Alex de Minaur means business this Australian Open, reaching the fourth round after overcoming a tricky test from Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli 6-3 6-3 6-1.
Novak Djokovic also fought into the fourth round with a three-set win over No.30 Tomas Martin Etcheverry, by far the strongest performance of the Serbian star’s tournament so far.
But Aussie qualifier Storm Hunter fell agonisingly short of pulling off another impressive upset, falling in three sets to ninth seed and former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Hunter, the world’s top doubles player, won the first set and had four break points deep in the second – which would have given her the chance to serve for the match.
But the 29-year-old eventually fell in three sets, leaving de Minaur as the sole remaining Australian in singles competition.
Elsewhere, a qualifier ranked 170th in the world – and playing in her first Grand Slam – delivered a staggering upset over a 10th seed, while a 35-year-old played out one a five-set thriller quickly described as the best match of the tournament so far.
Watch Australia v West Indies on Kayo Sports. Every Test, ODI and T20I Live with no ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Novak finds mojo in milestone match | 01:05
‘PERFECT’ STORM FALLS JUST SHORT OF HUGE BOILOVER
Australia’s last remaining woman in the singles draw, Storm Hunter, claimed the first set over ninth seed Czech Barbora Krejcíkova and had multiple break points deep in the second set, but couldn’t quite complete a stunning upset.
Hunter already became the first Aussie woman in 39 years to go through qualifying and reach the third round, but 2021 French Open champion Krejcikova, saw off a gutsy challenge from the Australian to eventually prevail 4-6 7-5 6-3.
Hunter broke in the very first game, with Alicia Molik saying in commentary: “It’s been a flawless start from Storm Hunter.”
It kicked off a madcap series of breaks as both players struggled on serve. There were five breaks in the first seven games, before Hunter finally held serve for a 5-3 lead and went on to serve it out 6-4.
Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, Alicia Molik, said in commentary: “Where’s this tennis been all her career? It’s been hiding away somewhere. The confidence, the authority. And she’s up against a major champion here, having come through qualifying!”
Molik added: “I’m going to say it, I think this is the best I’ve seen Storm play… I mean, it’s been perfect.”
Hunter became even more aggressive in the second set, hitting the ball at higher speed and moving further forward in the court, pushing her rival back from the baseline.
And the Australian looked poised to claim a crucial break with Krejcikova serving at 4-4. The Aussie clawed back into the game from 40-0 down and had two break point opportunities, but Krejcikova eventually held after a marathon 18 points.
In Krejcikova’s next service game, Hunter had another two break point chances at 15-40, but again couldn’t capitalise.
It proved costly, as the world number nine broke back to claim the set 5-7.
Hunter appeared in physical discomfort in the third set, her movements laboured even when walking between points.
Having played six singles matches in ten days, as well as a first-round doubles match, the toll on her body appeared to show.
Krejcikova broke early in the decider and raced to a 3-0 lead, with the Australian surviving two more break points at 1-4, 15-40.
Hunter threatened a late comeback when she had a break point the following game, but Krejcikova saw off the threat to book her place in the second week.
Krejcikova called it a “very difficult match, Storm played really, really well.”
It comes after fellow Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic called on Hunter to give up doubles to focus on her singles career.
“I like Storm’s chances,” Tomljanovic said.
“Look, I have been telling Storm for a while now she needs to start playing singles only. She already proved she’s the best in doubles — so she hasn’t listened to me yet.
“I think she can do amazing things in singles.”
DEMON DELIGHT AS STAR MATCHES HEWITT RECORD
For the third-consecutive year, Alex De Minaur is into the second week of his home grand slam after beating Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli 6-3 6-3 6-1.
The first two sets were tighter than the scoreline suggests, with the pair racking up a mountain of break point opportunities in a tense encounter on John Cain Arena.
That included a whopping 22-point, 15-minute game early in the second set, with 10th seed De Minaur needing nine break points to finally get beyond his opponent.
Both players struggled to land their first serves with regularity – the Australian serving at 52 per cent and the Italian at 57 per cent.
“I struggled a bit to find my rhythm throughout the match,” De Minaur conceded afterwards.
But the ceaseless pressure of De Minaur was simply too much for his opponent, the Aussie saving seven of the eight break points he faced while breaking his opponent six times from 20 break point attempts.
It was “two hours of relentless intensity from De Minaur,” as tennis great John McEnroe said in commentary.
But after two tight opening sets, De Minaur increasingly found his groove and raced to the finish line as Cobolli grew increasingly tired and dispirited, understandable given he had to win three qualifying matches just to make the main draw.
Jim Courier said in commentary in the third set: “The Demon’s feeling it now.”
McEnroe added: “He’s strutting around there.”
“He’s got better as the match has gone on,” Lleyton Hewitt said.
BITING BACK! 16yo sensation leaves her mark with bizarre act as Murray tweet clips commentators
With his victory, De Minaur becomes the first Aussie man to make three straight fourth rounds (or better) at the Australian Open after Hewitt achieved the feat across 2003-05 – reaching the final in 2005.
The No.10 seed was gifted a kind run into the third round, dropping a set to Milos Raonic but then seeing the big Canadian retire hurt, before cruising past Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets.
Cobolli defeated No.18 seed Nicolas Jarry in five sets in the opening round, and was undoubtedly an easier proposition than the Chilean star.
But John McEnroe said De Minaur is “playing with more confidence than I’ve ever seen,” adding it looks like he the Aussie believes he can do ‘something big’ at his home slam.
De Minaur said: “It feels a bit different this time, maybe, like we’re getting to the tail end of the tournament and the matches are definitely going to be very tough.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve played some great tennis, started the year amazingly and hopefully I can keep it going in front of you guys.”
In his on-court interview after the match, Jim Courier said to De Minaur: “We don’t know who your opponent is going to be. They are just getting ready to go. Andrey Rublev or Sebastian Korda, both terrific players and both players you have beaten in the past.
“What do you think about that potential matchup? Do you have a preference?”
But Courier quickly backtracked, hilariously admitting: “That’s a terrible question, the worst question ever. Let me retract that!”
The tennis icon managed a much more straightforward question at the second go, saying: “How do you like your chances to make it to your first Australian Open quarterfinal?”
“It’s all going to come down to the level I bring the following match,” De Minaur replied. “I’ve got to back myself up, I’ve got to believe, got to play positive tennis. I know the whole crowd is going to be behind me and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”
No.5 Andrey Rublev eventually got past No.29 American Sebastian Korda 6-2 7-6(6) 6-4.
DJOKER SENDS WARNING TO RIVALS AFTER FINALLY FIRING
It has been far from a straightforward start to Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record-breaking 25th grand slam singles title, the No.1 seed struggling with illness and performing well below his best in the opening two matches.
But the Serbian superstar finally threw off the shackles as he overcame 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3 6-3 7-6(2).
“It was a great match,” Djokovic said afterwards, calling it “the best performance I had during this tournament” – and not facing a single break point all match.
Playing against his childhood idol, Etcheverry held his own throughout rallies, but in the first set played noticeably safer than Djokovic’s previous two opponents, allowing the 10-time champion to dictate points.
Djokovic had looked a little vulnerable in his first two matches, dropping the second set against teenager Dino Prizmic and Australia’s Alexei Popyrin before rallying back to win.
While Etcheverry has been in fine form in Melbourne having dispatched both Andy Murray and Gael Monfils in straight sets, Djokovic looked a class above in the opening stages, taking the first set 6-3 with little fuss, holding his serve with ease.
Djokovic would break again to start the second set, performing at a high level despite still showing signs of the illness that has hampered him in the tournament so far, before breaking again to seal the set.
But Etcheverry raised his level in a far closer third set, forcing the Serbian star to respond in kind – though one moment left Nick Kyrgios fuming in the commentary box.
The world No.1 was serving at 1-1 in the third set when he was called for a time violation.
Emotional Novak reflects on life journey | 01:24
“Not necessary. You’re ridiculous. Just ridiculousness. It’s like they get bored and they just want to say something, instead of the score. Ridiculous,” Kyrgios said on Eurosport.
Etcheverry fought hard to send it to a tiebreak, but the all-time great found another level at the crucial moment.
Djokovic roared to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak and was never going to let it slip from there, sealing the breaker and the match with a thunderous ace, claiming his 100th match at Melbourne Park thanks to a 7-2 tiebreak.
“He stepped it up, I think he raised his level of tennis one or two levels in the third set, we went toe-to-toe,” Djokovic said afterwards.
Aryna Sabalenka cruises past Tsurenko | 01:01
Commentator John Fitzgerald said on Channel 9: “He seemed a little drained to me. Looks like he has got a cold, it can’t be too bad but it can drain the energy levels.
“I think he will be relieved to win that (set) rather than going through to a fourth set.”
Asked about the illness in his post-match press conference, Djokovic said: “I haven’t had a COVID test. It’s kind of a regular viral infection that I’ve been through. Now it’s in its last stages. I still have some secrete coming out. That’s all it is.”
Djokovic will face French 20th seed Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round, after he stunned American 16th seed Ben Shelton in a five-set epic on Kia Arena (more below).
VETERAN’S EPIC BOILOVER BEFORE TEQUILA REVEAL
He might be 35 years old, but Adrian Mannarino is playing the best tennis of his life.
The veteran reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2022 for the first time, and he matched that on Friday night by overcoming last year’s quarterfinalist and 16th seed Ben Shelton in four hours 39 minutes – the third-longest match of the tournament so far.
The French star won 7-6(4) 1-6 6-7(2) 6-3 6-4 in a supremely exciting match, his third five-setter in a row, but somehow looked fitter at the end than his 21-year-old opponent
“In the end I wasn’t even thinking anymore. That was crazy at some point,” he said.
Then he delivered an all-time answer.
Adam Peacock asked: “What’s the key to getting better when you’re supposed to be too old?”
Mannarino replied: “I started tequila. That helps to not think too much.”
QUALIFIER’S SEVEN-YEAR FIRST STUNS
Qualifier Maria Timofeeva became the lowest-ranked woman into the Australian Open fourth round since 2017 on Friday when she upset 10th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia to keep her fairytale run going.
Playing at her first Grand Slam, the 20-year-old showed nerves of steel to down the Brazilian 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena.
The victory added to her burgeoning reputation, having already beaten former champion Caroline Wozniacki.
She joins another young Russian, Mirra Andreeva, in the last 16 and will play unseeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk for a place in the quarter-finals.
At 170 in the world, Timofeeva is the lowest-ranked woman to get so far in Melbourne since Germany’s Mona Barthel seve years ago.
“It feels like a fairytale, but with the support of this amazing crowd, I feel like anything is possible,” she said. “This is all a new experience and I’m enjoying every second of it.
“Once I got to the main draw, I thought why not stay longer and enjoy this as long as possible and that really is the motivation.”
– AFP
Follow the Australian Open in our LIVE BLOG below! Can’t see the blog? Click here
NIGHT 6 ORDER OF PLAY (Show Courts – all times AEDT)
From 7pm
ROD LAVER ARENA
No.1 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. No.30 Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG) 6-3 6-3 7-6(2)
No.9 Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) def. Storm Hunter (AUS) 4-6 7-5 6-3
MARGARET COURT ARENA
Maria Timofeeva (RUS) def. No.10 Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 7-6(7) 6-3
No.5 Andrey Rublev (RUS) def. No.29 Sebastian Korda (USA) 6-2 7-6(6) 6-4
JOHN CAIN ARENA
Not before 7pm: No.10 Alex de Minaur (AUS) def. Flavio Cobolli (ITA) 6-3 6-3 6-1