16 h. ago How Alex de Minaur can beat Carlos Alcaraz in Australian Open quarter

The home favourite has taken his speed and returns to new levels in Melbourne, but it’s his serve that will be key against world No 1 Alex de Minaur went into his quarter-final with Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open hopeful that he could make life difficult for the defending champion. Not only did that not happen, but the manner of his one-sided defeat left him wondering if he really had the game to trouble the top players.Fast forward a year and the Australian again finds himself in the last eight, again facing one of the sport’s superstars, this time Carlos Alcaraz. As with Sinner, the head to head doesn’t make pretty reading for De Minaur, with Alcaraz leading 5-0. This, though, is their first grand slam meeting and there is a growing feeling that things can be different. Continue reading...

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40 h. ago Home hope De Minaur destroys Bublik at Australian Open to set up Alcaraz showdown

Australian wins 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 on Rod Laver ArenaDe Minaur will meet world No 1 on hottest day since 2020Fuelled by revenge, dismissing doubters and upturning narratives, Alex de Minaur is within reach of somewhere he has never been. The home hope blitzed his bogeyman Alexander Bublik in just 92 minutes on Sunday night to book a place in his seventh grand slam quarter-final, and a tantalising showdown with the top seed Carlos Alcaraz.Sunday’s match finished in a blink, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1, before the sun went down over a surprisingly chilly Rod Laver Arena that left the Kazakhstani cussing to his coach about the conditions. Continue reading...

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41 h. ago Australian Open 2026: Svitolina beats Andreeva, De Minaur to face Alcaraz after Bublik win – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Alcaraz beats Paul | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail KatyFirst set: De Minaur* 1-1 Bublik (*next server)De Minaur is playing in the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year - a feat that not even Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter achieved at their home slam – but he’s never been past the quarter-finals. Which largely sums up his career: he’s so consistent in beating the players he’s expected to, but is underpowered against the very best. De Minaur does send a bullet of a backhand winner down the line to get to deuce on Bublik’s serve, though. But two errors then give the Kazakhstani the game. Continue reading...

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42 h. ago Australian Open 2026: Svitolina v Andreeva, De Minaur to face Alcaraz after Bublik win – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Alcaraz beats Paul | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail KatyFirst set: De Minaur* 1-1 Bublik (*next server)De Minaur is playing in the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year - a feat that not even Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter achieved at their home slam – but he’s never been past the quarter-finals. Which largely sums up his career: he’s so consistent in beating the players he’s expected to, but is underpowered against the very best. De Minaur does send a bullet of a backhand winner down the line to get to deuce on Bublik’s serve, though. But two errors then give the Kazakhstani the game. Continue reading...

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43 h. ago Australian Open 2026: De Minaur to face Alcaraz after Bublik win, Medvedev crashes out – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Alcaraz beats Paul | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail KatyFirst set: De Minaur* 1-1 Bublik (*next server)De Minaur is playing in the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year - a feat that not even Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter achieved at their home slam – but he’s never been past the quarter-finals. Which largely sums up his career: he’s so consistent in beating the players he’s expected to, but is underpowered against the very best. De Minaur does send a bullet of a backhand winner down the line to get to deuce on Bublik’s serve, though. But two errors then give the Kazakhstani the game. Continue reading...

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44 h. ago Australian Open 2026: De Minaur v Bublik, Medvedev crashes out, Zverev through – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Alcaraz beats Paul | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail KatyFirst set: De Minaur* 1-1 Bublik (*next server)De Minaur is playing in the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year - a feat that not even Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter achieved at their home slam – but he’s never been past the quarter-finals. Which largely sums up his career: he’s so consistent in beating the players he’s expected to, but is underpowered against the very best. De Minaur does send a bullet of a backhand winner down the line to get to deuce on Bublik’s serve, though. But two errors then give the Kazakhstani the game. Continue reading...

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45 h. ago Australian Open 2026: De Minaur v Bublik, plus Zverev and Medvedev in action – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Alcaraz beats Paul | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail KatyFirst set: De Minaur* 1-1 Bublik (*next server)De Minaur is playing in the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year - a feat that not even Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter achieved at their home slam – but he’s never been past the quarter-finals. Which largely sums up his career: he’s so consistent in beating the players he’s expected to, but is underpowered against the very best. De Minaur does send a bullet of a backhand winner down the line to get to deuce on Bublik’s serve, though. But two errors then give the Kazakhstani the game. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Australian Open 2026: Ruse v Andreeva; De Minaur and Svitolina through, Norrie out – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Mboko sets up Sabalenka clash after win | Mail KatyNorrie and Zverev are going through the pre-match formalities. The umpire tells the players to smile big for the cameras. Not sure how easy that is for Norrie, given the British No 2, the last Brit standing in the singles, has lost to Zverev in all six of their previous meetings. The last time they played at the Australian Open was in 2024, when Norrie was denied 7-6 in the fifth set. But Norrie will at least take something from the fact he was able to push Zverev all the way then, and the fact that this is a night match, with slightly slower conditions, may help Norrie, because the rallies will be longer and more attritional and that’s what he loves.Up next: we’ve got De Minaur v Tiafoe on Rod Laver and Norrie v Zverev on John Cain and Svitolina v Shnaider on Margaret Court. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Norrie v Zverev live: Australian Open latest score and updates as Brit defeated in four sets

Norrie lost to Zverev in a heartbreaker two years ago and is looking for revenge in this third-round clash

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3 d. ago Australian Open 2026: Zverev v Norrie, Tiafoe v De Minaur; Svitolina eases through – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Mboko sets up Sabalenka clash after win | Mail KatyNorrie and Zverev are going through the pre-match formalities. The umpire tells the players to smile big for the cameras. Not sure how easy that is for Norrie, given the British No 2, the last Brit standing in the singles, has lost to Zverev in all six of their previous meetings. The last time they played at the Australian Open was in 2024, when Norrie was denied 7-6 in the fifth set. But Norrie will at least take something from the fact he was able to push Zverev all the way then, and the fact that this is a night match, with slightly slower conditions, may help Norrie, because the rallies will be longer and more attritional and that’s what he loves.Up next: we’ve got De Minaur v Tiafoe on Rod Laver and Norrie v Zverev on John Cain and Svitolina v Shnaider on Margaret Court. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Norrie v Zverev live: Australian Open latest score and updates as Brit bounces back to win second set

Norrie lost to Zverev in a heartbreaker two years ago and is looking for revenge in this third-round clash

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3 d. ago Norrie v Zverev live: Australian Open latest score and updates as Brit loses first set despite bright start

Norrie lost to Zverev in a heartbreaker two years ago and is looking for revenge in this third-round clash

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3 d. ago Australian Open 2026: Zverev v Norrie, Tiafoe v De Minaur, Svitolina v Shnaider – live

Updates from the evening session at Melbourne Park Mboko sets up Sabalenka clash after win | Mail KatyNorrie and Zverev are going through the pre-match formalities. The umpire tells the players to smile big for the cameras. Not sure how easy that is for Norrie, given the British No 2, the last Brit standing in the singles, has lost to Zverev in all six of their previous meetings. The last time they played at the Australian Open was in 2024, when Norrie was denied 7-6 in the fifth set. But Norrie will at least take something from the fact he was able to push Zverev all the way then, and the fact that this is a night match, with slightly slower conditions, may help Norrie, because the rallies will be longer and more attritional and that’s what he loves.Up next: we’ve got De Minaur v Tiafoe on Rod Laver and Norrie v Zverev on John Cain and Svitolina v Shnaider on Margaret Court. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Norrie v Zverev live: Australian Open latest score and update as last Brit standing hunts upset

Norrie lost to Zverev in a heartbreaker two years ago and is looking for revenge in this third-round clash

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5 d. ago Australian Open 2026: De Minaur, Zverev, Tiafoe and Andreeva win, Raducanu out – live

Live updates from all of the action at Melbourne Park Raducanu out but ‘head held high’ | Mail DanielNorrie is doing his thing again, upping it when he needs to for another mini-break and 6-2. I wonder if it’s a cognitive thing, because it’s not like he wasn’t trying his best when struggling earlier in the set, so it’s not an effort thing, but I guess focusing for hours at a time is hard if not impossible and there’s a kind of locked-in version that intensifies as the match does and, as I type, he serves out to lead Nava 6-1 7-6(3) having saved two set points not that long ago.Obviously Zverev finds an ace to restore deuce – he may be resigned to his fate of never winning a slam, but his serve remains one of the best shots in the game, and from there, he ends a long hold. And back with the breaker, Norrie has a mini-break and a 3-2 lead. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Australian Open 2026: Tiafoe in action; De Minaur, Zverev and Andreeva win, Raducanu out – live

Live updates from all of the action at Melbourne Park Raducanu out but ‘head held high’ | Mail DanielNorrie is doing his thing again, upping it when he needs to for another mini-break and 6-2. I wonder if it’s a cognitive thing, because it’s not like he wasn’t trying his best when struggling earlier in the set, so it’s not an effort thing, but I guess focusing for hours at a time is hard if not impossible and there’s a kind of locked-in version that intensifies as the match does and, as I type, he serves out to lead Nava 6-1 7-6(3) having saved two set points not that long ago.Obviously Zverev finds an ace to restore deuce – he may be resigned to his fate of never winning a slam, but his serve remains one of the best shots in the game, and from there, he ends a long hold. And back with the breaker, Norrie has a mini-break and a 3-2 lead. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Australian Open 2026: De Minaur and Zverev in action, Andreeva through, Raducanu out – live

Live updates from all of the action at Melbourne Park Raducanu out but ‘head held high’ | Mail DanielNorrie is doing his thing again, upping it when he needs to for another mini-break and 6-2. I wonder if it’s a cognitive thing, because it’s not like he wasn’t trying his best when struggling earlier in the set, so it’s not an effort thing, but I guess focusing for hours at a time is hard if not impossible and there’s a kind of locked-in version that intensifies as the match does and, as I type, he serves out to lead Nava 6-1 7-6(3) having saved two set points not that long ago.Obviously Zverev finds an ace to restore deuce – he may be resigned to his fate of never winning a slam, but his serve remains one of the best shots in the game, and from there, he ends a long hold. And back with the breaker, Norrie has a mini-break and a 3-2 lead. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Australian Open 2026: De Minaur, Andreeva and Zverev in action, Raducanu crashes out – live

Live updates from all of the action at Melbourne Park Raducanu bounced out of by Potapova | Mail DanielNorrie is doing his thing again, upping it when he needs to for another mini-break and 6-2. I wonder if it’s a cognitive thing, because it’s not like he wasn’t trying his best when struggling earlier in the set, so it’s not an effort thing, but I guess focusing for hours at a time is hard if not impossible and there’s a kind of locked-in version that intensifies as the match does and, as I type, he serves out to lead Nava 6-1 7-6(3) having saved two set points not that long ago.Obviously Zverev finds an ace to restore deuce – he may be resigned to his fate of never winning a slam, but his serve remains one of the best shots in the game, and from there, he ends a long hold. And back with the breaker, Norrie has a mini-break and a 3-2 lead. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Australian Open 2026: De Minaur and Andreeva in action, Raducanu crashes out – live

Live updates from all of the action at Melbourne Park Raducanu bounced out of by Potapova | Mail DanielAt 6-1 5-6, Norrie finds himself serving down set point, and a protracted rally doth ensue, featuring fearsome hitting from the back, until a backhand unloaded down the line is good enough for deuce. Then, on advantage, Norrie punishes down an ace, and we’ll now play a tiebreak.Maria Sakkari has previously been as high as no 3 in the world. And though she’s also one of those players whose ranking you could never quite believe – see Kournikova, A – she’s made the semis of two majors and now, aged 30, properly knows her way around a tennis court Continue reading...

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8 d. ago Alex de Minaur v Mackenzie McDonald: Australian Open first round – live

Updates as Australia’s No 1 meets the American lucky loserTournament preview: De Minaur out to break new groundAny thoughts? Get in touch with an emailIt is a glorious summer’s day in Melbourne, which means peak temperatures in the early 30s and stifling conditions for elite sport. The atmospheric conditions are intensified for the players by the heat reflecting off the blue courts and the slim chance the cooling southerly breeze penetrates the bowl of Rod Laver Arena.The tournament’s heat policy is unlikely to kick in today but it will definitely be in operation on Saturday when the mercury could hit 40C, in advance of a stifling second week of competition.De Minaur’s time on tour has been marked by his consistency to perform at a high level, including the last four years in and around the world’s top 10. He has returned to his career-high rank of No 6 this month. But the summit has so far eluded him.He has reached the quarter-finals at a grand slam six times – including at Melbour...

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