Carlos Alcaraz’s tennis clinic demolishes Miomir Kecmanovic

Jim Courier couldn’t believe his eyes as one of the sport’s hottest young guns pulled off something special at Rod Laver Arena.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 22: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point during their fourth round singles match against Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia during the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic might be stealing most of the headlines, but a young Spaniard is quietly taking a buzz saw to his half of the Australian Open draw.

No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz has dropped one set to date in powering through to his first quarter-final at Melbourne Park, producing his most devastating display to date on Monday.

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The 20-year-old was in the marquee evening timeslot and was done and dusted quicker than a good movie in his clash with Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

The final score was 6-4 6-4 6-0 in just one hour, 49 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to loom as the biggest threat to Djokovic’s bid for an 11th Australian Open title.

You can catch up on all the day’s action right here.

Carlos Alcaraz is something special.

9pm - ‘This is bananas’

Carlos Alcaraz is proving once again he’s one of the best in the world at Rod Laver Arena. The Spanish 20-year-old, already a two-time grand slam winner, has shown off his power and precision against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in their fourth round clash.

Kecmanovic dropped the first two sets 6-4 as Alcaraz went through the motions.

But it wasn’t until the third set that the Spaniard really put his foot down.

He secured two breaks and completely dominated the court with perfectly timed drop shots and searing forehand winners, bringing the score to 5-0 to serve for the set.

Jim Courier said what everyone was thinking after a particularly dominant winner.

“This is bananas,” he said.

Alcaraz smashed his way through his final service game to take the set 6-0 and advance to the quarter finals.

The final score was 6-4 6-4 6-0.

The Spanish 20-year-old, already a two-time grand slam winner, has shown off his power and precision against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic

8.20pm - Zverev wins 4-hour epic in fifth set tiebreak

The fifth set between Cameron Norrie and Alex Zverev was sent to a 10-point tiebreak to decide the Margaret Court epic.

At four hours in, it looked as if Norrie was losing steam. Zverev, on the other hand, found a second wind.

The German ran away with the decider, taking it to 8-2 as Norrie committed several unforced errors. The Englishman scraped back to 8-3 but by then the momentum was well and truly in Zverev’s favour.

Another unforced error into the net set up match point for Zverev - and it was curtains from there.

Norrie hit another return to the net and retreated to his bench in despair.

The final score was 7-5 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6.

After four hours, Zverev has finally done it.

8pm - Alcaraz takes the first set

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is hitting the absolute skin off the ball in his match against Miomir Kecmanović and has the Serbian running all over the court chasing his explosive forehands.

The Spaniard took the first set 6-4.

7.55pm - Rally of the tournament

Cameron Norrie and Alex Zverev are playing the match of their lives on Margaret Court Arena.

At 3-3, the pair produced one of the all time great rallies seen at Melbourne Park.

Norrie was one point away from taking it 4-3 in the final set and looked to have secured it with a brilliant cross-court forehand to send Zverev out towards the television cameras.

The German somehow made the return, forcing Norrie back into a shot towards the middle. But Zverev had already raced back to the net and dropped it short just out of Norrie’s reach.

They traded advantages twice more before Norrie eventually secured the game to hold serve at 4-3.

We’ll get footage of the rally to you as soon as it drops.

7.18pm - Norrie sets up thriller against Zverev

Alex Zverev has dropped the fourth set as British star Cameron Norrie blasted back to set up a fifth set thriller.

The 19th seed Norrie has hit some beautiful shots to take the fight to the World No. 6, leaving him frustrated and swearing to himself.

Norrie got a crucial break in the fourth and ran away with the set 6-4 as the match ticked towards the three hour mark.

The pair continued the neck and neck battle into the fifth, with neither being able to secure a break at 2-2.

Zverev was getting visibly annoyed towards the end of the set, exclaiming to his box multiple times after losing points.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie is producing some spectacular tennis to take the fight to Alex Zverev.

Alexander Zverev is getting put under the pump.

6.17pm - Match stalled after spectator throws paper on court

A pro-Palestinian protester throws leaflets onto the court during the men's singles match between Britain's Cameron Norrie and Germany's Alexander Zverev.

A spectator has been hauled away from Margaret Court Arena after throwing pages of white paper onto the court midway through Alex Zverev’s match against Cameron Norrie.

The bizarre incident briefly stopped play as the pair duked it out for the third set.

The commentators were clearly unimpressed at the “ridiculous” delay at a crucial moment in the match.

High resolution images showed the leaflets were relating to the conflict in Palestine, reading “War Crimes and genocide. Free Palestine.”

Norrie roared back in the second set to take it 6-3.

Someone’s just thrown loads of paper onto court in a protest… #AusOpenpic.twitter.com/2f7zEpXiNh

— Iain (@IainSW99) January 22, 2024

5.49pm - Medvedev roars back

Daniil Medvedev has put whatever happened in the third set behind him to blitz through the fourth and triumph over Nuno Borges. Borges pulled off an incredible fightback in the third to steal four games in a row, but Medvedev showed his class and secured a double break when they commenced the fourth.

Borges has played some of the best shots we’ve seen this tournament but in the end it just wasn’t enough to bury the Russian World No. 3.

The crowd was completely behind the Portuguese star once he tore away in the third set, but they were quickly silenced as Medvedev put his demons behind him and sealed the fourth round matchup.

The final score was 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-1.

World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev started to crumble as an underdog played the match of his life. But the biggest upset of the tournament wasn’t to be.

5.25pm - Medvedev crumbles in the third set

Nuno Borges is fighting for his life against Daniil Medvedev in their fourth round clash. World No. 3 Medvedev absolutely threw away an opportunity to take the match in straight sets as Borges clawed his way back and took four games in a row.

He was 2-5 down and then down 15-40 at 4-5, but somehow Medvedev crumbled as the pressure piled on.

Borges took the set to 6-5 and hit a brilliant winner to set up set point.

He then hit an ace to take the match to 2-1.

Wow.

From 2-5 and 4-5 15-40 down...

Nuno Borges will serve for the 3rd set!

Incredible point at 40-40. pic.twitter.com/jTvJ3NdAZH

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 22, 2024

5.10pm - Zverev takes first set 7-5

Alex Zverev has entered Margaret Court Arena to face 19th seed Cameron Norrie for their fourth round clash. The German is coming off a hot straight sets victory against US teen Alex Michelsen.

Norrie, on the other hand, is in unchartered territory after progressing to his first fourth round appearance at Melbourne Park with an upset victory over Casper Ruud.

The 28-year-old has made it to the second week of a slam just once before at the US Open in 2022.

Zverev was muscled out of a set point opportunity at 6-5 when Norrie hit a searing forehand down the line to scrape back to deuce. But Norrie completely threw away the opportunity to push for a tiebreak and sent a sluggish second serve from the German into the net.

Alexander Zverev takes the first set.

4.30pm - Medvedev takes first two sets

Russian world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev has taken the first set off Nuno Borges 6-3. Medvedev, a former world No. 1 and US Open champion, is gunning for his first Australian Open crown after making the final twice in 2021 and 2022.

He has shown his might as a player already this tournament, fighting back from two sets down in a second round thriller against Emil Ruusuvuori.

But Borges won’t be going down without a fight. The Portuguese star knocked over World No. 13 Grigor Dimitrov in a major upset on Saturday, and has shown he can be dangerous against Medvedev.

The second set lasted a whopping 67 minutes, with Borges pushing Medvedev to a tiebreak, but the Russian showed his class under pressure and closed it out 7-4.

Medvedev leads 6-3 7-6.

2.45pm - Azarenka downed in straight sets

Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka has been sent home from the Australian Open, going down straight sets (7-6 6-4) to Dayana Yastremska this afternoon.

Azarenka kept toe to toe with her Ukrainian opponent and had two opportunities to take the set, but Yastremska persevered and brought it to a thrilling tiebreak and won 10-8.

Azarenka, a two-time Melbourne Park champion, couldn’t stay on top in the second set and gave up a break point to gift the Ukrainian the win.

Victoria Azarenka has bowed out of the Australian Open.

2.10pm - Svitolina in tears after being forced to retire

Elina Svitolina has been forced to retire with a back injury.

Elina Svitolina has been forced to retire from her match against Linda Noskova after succumbing to a back injury. The Ukrainian former World No. 3 broke down into tears as her Australian Open campaign came to an abrupt end at 0-3 in the first set.

The pair embraced at the end of proceedings, with Svitolina visibly distraught.

The 19-year-old Noskova will play Dayana Yastremska in the quarter final in two days, after she downed former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in straight sets this afternoon.

Svitolina was distraught.

Svitolina retires down 0-3* in the first set against Noskova with a back injury. Horrendous to see.

This top half of the Women's Draw is *all over the place*.

Wow. pic.twitter.com/4SnsHuvo58

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 22, 2024

1.30pm - Unseeded star stuns two-time Aus Open champ

Dayana Yastremska has come to play on Monday, taking the opening set against two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka.

In a 74-minute battle, the unseeded Yastremska proved too strong when it mattered most as she claimed the tie-break 8-6.

1pm – Detail in Katie Boulter pic sends fans wild

Eagle-eyed tennis fans are convinced Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter have taken their relationship to the next level.

De Minaur’s Aus Open run came to an end on Sunday night as Boulter sat in the stands cheering him on.

But fans watching on believe they spotted Boulter sporting an engagement ring on her ring finger during the contest.

Neither party has confirmed the potential big step in their relationship, but that didn’t stop social media from running wild.

“KATIE BOULTER AND ALEX DE MINUAR ENGAGED !!! HE PUT A RING ON IT LOOK!” one fan wrote online.

Another added: “Is Katie Boulter wearing an engagement ring?”.

Katie Boulter sparks wild rumour

De Minaur was thrown under the blow torch ahead of the Australian Open when he was asked about when he plans to propose to Boulter.

Comedian Ash Williams, affiliated with “The ATP Podcast,” began his aggressive line of questioning by mentioning how Australian tennis hero Lleyton Hewitt proposed to his now-wife at the 2005 Australian Open.

“Jeez. Putting me on the spot here. Yeah, it’s not on the cards just yet. Not ruling it out. For the time being, I’m going to try to focus on playing tennis and then we’ll think about the off-court activities,” de Minaur responded.

Australian Open Day 9 schedule of play

Rod Laver Arena

[18] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs Dayana Yastremska (UKR) — 12pm

[3] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) vs. Nuno Borges (POR) — not before 1.30pm

[2] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) — 7pm

Margaret Court Arena

[19] Elena Svitolina (UKR) vs Linda Noskova (CZE) — not before 1.30pm

[6] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [19] Cameron Norrie (GBR) — not before 4pm

John Cain Arena

[9] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs Arthur Cazaux (FRA) — not before 3pm

[26] Jasmie Paolini (ITA) vs Anna Kalinskaya (RUS)