Australian Open day 7 live: Live scores, order of play, Djokovic vs. Federer, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev

The twin Australian Open champion had the gang closely in her favour at Margaret Courtroom Enviornment as she took out the world No. 11 6-1, 7-5 in a strong assertion forward of a fourth-round conflict with unheralded Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska.

Azarenka, 34, has now reached the ultimate 16 at Melbourne Park an unbelievable 11 instances in 16 makes an attempt, together with final yr’s run to the semi-final which was dropped at a halt by Kazakhstan star Elena Rybakina.

However Rybakina is now gone from the ladies’s draw and Azarenka will likely be closely favoured to advance to the quarter-final, the place she may meet world No. 1 Iga Swiatek or former No. 3 Elina Svitolina.

The Belarusian veteran’s serve was at its greatest as she crushed Ostapenko 6-1 in a dominant first set, however the former French Open champion surged again into the competition with a string of flat, low-bouncing backhand winners on her option to an early break within the second set.

The identical weapon that introduced Ostapenko into the match additionally despatched her crashing out of the match, as three consecutive backhand unforced errors on her serve at 5-4 allowed Azarenka to interrupt again and go on to win the match.

Azarenka needed to save 4 break factors on her serve at 6-5, however bailed herself out with two aces as she took the set 7-5 and raised her arms to the gang.

She mentioned a singular concentrate on incomes a break level had stored her within the second set when she confronted a 5-2 deficit.

“After all Jelena is a champion, she’s a grand slam champion who has been in wonderful type coming off the title, so I knew she was going to come back again and play robust,” Azarenka mentioned on court docket.

“What was going by my thoughts at 5-2 was, ‘OK, she’s enjoying properly, she’s stepped it up, (however) it’s only one break’.

“I wanted so as to add somewhat little bit of energy … I used to be going to make her work actually exhausting to earn the purpose and I felt like that put somewhat bit extra stress on her at a time, and I used to be capable of convert my alternatives.”

Azarenka mentioned she felt bodily ready to once more go deep into the second week.

“I feel I’m simply prepared to provide what it takes, I’m going to remain out right here so long as it must be,” she mentioned.

“I really like the problem every time one thing is troublesome. That makes me excited so I feel that brings out in all probability the most effective for me.

“How are you going to get to successful titles with out stress? That’s not possible. It’s scary, it’s troublesome, but it surely’s one thing you (have) to acknowledge and undergo.”

— Ed Bourke

EARLIER: DEMON DUMPS DJOKER FROM PRIMETIME

Australian Open organisers have scheduled Alex de Minaur’s fourth-round blockbuster towards Andrey Rublev for the primetime slot on centre court docket on Sunday evening.

In a shock transfer, Novak Djokovic will face Adrian Mannarino on Rod Laver Enviornment through the afternoon in a match which will likely be performed after Coco Gauff’s conflict with Magdalena Frech.

Defending ladies’s champion Aryna Sabalenka has additionally been bumped to Margaret Courtroom Enviornment.

Tennis journalist Neil McMahon famous: “Not typically Djokovic doesn’t get his most well-liked evening slot on Rod Laver Enviornment however they’ve bumped him to the day session tomorrow in favour of Alex De Minaur. If Demon and Novak each make the quarters that day/evening schedule goes to be an fascinating name.”

It is going to be the primary time in three years Djokovic will play through the day at Melbourne Park.

De Minaur was requested about whether or not he anticipated to be on centre court docket after defeating Flavio Cobolli within the third spherical.

“I imply, I might like to play on RLA. Clearly that prime time slot is fairly particular, and also you’ve acquired to earn it.

“If the organizers determine to place me there, then I’ll be pleased to play on it.

“However, yeah, finally doesn’t actually matter after I play, whether or not I play first match, whether or not I play final.

“Whether or not I play on RLA or Courtroom 27, I’m nonetheless going to be the identical. I’m nonetheless going to stroll on the market and luxuriate in it and provides it 150 per cent.”

5.45PM: HUNTER — I DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE SINGLES OR DOUBLES, YET

Storm Hunter concedes there might come a time the place she has to determine whether or not to place her late-blooming singles profession forward of her doubles ambitions.

Hunter, a blended doubles champion on the US Open and girls’s doubles finalist at Wimbledon, was urged to think about making singles her precedence by compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic.

However after an early-morning third-round loss to ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova, the 29-year-old mentioned she would proceed to juggle singles and doubles in the interim.

“It’s undoubtedly a consideration. I wouldn’t say it’s a consideration proper now. I feel the place my rankings are I can nonetheless sort of do each in the intervening time. There doubtlessly could also be that call down the road, however for now, no,” she instructed reporters.

“I’m sort of simply figuring out my schedule over the following few weeks and the way it seems post-AO relying the place my rating goes and whatnot.

“In the mean time my focus now’s on doubles and blended doubles. I’ve doubles tomorrow after which I feel blended on Sunday.

“Yeah, sort of simply centered on that. Yeah, making an attempt to sort of get a bit extra doubles follow in. Clearly I’ve been preoccupied this week. Yeah, I’ll get out on the court docket and get some doubles follow in now and concentrate on that.”

Hunter and her doubles companion Katerina Siniakova are the third seeds within the ladies’s doubles, whereas she is the No.1 seed within the blended doubles with fellow Aussie Matthew Ebden.

5.25PM: DJOKER WARNS — LATE NIGHTS ARE HERE TO STAY

Novak Djokovic says altering the grand slam every day schedule to a single steady session would profit gamers and assist keep away from early morning finishes however he doesn’t anticipate match organisers to maneuver away from the present day-night format “as a result of that’s how they promote their tickets”.

The scheduling debate was as soon as once more placed on the agenda when world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev and Emil Ruusuvuori performed to three.39am on Friday morning after their scheduled second-up match on Rod Laver Enviornment was pushed again past 11pm resulting from a prolonged third set tie-breaker between Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova.

After the match Medvedev joked that if he had been a fan he wouldn’t have stayed to look at his comeback victory and revealed the early morning end would make recovering for the following spherical way more troublesome.

Djokovic weighed into the controversy after his straight-sets victory over Tomas Etcheverry on Friday evening, revealing what he believed to be a believable answer – although conceded he didn’t anticipate it to occur.

“The every day schedule and the time of the matches … is an issue clearly when you’ve gotten males enjoying best-of-five (units), because it did final evening with day matches (going to) 5 units,” the world No. 1 mentioned.

“Yeah it’s not a really perfect state of affairs to be in that, for certain. I don’t know, I imply, I don’t see grand slams on important courts, significantly on centre court docket, altering the format of getting day matches and evening matches, as a result of that’s how they promote their tickets. That’s how they commercialise. That’s how they promote.”

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5.05PM: AZARENKA STORMS THROUGH FIRST SET

Victoria Azarenka is eyeing an unbelievable eleventh run to the second week of the Australian Open after crushing eleventh seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 within the opening set of their blockbuster third-round conflict on Margaret Courtroom Enviornment.

The 2012-13 winner broke Ostapenko’s serve twice and heaped stress on the Latvian star, who gave up 12 unforced errors to solely two from Azarenka.

The gang is firmly with the twin Australian Open champion, whose serve was on tune with 4 aces because the rivals vie for a fourth-round conflict towards Ukrainian qualifier and world No. 93 Dayana Yastremska.

Regardless of the lowly-ranked spherical of 16 opponent, the winner is in essentially the most troublesome quarter of the ladies’s draw, with both Iga Swiatek or Elina Svitolina mendacity in wait because the most probably quarter-final opponent.

Neither conflict will intimidate Azarenka on this type – the Belarusian has been to the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park no fewer than six instances together with her run to the semi-finals final yr.

— Ed Bourke

5PM: MEN’S ROUND OF 16 CLOSE TO BEING DECIDED

There are solely 4 spots left within the males’s spherical of 16 after Arthur Cazaux, Hubert Hurkacz, Miomir Kecmanovic and Carlos Alcaraz booked their spots.

The 122nd-ranked Cazaux gained in straight units towards Tallon Griekspoor, whereas Hurkacz took down Ugo Humbert in 4 units.

Kecmanovic will tackle Alcaraz, whereas Hurkacz will play Cazaux.

The remaining spots will likely be determined this night with Cameron Norrie taking up Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimtrov up towards Nuno Borges, Daniil Medvedev taking up Fleix Auger-Aliassime and the battle of the Alexs — Zverev towards Michelsen.

4.26PM: ALCARAZ CLOSES ON WORLD NO.1

Carlos Alcaraz is closing in on changing into the world No.1 once more after Juncheng Shang retired within the third set of their third-round match.

The Chinese language star was trailing two units and 1-0 within the third set when he retired.

Lleyton Hewitt famous on Channel 9 that Alcaraz, who has dropped one set within the opening three rounds, “hasn’t wasted a lot power in any respect to get by to this stage.”

4.20PM: ALCARAZ CRUISING, KECMANOVIC SPRINGS UPSET

A cruel Carlos Alcaraz is in no temper for pleasantries, blowing away Juncheng Shang in two lopsided opening units.

Alacaraz will transfer nearer to the world’s no.1 rating — albeit presumably for lower than 24 hours — if he completes the third-round win.

In the meantime, Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic has come from two units to 1 all the way down to ship 14th seed Tommy Paul packing in 5 units.

Kecmanovic gained the fourth set in a tiebreak earlier than blitzting Paul 6-0 within the fifth to storm into the fourth spherical.

French wildcard Arthur Cazaux — who’s quick changing into one of many breakout stars of the match — is on observe for the final 16 and main Tallon Griekspoor within the third set.

The match betweeen seeds Ugo Humbert and Hubert Hurkacz seems headed for a fifth set.

EARLIER: FISHY CODE VIOLATION CONFUSES US STAR

An uncommon pairing of sushi and smoothies as in-match gasoline didn’t do the job for Sloane Stephens because the American ace crashed out of the Australian Open.

The 2017 US Open champion regarded flat at instances in a shock third-round loss to Russian-born world No.75 Anna Kalinskaya.

Stephens had two packets of sushi and two smoothies introduced out to her bench through the match – solely a small quantity of which she really consumed – and likewise reached for a gel shot within the third set.

Nevertheless, it was to little avail as Kalinskaya powered to a 6-7 (10/8) 6-1 6-4 victory.

Stephens had saved 4 set factors through the first set tiebreaker, after discovering herself 6-3 down.

The American appeared to lack power throughout a fast 41-minute second set.

She briefly rallied to carry a 3-1 benefit early within the third set, earlier than fading as soon as once more.

Kalinskaya’s earlier greatest outcome at a grand slam was a second-round berth, one thing she had achieved on 4 events.

The 25-year-old will face a fourth-round match towards the winner of in the present day’s conflict between Anna Blinkova and Jasmine Paolini.

1:15PM: ROD LAVER REVEALS HIS TIP TO WIN THE AUS OPEN

Tennis legend Rod Laver believes Novak Djokovic already has “a part of his initials” on what could be an eleventh Australian Open trophy, suggesting the Serbian star had been toying with followers by dropping units in his opening two matches.

An 11-time grand slam winner himself, the person who has a court docket named after him at Melbourne Park mentioned he rated “robust” Australian hope Alex de Minaur extremely however could be shocked if he or anybody else toppled Djokovic on this match.

Djokovic took 4 units to beat world No. 187 Dino Prizmic in his first-round match and was additionally taken to 4 units by 24-year-old Australian Alexi Popyrin in his second-round match.

The 36-year-old was not pushed to a fourth set to beat thirtieth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry within the third spherical on Friday evening, however was taken to a third-set tie-breaker which he dominated 7-2.

“Djokovic, it’s wonderful,” Laver, 85, mentioned.

“He has all of the photographs. He is aware of precisely when he can play them, when he can’t play them.

“He’s priming himself to get by to the ultimate.

“He’ll lose a set someplace in that five-setter and so I’m considering, is he having us on? As a result of he may win this factor (simply).

“He’s such an ideal athlete to start with, however his thoughts is also tennis and so he sees it. It virtually unfolds in entrance of him, what he must be doing. He’s an ideal champion.

“He serves properly. His floor strokes are unbeatable.

“I’ve to consider he’s not going to come back by until somebody miraculously performs their greatest tennis to knock him off.

“I feel if we may put his initials – really, a part of his initials – on the trophy now.”

Sydney product de Minaur will face fifth-seed Andrey Rublev in a fourth-round match on Sunday, vying for his first quarter-final look at his dwelling grand slam.

Laver mentioned he noticed loads of expertise and willpower within the 24-year-old, however he was not the one rising star on the tour chasing Djokovic.

“Alex de Minaur is a superb participant,” Laver mentioned.

“He must be doing greater than he’s doing, as a result of he’s acquired an ideal sport.

“Alex is hard, however (so are) all the opposite gamers which have improved.”

12:45PM DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR AUSSIES

Reigning males’s doubles champions Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler are locked in a troublesome battle to protect their title defence on Courtroom 3 towards Germans duo Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer.

The Aussie duo dropped the primary set 4-6 however held their nerve to win the second set 6-4 regardless of coughing up a set level.

They went down a break early within the third set with Hanfmann’s peak inflicting the pair vital issues on the web.

It comes after Hijikata and Kubler performed down their possibilities of back-to-back titles on Friday, as an alternative backing Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson to proceed the development of underdog native pairs surging to the title.

“I feel they may very well be the third straight Aussie pair to win the match, if I’m being trustworthy,” Hijikata mentioned of the duo.

“I acquired to play with Max in Tokyo, and I’ve seen Thommo play a ton – they’re each unbelievable doubles gamers.

“Now that they’re each out of the singles, they will in all probability concentrate on their doubles a bit extra … I might say they’re an excellent shot to go deep these subsequent couple of weeks.”

Purcell and Thompson are taking up the seventh-seeded mixture of Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski within the second match of the day on Present Courtroom 2.

10:00AM: TEQUILA MOCKING SERB: THE BOOZY TRICK TO BLOCKING OUT DJOKER

Novak Djokovic is a grasp of psychological disintegration, however his subsequent Australian Open opponent, Adrian Mannarino, has a mind-altering weapon at his disposal – tequila.

The journeyman on the rise was ranked No. 71 on this planet in 2021, however has risen to No. 19 at present, with additional enchancment to come back after he reached the spherical of 16 by defeating American Ben Shelton.

When requested about how he’s managed to enhance his sport as he’s aged Mannarino revealed an unorthodox method to bettering his mindset.

“I began tequila, that helps to not assume an excessive amount of,” he mentioned. “You simply preserve going. Generally it’s good to clear your mind, cease occupied with the previous. Don’t look again and simply go!”

A transparent head will likely be helpful towards Djokovic who made headlines for mocking Shelton after their US Open conflict in 2023 and took an unsubtle jab at Andy Murry in a latest ATP Tour promotional video.

8:00AM TRASH TALK: DJOKOVIC DROPS FEDERER TRUTH BOMB

Novak Djokovic dropped a few fact bombs in his post-match press-conference on the Australian Open revealing his love of “trash speak” – and admitting that his brash character significantly grated on fellow nice Roger Federer.

Regardless of the snug nature of the win on Rod Laver Enviornment, Djokovic often regarded annoyed with himself, exchanging gestures along with his teaching staff.

“It’s not all the time a constructive pep speak,” he mentioned. “There’s loads of trash speak taking place within my head.

“I suppose it’s a part of the sport, it’s a part of who I’m. I imply, I’m fairly sure that everybody goes by their disaster moments, significantly within the matches the place they don’t really feel their greatest they usually have doubts.” He added: “I’m making an attempt to struggle the demons that I’ve, as anyone else, on the court docket.”

Djokovic was then quizzed about his youthful days on the ATP tour, and if there have been any gamers who took offence to his “expressive” character.

In response, Djokovic mentioned, “I do know actually Federer didn’t like the best way I used to be behaving firstly. I feel it didn’t sit with him properly. I don’t know concerning the others.”

“I suppose I wasn’t the favorite sort of man to a number of the high guys as a result of I used to be not afraid to say that I wish to be the most effective participant on this planet”.

The World No. 1 additional added, “I by no means, ever lacked respect. Each time I begin a match, earlier than the match or end the match, I might all the time greet the opponent, all the time acknowledge. Respect is one thing that I used to be taught that must be current regardless of what’s taking place.”

7AM: SABALENKA’S DIRE WARNING TO OPPONENTS

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka labelled her double-bagel demolition of Lesia Tsurenko as “perfection”, however delivered an ominous warning to her challengers when she mentioned she may get “even higher”.

The No. 2 seed monstered her Ukrainian opponent in simply 52 minutes to energy by to the fourth spherical at Melbourne Park in a efficiency that might have made her rivals sit up and take discover.

Sabalenka made a meal of the No. 28 seed with the 6-0 6-0 victory on Rod Laver Enviornment to arrange a conflict with American Amanda Anisimova within the spherical of 16.

The 25-year-old has not but dropped a set and has given up simply six video games thus far in her Australian Open defence.

In her three video games thus far, Sabalenka has spent a complete of two hours and 52 minutes on court docket.

Sabalenka, who gained her maiden grand slam in Melbourne final yr,

“I feel in the present day’s efficiency was actually, yeah, was perfection,” Sabalenka mentioned after the third spherical victory.

“I’m proud of the extent I performed in the present day.”

However Sabalenka, who gained her maiden grand slam title in Melbourne final yr, mentioned she hoped she may nonetheless discover one other gear as she targets back-to-back Australian Open crowns.

“Nicely, there’s all the time one thing to enhance, ,” Sabalenka mentioned.

“That’s why you simply can’t be proud of the extent you might be at proper now so that you all the time should preserve shifting, preserve bettering.

“That’s why I mentioned like ‘even higher’.”

Sabalenka earlier mentioned the benchmark set by world No. 1 Iga Swiatek final yr had motivated her to wish to sweep her opponents.

“Final yr Iga gained so many units 6-0 and this is likely one of the objectives to attempt to get nearer to her,” Sabalenka mentioned on court docket after the match.

“I’m simply tremendous proud of the extent I’m enjoying and hopefully I can simply preserve going like that and even higher.”

Requested if the match was hers to lose, Sabalenka mentioned was cautious of the trail that also lay forward of her.

“Hear, it’s tennis. As we see by a number of the high gamers shedding within the earlier matches that something can occur, so I don’t wish to look that far,” Sabalenka mentioned.

“I’m simply focusing match by match. If I’m prepared, able to be in one other one; if not, I’m not. I’m simply making an attempt to do my greatest and put together myself as greatest I can for every match.”

Sabalenka predicted a troublesome match towards Anisimova, who’s again after taking a break from tennis final Might to concentrate on her psychological wellbeing, citing burnout.

“Initially, I’m pleased that she’s again on tour. Secondly, we had loads of nice matches towards one another, all the time robust battles,” she mentioned.

“I’m pleased that my first week was not easy, but it surely wasn’t tremendous lengthy matches. First week is previous … now it’s time to focus to the following week.

“I’m not anticipating straightforward matches as a result of if you’re attending to (the) final levels of the tournaments, it’s not going to be straightforward in any respect.

“I’m simply making an attempt to arrange myself pretty much as good as I can and ensure I convey my greatest stage and compete within the excessive stage.”