Things are really heating up at the Australian Open as the fourth round action gets underway on Sunday.
Alex de Minaur is the sole Australian left in the singles draw after a mixed day for the local men’s hopes.
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He’ll take on Novak Djokovic in the round of 16 after the Serbian took care of business against Grigor Dimitrov.
World number 1 Iga Swiatek returns to action after a demolition job in the third round. She’ll take on 22nd seed Elena Rybakina with a quarterfinal spot on offer.
Two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka continues her remarkable comeback and will be eyeing off a quarterfinal birth on Sunday.
Don’t miss any of the action below.
6.07pm – Aus Open champion’s son into quarters
Son of 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, Sebastian Korda is into his first grand slam quarterfinal.
Korda’s incredible tournament, which saw him knock Daniil Medvedev earlier in the week, continued as he knocked 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 6-3 6-2 1-6 7-6 in a hard-fought thriller.
5.50pm – ‘Horrible’ obliteration leaves tennis stunned
A dominant Karen Khachanov won the first 14 games before surging into his maiden Australian Open quarter-final on Sunday in a straight sets romp over Japan’s outclassed Yoshihito Nishioka.
The Russian 18th seed swept past his racquet-smashing opponent 6-0 6-0 7-6 on John Cain Arena.
Nishioka, seeded 31, was so out of touch in the opening two sets that he won just 13 points.
In set two, he managed only two points across six games in an embarrassing annihilation.
It’s called a “bronze set” and the tennis world was floored.
Khachanov appeared on track to become only the sixth player in Grand Slam history, and the first since 1993, to record a triple bagel win – 6-0 6-0 6-0 – before Nishioka finally won the 15th game to huge cheers from the crowd.
The victory put him into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the fifth time. His best result was reaching the semi-finals at the US Open last year, where he lost to Casper Ruud.
He will next face either American 29th seed Sebastian Korda or Polish 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
“First two sets, I didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “You’re going with the score, let’s say, too easy. Then Yoshi turned it around, pumped the crowd and I tried to stay focused from beginning to end.
“It’s not easy to win with this score, three sets, but I’m playing well and really happy to go through.”
The Russian, a former world number eight, has won four career titles, all on hard courts, and was simply too good for Nishioka.
— AFP
5pm – Rare triple bagel avoided
Russia’s Karen Khachanov is through to the quarterfinals after a straights sets win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
Khachanov won the first two sets 6-0 6-0 and was so dominant he only lost two points in the second set.
But Nishioka fought back in the third set to salvage some pride and avoid a rare triple bagel.
3pm – Ostapenko wins another upset
Many expected a quarterfinal between Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, but both those title fancies have been knocked out of the draw in major fourth round upsets.
After Elena Rybakina eliminated Swiatek, 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko defeated American teengaer Gauff 7-5 6-3.
2.10pm – World No. 1 knocked out
Iga Swiatek has been knocked out of the Australian Open by Elena Rybakina in a huge upset.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Rybakina won the first set 6-4 and hardly put a foot wrong throughout the match.
World No. 1 Swiatek broke early in the second set to take a 3-0 lead, but her advantage went up in smoke as Rybakina broke back to close out a very impressive 6-4 6-4 win.
“That is a seismic shock in the women’s draw here at the Australian Open,” the commentator said.
12.50pm – World No. 1’s early nightmare
Iga Swiatek got off to the worst possible start on Sunday against Elena Rybakina.
The World No. 1 was handed a code violation before her first serve for not being ready to start follwing the one-minute warning.
Once the match got underway things only got worse for Swiatek. After racing away to 40-0 on serve, Rybakina bounced back to break the heavy favourites serve and claim the early 1-0 lead.
Swiatek then held two break points as she looked to instantly respond, but once again it was the 22nd seed who had the answers as she powered through the points to take the 2-0 lead.
11.30am – Cold-blooded handshake stuns Aus Open
Local favourite Andy Murray couldn’t produce another heroic effort as he was knocked out in the third round by Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday night.
The British star coming off an almost six-hour, five-set epic against Thanasi Kokkinakis was feeling the effects and fell in four-sets as Bautista Agut advanced with the 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 win.
But it was a moment after the match came to an end that captured the eye of fans watching on as the two men exchanged a rather frosty handshake at the net.
The fired up Spaniard and the shattered Brit slapped hands and barely made eye-contact as the two didn’t exchange any words before shaking the chair umpires hand.
Fans went wild over the footage as speculation mounted over the beef between the two stars of the game.
“That was quite the drive-by handshake from Murray there,” one wrote.
Another added: “Wow! That handshake at the net. Murray & Bautista Agut clearly dislike each other.”
A third wrote: “What was with that handshake between rba and Murray?”
Agut hinted in his press conference the crowd being completely behind Murray had got under his skin.
“He understands the game very well and he knows how to play with a crowd, how to play with the nerves of the opponent,” he said afterwards.
“Today was a tough match. I think I did a great job.”
11am – Swiatek chasing more silverware
Swiatek has won three Grand Slam crowns but never at Melbourne Park, where the 21-year-old reached the semi-finals last year.
The top seed will be desperate to add Australia to her US Open and French Open (twice) triumphs, and is hot favourite to do just that over the coming week.
But on day seven of the first major of the year, she faces a real last-16 challenge in Rybakina.
The Moscow-born Kazakh is seeded 22 but defeated last year’s Melbourne runner-up Danielle Collins in round three and beat world number two Ons Jabeur to win Wimbledon last year.
Rybakina has huge respect for Swiatek, who has dominated women’s tennis since the retirement last year of Australia’s Ashleigh Barty.
“For sure she’s very strong physically and mentally,” the 23-year-old said. “I think that if I’m going to play my game, aggressive, I’m going to be solid from the beginning till the end, I have all the chances.”
– AFP
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