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Medvedev knocked out by teenager Tien | 01:29
Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set before muscling his way into the Australian Open last 16 on Friday and edge closer to becoming the youngest man in history to complete a career Grand Slam.
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The 21-year-old third seed was a class above Nuno Borges with the Portuguese world number 33 dumped out of the tournament 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena It was Alcaraz’s first time on centre court this year after being shunted to neighbouring Margaret Court Arena for his opening two matches.
With the sun shining, he revelled in the atmosphere, rattling off 54 winners and nine aces, dominating from the baseline.
“The last time I played here I lost, I really wanted to play here and get another win on Rod Laver,” said the Spaniard, a four-time Grand Slam winner who is gunning for a first title in Australia.
“It’s a privilege to feel the love here in Australia. I’m trying to play different tennis, that’s what makes me enjoy playing tennis, what makes me smile on court.
“And to entertain the people as well, making them happy.”
He will face either Briton Jack Draper or Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic next. Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam — winning all four majors — in the Open Era.
His compatriot Rafael Nadal did it in 2010 aged 24.
Should he achieve the feat, he will also rewrite the record books as the youngest champion at Melbourne Park since Novak Djokovic in 2008.
To do so he will likely have to beat the Serbian star, who he is seeded to meet in a blockbuster quarter-final.
Alcaraz started strongly against Borges, earning an immediate break with the Portuguese player netting a backhand under pressure.
Borges, who won a maiden ATP title last season, beating the now-retired Nadal, had no answer to Alcaraz’s powerful groundstrokes and was broken again in game seven on his way to losing the set.
The 27-year-old gamely clung on in the second set to 4-4 when the Spanish star slammed a forehand winner for the break and served out with his fifth ace of the day to snare a two-set lead.
Borges was on the defence in set three, fighting off two break points from Alcaraz in an enthralling 16-point seventh game to keep the set on serve.
But he refused to lie down and it went to a tie break where he stunned the world number three by winning it emphatically.
Alcaraz was riled up and after holding serve to love to open set four, he produced a magical forehand winner for a break and sprinted to the finish.
STAR’S FATHER CAUGHT VAPING MID-GAME
Luca Berrettini, the father of now-eliminated Italian world No.34 Matteo Berrettini, was captured on Thursday night appearing to vape during his son’s match against Danish 13-seed Holger Rune.
The senior Berrettini was seated in the coaches’ box, with a fellow spectator filming the act and posting it to TikTok.
Smoking of any kind is not permitted in any of the Melbourne Park playing venues, yet no officials appeared to intervene — despite puffs of smoke clearly emanating from the device.
After trumping Englishman Cam Norrie in the first round, Berrettini couldn’t overcome Rune, losing a four-setter 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (6-8).
‘DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO THAT’: AWKWARD INTERVIEW CAPS WILD NIGHT
It was an incredibly late end to Night 5, with burgeoning American Learner Tien overcoming the durable Daniil Medvedev in five sets; a match that nearly dragged on to 3am after close to five hours of back-and-forth.
And clearly, in the aftermath, the players weren’t the only ones tired for words, with Aussie tennis great John Fitzgerald conducting an awkward post-match interview with the up-and-coming Tien.
“Nineteen-year-olds are not meant to be that good,” Fitzgerald began, with Tien managing just: “I don’t know what to say to that”.
Fitzgerald added: “I used to live in Newport Beach (in California), so I know where you live, by the way.” Tien smiled awkwardly, not offering a response.
Later in the exchange, asked for his thought process in the fourth set as Medvedev staged a trademark comeback, Tien said: “Losing the third was tough after playing for that long … it was a little disappointing to see a fourth (set) after fighting from a break down in that third, but, honestly, in the fourth set, I just had to pee so bad.”
Fitzgerald replied: “That makes two of us, Learner.”
‘EVERY STORY NEEDS THEATRE’: AUSSIE STAR BACKS COLLINS’ ‘VILLAIN’ ANTICS
Former professional tennis star and two-time Aussie Olympian Casey Dellacqua has gone to bat for ‘villain’ Danielle Collins, following the American’s jaw-dropping post-match antics on Thursday night after defeating Aussie rising star Destanee Aiava.
Collins, who on-court told the crowd to ‘shut up’ and made multiple gestures, said in her post-match press conference her ‘haters’ would effectively be paying for her next big-money vacation.
“One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is the people that don’t like you and the people that hate you, they actually pay your bills. It’s kind of a cool concept,” Collins said late Thursday.
And while most of those who observed the 31-year-old’s cheeky taunts weren’t shy in their opposition, an Australian great of the game has surprisingly gone against the grain.
“It doesn’t matter what show you watch, every story needs a bit of theatre,” Dellacqua told Nine.
“I love that tennis has that (element); we have villains in our game — the nice guys and love stories and everything. I like it.”
Collins, the women’s 10-seed, prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-2 over Aiava, dominating the third set despite raucous partisan support of the local product on Show Court Arena.
Follow Day 6 of the Australian Open live below!
FULL DAY 6 SINGLES FIXTURE:
Ladies Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 11:00 am — [27] A. Pavlyuchenkova vs. L. Siegemund
Ladies Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 11:30 am — [1] A. Sabalenka vs. C. Tauson
Ladies Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 11:30 am — [12] D. Shnaider vs. [18] D. Vekic
Ladies Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 12:30 pm — [11] P. Badosa vs. [17] M. Kostyuk
Mens Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 1:00 pm — R. Carballes Baena vs. [12] T. Paul
Ladies Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 1:30 pm — [23] M. Frech vs. [14] M. Andreeva
Mens Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 1:30 pm — J. Fearnley vs. [2] A. Zverev
Mens Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 2:00 pm — N. Borges vs. [3] C. Alcaraz
Mens Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 2:00 pm — J. Mensik vs. A. Davidovich Fokina
Mens Singles Third Round 17/1, starts at 4:00 pm — [24] J. Lehecka vs. B. Bonzi
