Seven Network management will be wondering what they have done to deserve the cruel blows (fickle?) of fate of the past two days. First up Nick Krygios goes all space cadet and then implodes, and if that wasn’t a big enough hit to ratings and advertisers (let alone viewers) Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the Open last night by Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin (who was ranked at 117, Djokovic was Number 2).

Now Seven will be crossing their fingers and toes and hoping that Sir Andy Murray doesn’t get homesick, or Roger Federer doesn’t want to go home to Switzerland because it’s too hot and his chocolate frogs are melting.

Nine had the third ODI from Perth. Australia won easily, as did Nine, especially in regional areas. The ODI averaged 1.336 million for the evening session (Seven had a narrow margin in front of Nine in total people in the metros, but Nine easily won the main channels, and won both total people and the main channels in the regions). Seven’s tennis coverage averaged a combined 1.214 million on the main channel (820,000), 7mate (212,000) and 7TWO (182,000). And that was the night. All up more than 2.5 million people watched the ODI and the tennis last night, which is a pretty solid audience for advertisers and live sport.

But the ODI makes more sense as a game of cricket than does Ten’s Big Bash which has no meaning except as TV entertainment on slow summer nights. There is a vast class difference between the Bash and international level ODI cricket, as the innings of Steve Smith showed and the bowling of the Pakistan swing bowlers and Australia’s Josh Hazlewood. Skill was rewarded or frustrated and viewers appreciated it with around 400,000 extra viewers turning in to watch compared to an average audience for a good Big Bash game.

Now for the weekend’s light entertainment early tomorrow: the inauguration of (Donald) Trumpets and a four year of apprenticeship for all Americans. The world’s biggest TV reality program, in the now. Seven, Nine and the ABC will have coverage from around 2 to 3 am. — Click here to read Glenn Dyer’s TV Ratings .