Who’s through, who’s out? All news from day 7 at the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne up to date and compact.
Faster than the ball
Alex de Minaur – Francisco Cerundolo 5:7 7:6 6:3 6:3
There was this one scene in the last set when Alex de Minaur overtook the ball while running back from the net. By then it was clear what the Australian later confirmed in an on-court interview: “The legs are back!” De Minaur used the winter break to get back into top shape after his sustained injury last summer. Not only, but also physically, the local hero destroyed his Argentine opponent Francisco Cerundolo in four sets, to the delight of all Australians.
At the age of 38, that’s when life begins
Gael Monfils – Taylor Fritz 3:6 7:5 7:6 6:4
He danced, laughed, opened his eyes in disbelief, continued dancing and couldn’t stop laughing! Gael Monfils, who turns 39 this year, had just beaten the overwhelming favorite Taylor Fritz, who wants to become world number 1 this year. Monfils played like someone who had already seen everything and was just enjoying it. Fritz couldn’t handle this looseness at all. In the end the scoreboard read 3:6, 7:5, 7:6, 6:4. Alexander Zverev will have noticed it with interest. On the big, wide ATP tour he has exactly three fearful opponents: Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Fritz. All three are out.
Do like Denmark, Eva!
Eva Lys – Jaqueline Cristian 4:6 6:3 6:3
It represents one of the most beautiful sports fairy tales of all time: the Danish national soccer team, which was already on vacation in the summer of 1992 when it was nominated for the European Championships at very short notice. Completely unprepared, without any pressure, but with a lot of fun, the Danes rolled through the tournament and sensationally became European champions. Now the young German qualifier Eva Lys is experiencing her personal Denmark. Renominated as a lucky loser ten minutes before the first game, won the first game, won the second game, and now also won the third game. Lys won against the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 4:6, 6:3, 6:3 and is sensationally among the best 16 of the Australian Open. It is the greatest success for the 23-year-old from Hamburg in her career. The reward is a jump into the top 100 in the world rankings. And a round of 16 against Iga Swiatek. Do like Denmark, Eva!
The Iga Express is rolling
Iga Swiatek – Emma Raducanu 6:1 6:0
No, it didn’t get any tighter this time either. On the contrary. World number two Iga Swiatek from Poland literally swept her British, well, opponent Emma Raducanu – who doesn’t remember, the 2021 US Open winner – off the court. After 1:1 in the first set, Swiatek won the next 11 (!) games and missed Raducanu 6:1 6:0. The Pole only needed three and a half hours for her three matches in Melbourne. For comparison: The Brit Jack Draper, who had to go over five sets three times, already has over twelve and a half (!) hours on the clock.
Rybakina has lost her calm
Elena Rybakina – Dayana Jastremska 6:3 6:4
Elena Rybakina is the poker face on the WTA tour. You never see what’s going on inside her. In any case, it doesn’t seem to bother her that her coach Vukov is banned from the WTA. The Kazakh woman didn’t show any weaknesses in the third round either and beat Dayana Jastremska from Ukraine 6:3 and 6:4. Rybakina, who makes tennis look so beautifully fast and powerful and at the same time light as a feather, is creeping towards the finals.
Emma to Dad: Thanks for the tubing bike rides
Emma Navarro – Ons Jabeur 6:4 3:6 6:4
She is and remains the specialist for three-set matches: The American Emma Navarro, number 8 in the world rankings, also made it three in three in match. After the 6:4, 3:6, 6:4 against Ons Jabeur, Navarro revealed where she gets her resilience from. With a wink, she thanked her dad, who, as a child, constantly took her and her siblings on extremely long, strenuous bike rides in the mountains. Papa Navarro was sitting in the stands, heard this and laughed his ass off.