Australian Open scores, results: Novak Djokovic receives apology

On By Littum

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Australian broadcaster Tony Jones has apologized to Novak Djokovic for comments he made on Friday night which the 10-time Australian Open champion deemed “insulting and offensive”.

Djokovic even went so far as to boycott the traditional on-court interview after his fourth-round win on Sunday, saying he would not speak to the tournament’s Australian rights holder, Channel Nine, until Jones apologised.

A crowd of Serbian fans had gathered outside Channel Nine’s broadcast booth at Melbourne Park on Friday as Jones called the 24-time Grand Slam champion “overrated” and a “has been”. Jones initially insisted he was joking with the crowd, but later issued a private apology to the “Djokovic camp” when it became clear his comments were not taken in jest.

“I can stand by that apology to Novak,” he said. “We’ve built a good relationship with the Serbian fans … and there was banter and I thought what I did was an extension of that banter. It’s clearly not been interpreted that way.”

Tennis Australia said Djokovic, who takes on world no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, wanted to move on from the question.

“It’s been an unfortunate situation, it’s been one of personal anxiety for Novak,” Jones added, “it’s obviously personal anxiety for me as well.”

Jannik Sinner survives stifling heat, Gael Monfils succumbs

Jannik Sinner battled through illness to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday, but the physical demands of Grand Slam tennis proved too much for French veteran Gael Monfils and American teenager Learner Tien.

The stifling heat didn’t help defending champion Sinner as he began to struggle physically in the second set of his fourth-round clash with Denmark’s Holger Rune on a steamy afternoon at Rod Laver Arena.

The top seed did not want to go into detail about what ailed him but admitted to feeling dizzy before an extended medical timeout in the third set that proved to be the turning point in his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6 -2 victory.

“I didn’t feel very good,” said the 23-year-old Sinner, who equaled the Italian record set by Nicky Pietrangeli by reaching his 10th Grand Slam quarter-final.

“I think we saw that today, I struggled physically. Got here as late as possible. I knew it was going to be very, very difficult today.”

Monfils, 38, was forced to retire with his own back problem while trailing American young gun Ben Shelton 7-6 (3,) 6-7( 3,) 7-6 (2), 1-0 , and finished an inspired race at the first Grand Slam of the year after his triumph in Auckland.

Unseeded Lorenzo Sonego made it two Italians in the men’s quarter-finals when he defeated limping 19-year-old American qualifier Tien in four sets, having also taken out Brazilian young gun Joao Fonseca in the second round.

Bidding to become the youngest man to reach the quarters since Goran Ivanisevic did it as a 17-year-old in 1989, Tien stretched his tight right thigh after a double fault and never looked physically fit.

Iga Swiatek, Emma Navarro, Madison Keys advance

A ruthless Iga Swiatek slammed the door on German lucky loser Eva Lys with a 6-0, 6-1 victory on Monday to cruise into the quarter-finals of the year’s opening Grand Slam for the second time.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek entered the match having lost just 10 matches in the tournament and the Pole sent out another warning to his title rivals by dismantling Lys in 59 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.

“Great, it was my first night session and I’m glad I have the chance to play at Rod Laver Arena,” Swiatek said.

Meanwhile, American Madison Keys upset sixth seed Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in a rollercoaster match at Margaret Court Arena, extending her winning streak to nine matches this year.

Rybakina appeared to be struggling with a lower back injury that had affected her in the third round, and Keys was able to play aggressively to neutralize her big serve and take control of the rallies.

“Her serve is such a weapon, so I knew if I could just try to make at least some of her service games a little bit competitive, then I had a chance,” said the 19th-seeded Keys, who earned her third win. over a top-10 player this month.

Results from Australian Open Day 9

Men’s Singles

  • 1-Jannik Sinner (ITA) beat 13-Holger Rune (DNK) 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2
  • 8-Alex De Minaur (AUS) beat Alex Michelsen (USA) 6-0 7-6(5) 6-3
  • 21-Ben Shelton (USA) beat Gael Monfils (FRA) 7-6(3) 6-7(3) 7-6(2) (retired)
  • Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) beat Learner Tien (USA) 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1

Women’s singles

  • 19-Madison Keys (USA) beat 6-Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 6-3 1-6 6-3
  • 28-Elina Svitolina (UKR) beat Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 6-4 6-1
  • 8-Emma Navarro (USA) beat 9-Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 6-4 5-7 7-5
  • 2-Iga Swiatek (POL) beat Eva Lys (DEU) 6-0 6-1

Featured: Reuters