Stefanos Tsitsipas once riled Daniil Medvedev by calling him "boring", but he now considers the in-form Russian "smart" ahead of their Australian Open semi-final on Friday.

The pair two men first met on court at Miami in 2018 and have played six times, with Medvedev leading their series with five wins.

But the popular Greek Tsitsipas, who came back from two sets down to shock 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, won their last encounter at the ATP Tour Finals in 2019.

Defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic or Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev awaits whoever wins the night match in Sunday's decider.

A war of words erupted between Tsitsipas and Medvedev after their 2019 clash in Shanghai, when the Greek lashed out at the Russian's "boring" style of play, with his big serve and relentless baseline rallies.

Their frosty relationship has persisted, but Tsitsipas no longer considers him dull, with the 24-year-old on a 19-match win streak dating back to November.

"Medvedev is going to be a difficult task. He's in very good shape, playing good tennis, playing accurate, playing simple," said Tsitsipas.

"Might have said in the past that he plays boring, but I don't really think he plays boring.&nbsp;

"He just plays extremely smart and outplays you. He's somebody I really need to be careful with and just take my chances and press. That would be very important."

<h2>- 'Amazing player' -</h2>

The 22-year-old Tsitsipas was two sets down and seemed to be heading for defeat against Nadal before launching an astonishing comeback to go through 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 in four hours and five minutes.&nbsp;

It was just the second time Nadal had lost when two sets up in a Grand Slam and only the third time in his entire long career.

"Stefanos is an amazing player, big serve, great volley," said Medvedev, who beat fellow Russian Andrey Rublev over three sets in his quarter-final.&nbsp;

"Tough to play. I think he's improving physically because maybe two years ago could say, yeah, out of five sets it's maybe not bad to play him. I don't think it's the case right now."

Despite the gruelling clash with Nadal and less time to prepare than Medvedev, Tsitsipas -- who had benefited from a fourth-round walkover against Matteo Berrettini -- insisted he didn't feel "completely exhausted".

"I got the opportunity to play longer, feel the court, understand the environment that I'm in. So that could probably be seen as something positive," he said.

"I think with experience I have realised how to preserve my energy and when I really have to put in the hard work in the match."

Both men head into the semi-final bidding for a maiden Grand Slam title.

Tsitsipas has never gone beyond a semi-final before, falling to Nadal in the last four at the 2019 Australian Open and to Djokovic at Roland Garros last year.

He has his sights set on becoming the youngest Grand Slam champion since Djokovic won the title at Melbourne Park in 2008 and the first Greek, man or woman, to lift a major trophy.

Medvedev will be playing his first semi in Melbourne as he continues to knock on the door of Grand Slam success, having reached the 2019 US Open final, where he was pipped in five sets by Nadal, and the last four in New York in 2020.

Stefanos Tsitsipas once riled Daniil Medvedev by calling him "boring", but he now considers the in-form Russian "smart" ahead of their Australian Open semi-final on Friday.

Stefanos Tsitsipas once riled Daniil Medvedev by calling him "boring", but he now considers the in-form Russian "smart" ahead of their Australian Open semi-final on Friday. The pair two men first met on court at Miami in 2018 and have played six times, with Medvedev leading their series with five wins. But the popular Greek Tsitsipas, who came back from two sets down to shock 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, won their last encounter at the ATP Tour Finals in 2019. Defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic or Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev awaits whoever wins the night match in Sunday's decider. A war of words erupted between Tsitsipas and Medvedev after their 2019 clash in Shanghai, when the Greek lashed out at the Russian's "boring" style of play, with his big serve and relentless baseline rallies. Their frosty relationship has persisted, but Tsitsipas no longer considers him dull, with the 24-year-old on a 19-match win streak dating back to November. "Medvedev is going to be a difficult task. He's in very good shape, playing good tennis, playing accurate, playing simple," said Tsitsipas. "Might have said in the past that he plays boring, but I don't really think he plays boring. "He just plays extremely smart and outplays you. He's somebody I really need to be careful with and just take my chances and press. That would be very important." - 'Amazing player' - The 22-year-old Tsitsipas was two sets down and seemed to be heading for defeat against Nadal before launching an astonishing comeback to go through 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 in four hours and five minutes. It was just the second time Nadal had lost when two sets up in a Grand Slam and only the third time in his entire long career. "Stefanos is an amazing player, big serve, great volley," said Medvedev, who beat fellow Russian Andrey Rublev over three sets in his quarter-final. "Tough to play. I think he's improving physically because maybe two years ago could say, yeah, out of five sets it's maybe not bad to play him. I don't think it's the case right now." Despite the gruelling clash with Nadal and less time to prepare than Medvedev, Tsitsipas -- who had benefited from a fourth-round walkover against Matteo Berrettini -- insisted he didn't feel "completely exhausted". "I got the opportunity to play longer, feel the court, understand the environment that I'm in. So that could probably be seen as something positive," he said. "I think with experience I have realised how to preserve my energy and when I really have to put in the hard work in the match." Both men head into the semi-final bidding for a maiden Grand Slam title. Tsitsipas has never gone beyond a semi-final before, falling to Nadal in the last four at the 2019 Australian Open and to Djokovic at Roland Garros last year. He has his sights set on becoming the youngest Grand Slam champion since Djokovic won the title at Melbourne Park in 2008 and the first Greek, man or woman, to lift a major trophy. Medvedev will be playing his first semi in Melbourne as he continues to knock on the door of Grand Slam success, having reached the 2019 US Open final, where he was pipped in five sets by Nadal, and the last four in New York in 2020.

Tsitsipas says in-form Medvedev no longer 'boring'

World number one Novak Djokovic ended the dream run of Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday to maintain his bid for a record-extending ninth title.&nbsp;

The 33-year-old Serb, showing no ill-effects from an abdomen injury sustained in the third round, overwhelmed the 114th-ranked Karatsev 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach his 28th Grand Slam final.

"This is the best I've felt in the entire tournament," said Djokovic, who hit 30 winners and 17 aces.

"I could swing through the ball. No pain. The best match so far."

Djokovic, 34, remains on course for his 18th Grand Slam trophy, nipping at the heels of rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are on 20.

In his way will be either fourth seed Daniil Medvedev or Nadal's conqueror Stefanos Tsitispas, the fifth seed, a clash Djokovic said he was eagerly anticipating.

"I'm going to take the popcorn and enjoy it," he said. "I absolutely have zero preference.

"I thought Stefanos did incredibly well to hang in there because Rafa was playing amazing," added Djokovic.

"Medvedev is the guy. He is playing at the highest level the last three months."

Djokovic, who hasn't been practising between matches because of his injury, said he hoped to train before the final.

"Probably more likely (to train) on Saturday," he said. "Recovery is priority right now. I'm feeling the ball well and playing well." &nbsp;

<h2>- Butterfly battle -</h2>

Moving sharper than he has since he was injured while playing Taylor Fritz, Djokovic lifted his intensity in his best performance of the tournament.

Karatsev, however, wasn't disgraced after becoming the first man in the Open era to reach a semi-final on his Grand Slam debut, and just the second qualifier to do so at the Australian Open after Bob Giltinan in 1977.&nbsp;&nbsp;

His magical run included wins over eighth seed Diego Schwartzmann, 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov, but came up short against the ultimate test.&nbsp;

A wary Djokovic had predicted Karatsev would come out aggressively and he proved right with the underdog undaunted in a free-wheeling approach.&nbsp;

Aside from being briefly menaced by a butterfly as he prepared to serve, Djokovic wasn't rattled and his defensive mastery suffocated Karatsev in the eighth game.

He subsequently clinched the first set with an ace and then put the foot down to break to love.

Karatsev wouldn't go away, almost wiping away Djokovic's advantage before the eight-time champion held serve in a see-sawing 10th game and celebrated with gusto.

Despite some service struggles, Djokovic continued was not to be denied to record his first straight-sets victory since an opening-round romp against Jeremy Chardy.

Journeyman Karatsev, who spent a chunk of his youth in Israel, Germany and Spain, and had failed on nine previous occasions to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament, is set to rocket to 42 on the ATP rankings.

World number one Novak Djokovic ended the dream run of Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday to maintain his bid for a record-extending ninth title.

World number one Novak Djokovic ended the dream run of Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday to maintain his bid for a record-extending ninth title. The 33-year-old Serb, showing no ill-effects from an abdomen injury sustained in the third round, overwhelmed the 114th-ranked Karatsev 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach his 28th Grand Slam final. "This is the best I've felt in the entire tournament," said Djokovic, who hit 30 winners and 17 aces. "I could swing through the ball. No pain. The best match so far." Djokovic, 34, remains on course for his 18th Grand Slam trophy, nipping at the heels of rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are on 20. In his way will be either fourth seed Daniil Medvedev or Nadal's conqueror Stefanos Tsitispas, the fifth seed, a clash Djokovic said he was eagerly anticipating. "I'm going to take the popcorn and enjoy it," he said. "I absolutely have zero preference. "I thought Stefanos did incredibly well to hang in there because Rafa was playing amazing," added Djokovic. "Medvedev is the guy. He is playing at the highest level the last three months." Djokovic, who hasn't been practising between matches because of his injury, said he hoped to train before the final. "Probably more likely (to train) on Saturday," he said. "Recovery is priority right now. I'm feeling the ball well and playing well." - Butterfly battle - Moving sharper than he has since he was injured while playing Taylor Fritz, Djokovic lifted his intensity in his best performance of the tournament. Karatsev, however, wasn't disgraced after becoming the first man in the Open era to reach a semi-final on his Grand Slam debut, and just the second qualifier to do so at the Australian Open after Bob Giltinan in 1977. His magical run included wins over eighth seed Diego Schwartzmann, 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov, but came up short against the ultimate test. A wary Djokovic had predicted Karatsev would come out aggressively and he proved right with the underdog undaunted in a free-wheeling approach. Aside from being briefly menaced by a butterfly as he prepared to serve, Djokovic wasn't rattled and his defensive mastery suffocated Karatsev in the eighth game. He subsequently clinched the first set with an ace and then put the foot down to break to love. Karatsev wouldn't go away, almost wiping away Djokovic's advantage before the eight-time champion held serve in a see-sawing 10th game and celebrated with gusto. Despite some service struggles, Djokovic continued was not to be denied to record his first straight-sets victory since an opening-round romp against Jeremy Chardy. Journeyman Karatsev, who spent a chunk of his youth in Israel, Germany and Spain, and had failed on nine previous occasions to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament, is set to rocket to 42 on the ATP rankings.

Peerless Djokovic ends Karatsev dream to reach Australian Open final

Serena Williams broke down in tears and cut short her post-match press conference after another failed bid to equal Margaret Court's record Grand Slam haul, calling her defeat to Naomi Osaka "a big error day".

The veteran American's quest to reach a ninth Australian Open final and match Court's 24 major singles titles ended in a 6-3, 6-4 semi-final mauling by the Japanese third seed.

Williams, 39, broke early for a 2-0 lead before Osaka reeled off five straight games to leave her shellshocked.

"The difference today was errors. I made so many errors," said the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

"Honestly, it was opportunities where I could have won. I could have been up 5-0. It was a big error day for me."

Pressed on what caused her to make so many mistakes, tears began to flow as she told reporters: "I don't know. I'm done," before walking out.

In a clash of power games clashed, it was Osaka who had the edge, hitting 20 winners to Williams's 12, while also committing three fewer unforced errors on 21.

Williams said she had been hitting well all tournament and had no explanation for the loss other than "too many mistakes there, easy mistakes".

Osaka's victory left Williams still stranded on 23 Grand Slam crowns, one short of Court's tally, with her last major title coming in Melbourne four years ago when she was pregnant.

Williams has lost four Slam finals since and as she walked off court put her hand over her heart, almost as if saying farewell.

Asked about it afterwards, she suggested the gesture was more about acknowledging the crowd, who were allowed back into Rod Laver Arena after a five-day snap lockdown and gave the American a rousing send-off.

"I don't know. If I ever say farewell, I wouldn't tell anyone," she said.

Serena Williams broke down in tears and cut short her post-match press conference after another failed bid to equal Margaret Court's record Grand Slam haul, calling her defeat to Naomi Osaka "a big error day".

Serena Williams broke down in tears and cut short her post-match press conference after another failed bid to equal Margaret Court's record Grand Slam haul, calling her defeat to Naomi Osaka "a big error day". The veteran American's quest to reach a ninth Australian Open final and match Court's 24 major singles titles ended in a 6-3, 6-4 semi-final mauling by the Japanese third seed. Williams, 39, broke early for a 2-0 lead before Osaka reeled off five straight games to leave her shellshocked. "The difference today was errors. I made so many errors," said the 23-time Grand Slam champion. "Honestly, it was opportunities where I could have won. I could have been up 5-0. It was a big error day for me." Pressed on what caused her to make so many mistakes, tears began to flow as she told reporters: "I don't know. I'm done," before walking out. In a clash of power games clashed, it was Osaka who had the edge, hitting 20 winners to Williams's 12, while also committing three fewer unforced errors on 21. Williams said she had been hitting well all tournament and had no explanation for the loss other than "too many mistakes there, easy mistakes". Osaka's victory left Williams still stranded on 23 Grand Slam crowns, one short of Court's tally, with her last major title coming in Melbourne four years ago when she was pregnant. Williams has lost four Slam finals since and as she walked off court put her hand over her heart, almost as if saying farewell. Asked about it afterwards, she suggested the gesture was more about acknowledging the crowd, who were allowed back into Rod Laver Arena after a five-day snap lockdown and gave the American a rousing send-off. "I don't know. If I ever say farewell, I wouldn't tell anyone," she said.

'I'm done': Williams walks out in tears after semi-final defeat

Naomi Osaka emphatically ended Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown with a straight-sets demolition in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday.

The Japanese third seed swept past the American veteran 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena in front of thousands of fans allowed back in after Melbourne lifted a snap five-day lockdown.

She will face either American Jennifer Brady or Czech Karolina Muchova on Saturday for a fourth Slam title after her success at Flushing Meadows in 2018 and last year, and Melbourne in 2019.

The victory left Williams, who won her last major in Melbourne in 2017, stranded on 23 Grand Slam titles as she strives to match Margaret Court's all-time record.

Since winning while pregnant in Australia four years ago, Williams has lost four Slam finals, including one to Osaka in a controversial and heated 2018 US Open decider which left both women in tears.

"I hit a lot of unforced errors in the first few games, I was just really nervous and scared," said Osaka, who reeled off five games in a row in the opening set after going 2-0 down.

"But then I sort of eased my way into it and the biggest thing for me was having fun."

"For me, it's always an honour to play her and I didn't want to go out (of the tournament) really bad, so I just tried my best," she added.

<h2>- Big-match experience -</h2>

While Osaka held a 2-1 head-to-head advantage going into the blockbuster clash, 39-year-old Williams had a huge edge on big-match experience.

Ahead of the showdown, she had won all eight of her previous semi-finals at Melbourne Park stretching back 18 years to when she beat Kim Clijsters on her way to her first title in Australia.

Her first ever Grand Slam semi, against Lindsay Davenport at 1999 US Open, was played when Osaka was just one.

But the 23-year-old boasted a 100 percent win record in Slams when she got past the fourth round, and she kept it intact Thursday.

Williams worked hard on her fitness during the off-season and quickly asserted herself, breaking Osaka straight away with the Japanese sensation having issues with the sun and ball toss.

She consolidated by holding serve, with Osaka guilty of five unforced errors in the opening two games.

Osaka said before the match she still felt intimidated seeing Williams on the other side of the net, but her early nerves soon settled.

She saved a break point in the next game and got off the mark with an ace, then broke back to level the scores at 2-2 when Williams sent a forehand long.

Now well and truly in her groove, with her forehand doing most of the damage, Osaka won five games in a row, and the set, to leave Williams stunned.

She broke again on Williams's opening serve of the second set, with the American screaming: "Make a shot, make a shot!"

With the crowd roaring her on, Williams stayed in touch and Osaka's eighth double fault gave her the American a break back.

But it was a short-lived reprieve with Osaka breaking again and calmly serving out for victory.

Naomi Osaka emphatically ended Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown with a straight-sets demolition in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday.

Naomi Osaka emphatically ended Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown with a straight-sets demolition in the Australian Open semi-finals Thursday. The Japanese third seed swept past the American veteran 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena in front of thousands of fans allowed back in after Melbourne lifted a snap five-day lockdown. She will face either American Jennifer Brady or Czech Karolina Muchova on Saturday for a fourth Slam title after her success at Flushing Meadows in 2018 and last year, and Melbourne in 2019. The victory left Williams, who won her last major in Melbourne in 2017, stranded on 23 Grand Slam titles as she strives to match Margaret Court's all-time record. Since winning while pregnant in Australia four years ago, Williams has lost four Slam finals, including one to Osaka in a controversial and heated 2018 US Open decider which left both women in tears. "I hit a lot of unforced errors in the first few games, I was just really nervous and scared," said Osaka, who reeled off five games in a row in the opening set after going 2-0 down. "But then I sort of eased my way into it and the biggest thing for me was having fun." "For me, it's always an honour to play her and I didn't want to go out (of the tournament) really bad, so I just tried my best," she added. - Big-match experience - While Osaka held a 2-1 head-to-head advantage going into the blockbuster clash, 39-year-old Williams had a huge edge on big-match experience. Ahead of the showdown, she had won all eight of her previous semi-finals at Melbourne Park stretching back 18 years to when she beat Kim Clijsters on her way to her first title in Australia. Her first ever Grand Slam semi, against Lindsay Davenport at 1999 US Open, was played when Osaka was just one. But the 23-year-old boasted a 100 percent win record in Slams when she got past the fourth round, and she kept it intact Thursday. Williams worked hard on her fitness during the off-season and quickly asserted herself, breaking Osaka straight away with the Japanese sensation having issues with the sun and ball toss. She consolidated by holding serve, with Osaka guilty of five unforced errors in the opening two games. Osaka said before the match she still felt intimidated seeing Williams on the other side of the net, but her early nerves soon settled. She saved a break point in the next game and got off the mark with an ace, then broke back to level the scores at 2-2 when Williams sent a forehand long. Now well and truly in her groove, with her forehand doing most of the damage, Osaka won five games in a row, and the set, to leave Williams stunned. She broke again on Williams's opening serve of the second set, with the American screaming: "Make a shot, make a shot!" With the crowd roaring her on, Williams stayed in touch and Osaka's eighth double fault gave her the American a break back. But it was a short-lived reprieve with Osaka breaking again and calmly serving out for victory.

Osaka shatters Williams record bid to make Australian Open final

Spanish great Rafael Nadal said he wouldn't blame quarantine or look for other excuses on Wednesday after his Grand Slam record bid was torpedoed by an inspired Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open.

Nadal's hunt for a record 21st major title ended in five sets against the Greek fifth seed, who came back from two sets down to win 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 in 4hr 5min in the quarter-finals.

The 34-year-old was playing his first tournament of the year after back tightness, following a stint in Australian quarantine, kept him out of the ATP Cup team competition.

But he refused to blame the unusual build-up to the coronavirus-disrupted Grand Slam for his surprise defeat.

"We can find excuses or reasons, or maybe this quarantine that we need to be more time in the room than usual," he said.

"But I'm not the guy that's going to find excuses on that or going to complain about what happened, no.

"Just accept. I never considered myself an unlucky person at all. Doesn't matter the injuries that I had. I think I am a very lucky person."

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev both hit out at quarantine after their quarter-final on Tuesday, blaming it for a rash of early-season injuries.

But Nadal dismissed talk of halting the tour, or playing it in a series of "bubbles" to avoid further stints in quarantine, as suggested by Djokovic.

"There are two options: stop the tour or keep going," he said.

"It's tough for the players, of course... but on the other hand, if we stop the tour, why and how and when we will be able to come back? And a lot of jobs gonna suffer a lot."

Nadal added: "We need to think a little bit bigger... we need to find solutions and we need to adapt to this very tough times that we are facing."

Spanish great Rafael Nadal said he wouldn't blame quarantine or look for other excuses on Wednesday after his Grand Slam record bid was torpedoed by an inspired Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open.

Spanish great Rafael Nadal said he wouldn't blame quarantine or look for other excuses on Wednesday after his Grand Slam record bid was torpedoed by an inspired Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open. Nadal's hunt for a record 21st major title ended in five sets against the Greek fifth seed, who came back from two sets down to win 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 in 4hr 5min in the quarter-finals. The 34-year-old was playing his first tournament of the year after back tightness, following a stint in Australian quarantine, kept him out of the ATP Cup team competition. But he refused to blame the unusual build-up to the coronavirus-disrupted Grand Slam for his surprise defeat. "We can find excuses or reasons, or maybe this quarantine that we need to be more time in the room than usual," he said. "But I'm not the guy that's going to find excuses on that or going to complain about what happened, no. "Just accept. I never considered myself an unlucky person at all. Doesn't matter the injuries that I had. I think I am a very lucky person." Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev both hit out at quarantine after their quarter-final on Tuesday, blaming it for a rash of early-season injuries. But Nadal dismissed talk of halting the tour, or playing it in a series of "bubbles" to avoid further stints in quarantine, as suggested by Djokovic. "There are two options: stop the tour or keep going," he said. "It's tough for the players, of course... but on the other hand, if we stop the tour, why and how and when we will be able to come back? And a lot of jobs gonna suffer a lot." Nadal added: "We need to think a little bit bigger... we need to find solutions and we need to adapt to this very tough times that we are facing."

Nadal not blaming quarantine after Australian Open shock

Some spectators are expected to return to the empty stadiums of Australian Open as the five-day snap lockdown in Australia's Victoria state will end on Wednesday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melbourne-to-end-coronavirus-lockdown-after-short-sharp-circuit-breaker-364151" hreflang="en">Melbourne to end coronavirus lockdown after 'short, sharp circuit-breaker'</a>

The lifting of restrictions will allow at least some spectators at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, where players have competed in empty stadiums during the lockdown.

"There will be meetings early this afternoon ... where we will go through what is a safe number and will get that decision made as soon as possible," Andrews said.

According to the pre-lockdown agreement with the Victorian government, crowds would have been limited to 25,000 for each day fo the final four days but Andrews said that figure might be reduced further.

Authorities said the lockdown would be lifted at 11.59 pm as planned on Wednesday. The snap lockdown was imposed in Victoria on Friday after the spread of the UK variant of the virus linked to hotel quarantining travellers returning from overseas.

Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews said: "We are very pleased to be able to report that progress today, not just a zero day today, but the fact we've been able to contain this outbreak."

Andrews asserted that masks will remain mandatory both indoors and outdoors. The premier added that spectators will be allowed at the Australian Open but they will be reduced.

Australian Open had earlier barred spectators until the end of the lockdown.

"We all have to acknowledge that it's not over, it's not gone, and there are many thousands of people who are doing the right thing and we're deeply grateful to them, but that 14 day period is there for a reason," Andrews added.

Some spectators are expected to return to the empty stadiums of Australian Open as the five-day snap lockdown in Australia's Victoria state will end on Wednesday.

Some spectators are expected to return to the empty stadiums of Australian Open as the five-day snap lockdown in Australia's Victoria state will end on Wednesday. ALSO READ: Melbourne to end coronavirus lockdown after 'short, sharp circuit-breaker' The lifting of restrictions will allow at least some spectators at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, where players have competed in empty stadiums during the lockdown. "There will be meetings early this afternoon ... where we will go through what is a safe number and will get that decision made as soon as possible," Andrews said. According to the pre-lockdown agreement with the Victorian government, crowds would have been limited to 25,000 for each day fo the final four days but Andrews said that figure might be reduced further. Authorities said the lockdown would be lifted at 11.59 pm as planned on Wednesday. The snap lockdown was imposed in Victoria on Friday after the spread of the UK variant of the virus linked to hotel quarantining travellers returning from overseas. Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews said: "We are very pleased to be able to report that progress today, not just a zero day today, but the fact we've been able to contain this outbreak." Andrews asserted that masks will remain mandatory both indoors and outdoors. The premier added that spectators will be allowed at the Australian Open but they will be reduced. Australian Open had earlier barred spectators until the end of the lockdown. "We all have to acknowledge that it's not over, it's not gone, and there are many thousands of people who are doing the right thing and we're deeply grateful to them, but that 14 day period is there for a reason," Andrews added.

Fans to return to Australian Open? Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews clarifies

Authorities in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/covid-19-pandemic-several-people-arrested-in-illegal-protests-in-melbourne-327418">Melbourne</a> are set to end the five-day lockdown after no new cases were reported on Wednesday.

Authorities said the lockdown would be lifted at 11.59 pm as planned on Wednesday. The snap lockdown was imposed in Victoria on Friday after the spread of the UK variant of the virus linked to hotel quarantining travellers returning from overseas.

Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews said: "We are very pleased to be able to report that progress today, not just a zero day today, but the fact we've been able to contain this outbreak."

Andrews asserted that masks will remain mandatory both indoors and outdoors. The premier added that spectators will be allowed at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melbourne-orders-snap-coronavirus-lockdown-during-australian-open-tennis-363038">Australian Open</a> but they will be reduced.

Australian Open had earlier barred spectators until the end of the lockdown.

"We all have to acknowledge that it's not over, it's not gone, and there are many thousands of people who are doing the right thing and we're deeply grateful to them, but that 14 day period is there for a reason," Andrews added.

Australia on Tuesday had granted provisional approval for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca after giving the green signal to &nbsp;Pfizer-BioNTech last month.

Authorities had said inoculations for 25 million population will begin from February 22. The government has secured 53.8 million doses of the vaccine so far.

The country has reported a total of just under 29,000 COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths.

Authorities in Melbourne are set to end the five-day lockdown after no new cases were reported on Wednesday. Authorities said the lockdown would be lifted at 11.

Authorities in Melbourne are set to end the five-day lockdown after no new cases were reported on Wednesday. Authorities said the lockdown would be lifted at 11.59 pm as planned on Wednesday. The snap lockdown was imposed in Victoria on Friday after the spread of the UK variant of the virus linked to hotel quarantining travellers returning from overseas. Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews said: "We are very pleased to be able to report that progress today, not just a zero day today, but the fact we've been able to contain this outbreak." Andrews asserted that masks will remain mandatory both indoors and outdoors. The premier added that spectators will be allowed at the Australian Open but they will be reduced. Australian Open had earlier barred spectators until the end of the lockdown. "We all have to acknowledge that it's not over, it's not gone, and there are many thousands of people who are doing the right thing and we're deeply grateful to them, but that 14 day period is there for a reason," Andrews added. Australia on Tuesday had granted provisional approval for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca after giving the green signal to Pfizer-BioNTech last month. Authorities had said inoculations for 25 million population will begin from February 22. The government has secured 53.8 million doses of the vaccine so far. The country has reported a total of just under 29,000 COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths.

Melbourne to end coronavirus lockdown after 'short, sharp circuit-breaker'

Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday stunned 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 at the Australian Open 2021 to set-up a cracking semi-final encounter against Daniil Medvedev.&nbsp;Tsitsipas came back from 2 sets down to defeat the Spaniard as he became the only the second&nbsp;player to beat Nadal from that scoreline.&nbsp;

Nadal, a second seed, was on course for a comfortable win as the Spaniard won the first two set. However, Tsitsipas upped the ante to turn around the match and prevailed 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 in a seismic upset.

"I don't know what happened after the third set -- I fly like little bird, everything was working for me," Tsitsipas said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/within-the-rules-shocked-barty-says-muchova-timeout-not-to-blame-364264" hreflang="en">'Within the rules': Shocked Barty says Muchova timeout not to blame</a>

"The emotions at the end were indescribable, they were something else."

Nadal lost the match after going two sets up in a Grand Slam - only twice in his career - having previously been defeated by Fabio Fognini in the third round of the US Open 2015.

Nadal, 34, ends the Australian Open 2021 tied with Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slam titles. However, Novak Djokovic can still pull within the two if he goes on to win his 18th Grand Slam at Melbourne Park. Djokovic will play the other semi-final against Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-medvedev-beats-compatriot-rublev-to-reach-semis-364235" hreflang="en">Australian Open: Medvedev beats compatriot Rublev to reach semis</a>

Fifth seed Tsitsipas will not look to reach his maiden Grand Slam final when he takes the court to face an in-form Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final. Tsitsipas defeated Nadal for just the second time off eight matches.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Australian Open 2021 Quarter-Final results:</h2>

Men's singles

Daniil Medvedev (RUS x4) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS x7) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x5) bt Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5

Women's singles

Karolina Muchova (CZE x25) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2

Jennifer Brady (USA x22) bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday stunned 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 at the Australian Open 2021 to set-up a cracking semi-final encounter against Daniil Medvedev.

Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday stunned 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 at the Australian Open 2021 to set-up a cracking semi-final encounter against Daniil Medvedev. Tsitsipas came back from 2 sets down to defeat the Spaniard as he became the only the second player to beat Nadal from that scoreline. Nadal, a second seed, was on course for a comfortable win as the Spaniard won the first two set. However, Tsitsipas upped the ante to turn around the match and prevailed 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 in a seismic upset. "I don't know what happened after the third set -- I fly like little bird, everything was working for me," Tsitsipas said. ALSO READ: 'Within the rules': Shocked Barty says Muchova timeout not to blame "The emotions at the end were indescribable, they were something else." Nadal lost the match after going two sets up in a Grand Slam - only twice in his career - having previously been defeated by Fabio Fognini in the third round of the US Open 2015. Nadal, 34, ends the Australian Open 2021 tied with Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slam titles. However, Novak Djokovic can still pull within the two if he goes on to win his 18th Grand Slam at Melbourne Park. Djokovic will play the other semi-final against Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev. ALSO READ: Australian Open: Medvedev beats compatriot Rublev to reach semis Fifth seed Tsitsipas will not look to reach his maiden Grand Slam final when he takes the court to face an in-form Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final. Tsitsipas defeated Nadal for just the second time off eight matches. Australian Open 2021 Quarter-Final results: Men's singles Daniil Medvedev (RUS x4) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS x7) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x5) bt Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 Women's singles Karolina Muchova (CZE x25) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 Jennifer Brady (USA x22) bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Stefanos Tsitsipas stuns Rafael Nadal at Australian Open, to face Daniil Medvedev in semi-final

Ashleigh Barty said Thursday Karolina Muchova was within her rights to take a medical timeout that changed the course of their Australian Open quarter-final because her "head was spinning".

The Czech 25th seed looked finished after losing the opening set 6-1, but top seed Barty lost momentum following the near 10-minute break early in the second set as Muchova received medical attention.

A revitalised Muchova, who fought back on a hot day to snuff out hopes of first Australian champion for 43 years with a shock 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win, said: "It was very tough and I was a bit lost on the court and my head was spinning so I took a break. It helped me."

Barty said it was not for her to pass judgement on her opponent's actions.

"When you call for the trainer, you obviously tell the umpire what the reason is," said the world number one.&nbsp;

"And then the doctor and physios come out and assess it. That's within the rules," said Barty.&nbsp;

"Obviously there are rules when we go off the court for whatever areas you're getting treated because that's quite normal.&nbsp;

"But that's not really my decision to make on whether or what her medical condition was or what the timeout was for."

Muchova, down 1-2 in the second set at the time, broke Barty immediately after the timeout then earned another to take the set.

"I was disappointed that I let that become a turning point," said Barty, who was bidding to become the first home winner since Chris O'Neil in 1978.

"I'm experienced anough now to be able to deal with that. I would have liked to have just been a little bit sharper the next game."&nbsp;

The Australian's error count began mounting as Muchova surged into her first ever Grand Slam semi-final.

"Probably pressed a little bit trying to be overly aggressive," she admitted.&nbsp;

Barty had enjoyed a great start to the season after not playing for almost 12 months because of coronavirus, winning a pre-Australian Open warm-up Yarra Valley Classic at Melbourne Park and not dropping a set in the first four rounds of the Australian Open.

"Yeah, it's heartbreaking, of course," she said.&nbsp;

"But will it deter me, will it ruin the fact we've had a really successful start to our season? Absolutely not."

Ashleigh Barty said Thursday Karolina Muchova was within her rights to take a medical timeout that changed the course of their Australian Open quarter-final because her "head was spinning".

Ashleigh Barty said Thursday Karolina Muchova was within her rights to take a medical timeout that changed the course of their Australian Open quarter-final because her "head was spinning". The Czech 25th seed looked finished after losing the opening set 6-1, but top seed Barty lost momentum following the near 10-minute break early in the second set as Muchova received medical attention. A revitalised Muchova, who fought back on a hot day to snuff out hopes of first Australian champion for 43 years with a shock 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win, said: "It was very tough and I was a bit lost on the court and my head was spinning so I took a break. It helped me." Barty said it was not for her to pass judgement on her opponent's actions. "When you call for the trainer, you obviously tell the umpire what the reason is," said the world number one. "And then the doctor and physios come out and assess it. That's within the rules," said Barty. "Obviously there are rules when we go off the court for whatever areas you're getting treated because that's quite normal. "But that's not really my decision to make on whether or what her medical condition was or what the timeout was for." Muchova, down 1-2 in the second set at the time, broke Barty immediately after the timeout then earned another to take the set. "I was disappointed that I let that become a turning point," said Barty, who was bidding to become the first home winner since Chris O'Neil in 1978. "I'm experienced anough now to be able to deal with that. I would have liked to have just been a little bit sharper the next game." The Australian's error count began mounting as Muchova surged into her first ever Grand Slam semi-final. "Probably pressed a little bit trying to be overly aggressive," she admitted. Barty had enjoyed a great start to the season after not playing for almost 12 months because of coronavirus, winning a pre-Australian Open warm-up Yarra Valley Classic at Melbourne Park and not dropping a set in the first four rounds of the Australian Open. "Yeah, it's heartbreaking, of course," she said. "But will it deter me, will it ruin the fact we've had a really successful start to our season? Absolutely not."

'Within the rules': Shocked Barty says Muchova timeout not to blame

The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday.

On a warm and muggy day at Rod Laver Arena, Osaka attacked Hsieh's weak serve with gusto and the Taiwanese giantkiller quickly wilted under the pressure of her Grand Slam quarter-final debut.

Osaka had a torrid time in her last Australian Open clash against Hsieh in 2019, needing to come back from a set and a break down on the way to claiming the championship.

So the Japanese third seed was thrilled with her form against the Taiwanese maverick in a 66-minute clinic.

"Yeah, definitely really happy," 23-year-old Osaka said on-court.

"Really happy with how I played today. Every time I play her it's a real battle and, despite the score, this was again a real battle today."

Osaka's reward will be a semi-final against either Serena Williams or Simona Halep, the pair having a rematch of the 2019 Wimbledon final in the evening session at Rod Laver Arena.

"I always watch Serena's matches, anyway," said Osaka, who has never failed to win a Grand Slam after making the quarter-finals.

"Definitely going to be real fun."

Hsieh, 35, bowed out after a stellar tournament, having become the oldest women's player to debut in a Grand Slam quarter-final in the professional era.

The improbable angles conjured by her double-handed, double-sided game had Osaka in some trouble early, but Hsieh was unable to convert any of the three break points she raised in the opening games of the first set.

Osaka quashed the first of them in the opening game with an ace down the 'T' and smashed Hsieh's defences with a blazing backhand down the line to break to 3-1.

After holding on grimly through a 14-point game to hold serve, Osaka raised the pressure when Hsieh served to stay in the set at 5-2 and sealed it when the Taiwanese slapped a limp backhand wide.

Hsieh was soon in a tailspin, pounding a backhand well over the line to be broken to 2-0, emboldening Osaka to race to the finish.

Having suffered some famous wobbles in the past, there was no hint of frustration from Osaka when Hsieh saved two match points.

She bided her time to claim the win on the third when an overwhelmed Hsieh floated a sliced backhand long.

"I would say it makes me a bit more calm, realising that even when my back was against the wall, I still had chances," said Osaka, who saved two match points in a cliffhanger against Garbine Muguruza in her previous match.

"Even today when I had two match points and she saved them ... I was a bit more calm."

The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday.

The brute force of Naomi Osaka crushed the artistry of Hsieh Su-wei as the Japanese former champion charged into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 6-2 6-2 win on Tuesday. On a warm and muggy day at Rod Laver Arena, Osaka attacked Hsieh's weak serve with gusto and the Taiwanese giantkiller quickly wilted under the pressure of her Grand Slam quarter-final debut. Osaka had a torrid time in her last Australian Open clash against Hsieh in 2019, needing to come back from a set and a break down on the way to claiming the championship. So the Japanese third seed was thrilled with her form against the Taiwanese maverick in a 66-minute clinic. "Yeah, definitely really happy," 23-year-old Osaka said on-court. "Really happy with how I played today. Every time I play her it's a real battle and, despite the score, this was again a real battle today." Osaka's reward will be a semi-final against either Serena Williams or Simona Halep, the pair having a rematch of the 2019 Wimbledon final in the evening session at Rod Laver Arena. "I always watch Serena's matches, anyway," said Osaka, who has never failed to win a Grand Slam after making the quarter-finals. "Definitely going to be real fun." Hsieh, 35, bowed out after a stellar tournament, having become the oldest women's player to debut in a Grand Slam quarter-final in the professional era. The improbable angles conjured by her double-handed, double-sided game had Osaka in some trouble early, but Hsieh was unable to convert any of the three break points she raised in the opening games of the first set. Osaka quashed the first of them in the opening game with an ace down the 'T' and smashed Hsieh's defences with a blazing backhand down the line to break to 3-1. After holding on grimly through a 14-point game to hold serve, Osaka raised the pressure when Hsieh served to stay in the set at 5-2 and sealed it when the Taiwanese slapped a limp backhand wide. Hsieh was soon in a tailspin, pounding a backhand well over the line to be broken to 2-0, emboldening Osaka to race to the finish. Having suffered some famous wobbles in the past, there was no hint of frustration from Osaka when Hsieh saved two match points. She bided her time to claim the win on the third when an overwhelmed Hsieh floated a sliced backhand long. "I would say it makes me a bit more calm, realising that even when my back was against the wall, I still had chances," said Osaka, who saved two match points in a cliffhanger against Garbine Muguruza in her previous match. "Even today when I had two match points and she saved them ... I was a bit more calm."

Osaka thrashes Hsieh to reach Australian Open semi-finals

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic smashed his racquet and then knocked out Alexander Zverev from the Australian Open as the defending champion entered the semi-finals of the Grand Slam on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Nursing an abdominal injury, Djokovic produced a patchy performance but credit to his mental strength that he went on to win the match against Zverev by&nbsp;6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6).&nbsp;

Djokovic is being tipped as hot&nbsp;favourite&nbsp;to reach the final of Australian Open when he locks horns with Russian qualifier Aslan&nbsp;Karatsev, who continued his dream run&nbsp;with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win against injured Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.&nbsp;

The world number ripped his racquet apart after slipping behind in the third set but recovered brilliantly to win the set and was ice-cool on the big&nbsp;points as he drilled an ace to win the decisive tie-breaker.&nbsp;

<img alt="Djokovic" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="172bbed1-ba7f-44db-a330-09c261598931" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9349YN.jpg" />

"Down to the very last shot it was anybody's match," said the 33-year-old Serb.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"A lot of nerves out there, a lot of pressure. Emotionally I feel a little bit drained, honestly."&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/williams-osaka-into-semis-as-russian-fairytale-continues-364016" hreflang="en">Williams, Osaka into semis as Russian fairytale continues</a>

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Djokovic remains on track for a record-extending ninth Australian Open title and 18th&nbsp;Grand Slam trophy as he continues to chase rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – who both have 20.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Earlier, Williams took a step towards a record-equalling&nbsp;24th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-3 dismantling of second seed Simona Halep, her nemesis in the 2019 Wimbledon final.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/history-making-qualifier-karatsev-reaches-australian-open-semis-364012" hreflang="en">History-making qualifier Karatsev reaches Australian Open semis</a>

Williams, 39, said her level was improving ahead of her meeting with Japan's Osaka, who came out on top in their tempestuous 2018 US Open title match.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Definitely think this is the best match I have played this tournament, for sure," said the 10th seed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Obviously I had to, going up against the number two in the world, so I knew I had to do better."&nbsp;

(With AFP inputs)&nbsp;

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic smashed his racquet and then knocked out Alexander Zverev from the Australian Open as the defending champion entered the semi-finals of the Grand Slam on Tuesday.

Serbian ace Novak Djokovic smashed his racquet and then knocked out Alexander Zverev from the Australian Open as the defending champion entered the semi-finals of the Grand Slam on Tuesday. Nursing an abdominal injury, Djokovic produced a patchy performance but credit to his mental strength that he went on to win the match against Zverev by 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6). Djokovic is being tipped as hot favourite to reach the final of Australian Open when he locks horns with Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev, who continued his dream run with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win against injured Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. The world number ripped his racquet apart after slipping behind in the third set but recovered brilliantly to win the set and was ice-cool on the big points as he drilled an ace to win the decisive tie-breaker. "Down to the very last shot it was anybody's match," said the 33-year-old Serb. "A lot of nerves out there, a lot of pressure. Emotionally I feel a little bit drained, honestly." ALSO READ: Williams, Osaka into semis as Russian fairytale continues Guess who's in the lead.#AusOpen | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/H5684fGi8E — Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 16, 2021 × Djokovic remains on track for a record-extending ninth Australian Open title and 18th Grand Slam trophy as he continues to chase rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – who both have 20. Earlier, Williams took a step towards a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-3 dismantling of second seed Simona Halep, her nemesis in the 2019 Wimbledon final. ALSO READ: History-making qualifier Karatsev reaches Australian Open semis Williams, 39, said her level was improving ahead of her meeting with Japan's Osaka, who came out on top in their tempestuous 2018 US Open title match. "Definitely think this is the best match I have played this tournament, for sure," said the 10th seed. "Obviously I had to, going up against the number two in the world, so I knew I had to do better." (With AFP inputs)

Racquet-smashing Novak Djokovic defeats Alexander Zverev to book semi-final spot

Serena Williams blasted past Simona Halep to set up an Australian Open semi-final showdown with Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, as Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev extended his fairytale run.

Williams took a step towards a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-3 dismantling of second seed Halep, the American's nemesis in the 2019 Wimbledon final.

Williams, 39, said her level was improving ahead of her meeting with Japan's Osaka, who came out on top in their tempestuous 2018 US Open title match.

"Definitely think this is the best match I have played this tournament, for sure," said the 10th seed.

"Obviously I had to, going up against the number two in the world, so I knew I had to do better."&nbsp;

Their semi-final promises much after Osaka, the reigning US Open champion, looked in great touch in her 6-2, 6-2 win over Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei.

Displaying great focus against the awkward Hsieh, ranked 71 and playing her first Slam quarter-final aged 35, Osaka hit 24 winners and was detained on Rod Laver Arena for only 66 minutes.

"I told myself just to be really intense from the beginning," said the Japanese star, the reigning US Open champion.

"I felt like I knew what to expect and that I couldn't afford to be lazy with my footwork or anything."

Elsewhere, 114th-ranked Karatsev became the first man to reach a Grand Slam semi on debut when he ousted a hobbling Grigor Dimitrov 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

The 27-year-old has knocked out three seeds on his run to the last four, where he will face world number one Novak Djokovic or US Open finalist Alexander Zverev.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," said Karatsev, whose career so far has been badly compromised by injury.

"It was tough at the beginning for me to hold my nerves, but I tried to find a way to play."&nbsp;

<h2>- Djokovic faces test -</h2>

Karatsev becomes only the second qualifier to reach the Australian Open semi-finals after Bob Giltinan in 1977.

He is also the lowest-ranked man to make the semis at a Slam since 125th-ranked Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001.

After a five-setter with Felix Auger-Aliassime in round four, Karatsev had an easier ride against Dimitrov who was wincing with pain from the third set.

The Bulgarian 18th seed, who was barely able to serve because of back spasms, took a medical timeout, but his movement was always hampered and he limped off the court after Karatsev's win.

Later, eight-time champion Djokovic will test his powers of recovery against Zverev after sustaining an abdominal injury during his five-set win against Taylor Fritz on Friday.

The reigning title-holder was again made to work on Sunday by Milos Raonic, dropping another set, before reaching the quarter-finals for the 12th time.

Djokovic showed fewer signs of pain against Raonic, but still grimaced after stretching for some shots and admitted afterwards that he was risking an extended period on the sidelines by playing on.

"I mean, it's kind of a gamble, that's what the medical team told me," said Djokovic, who is chasing an 18th Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne.&nbsp;

It could be another long night for Djokovic, who beat sixth seed Zverev in a match that went the distance in the ATP Cup the week before the Australian Open.

"We played an exhausting match in the ATP Cup and I won't expect anything less," said the Serb, who has a 5-2 win-loss record against the German world number seven.

Serena Williams blasted past Simona Halep to set up an Australian Open semi-final showdown with Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, as Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev extended his fairytale run.

Serena Williams blasted past Simona Halep to set up an Australian Open semi-final showdown with Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, as Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev extended his fairytale run. Williams took a step towards a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-3 dismantling of second seed Halep, the American's nemesis in the 2019 Wimbledon final. Williams, 39, said her level was improving ahead of her meeting with Japan's Osaka, who came out on top in their tempestuous 2018 US Open title match. "Definitely think this is the best match I have played this tournament, for sure," said the 10th seed. "Obviously I had to, going up against the number two in the world, so I knew I had to do better." Their semi-final promises much after Osaka, the reigning US Open champion, looked in great touch in her 6-2, 6-2 win over Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei. Displaying great focus against the awkward Hsieh, ranked 71 and playing her first Slam quarter-final aged 35, Osaka hit 24 winners and was detained on Rod Laver Arena for only 66 minutes. "I told myself just to be really intense from the beginning," said the Japanese star, the reigning US Open champion. "I felt like I knew what to expect and that I couldn't afford to be lazy with my footwork or anything." Elsewhere, 114th-ranked Karatsev became the first man to reach a Grand Slam semi on debut when he ousted a hobbling Grigor Dimitrov 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. The 27-year-old has knocked out three seeds on his run to the last four, where he will face world number one Novak Djokovic or US Open finalist Alexander Zverev. "It's an unbelievable feeling," said Karatsev, whose career so far has been badly compromised by injury. "It was tough at the beginning for me to hold my nerves, but I tried to find a way to play." - Djokovic faces test - Karatsev becomes only the second qualifier to reach the Australian Open semi-finals after Bob Giltinan in 1977. He is also the lowest-ranked man to make the semis at a Slam since 125th-ranked Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001. After a five-setter with Felix Auger-Aliassime in round four, Karatsev had an easier ride against Dimitrov who was wincing with pain from the third set. The Bulgarian 18th seed, who was barely able to serve because of back spasms, took a medical timeout, but his movement was always hampered and he limped off the court after Karatsev's win. Later, eight-time champion Djokovic will test his powers of recovery against Zverev after sustaining an abdominal injury during his five-set win against Taylor Fritz on Friday. The reigning title-holder was again made to work on Sunday by Milos Raonic, dropping another set, before reaching the quarter-finals for the 12th time. Djokovic showed fewer signs of pain against Raonic, but still grimaced after stretching for some shots and admitted afterwards that he was risking an extended period on the sidelines by playing on. "I mean, it's kind of a gamble, that's what the medical team told me," said Djokovic, who is chasing an 18th Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne. It could be another long night for Djokovic, who beat sixth seed Zverev in a match that went the distance in the ATP Cup the week before the Australian Open. "We played an exhausting match in the ATP Cup and I won't expect anything less," said the Serb, who has a 5-2 win-loss record against the German world number seven.

Williams, Osaka into semis as Russian fairytale continues

World number two Rafael Nadal beat old nemesis Fabio Fognini in a scrappy affair at the Australian Open Monday to reach his 43rd Grand Slam quarter-final.

The Spaniard, bidding for a first title at Melbourne Park since 2009, has yet to drop a set and kept the record intact against the fiery Italian, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

It is the 13th time he has made the last eight in Australia, moving to joint third on the all-time list behind only Roger Federer (15) and John Newcombe (14).&nbsp;

The result keeps him on track to meet top seed Novak Djokovic in the final, with the Serb, who is carrying an abdominal injury, into his 12th quarter-final after seeing off the threat of Milos Raonic on Sunday evening.

"Happy to be in the quarter-final, positive start,"&nbsp;&nbsp;said Nadal, who is chasing his 21st major title and sole ownership of the men's record, which he currently shares with Federer.

"When you play round of 16 against a great player like Fabio they are always fighting. You can't expect to go on court and not have some problems facing these types of players."

Next up is either fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or ninth seed Matteo Berrettini, who play later Monday, with the Spaniard enjoying a stellar record against both.

Nadal owned a 12-4 advantage over flamboyant Fognini dating back to 2013 coming into the clash and, despite some lower back tightness, he looked sharp.&nbsp;

But it wasn't vintage tennis from the 34-year-old.

He didn't serve at his best but returned well, creating 19 break points chances, although he only put away six of them, with just 24 winners to the Italian's 32.

Nadal quickly raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set after hitting several stunning winners.

But the 33-year-old Italian is a fighter and gathered himself, breaking back before Nadal immediately broke again.

The Italian saved three sets points, but his resistence finally crumbled after 46 minutes.

The pair won their serves through the opening games of the second set until Fognini surprisingly made a move, breaking for 4-2 when Nadal fluffed a forehand from the baseline.

Both players were struggling on serve with Nadal earning five break points in the next game, finally converting and then saving three on his own service game.

But as Fognini's error-count began creeping up, Nadal broke once more and made no mistake to wrap up the set.

He accelerated in the third set as Fognini faded, lacking the fight shown in the first two sets as Nadal put his foot down and sprinted to the finish line.

World number two Rafael Nadal beat old nemesis Fabio Fognini in a scrappy affair at the Australian Open Monday to reach his 43rd Grand Slam quarter-final. The Spaniard, bidding for a first title at Melbourne Park since 2009, has yet to drop a set and kept the record intact against the fiery Italian, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

World number two Rafael Nadal beat old nemesis Fabio Fognini in a scrappy affair at the Australian Open Monday to reach his 43rd Grand Slam quarter-final. The Spaniard, bidding for a first title at Melbourne Park since 2009, has yet to drop a set and kept the record intact against the fiery Italian, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. It is the 13th time he has made the last eight in Australia, moving to joint third on the all-time list behind only Roger Federer (15) and John Newcombe (14). The result keeps him on track to meet top seed Novak Djokovic in the final, with the Serb, who is carrying an abdominal injury, into his 12th quarter-final after seeing off the threat of Milos Raonic on Sunday evening. "Happy to be in the quarter-final, positive start," said Nadal, who is chasing his 21st major title and sole ownership of the men's record, which he currently shares with Federer. "When you play round of 16 against a great player like Fabio they are always fighting. You can't expect to go on court and not have some problems facing these types of players." Next up is either fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or ninth seed Matteo Berrettini, who play later Monday, with the Spaniard enjoying a stellar record against both. Nadal owned a 12-4 advantage over flamboyant Fognini dating back to 2013 coming into the clash and, despite some lower back tightness, he looked sharp. But it wasn't vintage tennis from the 34-year-old. He didn't serve at his best but returned well, creating 19 break points chances, although he only put away six of them, with just 24 winners to the Italian's 32. Nadal quickly raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set after hitting several stunning winners. But the 33-year-old Italian is a fighter and gathered himself, breaking back before Nadal immediately broke again. The Italian saved three sets points, but his resistence finally crumbled after 46 minutes. The pair won their serves through the opening games of the second set until Fognini surprisingly made a move, breaking for 4-2 when Nadal fluffed a forehand from the baseline. Both players were struggling on serve with Nadal earning five break points in the next game, finally converting and then saving three on his own service game. But as Fognini's error-count began creeping up, Nadal broke once more and made no mistake to wrap up the set. He accelerated in the third set as Fognini faded, lacking the fight shown in the first two sets as Nadal put his foot down and sprinted to the finish line.

Nadal beats Fognini to reach 43rd Slam quarter-final

Novak Djokovic says it's a "gamble" to keep playing the Australian Open and his abdominal injury could have an impact on the rest of his season, but the world number one is prepared to take the risk.

The Serbian eight-time champion sustained a "muscle tear" during a thrilling five-setter against Taylor Fritz on Friday.

He didn't train the following day but took to Rod Laver Arena Sunday evening dosed up on painkillers to see off the threat posed by big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic over four sets and make the quarter-finals.

Djokovic said the pain was "bearable" and he "somehow managed to find a way and win".

But he is not planning to train again on Monday, instead working on his recovery ahead of his last-eight clash with sixth seed Alexander Zverev.

"I mean, it's kind of a gamble, that's what the medical team told me. It's really unpredictable, you can't know what's going to happen with you once you're on the court," he said.&nbsp;

"You're not gonna save yourself or think about going for that point or this shot or that shot. It just pulls you. It's normal. Playing at this level, you just want to give it your all.&nbsp;

"It could cause much more damage than it is at the moment, but also could go in a good direction."

The 33-year-old refused to say what exactly the problem was, although his abdomen was strapped against Raonic and he said after the Fritz clash that was it "a tear of the muscle".

<h2>- 'There is always a risk' -</h2>

"I know what it is, but I don't want to talk about it now. I'm still in the tournament," he said, conscious that he does not want to give Zverev any extra ammunition to target him.

"I hope you guys understand that. I don't want to speculate too much about it."

Djokovic's win against Raonic was his 300th at a Slam, only the second player in history to reach the mark after Roger Federer, who has 362.&nbsp;

It kept him on track for an 18th Grand Slam title in his bid to close in on the 20 held by the Swiss great and Rafael Nadal.

His drive for more Slam crowns is the reason he hasn't pulled out, making clear that if it was any tournament other than a Grand Slam he would have withdrawn.

But playing on could mean he faces a period on the sidelines after Melbourne to recover.&nbsp;

"I have talked a lot with my own medical team and also the medical team of Tennis Australia -- Australian Open," he said.&nbsp;

"They all share the opinion that there is a slight, very slight, slim chance that I will make a significant damage that would take me out of the tour for whatever, some extended period of time.

"So, yes, there is always a risk that the injury will get worse, but they don't think it's going to be very significantly worse that it's going to jeopardise my entire season.

"So it will jeopardise, depending on how I go here, certain tournaments that are coming after Australian Open that I was maybe thinking to play."

Novak Djokovic says it's a "gamble" to keep playing the Australian Open and his abdominal injury could have an impact on the rest of his season, but the world number one is prepared to take the risk.

Novak Djokovic says it's a "gamble" to keep playing the Australian Open and his abdominal injury could have an impact on the rest of his season, but the world number one is prepared to take the risk. The Serbian eight-time champion sustained a "muscle tear" during a thrilling five-setter against Taylor Fritz on Friday. He didn't train the following day but took to Rod Laver Arena Sunday evening dosed up on painkillers to see off the threat posed by big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic over four sets and make the quarter-finals. Djokovic said the pain was "bearable" and he "somehow managed to find a way and win". But he is not planning to train again on Monday, instead working on his recovery ahead of his last-eight clash with sixth seed Alexander Zverev. "I mean, it's kind of a gamble, that's what the medical team told me. It's really unpredictable, you can't know what's going to happen with you once you're on the court," he said. "You're not gonna save yourself or think about going for that point or this shot or that shot. It just pulls you. It's normal. Playing at this level, you just want to give it your all. "It could cause much more damage than it is at the moment, but also could go in a good direction." The 33-year-old refused to say what exactly the problem was, although his abdomen was strapped against Raonic and he said after the Fritz clash that was it "a tear of the muscle". - 'There is always a risk' - "I know what it is, but I don't want to talk about it now. I'm still in the tournament," he said, conscious that he does not want to give Zverev any extra ammunition to target him. "I hope you guys understand that. I don't want to speculate too much about it." Djokovic's win against Raonic was his 300th at a Slam, only the second player in history to reach the mark after Roger Federer, who has 362. It kept him on track for an 18th Grand Slam title in his bid to close in on the 20 held by the Swiss great and Rafael Nadal. His drive for more Slam crowns is the reason he hasn't pulled out, making clear that if it was any tournament other than a Grand Slam he would have withdrawn. But playing on could mean he faces a period on the sidelines after Melbourne to recover. "I have talked a lot with my own medical team and also the medical team of Tennis Australia -- Australian Open," he said. "They all share the opinion that there is a slight, very slight, slim chance that I will make a significant damage that would take me out of the tour for whatever, some extended period of time. "So, yes, there is always a risk that the injury will get worse, but they don't think it's going to be very significantly worse that it's going to jeopardise my entire season. "So it will jeopardise, depending on how I go here, certain tournaments that are coming after Australian Open that I was maybe thinking to play."

Pain game: Injured Djokovic 'gambles' to play on at Australian Open

Fourth-seed Daniil Medvedev extended his win streak to 18 matches Monday when he took just 89 minutes to blow away Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

The world number 192 from the United States&nbsp;broke the Russian's serve at 5-2 down in the first set but that was his only highlight.

"It was a great match," said Medvedev. "I was feeling great, I mean the only time I lost serve was in the first set."

Medvedev is into his first quarter-final at the Australian Open where he will play either countryman and ATP Cup-winning team-mate Andrey Rublev or Norway's Casper Rudd who play later Monday.

"I'm going to be rooting for Andrey because if he wins it's got to be at least one Russian in the semi-final," said Medvedev.

"Casper is a great opponent so I'm going to watch the match, enjoy it, and then prepare for my next opponent."

Medvedev's best Grand Slam performance to date was reaching the final at the 2019 US Open.

His win streak dates back to November and included titles at the Paris 1000, the ATP Finals in London and the ATP Cup.

Fourth-seed Daniil Medvedev extended his win streak to 18 matches Monday when he took just 89 minutes to blow away Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Fourth-seed Daniil Medvedev extended his win streak to 18 matches Monday when he took just 89 minutes to blow away Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. The world number 192 from the United States broke the Russian's serve at 5-2 down in the first set but that was his only highlight. "It was a great match," said Medvedev. "I was feeling great, I mean the only time I lost serve was in the first set." Medvedev is into his first quarter-final at the Australian Open where he will play either countryman and ATP Cup-winning team-mate Andrey Rublev or Norway's Casper Rudd who play later Monday. "I'm going to be rooting for Andrey because if he wins it's got to be at least one Russian in the semi-final," said Medvedev. "Casper is a great opponent so I'm going to watch the match, enjoy it, and then prepare for my next opponent." Medvedev's best Grand Slam performance to date was reaching the final at the 2019 US Open. His win streak dates back to November and included titles at the Paris 1000, the ATP Finals in London and the ATP Cup.

Medvedev into Open quarters as he extends streak to 18

World number one Ashleigh Barty declared Monday she's "not done yet" after storming&nbsp;into the Australian Open quarter-finals to raise hopes of a first home winner in 43 years.

The Australian's&nbsp;defensive mastery flummoxed big-hitting Shelby Rogers in her 6-3, 6-4 victory in one hour and 11 minutes in the fourth round at a crowdless Rod Laver Arena.

Barty, who is aiming to become the first Australian champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978, plays 25th seed Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals after the Czech beat 18th seed Elise Mertens 7-6 (7/5), 7-5.&nbsp;

The 24-year-old reached the quarter-final of her home Slam for the third straight year, but remained unsatisfied.&nbsp;

"We're not done yet," Barty said when asked how she felt about reaching the final eight.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"If we had looked at the way we were preparing during our pre-season, to have the start that we have had so far is really encouraging, but certainly not satisfied with where we're at the moment.

"We will keep chipping away and keep trying to do the right things to progress as far as we can."

Australian expectations are rising for&nbsp;Barty, whose side of the draw has opened up with the early exits of defending champion Sofia Kenin, world number five Elina Svitolina and world number six Karolina Pliskova.&nbsp;

American Jennifer Brady is the next highest seed in Barty's bracket at 22.&nbsp;

She, however, was wary of 24-year-old Muchova, who made an impression on her during their third round clash at the 2018 US Open which Barty won in straight sets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I remember that match in New York, coming off the court and saying to (coach Craig Tyzzer)...'Karolina, she can play, she's a hell of a player'," she said of her sole match against Muchova.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I know she's got the ability to manoeuvre the ball all around the court, play with variety, play with shape."

The 2019 French Open champion, having not played last year after February due to the pandemic, is rounding into peak form and successfully became the "aggressor" against Rogers, who she nearly lost to last week in the Yarra Valley Classic quarter-finals.

Barty, who has been carrying a niggle to her heavily strapped left thigh, moved smoothly and counter-attacked superbly to thwart the in-form American.

"It was important for me to serve well and try and bring it on my terms as often as possible," she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I think I have learnt a lot about myself over the past 12 months.

"I'm just extremely grateful that I've got another opportunity to do something that I love... on the biggest stage for us as Aussies playing tennis."

World number one Ashleigh Barty declared Monday she's "not done yet" after storming into the Australian Open quarter-finals to raise hopes of a first home winner in 43 years.

World number one Ashleigh Barty declared Monday she's "not done yet" after storming into the Australian Open quarter-finals to raise hopes of a first home winner in 43 years. The Australian's defensive mastery flummoxed big-hitting Shelby Rogers in her 6-3, 6-4 victory in one hour and 11 minutes in the fourth round at a crowdless Rod Laver Arena. Barty, who is aiming to become the first Australian champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978, plays 25th seed Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals after the Czech beat 18th seed Elise Mertens 7-6 (7/5), 7-5. The 24-year-old reached the quarter-final of her home Slam for the third straight year, but remained unsatisfied. "We're not done yet," Barty said when asked how she felt about reaching the final eight. "If we had looked at the way we were preparing during our pre-season, to have the start that we have had so far is really encouraging, but certainly not satisfied with where we're at the moment. "We will keep chipping away and keep trying to do the right things to progress as far as we can." Australian expectations are rising for Barty, whose side of the draw has opened up with the early exits of defending champion Sofia Kenin, world number five Elina Svitolina and world number six Karolina Pliskova. American Jennifer Brady is the next highest seed in Barty's bracket at 22. She, however, was wary of 24-year-old Muchova, who made an impression on her during their third round clash at the 2018 US Open which Barty won in straight sets. "I remember that match in New York, coming off the court and saying to (coach Craig Tyzzer)...'Karolina, she can play, she's a hell of a player'," she said of her sole match against Muchova. "I know she's got the ability to manoeuvre the ball all around the court, play with variety, play with shape." The 2019 French Open champion, having not played last year after February due to the pandemic, is rounding into peak form and successfully became the "aggressor" against Rogers, who she nearly lost to last week in the Yarra Valley Classic quarter-finals. Barty, who has been carrying a niggle to her heavily strapped left thigh, moved smoothly and counter-attacked superbly to thwart the in-form American. "It was important for me to serve well and try and bring it on my terms as often as possible," she said. "I think I have learnt a lot about myself over the past 12 months. "I'm just extremely grateful that I've got another opportunity to do something that I love... on the biggest stage for us as Aussies playing tennis."

'Not done yet': Barty storms into Australian Open quarters

Naomi Osaka saved two match points as she battled back from the brink to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over in-form Garbine Muguruza on Sunday.

The Japanese third seed was chasing the match from the start on Rod Laver Arena and looked defeat square in the face in the third set when the Spanish 14th seed had two opportunities to win the match with a break of serve.

Osaka saved both match points -- the first with an ace -- to turn the tide in the contest decisively and Muguruza exited the tournament a couple of games later after failing to win a point in her final service.

Fans remained absent from Melbourne Park for a second day because of the state of Victoria's coronavirus lockdown and Osaka's victory was greeted with taped applause piped into the stadium.

"I'm tired right now, that was tough," said Osaka, who mixed 40 winners with 36 unforced errors over the contest.

"Today I feel like I was intimidated, she is playing well. I had to go within myself, I couldn't play short balls to her because she'd put them away."

Next up for Osaka is an all-Asian quarter-final against unorthodox 35-year-old Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan, who will be playing in the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time.

"I'm not looking forward to it, every time we have played it's three sets," Osaka added. "It's fun when I'm not really angry. When I play her I just have to expect everything."

Although Osaka had never played Muguruza before, she had perhaps a better idea of what to expect from the former French Open and Wimbledon champion.

Muguruza, a finalist here last year, had conceded only 10 games in reaching the fourth round and continued that rich vein of form into Sunday's match.

Serving solidly and pouncing on anything short of perfect that flew off Osaka's racket, she grabbed what looked to be a crucial break of serve for 5-3 in the third set by steering a lovely backhand winner down the line.

Muguruza rued her missed opportunity but said she was happy overall with the start to her season.

"It's never a good feeling losing a match that you feel you could have changed in one second," the 27-year-old said.

"But I left the court with a good feeling, very good feeling about this tournament in general."

Naomi Osaka saved two match points as she battled back from the brink to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over in-form Garbine Muguruza on Sunday.

Naomi Osaka saved two match points as she battled back from the brink to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over in-form Garbine Muguruza on Sunday. The Japanese third seed was chasing the match from the start on Rod Laver Arena and looked defeat square in the face in the third set when the Spanish 14th seed had two opportunities to win the match with a break of serve. Osaka saved both match points -- the first with an ace -- to turn the tide in the contest decisively and Muguruza exited the tournament a couple of games later after failing to win a point in her final service. Fans remained absent from Melbourne Park for a second day because of the state of Victoria's coronavirus lockdown and Osaka's victory was greeted with taped applause piped into the stadium. "I'm tired right now, that was tough," said Osaka, who mixed 40 winners with 36 unforced errors over the contest. "Today I feel like I was intimidated, she is playing well. I had to go within myself, I couldn't play short balls to her because she'd put them away." Next up for Osaka is an all-Asian quarter-final against unorthodox 35-year-old Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan, who will be playing in the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time. "I'm not looking forward to it, every time we have played it's three sets," Osaka added. "It's fun when I'm not really angry. When I play her I just have to expect everything." Although Osaka had never played Muguruza before, she had perhaps a better idea of what to expect from the former French Open and Wimbledon champion. Muguruza, a finalist here last year, had conceded only 10 games in reaching the fourth round and continued that rich vein of form into Sunday's match. Serving solidly and pouncing on anything short of perfect that flew off Osaka's racket, she grabbed what looked to be a crucial break of serve for 5-3 in the third set by steering a lovely backhand winner down the line. Muguruza rued her missed opportunity but said she was happy overall with the start to her season. "It's never a good feeling losing a match that you feel you could have changed in one second," the 27-year-old said. "But I left the court with a good feeling, very good feeling about this tournament in general."

Australian Open: Osaka back from the brink to reach quarter-finals

Nick Kyrgios' off-court feud with Serbian ace Novak Djokovic is known to all. The outspoken Aussie renewed his animosity after mocking world number with a Djokovic-like entrance to an empty Margaret Court Arena for his doubles match.

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Ahead of his doubles' match alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis, the Australian imitated the way Djokovic celebrates victories with extravagant gestures to all four corners of a stadium.

"Just feeling the love," the maverick Australian, knocked out of the singles by Dominic Thiem on Friday night, said when asked to explain his entrance.

"Just trying to spread the good word of the celebration. Everyone loves that celebration. It's well liked."

Earlier, the Australian called the Serbian a "strange cat". This statement from Kyrgios comes after Djokovic's remarks where he said that he had little respect for the Australian off court.&nbsp;

"It's a strange one for me. I read his comments -– he said he doesn't respect me off the court," said Kyrgios, who has also previously blasted the 17-time Grand Slam winner as having "an obsession with wanting to be liked".

"It actually would make complete sense to me if he was like, 'I don't respect the guy on the court', because I understand if he doesn't agree with some of my antics on the court that I've done in the past.

"I'm not quite sure how you can't respect me off the court," he added.

Nick Kyrgios' off-court feud with Serbian ace Novak Djokovic is known to all. The outspoken Aussie renewed his animosity after mocking world number with a Djokovic-like entrance to an empty Margaret Court Arena for his doubles match.

Nick Kyrgios' off-court feud with Serbian ace Novak Djokovic is known to all. The outspoken Aussie renewed his animosity after mocking world number with a Djokovic-like entrance to an empty Margaret Court Arena for his doubles match. ALSO READ: Australian Open: Osaka back from the brink to reach quarter-finals Ahead of his doubles' match alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis, the Australian imitated the way Djokovic celebrates victories with extravagant gestures to all four corners of a stadium. "Just feeling the love," the maverick Australian, knocked out of the singles by Dominic Thiem on Friday night, said when asked to explain his entrance. "Just trying to spread the good word of the celebration. Everyone loves that celebration. It's well liked." Earlier, the Australian called the Serbian a "strange cat". This statement from Kyrgios comes after Djokovic's remarks where he said that he had little respect for the Australian off court. "It's a strange one for me. I read his comments -– he said he doesn't respect me off the court," said Kyrgios, who has also previously blasted the 17-time Grand Slam winner as having "an obsession with wanting to be liked". "It actually would make complete sense to me if he was like, 'I don't respect the guy on the court', because I understand if he doesn't agree with some of my antics on the court that I've done in the past. "I'm not quite sure how you can't respect me off the court," he added.

'Just feeling the love': Kyrgios' renews his feud with Novak Djokovic with grand entrance

US Open Champion Dominic Thiem crashed out of the Australian Open on Sunday after losing to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov at Rod Laver Arena. The Bulgarian defeated the Austrian 6-4 6-4 6-0 in the fourth round clash.&nbsp;

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Third-seeded Thiem never seemed to provide any sorts of challenges to Dimitrov as the Bulgarian got an easy win in straight sets. Thiem defeated Nick Kyrgios in a five-set thriller in the third round on Friday but failed to stage a comeback in this match.&nbsp;

The first two sets followed the same pattern with Thiem taking an early 3-1 lead only for 18th seed Dimitrov to charge back at him and clinch the set.

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The Austrian, losing finalist here last year, was unable to rouse himself in the third set and Dimitrov sealed a last-eight meeting with Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev after little more than two hours on court.

Earlier, Japanese ace Naomi Osaka escaped a defeat against in-form Garbine Muguruza as she beat the Spanish player 4-6 6-4 7-5 on Sunday at the Rod Laver Arena.

US Open Champion Dominic Thiem crashed out of the Australian Open on Sunday after losing to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov at Rod Laver Arena. The Bulgarian defeated the Austrian 6-4 6-4 6-0 in the fourth round clash.

US Open Champion Dominic Thiem crashed out of the Australian Open on Sunday after losing to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov at Rod Laver Arena. The Bulgarian defeated the Austrian 6-4 6-4 6-0 in the fourth round clash. ALSO READ: Australian Open: Osaka back from the brink to reach quarter-finals Third-seeded Thiem never seemed to provide any sorts of challenges to Dimitrov as the Bulgarian got an easy win in straight sets. Thiem defeated Nick Kyrgios in a five-set thriller in the third round on Friday but failed to stage a comeback in this match. The first two sets followed the same pattern with Thiem taking an early 3-1 lead only for 18th seed Dimitrov to charge back at him and clinch the set. ALSO READ: From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021 The Austrian, losing finalist here last year, was unable to rouse himself in the third set and Dimitrov sealed a last-eight meeting with Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev after little more than two hours on court. Earlier, Japanese ace Naomi Osaka escaped a defeat against in-form Garbine Muguruza as she beat the Spanish player 4-6 6-4 7-5 on Sunday at the Rod Laver Arena.

Third seed Dominic Thiem crashes out of Australian Open

Karolina Pliskova said she never got into her comfort zone on Saturday as the sixth seed exited the Australian Open following a 7-5 7-5 third-round defeat by Czech compatriot Karolina Muchova at Rod Laver Arena.

Pliskova's frustrations boiled over in the first set as she received a code violation for racket abuse and was then handed a point deduction for smashing another racket in the tunnel between sets.

Pliskova told a news conference she had been a little bit surprised at the second warning but that it had had a positive impact on her game.

"I think actually it helped me in the second set because I was (annoyed) so I started to play well," she said.

After losing the opening set Pliskova raced to a 5-0 lead in the second before the wheels came off, allowing Muchova to complete the victory and reach the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time.

"There was long game for 5-1 and 6-0. I thought she just played little bit better at this moment," Pliskova added. "Of course, I played quite amazing to 5-0, but then it's quite tough to hold this level.

"I had chances ... on my serve, I just could do so many things better today. I don't think my game is the top for sure. I don't want to be too sarcastic and too negative because I just lost.

"The feeling was not great from any of my matches here. I think overall, too many mistakes, too much panic in the rallies. I don't know if it's just not having any matches much lately. I don't feel like safe with anything I was doing on the court."

Muchova, the world number 27, next faces either Switzerland's Belinda Bencic or Elise Mertens of Belgium for a place in the quarter-finals.

Karolina Pliskova said she never got into her comfort zone on Saturday as the sixth seed exited the Australian Open following a 7-5 7-5 third-round defeat by Czech compatriot Karolina Muchova at Rod Laver Arena.

Karolina Pliskova said she never got into her comfort zone on Saturday as the sixth seed exited the Australian Open following a 7-5 7-5 third-round defeat by Czech compatriot Karolina Muchova at Rod Laver Arena. Pliskova's frustrations boiled over in the first set as she received a code violation for racket abuse and was then handed a point deduction for smashing another racket in the tunnel between sets. Pliskova told a news conference she had been a little bit surprised at the second warning but that it had had a positive impact on her game. "I think actually it helped me in the second set because I was (annoyed) so I started to play well," she said. After losing the opening set Pliskova raced to a 5-0 lead in the second before the wheels came off, allowing Muchova to complete the victory and reach the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time. "There was long game for 5-1 and 6-0. I thought she just played little bit better at this moment," Pliskova added. "Of course, I played quite amazing to 5-0, but then it's quite tough to hold this level. "I had chances ... on my serve, I just could do so many things better today. I don't think my game is the top for sure. I don't want to be too sarcastic and too negative because I just lost. "The feeling was not great from any of my matches here. I think overall, too many mistakes, too much panic in the rallies. I don't know if it's just not having any matches much lately. I don't feel like safe with anything I was doing on the court." Muchova, the world number 27, next faces either Switzerland's Belinda Bencic or Elise Mertens of Belgium for a place in the quarter-finals.

Pliskova points to ring rust as Czech exits in third round

Second seed Rafa Nadal overcame some stiff early resistance from Britain`s Cameron Norrie before easing into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 7-5 6-2 7-5 victory on Saturday. 
 
After being heckled by a loud-mouthed fan in his previous round win against Michael Mmoh, Nadal enjoyed an incident-free evening in an empty Rod Laver Arena to reach the round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the 49th time in his career. 
 
The 34-year-old Nadal, bidding to claim a record 21st Grand Slam title, will face Italian Fabio Fognini next. 
 
Nadal won the opening six points, but 69th-ranked Norrie was not intimidated in his first meeting with the Spaniard and claimed the first break of the match to lead 3-2. 
 
He was immediately broken to love though and folded at 5-6 to drop serve again and hand Nadal the first set in 48 minutes. 
 
Thereafter it was a routine day at the office for Nadal, who dominated without ever needing to find top gear, showing no sign of the lower back injury that dogged him in the warmup. 
 
"All the matches are tough, he came here winning a couple of very good matches. I didn`t convert the opportunities I had early in each set so the situation became a bit more difficult," Nadal, who is yet to drop a set, said. 
 
"I`m happy, I had a few good feelings, of course I have to keep improving and tomorrow is another day to practice but into the second week and that`s the main thing for me." 
 
Nadal`s only title in Melbourne was in 2009 but with eight-time champion Nova Djokovic suffering an injury in his third-round win over Taylor Fritz the Mallorcan might not ever have a better chance to double his tally. 
 
He was not at his dazzling best against Norrie in a eerily flat atmosphere, a result of Melbourne`s five-day COVID lockdown forcing organisers to close the doors to fans. 
 
But it was enough to post a 16th successive win against a fellow left-hander - a run stretching back to 2017. 
 
A bigger test awaits on Monday when Fognini, who dispatched Australian Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Saturday. 
 
"We`ve played a lot of times and he has beaten me before," Nadal said. "He will be hungry to play well and has had a very impressive win today so he will come with plenty of confidence. 
 
"You don`t expect an easy round in the round of 16 so it will be tough and I have to be ready for it."

Second seed Rafa Nadal overcame some stiff early resistance from Britain`s Cameron Norrie before easing into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 7-5 6-2 7-5 victory on Saturday.

Second seed Rafa Nadal overcame some stiff early resistance from Britain`s Cameron Norrie before easing into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 7-5 6-2 7-5 victory on Saturday. After being heckled by a loud-mouthed fan in his previous round win against Michael Mmoh, Nadal enjoyed an incident-free evening in an empty Rod Laver Arena to reach the round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the 49th time in his career. The 34-year-old Nadal, bidding to claim a record 21st Grand Slam title, will face Italian Fabio Fognini next. Nadal won the opening six points, but 69th-ranked Norrie was not intimidated in his first meeting with the Spaniard and claimed the first break of the match to lead 3-2. He was immediately broken to love though and folded at 5-6 to drop serve again and hand Nadal the first set in 48 minutes. Thereafter it was a routine day at the office for Nadal, who dominated without ever needing to find top gear, showing no sign of the lower back injury that dogged him in the warmup. "All the matches are tough, he came here winning a couple of very good matches. I didn`t convert the opportunities I had early in each set so the situation became a bit more difficult," Nadal, who is yet to drop a set, said. "I`m happy, I had a few good feelings, of course I have to keep improving and tomorrow is another day to practice but into the second week and that`s the main thing for me." Nadal`s only title in Melbourne was in 2009 but with eight-time champion Nova Djokovic suffering an injury in his third-round win over Taylor Fritz the Mallorcan might not ever have a better chance to double his tally. He was not at his dazzling best against Norrie in a eerily flat atmosphere, a result of Melbourne`s five-day COVID lockdown forcing organisers to close the doors to fans. But it was enough to post a 16th successive win against a fellow left-hander - a run stretching back to 2017. A bigger test awaits on Monday when Fognini, who dispatched Australian Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Saturday. "We`ve played a lot of times and he has beaten me before," Nadal said. "He will be hungry to play well and has had a very impressive win today so he will come with plenty of confidence. "You don`t expect an easy round in the round of 16 so it will be tough and I have to be ready for it."

Australian Open: Nadal eases past Norrie into last 16

World number one Novak Djokovic missed his Saturday's training session as the Serb waits for his scans after he slipped during the third set of Friday's third-round match against Taylor Fritz and disappeared off Rod Laver Arena for treatment.

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Novak Djokovic described it as a "muscle tear" on his right side required further attention on the injury during the third set before he went on to script a five-set win and set up a clash against Milos Raonic on Sunday.

The injury casts cloud on Djokovic's campaign and the defending champion will have to undergo scans before any decision is taken.&nbsp;

However, Australian Open Chief Executive Craig Tiley was confident that Novak will overcome his injury and compete in the fourth round of the Grand Slam.

"We'll see him. He's resilient, he's tough," Tiley told Australian broadcaster Channel Nine.

"He'll wake up today and he'll figure out what it is and he'll go and get the appropriate treatment. The way he was, those two sets, I was pretty surprised.

"But I've seen him play here, this is his court, he gets comfortable on it and he just picks his game up and up and he's that good."

The Serbian tennis ace is a record eight-time Australian Open winner, and was eyeing a ninth title this year. Djokovic has won 17 Grand Slams in total.

World number one Novak Djokovic missed his Saturday's training session as the Serb waits for his scans after he slipped during the third set of Friday's third-round match against Taylor Fritz and disappeared off Rod Laver Arena for treatment.

World number one Novak Djokovic missed his Saturday's training session as the Serb waits for his scans after he slipped during the third set of Friday's third-round match against Taylor Fritz and disappeared off Rod Laver Arena for treatment. ALSO READ: Pliskova points to ring rust as Czech exits in third round Novak Djokovic described it as a "muscle tear" on his right side required further attention on the injury during the third set before he went on to script a five-set win and set up a clash against Milos Raonic on Sunday. The injury casts cloud on Djokovic's campaign and the defending champion will have to undergo scans before any decision is taken. However, Australian Open Chief Executive Craig Tiley was confident that Novak will overcome his injury and compete in the fourth round of the Grand Slam. "We'll see him. He's resilient, he's tough," Tiley told Australian broadcaster Channel Nine. "He'll wake up today and he'll figure out what it is and he'll go and get the appropriate treatment. The way he was, those two sets, I was pretty surprised. "But I've seen him play here, this is his court, he gets comfortable on it and he just picks his game up and up and he's that good." The Serbian tennis ace is a record eight-time Australian Open winner, and was eyeing a ninth title this year. Djokovic has won 17 Grand Slams in total.

Australian Open: Serb ace Novak Djokovic skips training as he awaits scan results

The Australian city of Melbourne has gone into a snap five-day lockdown on Friday after the latest outbreak of UK variant of COVID-19 strain. However, the organisers of the Australian Open have said that the Grand Slam will go ahead without crowds over the next five days.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melbourne-orders-snap-coronavirus-lockdown-during-australian-open-tennis-363038" hreflang="en">Melbourne orders snap coronavirus lockdown during Australian Open tennis</a>

"Australian Open sessions today and tonight will continue as planned with COVID safe protocols in place," organisers Tennis Australia said in a statement.

"We are notifying ticket holders, players and staff that there will be no fans onsite at the Australian Open for five days, commencing from Saturday."

Fans, who bought the tickets in these five days, will get a refund. &nbsp;

COVID measures were announced by State Premier Daniel Andrews after 13 people tested positive with UK strain.&nbsp;

Andrews said the Australian Open would be treated like any other professional sporting event in the state.

"Large and small professional sport events ... will function essentially as a workplace," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"But they will not function as an entertainment event, because there will be no crowds."

Year's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, was delayed by three weeks due to coronavirus pandemic. But the tournament went ahead as over 1,000 players and support staff underwent 14 days of quarantine.

Warm-up tournament for the Grand Slam was cancelled after a 1,000 players and support staff underwent 14 days of quarantine. All players, staff were tested again and were clear of infection.&nbsp;

Initially, the Australian Open was set to host matches under 50 per cent capacity (30,000 viewers per day), but only 21,000 people attended the event on Thursday.&nbsp;

The Australian city of Melbourne has gone into a snap five-day lockdown on Friday after the latest outbreak of UK variant of COVID-19 strain. However, the organisers of the Australian Open have said that the Grand Slam will go ahead without crowds over the next five days.

The Australian city of Melbourne has gone into a snap five-day lockdown on Friday after the latest outbreak of UK variant of COVID-19 strain. However, the organisers of the Australian Open have said that the Grand Slam will go ahead without crowds over the next five days. ALSO READ: Melbourne orders snap coronavirus lockdown during Australian Open tennis "Australian Open sessions today and tonight will continue as planned with COVID safe protocols in place," organisers Tennis Australia said in a statement. "We are notifying ticket holders, players and staff that there will be no fans onsite at the Australian Open for five days, commencing from Saturday." Fans, who bought the tickets in these five days, will get a refund. COVID measures were announced by State Premier Daniel Andrews after 13 people tested positive with UK strain. Andrews said the Australian Open would be treated like any other professional sporting event in the state. "Large and small professional sport events ... will function essentially as a workplace," he told reporters in Melbourne. "But they will not function as an entertainment event, because there will be no crowds." Year's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, was delayed by three weeks due to coronavirus pandemic. But the tournament went ahead as over 1,000 players and support staff underwent 14 days of quarantine. Warm-up tournament for the Grand Slam was cancelled after a 1,000 players and support staff underwent 14 days of quarantine. All players, staff were tested again and were clear of infection. Initially, the Australian Open was set to host matches under 50 per cent capacity (30,000 viewers per day), but only 21,000 people attended the event on Thursday.

'Will continue as planned': Australian Open organizers to go ahead with tournament despite snap lockdown

Dominic Thiem produced a comeback for the ages to overhaul a fired-up Nick Kyrgios in a five-set classic at the Australian Open on Friday to send a baying crowd home in disappointment on the last night before a five-day lockdown in Melbourne.

In the bear-pit atmosphere of Kyrgios's favourite John Cain Arena, U.S. Open champion Thiem dragged himself off the canvas to secure a thrilling 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 win over the Australian showman to reach the fourth round.

"That first match against Nick here on his favourite court with an amazing crowd, there are easier things to do," said the Austrian third seed, who sealed the victory with a majestic backhand winner down the line.

"Surely that's one of the toughest challenges in our sport.

"Tonight was epic and a good last match before the lock-down, it's really sad to say."

A cluster of COVID-19 cases in Melbourne means there will be no more crowds at the Australian Open for at least five days but the home crowd got their money's worth, if not the desired winner.

Thiem was shell-shocked for the first two sets, barely able to lay a glove on Kyrgios who channelled the crowd's energy to produce some electrifying tennis.

HIGH TENSION

While the tension in the stadium was relentless, it was also on a knife-edge outside the arena as police on horse-back dispersed a crowd of several hundred anti-lockdown demonstrators about an hour into the match.

Inside the arena, Kyrgios stormed to a two-set lead with an impish underarm ace.

Yet from there Thiem dug in grimly, and stole the momentum from the Australian's hands by serving like a machine.

A frustrated Kyrgios smashed his racket into the court before surrendering the third set with a bungled 'tweener'.

Suddenly it was the Australian's back against the wall as a resurgent Thiem began wielding his racket like a wand.

In a moment of madness, Kyrgios bungled another 'tweener' rather than volley into an open court, squandering the chance for a 5-4 lead in the fourth set.

Thiem made him pay with three booming returns to break and at the change of ends an angst-filled Kyrgios fired a ball high into the terraces to lose an automatic point for a second code of conduct violation.

Moments later the match was level, as Kyrgios fired wide to concede the set.

Thiem bided his time before breaking Kyrgios at 3-3 in a nerve-shredding decider.

"That's ridiculous," Kyrgios said, after watching another Thiem winner sail past him before the Austrian knuckled down to serve out the match.

Dominic Thiem produced a comeback for the ages to overhaul a fired-up Nick Kyrgios in a five-set classic at the Australian Open on Friday to send a baying crowd home in disappointment on the last night before a five-day lockdown in Melbourne.

Dominic Thiem produced a comeback for the ages to overhaul a fired-up Nick Kyrgios in a five-set classic at the Australian Open on Friday to send a baying crowd home in disappointment on the last night before a five-day lockdown in Melbourne. In the bear-pit atmosphere of Kyrgios's favourite John Cain Arena, U.S. Open champion Thiem dragged himself off the canvas to secure a thrilling 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 win over the Australian showman to reach the fourth round. "That first match against Nick here on his favourite court with an amazing crowd, there are easier things to do," said the Austrian third seed, who sealed the victory with a majestic backhand winner down the line. "Surely that's one of the toughest challenges in our sport. "Tonight was epic and a good last match before the lock-down, it's really sad to say." A cluster of COVID-19 cases in Melbourne means there will be no more crowds at the Australian Open for at least five days but the home crowd got their money's worth, if not the desired winner. Thiem was shell-shocked for the first two sets, barely able to lay a glove on Kyrgios who channelled the crowd's energy to produce some electrifying tennis. HIGH TENSION While the tension in the stadium was relentless, it was also on a knife-edge outside the arena as police on horse-back dispersed a crowd of several hundred anti-lockdown demonstrators about an hour into the match. Inside the arena, Kyrgios stormed to a two-set lead with an impish underarm ace. Yet from there Thiem dug in grimly, and stole the momentum from the Australian's hands by serving like a machine. A frustrated Kyrgios smashed his racket into the court before surrendering the third set with a bungled 'tweener'. Suddenly it was the Australian's back against the wall as a resurgent Thiem began wielding his racket like a wand. In a moment of madness, Kyrgios bungled another 'tweener' rather than volley into an open court, squandering the chance for a 5-4 lead in the fourth set. Thiem made him pay with three booming returns to break and at the change of ends an angst-filled Kyrgios fired a ball high into the terraces to lose an automatic point for a second code of conduct violation. Moments later the match was level, as Kyrgios fired wide to concede the set. Thiem bided his time before breaking Kyrgios at 3-3 in a nerve-shredding decider. "That's ridiculous," Kyrgios said, after watching another Thiem winner sail past him before the Austrian knuckled down to serve out the match.

Australian Open: Thiem survives fired-up Kyrgios test in five-set thriller

Serena Williams's bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title remained intact as she downed Anatasia Potapova 7-6(5) 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the&nbsp;Australian Open on Friday.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-continue-as-planned-australian-open-organizers-to-go-ahead-with-tournament-despite-snap-lockdown-363064" hreflang="en">'Will continue as planned': Australian Open organizers to go ahead with tournament despite snap lockdown</a>

On the last day of crowds at the tournament before spectators are banned for at least five days due to snap COVID-19 lockdown, Williams slumped to a 5-3 deficit in an error-strewn first set and had to save two set points at Rod Laver Arena.

Potapova double-faulted to put the match back on serve and from there it was on Williams's terms.

The 39-year-old American will bid for a place in the quarter-finals against seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Serena Williams's bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title remained intact as she downed Anatasia Potapova 7-6(5) 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.

Serena Williams's bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title remained intact as she downed Anatasia Potapova 7-6(5) 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday. ALSO READ: 'Will continue as planned': Australian Open organizers to go ahead with tournament despite snap lockdown On the last day of crowds at the tournament before spectators are banned for at least five days due to snap COVID-19 lockdown, Williams slumped to a 5-3 deficit in an error-strewn first set and had to save two set points at Rod Laver Arena. Potapova double-faulted to put the match back on serve and from there it was on Williams's terms. The 39-year-old American will bid for a place in the quarter-finals against seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Australian Open: Serena overpowers Potapova to reach fourth round

Birthday boy Daniil Medvedev added another win to his red-hot streak Thursday as the Russian fourth seed demolished Roberto Carballes Baena to ease into the Australian Open third round.

Medvedev, who turned 25 on Thursday, powered past the Spaniard 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 on John Cain Arena for his 16th straight win dating back to November.

Along the way, the world number four has won the Paris 1000, the ATP Finals in London and the ATP Cup with Russia in the lead-up to the opening Grand Slam of the year.

"Sometimes in tennis, as in other sport, you just have the momentum and feel like you can do a lot of things," he said of his blistering form.&nbsp;

"Once you lose it it's tougher, so I'm just trying to keep it as much as possible.

"So far it has been working and hoping it won't stop for a long time."&nbsp;

He will next play Serbian 28th seed Filip Krajinovic, who eased past Spain's Pablo Andujar in four sets.

Medvedev's sizzling form makes him a serious contender to claim a maiden Grand Slam title and he was in fine touch against Carballes Baena, ranked 99.

He quickly took charge, returning well and dominating at the baseline and net to comfortably take he opening set.

The Russian was pressed harder in the second but that was as good as it got for Carballes Baena, who lost focus and was punished by a man at the top of his game.

Medvedev is bidding not only for a maiden Grand Slam title but to become only the third Russian man to win a major after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin.

He has been knocking on the door for some time, reaching the 2019 US Open final -- where he lost in five sets to Rafael Nadal -- and the last four in New York in 2020.

But he has yet to go beyond the round of 16 at Melbourne Park.

Birthday boy Daniil Medvedev added another win to his red-hot streak Thursday as the Russian fourth seed demolished Roberto Carballes Baena to ease into the Australian Open third round.

Birthday boy Daniil Medvedev added another win to his red-hot streak Thursday as the Russian fourth seed demolished Roberto Carballes Baena to ease into the Australian Open third round. Medvedev, who turned 25 on Thursday, powered past the Spaniard 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 on John Cain Arena for his 16th straight win dating back to November. Along the way, the world number four has won the Paris 1000, the ATP Finals in London and the ATP Cup with Russia in the lead-up to the opening Grand Slam of the year. "Sometimes in tennis, as in other sport, you just have the momentum and feel like you can do a lot of things," he said of his blistering form. "Once you lose it it's tougher, so I'm just trying to keep it as much as possible. "So far it has been working and hoping it won't stop for a long time." He will next play Serbian 28th seed Filip Krajinovic, who eased past Spain's Pablo Andujar in four sets. Medvedev's sizzling form makes him a serious contender to claim a maiden Grand Slam title and he was in fine touch against Carballes Baena, ranked 99. He quickly took charge, returning well and dominating at the baseline and net to comfortably take he opening set. The Russian was pressed harder in the second but that was as good as it got for Carballes Baena, who lost focus and was punished by a man at the top of his game. Medvedev is bidding not only for a maiden Grand Slam title but to become only the third Russian man to win a major after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. He has been knocking on the door for some time, reaching the 2019 US Open final -- where he lost in five sets to Rafael Nadal -- and the last four in New York in 2020. But he has yet to go beyond the round of 16 at Melbourne Park.

Medvedev celebrates birthday with 16th straight win

A tearful Sofia Kenin admitted the pressure of defending a Grand Slam title for the first time had proved too great after she tumbled out of the Australian Open in the second round on Thursday.

The 22-year-old American looked a shadow of the player that won her first major title at Melbourne Park and reached the French Open final last season as she succumbed 6-3 6-2 to Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi on Margaret Court Arena.

Ashen-faced, with her eyes already blotchy before she sat down for her post-match media conference, Kenin struggled to hold back the tears as she explained what had happened out on court.

"My head wasn't there," she said. "Obviously I'm not going to take any credit away from her. She played really well at those good points.

"I had chances. I just couldn't take it. I obviously know why because the nerves big-time got to me."

The tears returned again when she was asked about the pressure of defending the title, adding that she knew retaining the trophy would be a tall order given her mental state.

"I'm not there 100% physically, mentally, my game. Everything just feels really off obviously. It's not good," she added.

"It's weird. I've been practising for two weeks. Luckily I've been able to practice. I felt fine in practice. Just couldn't do that in the game."

Russian-born Kenin said she had not decided where she would play next but admitted she had a lot of thinking to do about how to arrest the slump in her form.

"I know I couldn't really handle the pressure," she said.

"I'm not obviously used to this, so right now I just got to figure out how to play at that level that I played at. Because like today and those matches, it just hasn't been there."

The exit of the fourth seed, even at the hands of a player who last week was ranked 94th in the world, was not the surprise it might have been given that Kenin had been talking about struggling with her nerves since finishing quarantine.

"The Australia trip, that was something that I had my eye on," she said.

"I knew I was going to have pressure. I knew I was going to have emotions, nerves, everything all together. Yeah, for sure Australia, the Aussie swing, definitely got me."

A tearful Sofia Kenin admitted the pressure of defending a Grand Slam title for the first time had proved too great after she tumbled out of the Australian Open in the second round on Thursday.

A tearful Sofia Kenin admitted the pressure of defending a Grand Slam title for the first time had proved too great after she tumbled out of the Australian Open in the second round on Thursday. The 22-year-old American looked a shadow of the player that won her first major title at Melbourne Park and reached the French Open final last season as she succumbed 6-3 6-2 to Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi on Margaret Court Arena. Ashen-faced, with her eyes already blotchy before she sat down for her post-match media conference, Kenin struggled to hold back the tears as she explained what had happened out on court. "My head wasn't there," she said. "Obviously I'm not going to take any credit away from her. She played really well at those good points. "I had chances. I just couldn't take it. I obviously know why because the nerves big-time got to me." The tears returned again when she was asked about the pressure of defending the title, adding that she knew retaining the trophy would be a tall order given her mental state. "I'm not there 100% physically, mentally, my game. Everything just feels really off obviously. It's not good," she added. "It's weird. I've been practising for two weeks. Luckily I've been able to practice. I felt fine in practice. Just couldn't do that in the game." Russian-born Kenin said she had not decided where she would play next but admitted she had a lot of thinking to do about how to arrest the slump in her form. "I know I couldn't really handle the pressure," she said. "I'm not obviously used to this, so right now I just got to figure out how to play at that level that I played at. Because like today and those matches, it just hasn't been there." The exit of the fourth seed, even at the hands of a player who last week was ranked 94th in the world, was not the surprise it might have been given that Kenin had been talking about struggling with her nerves since finishing quarantine. "The Australia trip, that was something that I had my eye on," she said. "I knew I was going to have pressure. I knew I was going to have emotions, nerves, everything all together. Yeah, for sure Australia, the Aussie swing, definitely got me."

Tearful Kenin crumbles under pressure of title defence

Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's dominance at the Rod Laver Arena nearly came to an end by Frances Tiafoe, but the Serbian ace bounced back to win the thrilling contest by 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win to reach the third round of the Grand Slam.

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"Very tough match. when the sun was on the court it was very warm. A lot of long rallies," said Djokovic. "A great fight from Frances, a great match on his part.

"But it's not the first time I've been in that kind of situation, I know how to handle this type of circumstance."

The Serb was quick to win the first set, but Tiafoe refused to concede and won the next round. The American was close to secure the next round but Djokovic fought hard to win the set and dominating the final one.&nbsp;

Tiafoe's fight reminded many of his prolific run during the 2019 Aussie Open, where the American entered the quarter-finals.&nbsp;

Djokovic will next play another American, either Taylor Fritz or Reilly Opelka.

Djokovic, who dropped only six games in his opening round clash, had never played Tiafoe, but quickly adapted.

The Serbian player is chasing an 18th Slam crown to close in on the 20 held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, has won a record eight times in Melbourne.

Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's dominance at the Rod Laver Arena nearly came to an end by Frances Tiafoe, but the Serbian ace bounced back to win the thrilling contest by 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win to reach the third round of the Grand Slam.

Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's dominance at the Rod Laver Arena nearly came to an end by Frances Tiafoe, but the Serbian ace bounced back to win the thrilling contest by 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 win to reach the third round of the Grand Slam. ALSO READ: 'Not great' - Nadal cruises despite lingering back injury "Very tough match. when the sun was on the court it was very warm. A lot of long rallies," said Djokovic. "A great fight from Frances, a great match on his part. "But it's not the first time I've been in that kind of situation, I know how to handle this type of circumstance." The Serb was quick to win the first set, but Tiafoe refused to concede and won the next round. The American was close to secure the next round but Djokovic fought hard to win the set and dominating the final one. Tiafoe's fight reminded many of his prolific run during the 2019 Aussie Open, where the American entered the quarter-finals. Djokovic will next play another American, either Taylor Fritz or Reilly Opelka. Djokovic, who dropped only six games in his opening round clash, had never played Tiafoe, but quickly adapted. The Serbian player is chasing an 18th Slam crown to close in on the 20 held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, has won a record eight times in Melbourne.

Australian Open 2021: Djokovic goes into third round after hard fought win against Tiafoe

World number one Ash Barty barely broke sweat as she swept into the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-0 6-0 thrashing of error-prone Danka Kovinic on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.

The Australian won the first 16 points and lost only 10 of 60 over the 44-minute match as the hapless Kovinic sprayed 28 unforced errors - almost one every other point -- to succumb to the dreaded "double bagel" scoreline.

"I wanted to go out there and almost take the sting, take the pepper out of the match a little bit and get it on my terms as much as possible right from the get-go and make it feel like she had a real mountain to climb," Barty said.

"I think that was probably the most pleasing thing overall, right from the start I set the tone and was able to run away with it."

Such one-sided contests will do nothing for ticket sales at a tournament struggling to get fans through the gates, but Barty will not care a jot as she seeks to become the first homegrown singles champion at the Grand Slam since 1978.

The 24-year-old played her first tournament in almost a year last week and walked away with the title but she knows there will much be tougher tests ahead if she is to land a second Grand Slam crown at the end of next week.

She was also the top seed at Melbourne Park last year after winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2019 French Open but fell to eventual champion Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals.

While she has had a long layoff, not having to quarantine for two weeks before the tournament like her rivals should be an advantage and her draw was kind.

Barty believes, however, that there are more threats than ever in the women's game.

"I think more than anything is you're seeing that the women's game is getting so strong, the depth is incredible. You certainly can't underestimate anyone," Barty said.

"Every single opponent deserves to be here and has the right to press you as much as possible."Next up for Barty is a second-round match against Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo or local wildcard Daria Gavrilova.

"It will be a challenge if she gets through," she said of compatriot Gavrilova.

"I always enjoy testing myself against other Aussies. If she does get through, it will be a ripper."

World number one Ash Barty barely broke sweat as she swept into the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-0 6-0 thrashing of error-prone Danka Kovinic on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.

World number one Ash Barty barely broke sweat as she swept into the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-0 6-0 thrashing of error-prone Danka Kovinic on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday. The Australian won the first 16 points and lost only 10 of 60 over the 44-minute match as the hapless Kovinic sprayed 28 unforced errors - almost one every other point -- to succumb to the dreaded "double bagel" scoreline. "I wanted to go out there and almost take the sting, take the pepper out of the match a little bit and get it on my terms as much as possible right from the get-go and make it feel like she had a real mountain to climb," Barty said. "I think that was probably the most pleasing thing overall, right from the start I set the tone and was able to run away with it." Such one-sided contests will do nothing for ticket sales at a tournament struggling to get fans through the gates, but Barty will not care a jot as she seeks to become the first homegrown singles champion at the Grand Slam since 1978. The 24-year-old played her first tournament in almost a year last week and walked away with the title but she knows there will much be tougher tests ahead if she is to land a second Grand Slam crown at the end of next week. She was also the top seed at Melbourne Park last year after winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2019 French Open but fell to eventual champion Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals. While she has had a long layoff, not having to quarantine for two weeks before the tournament like her rivals should be an advantage and her draw was kind. Barty believes, however, that there are more threats than ever in the women's game. "I think more than anything is you're seeing that the women's game is getting so strong, the depth is incredible. You certainly can't underestimate anyone," Barty said. "Every single opponent deserves to be here and has the right to press you as much as possible."Next up for Barty is a second-round match against Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo or local wildcard Daria Gavrilova. "It will be a challenge if she gets through," she said of compatriot Gavrilova. "I always enjoy testing myself against other Aussies. If she does get through, it will be a ripper."

All business Barty doles out Melbourne 'double bagel'

Naomi Osaka said Venus Williams had an "aura" and Serena hailed her ageless sister as "such an inspiration" after the 40-year-old powered into the Australian Open second round Monday.

Williams, who played her first Australian Open in 1998, battled past fellow veteran Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena in her 88th Grand Slam to ensure she lived to fight another day.

World number three Osaka, who also comfortably won, said the seven-time Grand Slam winner had long been a hero and she was amazed at her longevity.

"Ironically I actually interact with Venus more (than Serena)," she said after sweeping past Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2.

"For me, I feel like I do talk about Serena a lot, but Venus is sort of the reason why Serena is where she is."

"Of course, I always love to pay homage to her," she added. I feel like whenever I see her, it's really amazing just to watch how much she loves tennis.

"I see her smiling so much nowadays, so it's really nice to see. She just has this aura of loving the sport and this infectious energy. I hope that I can learn a lot from her."

Sister Serena, who crushed Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 in the first round at Melbourne Park as she aims for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, has spent the past few weeks with Venus as her hitting partner.

"She's such an inspiration because she never gets frustrated about her situation, health-wise. She's always looking on the bright side. Then she works so hard. Yeah, she's been great," she said.

Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's disease in 2011, a condition which leaves her weakened. She took up a vegan diet to stay competitive and combat the illness.

"It was so good to train with her. It was so good every day," added Serena.

"It's also very inspiring because she still pushes me on a level that no one's able to push me, so it was incredibly helpful."

Naomi Osaka said Venus Williams had an "aura" and Serena hailed her ageless sister as "such an inspiration" after the 40-year-old powered into the Australian Open second round Monday.

Naomi Osaka said Venus Williams had an "aura" and Serena hailed her ageless sister as "such an inspiration" after the 40-year-old powered into the Australian Open second round Monday. Williams, who played her first Australian Open in 1998, battled past fellow veteran Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena in her 88th Grand Slam to ensure she lived to fight another day. World number three Osaka, who also comfortably won, said the seven-time Grand Slam winner had long been a hero and she was amazed at her longevity. "Ironically I actually interact with Venus more (than Serena)," she said after sweeping past Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2. "For me, I feel like I do talk about Serena a lot, but Venus is sort of the reason why Serena is where she is." "Of course, I always love to pay homage to her," she added. I feel like whenever I see her, it's really amazing just to watch how much she loves tennis. "I see her smiling so much nowadays, so it's really nice to see. She just has this aura of loving the sport and this infectious energy. I hope that I can learn a lot from her." Sister Serena, who crushed Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 in the first round at Melbourne Park as she aims for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, has spent the past few weeks with Venus as her hitting partner. "She's such an inspiration because she never gets frustrated about her situation, health-wise. She's always looking on the bright side. Then she works so hard. Yeah, she's been great," she said. Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's disease in 2011, a condition which leaves her weakened. She took up a vegan diet to stay competitive and combat the illness. "It was so good to train with her. It was so good every day," added Serena. "It's also very inspiring because she still pushes me on a level that no one's able to push me, so it was incredibly helpful."

Serena, Osaka pay homage to Venus after Open win

Defending champion Novak Djokovic said he played "flawless and dominant" tennis to blast past Frenchman Jeremy Chardy Monday in an ominous start to his bid for an unprecedented ninth Australian Open title.

The Serbian world number one, who clinched his 17th Grand Slam in last year's gripping Melbourne final against Dominic Thiem, wasted little energy in the 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 romp in just 91 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The writing was on the wall with Chardy failing to take a set off the Serb in 13 previous meetings.

"It felt great. I mean, I started the match really well, broke his serve and was pretty much a flawless match," he said, adding that he felt "relaxed and comfortable".&nbsp;

"Especially on my service games, I was very dominant. Just overall, I think every shot that I executed tonight was really good and on a high level.

"I'm very pleased with the way I opened up the Australian Open."

Djokovic, chasing an 18th Slam crown to close in on the 20 held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, has likened his relationship with the Australian Open to "a love affair".

And he clearly enjoyed himself, dishing up a masterclass for the socially-distanced fans in the stadium.

"It feels great, so great to see people back in the stadium," he said.

"I'm really glad to see a lot of people actually -- this is the most I've seen on a tennis court in 12 months."

"Sometimes we take these things (crowds) for granted, but very very grateful to see you all," he added.

<h2>- 'Sticking to the game plan' -</h2>

The 33-year-old broke Chardy in the opening game and was never troubled, racing through the set in 32 minutes, with the Frenchman winning just two points off the Serb's service game.

It was similar scenario in a lopsided second set, which only lasted 22 minutes, as Chardy struggled to cope with the ferocity of Djokovic's serving, which routinely clocked in at more than 200 kph (124 mph).

Chardy, who made the semi-finals of the warm-up Murray River Open tournament, surrendered meekly, with Djokovic winning the match with his ninth ace.

"Of course, you are expected to win most of the times as a top player and kind of ease your way through the first rounds," said Djokovic.

"But, you know, I don't see it that way, obviously. You still have to do your job on the court. So I was sticking to the game plan."

The Serb has won a record eight times in Melbourne, the scene of his maiden Grand Slam triumph in 2008, and is unbeaten on the famous blue courts since his shock defeat by South Korea's Hyeon Chung in the 2018 round of 16.

He next faces American Frances Tiafoe in a tricky side of the draw with 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka and former world number three Milos Raonic potential obstacles en route to the quarter-finals.

"It's the first time I will face him, he's definitely one of the up-and-coming American tennis players," Djokovic said of Tiafoe. "I'm looking forward to the next challenge."

Defending champion Novak Djokovic said he played "flawless and dominant" tennis to blast past Frenchman Jeremy Chardy Monday in an ominous start to his bid for an unprecedented ninth Australian Open title.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic said he played "flawless and dominant" tennis to blast past Frenchman Jeremy Chardy Monday in an ominous start to his bid for an unprecedented ninth Australian Open title. The Serbian world number one, who clinched his 17th Grand Slam in last year's gripping Melbourne final against Dominic Thiem, wasted little energy in the 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 romp in just 91 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The writing was on the wall with Chardy failing to take a set off the Serb in 13 previous meetings. "It felt great. I mean, I started the match really well, broke his serve and was pretty much a flawless match," he said, adding that he felt "relaxed and comfortable". "Especially on my service games, I was very dominant. Just overall, I think every shot that I executed tonight was really good and on a high level. "I'm very pleased with the way I opened up the Australian Open." Djokovic, chasing an 18th Slam crown to close in on the 20 held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, has likened his relationship with the Australian Open to "a love affair". And he clearly enjoyed himself, dishing up a masterclass for the socially-distanced fans in the stadium. "It feels great, so great to see people back in the stadium," he said. "I'm really glad to see a lot of people actually -- this is the most I've seen on a tennis court in 12 months." "Sometimes we take these things (crowds) for granted, but very very grateful to see you all," he added. - 'Sticking to the game plan' - The 33-year-old broke Chardy in the opening game and was never troubled, racing through the set in 32 minutes, with the Frenchman winning just two points off the Serb's service game. It was similar scenario in a lopsided second set, which only lasted 22 minutes, as Chardy struggled to cope with the ferocity of Djokovic's serving, which routinely clocked in at more than 200 kph (124 mph). Chardy, who made the semi-finals of the warm-up Murray River Open tournament, surrendered meekly, with Djokovic winning the match with his ninth ace. "Of course, you are expected to win most of the times as a top player and kind of ease your way through the first rounds," said Djokovic. "But, you know, I don't see it that way, obviously. You still have to do your job on the court. So I was sticking to the game plan." The Serb has won a record eight times in Melbourne, the scene of his maiden Grand Slam triumph in 2008, and is unbeaten on the famous blue courts since his shock defeat by South Korea's Hyeon Chung in the 2018 round of 16. He next faces American Frances Tiafoe in a tricky side of the draw with 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka and former world number three Milos Raonic potential obstacles en route to the quarter-finals. "It's the first time I will face him, he's definitely one of the up-and-coming American tennis players," Djokovic said of Tiafoe. "I'm looking forward to the next challenge."

'Flawless' Djokovic crushes Chardy in Australian Open warning

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