Key events
De Minaur plays what looks like a gorgeous pick-up coming in, but apologises when it turns into a winner so he must’ve played something different. Still, it gives him 15-30 … and Rublev responds with two service winners for a 6-4 6-5 lead.
Badabing! At 15-all, Rublev hits a forehand to the forehand corner, then opens shoulders to dispense an inside-out disgrace for a winner so conclusive that even De Minaur doesn’t bother chasing it. But from there, D-Min finds enough, making 5-5. He’s actually playing pretty well, he’s just not been able to get past Rublev’s serve and forehand when it counts, but a breaker – if we get one – can be decided by a point here and there.
I mean seriously. Imagine prompting this reaction in one of the toughest humans ever to walk the earth.
I’m struggling to find footage, but did anyone see Julia, Martina Navratilova’s wife, surprise her by learning to sing opera – Martina loves it – then performing it at her “Fuck Cancer” party on Real Housewives of Miami? It might sound silly, but it’s beautiful – look it up if you can. Back on court, Rublev again does the necessary when under pressure, a big forehand and an ace out wide taking him through deuce, so De Minaur will shortly serve to stay in set two, trailing 4-6 4-5.
Rublev has words with umpire about the shot-clock but it’s not clear as to the precise context; perhaps he wasn’t chuffed with it starting so close to the end of that monstrous rally. Anyhow, De Minaur secures a welcome straightforward hold to 15, and we’re at 4-4 in the second, things getting tense.
Rublev hares in and slams a swing volley into the net when a gentle putaway would’ve sufficed; De Minaur has 0-30. But then on 15-30, a double, a mini-tantrum, and two break points as the arena lights up. So Rublev serves out wide then cleans up with a forehand to the opposite corner – his two big weapons have been the difference so far –and have a look! A brutal rally, D-Min in control hitting to the back, until eventually Rublev works a chance for a forehand, ending the longest sequence of the match with its 35th shot, an inside-out animal on to the outside of the sideline. He’s played the pressure situations superbly so far, and seconds later is closing out for 6-4 4-3 with an ace on to the T.
Rublev makes 30-all thanks to two De Minaur forehands which drop long. Then a decent backhand out wide persuades D-Min to net, and this is a crucial point coming up … De Minaur dematerialising an ace out wide. But when he tamely goes long again, he’s in trouble again, saving himself well again the making advantage thanks to a felicitous net-cord and seeing out the game from there. We’re 3-3 in the second, Rublev by one set to love.
Now then. Down 15-30, Rublev swipes a forehand into the net, his second such error of the game, and De Minaur has two break points. So Rublev uncorks a succession of terrifying forehands, the Aussie retrieving superbly, then does really well to pick up a net-cord and close out the point, making deuce immediately afterwards. In comms, Kyrgios explains that you try and find Rublev – and Nadal’s – backhand on return, problem being they’re so good at hiding it, but on advantage, Rublev goes wide off that wing and D-Min quickly makes advantage coming in cleverly. He concedes break-point tamely, though, Rublev closes out, and I’d not be shocked if he expoits his opponent’s disappointment to break following change of ends. Rublev 6-4 3-2 De Minaur
If De Minaur wins tonight, Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost to Taylor Fritz earlier, will be out of the top 10. When he broke through plaaying Futures events, I thought he’d a be a champion, but his weakness then – his backhand – is still a weakness now, and he’s showing no signs of sorting it, while opponents are taking it apart. De Minaur holds for 2-2 in the second.
What I love about Rublev’s forehands is how flat he hits it, and in minor grief at 30-all, it quickly restores with advantage, 6-4 2-1. De Minaur is playing OK, but he doesn’t have a weapon of similar potency, which looks likely to be the decisive factor here.
A backhand down the line earns Rublev 0-15, then a flat, booming forehand 0-30. He’s more relaxed after going in front, and though he then goes long with two backhands, a De Minaur error means break point. A sapping really follows, Rublev dominating, but just as he looks to have it won, a terrific forehand on to the tootsies makes deuce, and from there, De Minaur closes out. He needed that, because coming back from a set and a break down would’ve been a very significant problem – especially given how much scurrying he’s being forced to do against an opponent chilling on the centre-line. Rublev leads 6-4 1-1.
Kyrgios reckons the first set was more important for Rublev than De Minaur, to prevent the crowd getting involved, and of course he knows a little more than I do about tennising. But the way I see it, the less good, less experienced player is less likely to win from behind, so I felt the opposite. Rublev holds to love and leads 6-4 1-0.
Another long rally, Rublev’s forehand directing De Minaur about the court, and again when the Aussie forces it, going for something big, the ball drops fractionally long; a big serve quickly eliminates break point, restoring deuce. Again, though, D-Min goes long, this time off the backhand and, well, oh dear: De Minaur serves a double, handing over the first set 4-6, and you can feel the collective sigh in the arena, energy dropping instantaneously.
Rublev holds for 5-4, so De Minaur will now serve to stay in the first set. He opens with an ace and his average speed, 197km/h, is 10 faster than Rublev’s, not words I’d have written a year ago. But at 30-15, a long rally ends when he thwacks a forehand narrowly wide; Rublev nets a return, the he nets a backhand, taking us to deuce. Big points coming up…
Despite the crushing win, it wasn’t all smooth going for Djokovic, who coughed and spluttered throughout. The 24-time major winner said he’d been ill during the first week, but Rod Laver – the legend whose name is on the centre-court arena that Djokovic has made his own – on Saturday posed the question: “Is he having us on?”.
And then there was one (tangentially, Sarah Phelps’ version of Agatha Christie’s classic is one of the very best adaptations I’ve ever seen). Anyroad up, Rublev and De Minaur are now at 4-4, the Aussie playing the better.
Other winners today: Djokovic beat Mannarino in three, Sabalenka did Anisimova in two, Sinner rinsed Khachanov in three, Fritz sorted Tsitsipas in four, Kostyuk battered Timofeeva in two.
Excellent from De Minaur, who breaks Rublev back and to love for 4-3; we’ll focus on this match, on a rolling boil now, in a second, once we’ve been through what else has gone down today.
Earlier today: Coco Gauff made it through to the last eight, and she’s in the bottom half too – she meets Kostyuk next, then Saba or Krejcikova. The top, half, meanwhile, especially following Swiatek’s shock defeat, is so open it’s ridiculous: one of Noskova, Svitolina, Azarenka, Yastreemska, Paolini, Kalinskaya, Zheng and Dodin will be in the final.
Krejcikova, asked about coming back from a set down, as she has in every match so far, says she’s always fighting and trying to go for her shots – she’s not wrong, she was seriously aggressive in the final set. She started slowly but felt she improved with every ball, taking the match point by point, and to turn this one around she was trying to be aggressive and served really well.
We then learn she’s a “tennis nerd”. She loves the game, the competition and being in good matches. She always wanted to plays Slams, is really enjoying it, and is looking forward to facing Saba. She’s going to recover now, doubles tomorrow – she’s seeded five – and then we’ll enjoy her quarter. I can’t wait for that.
Rublev consolidates from 0-30 down, and leads 4-1 in the first. I can’t say I’m surprised: his thing is beating everyone he should and no one he shouldn’t. As Kyrgios points out, he five in the world with a dicky second serve and backhand, so imagine how good he can be when he sorts that, but at 26 I wonder if he ever truly will.
Barbora Krejcikova (9) beats Mirra Andreeva 4-6 6-3 6-2
That’s a fantastic win for the 2021 Roland-Garros champ, who’ was brilliant in the third set. She meets the defending champ, Aryna Sabalenka next, and I already can’t wait for that. Andreeva, meanwhile, continues her progress. She ran out of gas and pop in the end, but soon she won’t, and that will really be something.
Krejckova has played a superb decider, nailing groundstrokes off both wings. And another raises 30-0 – she’s two points away,
We’ll focus on Rublev v De Minaur shortly – it’s our only singles match this sesh – but in the meantime, Rublev’s forehand, which might be the definitive shot in this match, forces home a break point for 3-1. In comms, Kyrgios praises his grunting, saying he loves it – “It gives me goosebumps”.
Yeah, Krejcikova breaks again, Andreeva tamely conceding to 15, and will shortly serve for the match as 4-6 6-3 5-2.
It takes a few deuces but Krejcikova holds for 4-2, and Andreeva, who came back from 4-1 down in the third to beat Parry a couple of days ago, is running out of road. On Laver, Rublev leads 2-1 on serve.
I’ve just learnt that Cruz Hewitt, son of Lleyton, played (and lost) in the boys’ singles today. This is he….
Andreeva gets to 30-all, and someone needs to show Krejcikova and to arch the peak of her visor – important for keeping the night-time sun out of her eyes – which looks like she’s folded it in half. We wind up at deuce…
Andreeva holds again, but can she make an impression of the Krejcikova serve, down 2-3 in the third?
This, by the way, is what we said about Rublev:
Though good at most things, he isn’t brilliant at anything, which is why he’s been unable to beat the best players on the biggest occasions. And there’s no indication he can remedy the situation – perhaps the reason he shed tears of frustration while losing to Medvedev at the Tour Finals.
Immediately, Rublev is under pressure, down 15-40, but he saves the first with a trademark forehand then, De Minaaur, coming in, nets a forehand putaway. Right play, wrong execution, and Rublev eventually holds for 1-0.
In our preview of the men’s competition, this is what we said about De Minaur as our home player to watch:
Perhaps the fastest player ever, De Minaur has matured of late, adding patience, aggression and variety to his game. He’s still hamstrung by a forehand grip that restricts his ability to hit hard while telegraphing some of his shots, but already this year, he’s beaten Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev.
Righto, Rublev is ready and he’ll serve first; De Minaur wins the first point and the crowd go wild.
Obviously it’s ridiculous how good Andreeva is at 16, but she does still look a little underpowered and it’s not certain that’ll change enough for her to win as much as her skill-level suggests she should. She holds, though, to get on the board at 1-2 in the third. But can she put pressure on the Krejcikova serve?
De Minaur and Rublev are out and knocking up.
On Cain, Andreeva finds herself down 0-40, and though she saves one break point with an ace, she then goes long and Krejcikova leads 1-0 in the third … 20, she consolidates to love.
Nick Kyrgios has been such a great addition to the Eurosport commentary team. He explains that De Minaur, if he’s to win, will have to be aggressive – he’s improved in that aspect recently – and has put on some size. Kyrgios has played Rublev twice as says his second serve “has nothing on in, middle of the box”, so needs attacking, likewise his backhand.
And Andreeva goes long on the backhand; here comes a final set.
Krejcikova is serving at 6-4 3-4 30-40, which is to say she’s got set point having just burned one…
Preamble
G’day and welcome to the Australian Open 2023, day eight – night session.
We’ve got some pretty serious action in progress, the ludicrously precocious Mrira Andreeva a set up but a break down against Barbora Krejcikova – I can’t wait to see how that one shakes out, and will discuss it in detail presently.
Otherwise, we’ve got what looks like being an absolute banger on Laver, with home favourite and number 10 see Alex de Minaur taking on nuber five seed, Andrey Rublev. De Minaur has really found himself recently, and has never played better than now; Rublev is desperately trying raise his lose-to-the-first-elite-player-he-faces ceiling. But to do that, he must first win tonight…
