The Daily Serve: All the key moments and highlights of Day 8 from Melbourne Park 

Pat Rafter has joined other tennis greats in lamenting one aspect of the modern tennis game, revealing it leaves him sometimes screaming at the television when watching.

Pat Rafter with Hot Shots tennis kids at Pat Rafter Arena. Picture: Liam Kidston

Dual grand slam champion Pat Rafter has revealed he is left “screaming at the TV” watching today’s players avoid attacking the net as former American star Patrick McEnroe lamented the fading art of the serve and volley game.

Asked if serve and volley was dead in modern tennis, McEnroe said there was still a place for it in the game, but it would never be revived as it was in the past.

Speaking at a media call for the Laver Cup on Sunday, Rafter admitted he was frustrated watching today’s players choose to hit “another big forehand” rather than volley.

“There are certainly opportunities. I’m sort of screaming at the TV,” said Rafter, a renowned serve and volleyer.

Rafter was known for the serve and volley.

“I see these guys create the point and the opening, and the one guy gets stretched, and you go, ‘Mate, come to the net, come in’. They won’t come in.

“As soon as you see the opportunity, you have to take advantage of it.

“So many of them …. are not used to coming in that much, so they’re not comfortable hitting the volley. They prefer to hit another big forehand.

“They do that very well as well, but there’s an easier way to finish the point off.”

McEnroe said the serve and volley game Rafter deployed in his career would not be seen again.

“I think there’s still a place for it,” McEnroe said.

“I mean, the conditions would have to change a little bit with the balls and the speed of the courts, for example, consistently, but I don’t think you’re going to see the type of serve and volley that Mr. Rafter played or (Stefan) Edberg played in his prime.

“But I think volleying is just as important in today’s game. Maybe not the serve and volley, but serving, setting up the point, being able to run at the net.

“So I think volleying skills are still very important. You see it at the highest level of the game. In many instances it’s actually crucial to who wins a match between these great players.

“As far as serve and volley, I don’t see that coming back to the way that it used to be in the past.”

EYES ON THE GROUND

DEMON’S SAVAGE TAKEDOWN OF TROLL

Alex de Minaur has delivered the sweetest of smackdowns on his No. 1 hater – hitting back at a sledge of his playing style in the best way possible and claiming a second victory in one afternoon.

De Minaur dropped the first set against 31-seed Francisco Cerundolo and appeared to be struggling with the powerful Argentine’s booming forehand.

“Watching little pipsqueak de minaur try to hit with a real ball striker is so funny,” user Gaelen wrote on X.

“Cerundolo’s ground strokes are simply too heavy for him to square up. Demon is shanking ground strokes like 3 hits into the rally.

“Fran is a mutant from the baseline, bludgeoning Demon to death.”

Alex de Minaur can be ruthless too. Picture: Michael Klein

The user followed up with a disparaging comment about de Minaur’s grinding style as he worked his way back into the match – ultimately triumphing in four sets to book a fourth-round berth.

And this time, de Minaur took notice of the social media troll.

“All love for my number 1 supporter,” he replied, accompanied by a kiss and love heart emoji.

And, to prove that Demon had given his troll the equivalent of a triple-bagel, the response was gleefully received. “Not a huge fan of his play style for years but fan of the person after this,” the fan wrote.

TJ-COLLINS WAR COMES TO AN END

Danielle Collins is the villain this Australian Open needed – but one of her biggest critics has been won over.

Channel 9’s Tony Jones labelled the brash American a ‘brat’ after her antics with the Rod Laver Arena crowd during her second-round victory over Australia’s Destanee Aiava.

Collins’ cupped her ear to the crowd among other antagonistic acts, before declaring she was happy to “just take that big, fat pay cheque”.

It led to Jones calling her a brat on radio, and triggered a spicy back-and-forth between the pair – before Collins said she wanted to do a dance with the TV host inspired by the Charli XCX ‘Brat Summer’ album.

“I really want to get a one-on-one with him and we got to do the dance,” Collins said.

It did the trick.

“Can I say, even aside from that, she has won me over,” Jones said on Sunday.

“I love the theatre. And don’t we love theatre in tennis.”

Collins was then backed up by tennis legend Jim Courier.

“She is awesome. She is exactly who you think she is. She is authentic and she is a terrific tennis player but she is a tonne of fun, a tonne of fun.”

DIFFERENT CAMERA MESSAGES FOR SUNDAY WINNERS

Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova revealed she was feeling her age on tour with a “too old” admission after her fourth-round win.

The No. 27 seed scribbled “too old but still here … oops” onto the camera after advancing to the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Croatian Donna Vekic.

When reminded in her post-match interview that it was her 20th year on tour, the 33-year-old conceded she was amazed she was still able to keep up with the younger players on tour.

“I don’t know, it amazes me also because I think the level is so good. It’s so, so high now and everybody is so much younger than me,” Pavlyuchenkova.

Coco Gauff signs the camera after reaching Australian Open QF

“RIP Tik Tok USA” pic.twitter.com/1aWIizHwjQ

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 19, 2025

“I sometimes doubt myself or think maybe I’m not good enough to continue because (there’s) so many youngsters and they serve so good and they’re so tall.

“But I’m in a quarterfinal here, so I guess I will keep going for a little bit more.”

American star Coco Gauff also used her post-match camera signature to deliver a message about the potential demise of TikTok in the US.

“RIP TikTok USA,” Gauff wrote after her fourth-round win over Belinda Bencic.