winner and that winner being Alcaraz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last spot prize was for <strong>58th place. <\/strong>The team that wins this R50 is <strong>Dropshots. <\/strong>A seasoned campaigner and usually one that is near the top of the leaderboard. However this time round it was not his best performance. Thankfully a bad performance has led to a lovely spot prize so well done to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally the <strong>Wooden Spoon&#8230;<\/strong>and the winner is &#8216;<strong>Lucky Legs 13<\/strong>&#8216;. One of our most successful team owners over the years however Aussie Open 2026 was not her best performance and because of that she will be taking home the wooden spoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulations to everyone who participated. Thank you as always for the support. It is amazing \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Final Leaderboard:<\/strong><br>Reminder on colours:<br><strong>Blue -&gt; Picked both winners (Alcaraz and Rybakina)<\/strong><br><strong>Yellow -&gt; Picked either Alcaraz or Rybakina<\/strong><br><strong>Red -&gt; Picked neither Alcaraz nor Rybakina<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"593\" height=\"631\" src=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Top-Half.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1852\" srcset=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Top-Half.png 593w, http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Top-Half-282x300.png 282w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Top Half<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"593\" height=\"597\" src=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Bottom-Half.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1853\" srcset=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Bottom-Half.png 593w, http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Bottom-Half-298x300.png 298w, http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Bottom-Half-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Final-Leaderboard-Bottom-Half-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bottom Half<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The Winning Team<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>Faulty Feet<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"274\" height=\"369\" src=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-Faulty-Feet.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1854\" srcset=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-Faulty-Feet.png 274w, http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-Faulty-Feet-223x300.png 223w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 274px) 100vw, 274px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Best Team of Males &#8211; Eeny Meeny<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"296\" height=\"224\" src=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-of-Males-Eeny-Meeny.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1855\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Best Team of Males &#8211; Fuzzy Green Balls<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"370\" height=\"223\" src=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-of-Males-Fuzzy-Green-Balls.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1856\" srcset=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-of-Males-Fuzzy-Green-Balls.png 370w, http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-of-Males-Fuzzy-Green-Balls-300x181.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 370px) 100vw, 370px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Best Team of Ladies &#8211; Joey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"262\" height=\"149\" src=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Best-Team-of-Females-Joey.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1857\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The Dream Team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"283\" height=\"342\" src=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Dream-Team.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1858\" srcset=\"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Dream-Team.png 283w, http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/Dream-Team-248x300.png 248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 283px) 100vw, 283px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Some Special Mentions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Men<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sinner &#8211; 42 points<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zverev &#8211; 37 points<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>De Minaur &#8211; 32 points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ladies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pegula &#8211; 41 points<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jovic &#8211; 34 points<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swiatek &#8211; 29 points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to everyone who has supported the fantasy league. This was a very busy time for me so apologies for the sporadic posts. I hope you still somewhat enjoyed. Cheers for now \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Carlos Alcaraz won his first Australian Open title on 1 February 2026, defeating Novak Djokovic in a thrilling four-set final. Elena Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in the ladies final to win her first Australian Open and to take revenge after losing to Sabalenka in the final in 2023. \ud83c\udfbe Men\u2019s Singles Drama \ud83d\udc69 Women\u2019s Singles Highlights [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australian-open-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1849"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1859,"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1849\/revisions\/1859"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/eishonline.co.za\/jftl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}