Here are our reports so far from day four in Melbourne:
So there we go. That was an expletive brilliant match, the best of the championships so far – in mine. And the good news is this is only day four, which is to say there’s more to come, loads more – and we’ll be bringing it to you. Thanks for your company today – and see you tomorrow! But until then, peace out.
Oh man, as if making round three like that wasn’t reward enough, Draper’s interview begins with him accepting thanks from none other than JP McEnroe for putting on so brilliant a show. My eyeballs would be sweating already but, as we said earlier, Draper knows he was born for these moments.
He’s not sure how he pulled it off, congratulating an opponent he really rates and saying he’s proud of himself for finding a way. He then credits Kokkinakis again for playing through the pain and says he wasn’t sure he’d be fit to compete but he’s improving through each set – though he’s not mad to be out there four hours every time.
“This what I play for since I was young,” concludes Draper, asked about the atmosphere, and though the crowd were against him, he enjoyed it and had a bit of fun back.
Next for Draper it’s Vukic, who also played five sets in lozzing the number 22 seed, Seb Korda. He’d’ve took that.
Paul meets Carballes Baena next.
A fantastic win in an even better match, a phenomenal show of love, skill and heart from both men. Biggup both.
Oh yes! Kokkinakis chucks everything at the first point of the game, but Draper runs him down and creams a gloooorious backhand winner cross-court. A netted backhand from his opponent then takes him to 30-0, and he looks impregnable now, Kokkinakis spent. Another error raises three match points….
There’s not the same pop on Kokkinakis’ serve, I don’t think, and Draper turns the first rally of the game with a backhand, another good enough for 0-15. But a fine inside-out forehand winner levels things – a massive effort given the shoulder situation – but in a bid to shorten the next rally, Kokkinakis drops wide. He’s flagging, and there’s only so much the crowd can do about that, all the more so when he opens body to attempt another winner … and pastes a forehand wide. Two break points to Draper, who can’t get his first return in. But blocking back the second, Kokkinakis then comes in … and yet again, nets a volley! Draper leads 5-3 in the fifth, and having had to break to stay in the match at the end of set four, he’s now serving for it! What a monumental effort this has been – from both men.
And just as Draper looks to have regained control, a third point in a row giving him game point, Kokkinakis espies him coming in, unfurling a glorious backhand pass for deuce! And then closes out for 4-3! Draper is loving this, considers himself put on the earth for this, while Kokkinakis is an avatar for however many tens of thousands are in the stands. It’s incredible, intensifying, inspirational stuff. MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!
But have a look! Kokkinakis steps into a forehand down the line, it’s too good, and that’s 0-15, the crowd noising themselves right up. So the umpire has a word – good luck with that old mate! – all the more so when another fantastic point from the Aussie has him arms aloft, pointing to the sky. The energy he’s getting from the stands, oh my days. But Draper finds a fine second serve when he needs it, then nails a first delivery and tidies up for 30-all; this is so intense I can barely feel my fingers.
A sumptuous backhand earns Draper 15-all – he is seriously fit, looking as fresh now as at the start. And though a big serve and clean-up nudge Kokkinakis in front, a huge forehand followed by a sliced volley restore parity at 30-all. Kokkinakis, though, plays a great point to nudge closer to the game, grimacing thereafter, his shoulder giving him gyp, and an ace follows. We’re 3-3 in the fifth, though the feeling persists that if Draper serves sensibly, he shouldn’t really lose.
Draper does what he needs to do, a love hold swiftly burdening Kokkinakis with pressure at 2-3. He’ll know he’s lost like this before and that in general, he’s not the best when it gets tight; Draper will know it too.
From the very start of this match, it felt like it’d get to here, the players so well matched. But again, it’s Draper threatening, making 30-40 with Kokkinakis looking tired. A good return here and he’s in business, but a brave and perhaps desperate inside-out forehand clips the outside of the line, and the Aussie has 2-2 in the fifth. Meantime, Paul has eventually won a third set he ought to have taken tiiiime ago, so leads Nishikori 2-1.
Suddenly Kokkinakis relocates his power, spanking a forehand winner for 0-15. But he goes long on the backhand to end the next rally and there we go! Draper brings his man in, then passes with a spitting forehand, another earns two game-points, and a big serve secures the hold for 2-1. When it gets to this stage anything can happen, but it’s the Brit who looks the likelier and at change of ends, Kokkinakis calls out the trainer for a go at his shoulder.
Yeah, Kokkinakis is bushed – remember that two years ago, he lost a second-round match in five to a barely-moving Andy Murray – and if Draper can keep him moving, he’s a really good chance. He makes 0-15, then 15-30 when Kokkinakis goes for a biggie, netting a forehand. Counterintuitive – and painful – though it sounds, long rallies are Draper’s friend here, but Kokkinakis, feeling his shoulder, just about hangs on for 1-1 in the fifth. Meantime, Nishikori has somehow fought back against Paul and those two are back on serve in the third having split the first two.
Draper is back and off we go, an ace giving him 30-0, before a drop seals a hold to 15. That’s a really good effort in smack-laying, and Kokkinakis showed on inclination to run for that final shot. Given how poorly he volleys and tired they both are, I’d expect to see him yanked in more often this set.
Draper nips off for a break while Kokkinakis seeks more treatment, though he’s already had his allotted portion. So let’s have a look around the courts: Paul leads Nishikori 6-7 6-0 4-2 and Auger-Aliassime leads Davidovich Fokina 7-6 7-6 1-2.
I was about to praise Draper’s stones, but on reflection it’s more his ability to stay calm than his ability to be brave that’s so impressive. Anyone can go for shots, but executing the right ones with defeat looming is a far more cerebral activity.
Kokkiakis swipes a backhand down the line … and it’s wide! Draper wins four games in a row to level the match at two sets all, and he’s done a superb job of managing his emotions here, finding some of his best tennis with defeat upon him. We’re getting the decider we and this match deserve!
Meantime, Draper has 15-40 … but a big serve allows Kokkinakis to come in and finish the point.
Another extremely competent performance from the German, who meets Jacob Fearnley next.
Momentum: hard to gain and easy to lose. Draper quickly makes 0-30…
Brilliant from Draper, a first serve when he needs it inciting the long return, then a one-two punch securing a gigantic hold. Pressure back on Kokkinakis, who’ll now serve for a breaker in a set he’ll feel ought already to be his.
Elsewhere, Zverev is up 5-1 in the third against Martinez, while Paul leads Nishikori 1-1 3-0, having taken nine games on the spin.
…and goodness me how close Kokkinakis comes to seizing it, Draper looking to have the point won with a violent forehand, the sliced cross-court riposte passing him and dropping just over the sideline.
Draper makes 30-all but suddenly looks tired, and a vicious backhand on to the sideline means he faces break point at 1-2 5-5 30-40…
So it’s now 5-5 in the fourth, and I’m minded of a chat I had with Coach Calv some years ago in which he alerted me to Draper’s progress, saying that mentally, he is immense. However he’s now down 15-30; he won’t, will he?
Draper cups an ear at the crowd because he’s broken to love! He did this to Kokkinakis in the Davis Cup and he’s done it again!
A phenomenal win for the Scot, who meets Martinez or Zverev next. He’s whacking it so hard and cleanly and is developing into a very serious player.
A backhand winner and Draper has 0-40! Pressure!
Now then! Draper hits a backhand, Kokkinakis comes in, and again makes a mess of a volley! 0-30 while, on 6, Fearnley has two match points!
Zverev has broken Martinez to lead 6-1 6-4 2-1; Cazaux holds to make Fearnley serve for the match at 5-3 in the fourth; and Paul levels his match with Nishikori at a set apiece, courtesy of a bagel. Oh, and Draper makes 0-15…
What a great atmosphere. There’s a bar on the court while on Cain, Draper forces Kokkinakis to serve for the match, doing brilliantly to hang in an 18-stroke rally before finding a forehand to the corner which he backs up with a deft drop. The Aussie leads 5-4 in the fourth, and will the pressure get big on him?
Meantime on Court 6, Cazaux nets, and at 30-40, Fearnley has match point!
It wouldn’t be that surprising if Draper was broken here; he looked seriously disappointed through the last game and even a bit before. Shonuff he swipes a forehand long, but he’s a solid citizen not given to giving up, and soon makes 30-15 … only for a fine backhand return, blocked down the line, to restore parity in the game. A winner apiece then takes us to deuce…
A fine point from Kokkinakis, big serve then big forehand, leaves Draper chuntering, and yet another gigantic serve is too good. The Aussie is a game away at 5-3 in the fourth, likewise Fearnley against Cazaux, his lead 5-2.
Draper makes 15-30 but a service-winner is too good and restores parity. An overhead on to the sideline then has Draper shaking head – it looks like he’s started processing defeat already – but two good backhands followed by a forehand on to the line raise deuce. This is the match right here…
Back on Laver, Zverev serves out to lead Martinez 6-1 6-4, and canny though the Spaniard is, he’s not coming back from that.
Draper holds to 15, and at 3-4 in the fourth has two more opportunities to break and stop in the tournament. I’d like to see him target Kokkinakis’ backhand and also try a few drops, because that’s where the weaknesses are.
Back at the partay, Cazaux swipes a forehand long and now trails Fearnley 1-2 1-3. The Scot is three holds away from round three! Draper, though, is struggling to penetrate, fighting for holds and looking unlikely to break at 2-4 in the fourth.
Our final match of the day is away on Court, Paula Badosa (11) up 3-1 on Talia Gibson.
Dart had a good go at that, but her lack of a serious weapon meant she was always likely to be vulnerable once the seed settled. Next for Vekic it’s Diana Shnaider (12), who’s in terrific nick.
Kei Nishikori, 57, has taken the first set off Tommy Paul. The number 12 seed had a problem with his left shoulder against Christopher O’Connell in round one; I’ll switch to that match in a second to see what’s what. Back on Cain, meantime, Daraper holds to stay close to Kokkinakis, down a break and 2-3 in the fourth.
Kokkinakis consolidates to 15, leading 2-1 3-1, while Fearnley, 2-1 up on Cazaux, is level in set four at 1-1.
With all that’s going on it’s easy to forget Zverev is playing, but he leads Martinez 6-1 4-2 and though he’s being made to fight for points and games, both players know which way this is headed.
Vekic now leads Dart 4-2 in the third, the match looking destined for a conclusion that felt inevitable even after the first set. And back on Cain the crowd all over it and looking to roar Kokkinakis home.
Another key moment? From 40-0, Kokkinakis makes deuce with the help of a terrifying backhand winner them, as they thrash from the back, Draper goes long and the crowd go wild! But a fine point – mahoosive forehand, decent volley, deft putaway – regains deuce … only for a net-cord to create the chance for Kokkinakis to unleash another winner. And this time, he plays a fantastic point, his backhand doing the work before a volley is just about good enough. He leads 2-1 in the fourth, with a break!
I meant to say, Seb Korda, seeded 22, is out, beaten 7-5 in the fifth by Aleksandr Vukic. At 24, Korda still has time to deliver on potential thought to be elite-level, but it’s beginning to look like he’s hit his ceiling.
Draper will be sore that Kokkinakis’ eight-deuce service-game he lost turned out to be pivotal in set three; not so much that he lost it, which can happen, but that he lost momentum and was broken immediately afterwards. Until then, he’d looked in pretty decent control and he holds for 1-0 in the fourth, while Vekic breaks Dart back immediately for 2-2 in their decider.
Fearnley is having his way with Cazaux’s second serve. He breaks again, to lead 3-6 7-5 6-2, and is controlling this match with his power and accuracy. The Frenchman needs to change something if he’s to avoid defeat here.
Obviously we all expected this: after losing the second set 6-0, Dart now leads Vekic in the third, 2-1 with a break. Four holds and the number 18 seed is gawn, but I suspect things may not be quite that simple.
Mensik is pretty calm in interview; he’s born for this and he knows it. The last time two teens beat top-1o players at a Slam was in 2006, the perpetrators? Novak Djokovic and Andrew Murrance.
Kokkinakis takes a break, treatment as likely as bathroom, while Fearnley now leads Cazaux 5-2 in the third. I can’t overstate how murderously he’s assaulting the ball.
Draper makes 30-all but a long forehand hands Kokkinakis set point. A colossal ace follows, and if Draper is to progress, he’ll again have to win sets four and five. The Aussie leads 7-6 3-6 6-3!
Another teenager bins another to-10 seed on Court! Last evening it was Joao Fonseca, now it’s Mensik, and he finishes the match in style, running around his backhand to discharge a murderous winner. Next for him it’s Davidovich Fokina or Auger-Aliassime, the latter up 7-6 0-1.
Might that protracted hold for Kokkinakis be a turning point? How often do we see that? He makes 15-40, crowd going wild, and a supersonic forehand down the line is too good! It’s a helluva shot, that, when it’s firing. Kokkinakis leads 1-1 5-3 and will now serve for the third set; Draper is warned for ball abuse.
Source: theguardian.com
