Well that went on rather longer than expected, what a match! That’s it for our live Australian Open coverage for the day but we’ll back tomorrow with Roger Federer, Sloane Stephens and Rafael Nadal all in action.
It's all over, Pouille wins!
Fifth set: Pouille* 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 6-3 Popyrin (*denotes server): The home fans are cheering everything, including a every fault in serve from Pouille. Two double-faults hand Popyrin a break point but this time Pouille hits the line with his serve. A mistake on forehand gives Pouille his second match point and this time he takes advantage, powering a soft return from Popyrin into the open court and ending the Australian’s challenge. No doubt the 19-year-old has won some new fans with that performance though!
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Fifth set: Pouille 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 5-3 *Popyrin (*denotes server): Pouille will have to earn this, no dramas on serve for Popyrin this time.
Fifth set: Pouille* 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 5-2 Popyrin (*denotes server): Pouille seems to have remembered what got him two sets up in the first place as he squeezes out a hold to love.
Fifth set: Pouille 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 4-2 *Popyrin (*denotes server): Pouille opens the door, going up 0-15 before Popyrin quickly shuts it again. A good challenge from Pouille stalls Popyrin and then an errant forehand earns a break point, the Australian goes long and we have a break.
Fifth set: Pouille* 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 3-2 Popyrin (*denotes server): No sight of a break in serve yet, barely a point to the receiving player in this set so far.
Fifth set: Pouille 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 2-2 *Popyrin (*denotes server): Popyrin takes a more orthodox approach but gets the same result. Right now one of these players looks like a wildcard entry and the other is Alexei Popyrin.
Fifth set: Pouille* 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 2-1 Popyrin (*denotes server): That is one way to do it, a through-the-legs shot deep into Popyrin’s side of the court on game point and the Aussie is flummoxed. It stays on serve.
Fifth set: Pouille 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 1-1 *Popyrin (*denotes server): Popyrin could not be less bothered by his opponent’s anxiety. A hold to love and it is right back at you, Lucas.
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Fifth set: Pouille* 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 1-0 Popyrin (*denotes server): Pouille has to come out fighting now. He’s been on the back foot since the third set tie-break and needs to change the narrative. That service game will help, a routine hold.
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And so he does! Popyrin levels the match! Pouille 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-6 Popyrin
The youngster gets himself into a hole at 15-30 but a big winner and two Pouille backhand errors later we are heading for a fifth set.
Fourth set: Pouille 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 4-5 *Popyrin (*denotes server): Popyrin will have to serve for this.
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Fourth set: Pouille* 7-5 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 3-5 Popyrin (*denotes server): And so it proves! Pouille is a little tentative and Popyrin punishes him. The Frenchman dumps into the net to concede the game and Popyrin has his break back.
A little disappointingly we are now back on serve between Pouille and Popyrin. It is 3-3 in the fourth but you feel this is not done yet.
Plíšková beats Giorgi! Giorgi 4-6, 6-3, 2-6 Plíšková
After a fourth match point Plíšková takes it. Giorgi’s serve collapsed in the final set and the Cezch takes advantage with a second break to seal it. She now faces Muguruza in the next round.
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Giorgi is now serving to stay in the tournament. This match is a bit scrappy but not lacking in drama. Plíšková seems to be keeping her cool a little better than the Italian and that has been the difference in the third, the Czech leads 5-2.
Well, well, well - now it is getting interesting. Popyrin has a broken Pouille in the first game of the fourth and looks to have held his own with an outrageous overhead winner! I’ll try and find you a clip of that shot from Popyrin, he took a smash from Pouille and returned it with interest to clip the baseline, quite something. The Aussie is 2-0 up and Pouille looks a little rattled.
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Plíšková has a break in third. Holding seems to be a real struggle for these two at the moment and at the end of a Giorgi service game that went well beyond 10 minutes she finally succumbed. Plíšková leads has less problem and now has a commanding 4-1 lead in the final set.
Popyrin wins the third!
What fight from Popyrin! This tie-break turned into an epic with the Aussie showing some nerve and no little skill to take it into double figures. Pouille gets tight and his opponent finally takes his fourth set point chance to seal the third set. The shot of the tie-break though had to be a delicious forehand from Popyrin which arced back inside the tramline to earn a third et point and send the Margaret Court Arena into raptures. Popyrin did not take that chance but he made sure he got the next one. Great stuff, we have a fourth set.
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It’s a tie-breaker in the men’s match. Popyrin refused to be broken but could not find an inch on Pouille’s serve. The Frenchman ran away in first set decider, can Popyrin do any better here?
Giorgi finally takes the second set! Giorgi 4-6, 6-3 Plíšková
Giorgi finally takes her third set point after breaking Plíšková for a third time. We’ll have a deciding set. It now seems a question of who will hold serve rather than break it.
Pouille is serving to stay in the set. Nothing so far to suggest that he will be particularly bothered about that but you never know, a bit of pressure and some home crowd encouragement... I guess not, it’s a hold to love and we’re all square again.
No one seems to want to win it on Rod Laver. We have had three breaks in a row and we are now back on serve between Plíšková and Giorgi. It is also all square between Pouille and Popyrin, they are locked at 4-4 in the third.
Popyrin is not backing down in the third. A tight call on fearsome cross-court forehand goes the plucky Australian’s way to seal a service hold to love. The celebrations tell you he’s not given up just yet. Plíšková seemed to have quelled the Giorgi fightback, breaking to make it 3-2 but the Italian has just broken straight back again. Giorgie leads 4-2 in the second.
After Simona Halep’s win over Venus Williams earlier, Kevin Mitchell sets the scene for the world number one’s meeting with Serena at Melbourne Park:
It's a two set lead for Pouille!
The Frenchman haw capitalised on his break and a missed lob from Popyrin ends the second set with Pouille the victor 6-3. We’re now just one set away from losing the final home player in the men’s draw. Elsewhere, Giorgi has fought back against Plíšková and has a 3-1 lead in the second.
Alexander Zverev looked strong en route to his straight sets win over Alex Bolt and revealed he’d put on 15kg since working with Andy Murray’s former fitness trainer Jez Green.
Zvererv, 21, is a little disappointed that no one had noticed his newfound bulk.
“I’m still the skinny dude on tour, even though I put on about 15kg,” Zverev told Jim Courier during their on-court post-match interview.
“When he (Green) started working with Andy, you can actually see he became one of the strongest dudes on tour, whereas I’m still looking like ... I have been called asparagus or something a few times.”
Plíšková wins the first set 6-4!
A rogue Giorgi forehand sees Plíšková take the first set in 37 minutes. The seventh seed dominated throughout and had just eight unforced errors, half that of her Italian opponent. On the Margaret Court Arena, Pouille has just broken the Popyrin serve to lead 4-2 in the second.
Plíšková has a break in the first. The Czech leads Giorgi 4-3 and is serving to extend her advantage back to two games. We’re on serve between Pouille and Popyrin in the second.
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Kevin Mitchell is at Melbourne Park and he saw Novak Djokovic beat the the young Canadian, Denis Shapovalov, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 but not without some struggles.
Pouille wins the first set 7-6 (7-3)!
An early double-fault puts the 28th seed in control of the breaker and he never relinquishes it. Elsewhere, Camila Giorgi (27) is taking on Karolína Plíšková (7), it’s currently 2-2 in the first with the former serving.
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Popyrin has forced a tie breaker in the first set. Neither man came close to being broken as the young Aussie and Pouille split the first 12 games.
“You did amazing, don’t cry.”
Serena Williams had to console her defeated 18-year-old opponent Dayana Yastremska after winning their third round match 6-2, 6-1. The title favourite admitted it “broke her heart” to see the young Ukrainian is such distress as they embraced at the net.
Roger Federer might occasionally play tennis on a different level to the rest of the human race but apparently when it comes to door security he’s just like the rest of us:
Even Roger Federer has to follow the rules.
— ESPN (@espn) January 19, 2019
Security wouldn't let Federer pass because he didn't have his credential 😂 pic.twitter.com/Wi8VeQkcd1
First set: Pouille 3-4 *Popyrin (*denotes server): Roars from the player and crowd as the Aussie powers through his service game.
Back on Margaret Court Arena, Frenchman Lucas Pouille and Alexei Popyrin, another Australian wildcard, are locked at 3-3 in the first set. I’ll be keeping an eye on that but also providing updates on the latest news coming out of Melbourne Park.
Muguruza has also moved into the fourth round. She’s finished a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victor against Bacsinszky.
It's all over, Zverev wins! Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 Bolt
Bolt can’t handle a backhand return, firing wide and allows Zverev to close out to love. Bolt was spirited but his opponent just had too much for him when it mattered.
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Third set: Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 5-2 *Bolt (*denotes server): Bolt is more decisive on his serve and forces Zverev to serve at least one more time.
Muguruza appears to be having an easier time of things. The Spaniard is serving for the match, up 7-6 (7-5), 5-2 in the second.
Third set: Zverev* 6-3, 6-3, 5-1 Bolt (*denotes server): Bolt gets two shots at break point, the first is dismissed as Zverev closes in on his opponent at the net to follow up a huge serve down the middle. Facing second serve, Bolt misfires as he seeks a winner and it’s deuce. Zverev tries to close out but the Aussie won’t give in and following a remarkable 26-shot rally again it’s advantage Bolt but he can’t finish it off. Zverev shows some nerve to finally get the game over the line.
Third set: Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 4-1 *Bolt (*denotes server): The left-handed Australian briefly loses concentration when ahead and Zverev pounces to break again with a smooth point to close it out on the advantage court.
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Third set: Zverev* 6-3, 6-3, 3-1 Bolt (*denotes server): As if to prove a point, Bolt rallies from 40-0 down to 40-30 and forces a tough volley from Zverev to close out the game. For all the fight, Zverev has the answers.
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Third set: Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 2-1 Bolt* (*denotes server): Zverev gets the break, flirting with the lines to do so. The number four seed should complete a routine, straight sets win now but the Aussie will not go down quietly in front of his home fans.
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We’ll now turn our attention to Zverev v Bolt on Rod Laver. The German leads the Australian challenger 6-3, 6-3, 1-1 with Bolt serving. Muguruza won her first set tie-break 7-6 (7-5) against Bacsinszky and its on the serve in the second.
Halep speaks!
“I’m very happy with the way I played. It’s always a challenge to play the Williams sisters,” she says.
Asked how she feels about now having to face Serena in the fourth round, Halep laughs at her misfortune before adding: “It’s going to be a bigger challenge.”
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Game, set and match Halep! The number one seed beats Venus Williams 6-2, 6-3
That was routine in the end and summed up by the double fault that opened the door for Halep. Williams just could not live with the world number one in the end.
Second set: Halep* 6-2, 5-3 Williams (*denotes server): Williams is just not able to consistently play at Halep’s level, there is still fight left in the veteran but the forehand is just letting her down too often. No more is this evident here as twice Williams gets into long rallies only to be outlasted by her opponent. Now Williams will serve to stay in the match.
Elsewhere, Ćorić has finished off Krajinović. The young Croatian winning: 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Second set: Halep 6-2, 4-3 Williams* (*denotes server): Halep has the ability, seemingly, to turn the screw whenever she chooses. With barely a flicker the Romanian gets up 0-30 and Williams has to keep finding big shots just to stay in it - it’s not a formula for success and once again it’s advantage Halep.
Second set: Halep* 6-2, 3-3 Williams (*denotes server): Only a double-fault up 40-0 prevents a second consecutive unbeaten service game for Halep.
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Second set: Halep 6-2, 2-3 Williams* (*denotes server): No mistake this time from Williams who has an easier time of it on serve. The first time in the whole match where the American hasn’t faced a break point, that’s remarkable.
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Around the courts at Melbourne Park: Zverev (4) 6-3, 32 Bolt; Borna Ćorić (11) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 5-3 Filip Krajinović; Timea Bacsinszky 6-6 Garbiñe Muguruza (18).
Second set: Halep* 6-2, 2-2 Williams (*denotes server): Halep wastes no time ruing those missed chances, flying through her service game to hold to love.
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Second set: Halep 6-2, 1-2 Williams* (*denotes server): Can Williams back it up with a hold? The answer, after a fashion, is yes but not after a couple of hairy break point moments.
Second set: Halep* 6-2, 1-1 Williams (*denotes server): Here we go! A bit of fight from Williams and she breaks straight back. One angled backhand return in particular to make it 0-30 was a thing of beauty, with Williams eventually ending Halep’s run as the Romanian misfires to her opponent’s backhand.
Second set: Halep 6-2, 1-0 Williams* (*denotes server): This is tough to watch from Williams, she’s collapsing here. After getting 30-0 up Halep roars back the American doesn’t have the answer. The world number one has won six games on the spin now.
Halep win the first set! Halep* 6-2 Williams (*denotes server)
Halep appears to be cruising at 30-0 but a successful challenge on an ace changes the game’s momentum. Although whenever Williams has the chance to punish her opponent an error creeps in - a long forehand here or a skewed backhand there handing back the advantage that Halep hardly needs. After seeing off a break, an ace and another booming serve close out Halep’s fifth game in a row to win the set.
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Elsewhere, Zverev is on the march. He has broken Bolt again and has a chance to secure the first set against serve, which he does to take the opening salvo 6-3.
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First set: Halep 5-2 Williams* (*denotes server): A loss in this and suddenly a first that Wiliams was well in appears to have slipped her grasp. A small victory after a lengthy rally down 15-30 should halt the slide but a loose forehand and Halep has another break point. Once again the forehand lets down Williams and now all Halep to do is hold to take the first set.
First set: Halep *4-2 Williams (*denotes server): Williams answers the break by forcing four chances against the serve of her own. Again its that delightful down the line backhand that brings Williams joy, twice wrong-footing Halep but every time the Romanian faces a break she manages to dig in and scoot around the court to put out fires. Eventually holding after an ace to set up the game.
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Over on Rad Laver, there is plenty of noise. Home favourite Alex Bolt is playing Alexander Zverev. The fourth seed had an early break but Bolt pegged him back in the sixth to tie it up with a break of his own. Wild cheers for the wild card.
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First set: Halep 3-2 Williams* (*denotes server): Halep gets a chance on her opponent’s serve, taking Williams into the trenches twice in two rallies to finally get the break with a cross-court backhand that Williams can’t get a racket on.
First set: Halep *2-2 Williams (*denotes server): After getting 40-0 up Halep allows Williams a crack in the door but at 40-30 the world number one fires down an unreturnable serve and trots off to wipe herself down before receiving.
First set: Halep 1-2 Williams* (*denotes server): Again Williams faces break point, twice this time, and again she survives. The American definitely thinks she can take on the Halep forehand and up against the wall its there Williams goes. A beautiful backhand down the line the pick of the shots as Williams holds.
First set: Halep *1-1 Williams (*denotes server): The first service game is rather more routine for Halep, Williams never really get a foothold.
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First set: Halep 0-1 Williams* (*denotes server): Halep appears to be moving fine as she forces a break point in the very first game of the match but Williams is unfazed and is able to hold by closing our with some strong serving.
Preamble
Whilst this a match of this calibre might be a treat for those watching you can be sure that Simona Halep would rather not be facing Venus Williams for a place in the Australian Open fourth round. The American seems to have been tailing off for a number of years but her quality remains you can be sure the world number one would have been dreading potentially having to play the seven-time Grand Slam champion so early as she seeks a second major title herself.
Injury at the tail end of last season saw Halep arrive in Melbourne a little under the radar considering her stature. The Romanian’s progress so far has been serene and her recent record against Williams should prove encouragement but this is no gimme.
Perhaps the only question will be over Halep’s fitness. She appeared to be struggling in her second round match with a leg injury and how well Halep is able to move around the court will be a major factor out on the Margaret Court Arena.
For Williams, a return to form after a down 2018 will be the target. A rematch with her sister Serena is also on the cards. It should make for a fascinating watch.
