Category: Tennis

• Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara win men’s doubles
• Alfie Hewett claims title in men’s wheelchair final

Britain’s Henry Patten claimed his second grand slam doubles title alongside his Finnish partner, Harri Heliövaara, in a late-night epic in Melbourne.

The pair did not walk out on Rod Laver Arena until 10.30pm after a lengthy women’s singles final between Madison Keys Aryna Sabalenka. It took until past midnight for the first set against the Italian third seeds, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, to conclude.

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It feels politically radical at this stage, a break from the phoney wars, to say can we just appreciate Djokovic for what he is?

Who knows, maybe one day Novak Djokovic and the people of Australia will stop mid-argument, bottom lips quivering, and just kiss it all out, right there in front of the cameras, while in the background the studio audience gasps and whoops and we cut tantalisingly to the break with a jaunty bass solo.

Perhaps not yet though. Judging by the scattered boos and jeers from the crowd as news filtered through that Djokovic was retiring with injury after the first set of his Australian Open semi-final on Friday , it seems there is still some way to go in that narrative arc.

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• Player been criticised for chopping and changing coaches
• British No 2 heading from Australian Open to Singapore

Emma Raducanu is searching for another coach after Nick Cavaday ended their partnership because of health issues. Raducanu first worked with Cavaday as a child and they resumed the relationship ahead of last season, where the 22-year-old returned to the top 100 following operations on both wrists and one ankle.

Raducanu spoke frequently about how positive the partnership had been and that she hoped it would be a long-term arrangement but it has now come to an end after 14 months. Their last tournament together was at the Australian Open, where Raducanu reached the third round, and the British No 2 said: “I’d like to thank Nick for a great partnership over the last year and a bit. Especially being post-surgeries, he helped get me back inside the world’s top 60. I wish him all the best in his next chapter and no doubt we’ll stay in touch.”

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Novak Djokovic said he did 'everything I possibly can' to manage his injury before and during his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev. The 10-time champion retired hurt after losing the first set, and was booed off the court by some sections of the Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic suffered an injury to his groin area in his quarter-final against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday.

The Serb took to the court on Friday with both dark tape and a white bandage enveloping his upper thigh. He revealed afterwards he had not hit a ball since his previous match, and the pain proved too much for him to play on after losing the first set on a tie-break. 'I want to keep going,' the 37-year-old added, but also admitted 'there is a chance' this could be his final appearance at Melbourne Park.

• Novak Djokovic retires hurt to send Zverev into Australian Open final

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Clashes between players and spectators at Australian Open are just another example of the shouty polarities of our age

Eva Asderaki-Moore probably loves her job. But there were times, during Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open win over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday, when the chair umpire clearly had it with the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, please,” she pleaded. And then “That’s e-nough!” – which she enunciated like a schoolteacher marshalling her charges on a very long, very noisy coach trip.

You had to feel for her. What is tennis thinking after all? It throws 15,000 people into an arena, whips them up into a state of delirium with some of the greatest feats of athleticism seen in a grand slam quarter-final, then expects pin-drop silence between points. At 1am? When some of these people have been drinking since lunchtime?

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Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, was too strong for Paula Badosa, while Madison Keys outlasted Iga Swiatek in an epic to set up an enticing final

Sabalenka 0-1 Badosa* (denotes server) A big service-winner down the T makes 15-all, but Sabalenka takes control of the next point with a booming forehand return, cleaning up with with another down the line Then, facing a second serve, she steps in a little and starts thwacking … but just when15-40 seems a matter of time, a backhand on the stretch and on to the line hauls Badosa back into the point and eventually the error comes; 30-all. But a double presents break point; another service-winner confiscates it, and so far, the underdog is coping with the pressure well, as I type spanking an ace down the T for advantage. And though she oughtn’t win the next rally, Sabalenka in at the net and unable to finish, she makes her opponent play enough balls such that the error comes. Badosa is into this!

Badosa to serve and ready … play.

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Commenting after his final answer at his post-match news conference, US tennis star Ben Shelton said he was 'shocked' with 'how players have been treated' at this year's grand slam in Melbourne. Shelton was earlier interviewed on court by the Australian former Davis Cup player John Fitzgerald, who suggested no one would be cheering the American in his semi-final, with his opponent - either the defending champion Jannik Sinner or local hope Alex De Minaur - yet to be confirmed

• Shelton reaches Australian Open semi-final and blasts ‘disrespectful’ broadcasters

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Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek set up a semi-final meeting in the women’s competition, while Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner did likewise in the men’s

Wild celebrations from Shelton, as you might expect, and here he is…

A body-serve sets up the point, finished by Shelton with two colossal inside-out forehands. He meets Sinner or De Minaur in the semi.

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• Atlanta native defeats Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4)
• No 21 seed praises Lorenzo Sonego’s ‘ridiculous’ tennis

Ben Shelton, a 22-year-old from Atlanta, is through to his first Australian Open semi-final after defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4) on Wednesday in Melbourne. Shelton has competed in only one previous grand slam semi-final, when he lost to the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic, at the 2023 US Open.

On Wednesday, Shelton prevailed by playing a steadier ground game than his opponent. Sonego finished with a slight edge in winners, 63-54, but he committed far more unforced errors, 55-33.

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• No 2 seed books spot in last four with four-set win
• German will now face Djokovic in semi-finals

Alexander Zverev has survived an extraordinary meltdown to sink Tommy Paul in four sets and charge into the Australian Open semi-finals.

Second-seeded Zverev, chasing an elusive grand slam title, was almost knocked down by, of all things, a feather before he steadied to prevail 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1. Zverev will next face 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in his third Melbourne Park semi-final.

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After defeating unseeded American Alex Michelsen in straight sets to reach the last eight of the Australian Open for the first time, Alex De Minaur is embracing his underdog status ahead of his quarter final match-up with world No 1 Jannik Sinner. 'It's a whole new day, a whole new match and anything can happen,' De Minaur said. 'Sport is unpredictable'

• Jannik Sinner toughs out medical episode against Rune to reach Australian Open last eight

• De Minaur to face Sinner after reaching Australian Open last eight for first time

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Iga Swiatek hammered Eva Lys, Emma Nacvarro outlasted Daria Kasatkina – just – and Alex de Minaur saw off Alex Michelsen

Back on Court, Shelton leads Monfils 4-2 in their third-set breaker and if he sees it out, might the Frenchman retire? I could see him convincing himself he’s good for one more set, but two?

Lys starts well, narrowly missing a backhand down the line that would’ve given her a break, before Swiatek secures her hold through deuce. She’s never gone further than the semis here, which is in some way surprising – the balls bounce slower and lower than on other hard courts, meaning the surface is more clay-like than at Flushing Meadow, where she won in 2022. And though, in 2023, it took Elena Rybakina to beat her in Melbourme, last term it was Linda Noskova. I’d be surprised if she got past Coco Gauff or Aryna Sabalenka, likely final opponents, but she’s got a good chance of getting there given standing in her way are Kasatkina or Navarro, then Svitolina. She breaks immediately for 2-0.

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• American records 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 success to reach last eight
• Ruthless Iga Swiatek also marches into quarter-finals

Madison Keys upset sixth seed Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in a roller-coaster match at Margaret Court Arena to march into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday and extend her win streak to nine matches this year.

Adelaide Open champion Keys had lost to the Kazakh in their last two encounters but was well in control for most of the last-16 tie, barring a rough patch in the second set when she lost four straight games. Rybakina seemed to be struggling with a lower back injury that had affected her in the third round and Keys was able to play aggressively to neutralise her big serve and take control of the rallies.

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American tennis star Coco Gauff mourned the loss of TikTok's app in the United States, writing 'RIP TikTok USA' on a camera lens following her victory over Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open. Gauff said the app provided her with an 'escape' and its removal might force her to read more books, adding she had a 'feeling that it will somehow come back'. TikTok later said it was restoring services in the US after Donald Trump pledged to give the video app a reprieve on its US ban

• Channel Nine’s Tony Jones apologises to Novak Djokovic over ‘banter’ that led to coverage boycott

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• Australian Open star had refused to speak with Nine’s presenters
• Veteran broadcaster acknowledges he ‘let down’ Serbian fans

Tony Jones has issued an apology to Novak Djokovic after comments the veteran broadcaster made at the Australian Open led to the Serbian tennis star boycotting Channel Nine’s coverage of the tournament.

Djokovic opted not to give a customary on-court interview after beating Jiri Lehecka on Sunday to move into this year’s quarter-finals, before revealing he would not speak to the host broadcaster until he received an apology.

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