For the second 12 months in a row, the Australian Open is ready to have a match end after 3.30am after beginning the fifth set at almost 3.20am AEDT.
In 2023, it was Thanasi Kokkinakis and Andy Murray; in 2023, it’s No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev Vs Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori.
The solely motive it didn’t end nearer to the 4.15am time of the Kokkinakis-Murray match was that Medvedeve blew the Fin away to like within the fifth set, profitable 3-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-0.
Before the Australian Open, the ATP and WTA launched new guidelines that may pressure evening classes to start by 7.30pm and stop matches from happening court docket after 11pm.
However, the Australian Open is just not sure by these guidelines which means that when Medvedev and Ruusuvuori stepped on court docket at 11.15pm, there was little probability of them ending anytime however the wee hours of the morning.
The concern is that it was already a four-hour match earlier than the fifth set started.
Mercifully it was a speedy fifth set as Ruusuvuori light shortly within the last set.
Speaking after the match, Medvedev paid tribute to the followers who caught round, saying he wouldn’t be amongst them if he didn’t need to play.
“Honestly guys, I would not be here,” Medvedev stated. “Thanks for staying.
“If I’d have been a tennis fan and I had come, at 1 I’d be ‘okay, let’s go home, we’ll catch the end of the match on the TV, we’ll watch 30 minutes and then go to bed’.
“So I guess thanks guys, you are strong.”
Medvedev stated his largest concern was that he warmed up too early and had already drained himself out after the Anna Blinkova tiebreak towards Elena Rybakina went for over half-hour.
Medvedev stated he wouldn’t go to mattress till about 6.30am, having to go to the physio after the match earlier than waking up at noon earlier than a simple apply tomorrow earlier than his subsequent match twenty seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday.
The late evening end comes after organisers had hoped to repair the late nights with an additional day initially of the match, however on that Sunday, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka didn’t get on court docket till 11.41pm.
Mercifully it was a dominant victory for Sabalenka in lower than an hour however the transfer uncovered it for little greater than John McEnroe known as it out for earlier than the match — a “money grab”.
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley claimed the transfer had “taken the edge off having the possibility of late finishes”.
But he admitted the strikes wouldn’t cease the lengthy nights.
Fans should not comfortable nevertheless, hitting out on the ludicrous scenes which occurred simply final 12 months.
Sports scientist Ross Tucker tweeted: “Medvedev vs Ruusuvuori, 5th set is about to START, at 3.15am. Tennis needs a time policy (eg: “At 1am, finish the current set, then resume play the next day”). These guys will probably be consuming breakfast earlier than going to sleep, then one in every of them performs better of 5 once more in 24h.”
Sports journalist Ryan Sidle tweeted: “Daniil Medvedev and Emil Ruusuvuori have just started the fifth set of their match at the Australian Open. It’s 3.15 am in Melbourne! That is utter madness.”
It was a stacked day on the Australian Open with upsets aplenty, together with ladies’s World No. 3 Rybakina, World No. 5 Jessica Pegula and males’s No. 8 Holger Rune crashing out of the match.
12.24pm — Tomljanovic out of Aussie Open
Ajla Tomljanovic’s Australian Open has ended by the hands of rival Jelena Ostapenko.
The eleventh seed was too robust ultimately regardless of a powerful fightback from the Aussie, ultimately taking the outcome 6-0 3-6 6-4.
Tomljanovic was blown off the ground within the opening set however battled again within the second to even the match up at one set apiece after two.
But Ostapenko got here house robust, hitting again at Tomljanovic’s break early within the third with two of her personal to shut out the win.
The pair have a historical past collectively after Tomljanovic accused Ostapenko of faking an harm at Wimbledon in 2021.
Ostapenko was down 4-0 within the third set and known as for a medical timeout, claiming the harm required speedy therapy reasonably than ready for the change of ends.
Tomljanovic advised the umpire: “You know she’s lying right?” however Ostapenko was allowed to depart the court docket to get therapy.
In a frosty alternate on the web, Ostapenko stated: “If you think I am faking, you can talk to the physio.”
Tomljanovic answered: “I hope you feel better”, and Ostapenko replied: “Your behaviour is terrible. You have zero respect.”
Tomljanovic hit again: “You’re one to talk.”
Ostapenko then labelled the Aussie “the worst player on tour.”
However, Tomljanovic is much from the one individual Ostapenko has had run ins and blow ups on the tour, together with calling an umpire “blind” on the Brisbane International.
But she’s into the third spherical and Tomljanovic’s comeback tour must proceed on the subsequent match.
10.54pm — Insane document epic blows Aussie Open away
Russian World No. 57 Anna Blinkova has pulled off one of many wildest victories seen on the Australian Open, defeating World No. 3 and 2023 Australian Open Finalist Elena Rybakina in a 31-minute tremendous tiebreaker.
Blinkova ultimately received 6-4 4-6 7-6 with the tiebreak going to 22-20.
“Have you seen anything like this?” one of many commentators stated because it obtained to 17-all last set tie breaker.
“The absoulte insanity of this match will be talked about for days.”
At it obtained to 19-18, the commentators revealed it was the longest ladies’s tiebreak in Australian Open historical past.
The result’s huge for Blinkova, who had by no means beat a participant ranked as excessive as Rybakina.
“I just tried to stay focused on every point — I had so many match points,” the 25-year-old stated.
“I tried to be aggressive at these moments but my hands were shaking…and my legs too.
“I tried to be calm as much as I could and super happy to win in the end.”
Blinkova was clearly overwhelmed by the outcome.
“This day I will remember for the rest of my life, especially on this court, with this crowd, I will never forget it,” she stated.
“It’s the best day of my life so far.”
The response to the epic was swift.
“One of the wildest, most compelling, dramatic, longest tiebreaks you will ever see,” Chris Fowler stated on ESPN.
Incredibly, with 32 gamers left within the third spherical, solely 12 seeded gamers are left as there have been upsets aplenty within the ladies’s draw.
Australian Open Day 5 schedule and outcomes
Rod Laver Arena from 12pm (AEDT)
Iga Swiatek (POL) [1] defeated Danielle Collins (USA) 6-4 3-6 6-4
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) [2] defeated Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 6-4 6-7 6-3 7-6
From 7pm
Anna Blinkova (RUS) defeated Elena Rybakina (KAZ) [3] 6-4 4-6 7-6
Daniil Medvedev (RUS) [3] vs Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN)
Margaret Court Arena from 12pm
Casper Ruud (NOR) [11] defeated Max Purcell 6-3 6-7 6-3 3-6 7-6
Clara Burel (FRA) defeated Jessica Pegula (USA) [5] 6-4 6-2
From 7pm
Arthur Cazaux (FRA) defeated Holger Rune (DEN) [8] 7-6 6-4 4-6 6-3
Victoria Azarenka (RUS) [18] vs Clara Tauson (DEN)
John Cain Arena from 11am
Alexander Zverev (GER) [6] defeated Lukas Klein (SVK) 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-6 7-6
Sloane Stephens (USA) defeated Daria Kasatkina (RUS) [14] 4-6 6-3 6-3
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [13] defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4
From 7pm
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) [11] defeated Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-0 3-6 6-4
10.45pm — 21yo World No. 122’s beautiful upset
French 21-year-old Arthur Cazaux has shocked World No. 8 Holger Rune in a four-set boilover on Margaret Court Arena.
The 20-year-old Dutch World No. 8 was anticipated to make brief work of the World No. 122 however the Frenchman shocked Rune in a 7-6 6-4 4-6 6-3 stunner.
It the best ranked males’s participant to be eradicated from the match as but.
Coming into the match as a wildcard with simply two tour-level victories, Cazaux blew the Australian Open extensive open with the win.
“It was a crazy match, it was a big fight… sorry my voice is gone!” Cazaux stated in an emotional post-match interview. “Holger is a wonderful player and I’ve known him for a long time. I knew I had to be ready.
“Thank you everyone for a good atmosphere. The atmosphere was crazy! Merci beaucoup!”
It comes simply days after Holger Rune hit out on the Netflix Curse.
“I think it’s stupid, to be honest. No offence,” he stated.
10.22pm — One Aussie man left
Thanasi Kokkinakis has joined the lengthy line of Aussies who’ve been so shut however to this point on this Australian Open to this point.
Kokkinakis fell to No. 3 seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4 because the lastest Aussie to take it to his rather more fancied opponent.
The Aussie blew the roof off John Cain Arena when he broke Dimitrov to say the third set however he was damaged at 4-all within the fourth, with the Bulgarian serving out the match to maneuver into the third spherical.
While Alex de Minaur is the one Aussie male left, the Aussie males have painted themselves in glory this Australian Open, with a lot of them taking units off, or pushing rivals proper to the restrict.
Unfortunately, they simply haven’t been in a position to recover from the road.
10pm — Emma Raducanu’s Aussie woes proceed
2021 Wimbledon champion Emma Raducanu’s Australian Open woes have continued, struggling one other second spherical loss on the years’ first open.
The former World No. 10, who’s at present ranked No. 296 after an harm lay off, has been knocked out within the second spherical for the third straight 12 months.
Raducanu, who was battling soreness earlier than the match, fell to China’s Wang Yafan 6-4 4-6 6-4 to be bundled out of the match.
9.35pm — Thanasi Kokkinakis resurrection blows roof off AO
Australia, there’s nonetheless hope.
Down 6-3 6-2 to thirteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov, it appeared Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis was heading for the exit.
The Aussie was attempting onerous however the Bulgarian appeared to have all of the solutions of their second spherical conflict.
But the 27-year-old Aussie has bounced again with a vengeance, respiratory new life into John Cain Arena after taking out the third set 6-4.
“What a set from Thanasi Kokkinakis. Hung around long enough,” John Millman advised Channel 9.
“Fought off a lot of early pressure from Dimitrov, especially with his own service games. And that serve, it was an improved serving performance from Kokkinakis which kept his nose in front. That’s the advantage of serving first.
“Because then, out of nowhere, gets the vital break of serve. And more importantly, extending this match into a fourth set. And doesn’t he like that?”
While there’s nonetheless an extended option to go for Kokkinakis, the Aussie crowd is correct behind him.
With Ajla Tomljanovic’s match nonetheless to play after this, it may very well be a late evening for Australian tennis followers.
7.20pm — Carlos Alcaraz survives scare
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is into the third spherical of the Australian Open after edging previous Lorenzo Sonego in a hard-fought four-setter.
It was a tiebreak from going to a fifth setter however the 20-year-old held his nerve to say a 6-4 6-7 6-3 7-6 win.
7pm — Monster upset shakes up AO
American world quantity 5 Jessica Pegula Thursday turned the best seed to depart the Australian Open, upset by younger French star Clara Burel 6-4 6-2.
The fifth seed had no solutions to the 22-year-old, who arrange an all-French third-round conflict with Oceane Dodin, conqueror of Italy’s Martina Trevisan.
“I’m still shaking,” Burel stated, who has by no means gone past a Grand Slam second spherical earlier than. “I’m just really happy to be through.
“That’s nice that I play Oceane, because it means one of us will be in the fourth round. I’m sure it will be a great match.”
Pegula received the Montreal WTA 1000 trophy final season in addition to a title in Seoul.
It’s been a troublesome previous day for the Americans with Pegula’s shock upset, former World No. 12 Jennifer Brady revealing she could be taking time away after an extended harm lay off and would assist coach the UCLA ladies’s tennis crew as she recovers, and the shock reveal Danielle Collins would retire this season.
With AFP
6pm — Alexander Zverev fumes up at journo
Sixth seed Alexander Zverev has been left fuming over a reporter’s query after he booked his place within the third spherical.
Zverev wanted 4 hours and 40 minutes to say a 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-6 7-6 thriller towards Lukas Klein within the Australian Open second spherical.
But in his post-match press convention, Zverev has raged after a reporter requested about his ongoing authorized points.
Zverev is ready to go on public trial in May over allegations he allegedly assaulted former accomplice Brenda Patea in 2020.
He has been “accused of physically abusing a woman and damaging her health during an argument” in Berlin over three years in the past.
The former world quantity two was ordered to pay fines of 450,000 euro ($A750,000) over the alleged assault in October. He contested the ruling which meant the case now goes to trial.
He has frequently denied the allegations being levelled towards him. The case towards the tennis star will start on May 31.
In a 90 second press convention, the place simply two questions had been requested, one reporter requested “Regarding your upcoming trial, do you plan to attend in person?”
It was clearly not a query Zverev wished to reply.
“Wow. That’s a question. I just played four hours, 40 minutes,” Zverev stated.
“That’s not the first question I really want to hear, to be honest.
“I’ve got no idea. It’s in May.”
It’s the second straight match which has been dominated by the upcoming court docket battle, who gave an icy show after his first match as properly.
Even earlier than the date was made public, Zverev was under-fire after he starred in Netflix’s Break Point documentary, which didn’t even brush on the difficulty.
4pm – Another agonising Aussie defeat
Numerous Australia’s male gamers have demonstrated monumental struggle in latest days, sadly with out a lot to indicate for it.
While Alex de Minaur marches on, the likes of Jordan Thompson, Alexei Popyrin and Chris O’Connell all fell brief in combative matches towards a lot increased ranked opponents.
Now we are able to add Max Purcell’s identify to the record.
The 25-year-old Sydneysider was removed from intimidated in his conflict with world No. 11 Casper Ruud, forcing the match all the way in which to a fifth set tiebreak.
But it wasn’t to be, finally falling 6-3 6-7 6-3 3-6 7-6, together with a 10-7 scoreline in that deciding tiebreak.
“It’s relief for Casper Ruud as he was in serious, serious danger in this match,” Jim Courier stated in commentary.
Purcell has spent a lot of his profession within the mid-200s, having seemingly centered on his doubles profession.
But since cracking the highest 100 in March final 12 months, Purcell hasn’t regarded again, creeping up into the 40s, the place he’s stayed since August.
If his efficiency towards Ruud is something to go by, increased honours are on the playing cards.
Not solely will Purcell rise to be Australia’s second ranked males’s participant behind Alex de Minaur except Thanasi Kokkinakis makes the semi-finals, Courier additionally paid the 25-year-old the final word praise.
“A 45th-ranked player in the world played like a top tenner out there. There was all kinds of disruption coming Casper Ruud’s way,” Courier stated on Nine.
“There were 101 net approaches in that match from Max Purcell. That was old-school, classic tennis and it would have scared the daylights out of Casper Ruud.
“I tell you what, we might not see too many matches with higher consistent quality in this tournament than that. That was incredible. That is not hyperbolic.
“You look at winners to unforced errors, the service percentage, the style of play, it had just about everything.”
At precisely the identical time as Purcell was in that fifth set tiebreak, sixth seed Alexander Zverev was concerned in one other towards little recognized Serbian Lukas Klein.
Klein, enjoying in solely his second main draw, stole the second and third units off the German and nearly had him within the fourth.
But Zverev persevered and took the fourth in a tense tiebreak to ship it to a fifth.
The pair, each sweltering even with the roof closed, each broke one another’s serve within the fifth but it surely was Zverev who ultimately reigned supreme.
A ridiculous passing shot after chasing down an unattainable drop shot from Zverev had the gang screaming for the underdog.
But it wasn’t to be, Zverev taking the ultimate tiebreak 10-7 for a 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-6 7-6 victory.
2.55pm – Zverev takes it to 5 units, Aussie staying alive
Alex Zverev has fought again on the loss of life as Lukas Klein threatened to ship him tumbling within the fourth set. The pair went to a tense tiebreak and had been even at 5-5 till the Slovakian hit two unforced errors into th