Australian Open 2026 live: Alex de Minaur up against Francis Tiafoe, Yulia Putintseva knocks out Zeynep Sönmez after Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka win

Francis Tiafoe and Alex de Minaur both had to fight during their service games, with each player being taken to 40-30 before closing out with the hold.

But Demon realises he needs to do more and holds his next service game 40-0.

The sixth seed was utterly dominant on his serve, not allowing Tiafoe a single opportunity to get into the game.

De Minaur mixed his serves brilliantly, firing a 182 kmph ace out wide and using a powerful 186 kmph body serve that cramped Tiafoe into an error.

He leads 2-1.

A huge result for the 18-year-old, beating seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) to progress to the fourth round.

Jovic had a couple of chances to serve for the match in the second set without closing it out, but in the tiebreaker she put the match to bed. A rising star without doubt.

Tournament organisers have released a statement regarding the precautions being taken ahead of Saturday’s hot conditions.

With high temperatures forecast for tomorrow, Saturday 24 January, play will commence earlier at the Australian Open.

Matches on Arena courts including Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena will commence at 10:30am. Play on all other courts will commence at 10am as scheduled with gates to open at 9am.

The temperature is expected to climb to the low 30s by the middle of the day, and peak in the late afternoon.

Tennis Australia implemented the heat stress scale (HSS) in 2019 following extensive research and testing. Four climate factors — air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed are measured from a variety of locations at Melbourne Park to determine the 1-5 HSS measure.

AO tournament director Craig Tiley said:

We expect pleasant conditions tomorrow morning, in the mid-20s, and will start play earlier and take advantage of the more temperate conditions.

He looks focused!

The crowd have gone wild as his name is called.

The pair will warm up now before they begin their third round match.

Frances Tiafoe won the coin toss and elected to receive.

Speaking on Nine, Lleyton Hewitt said de Minaur is «ready to go».

«He’s got to try and use the crowd, we know how much Frances Tiafoe loves playing in the prime time in these big matches,» he said.

«Alex is going to have the whole crowd behind him here, he’s got to try and embrace that and use it early.»

We will be in for a treat here.

Kyrgios is playing mixed doubles alongside former US Open singles finalist Leylah Fernandez.

The wildcard pairing are taking on American Desirae Krawczyk and Brit Neal Skupski.

It’s currently on serve 3-2 in the first set.

Kygrios lost the men’s doubles match with Thanasi Kokkinakis last night to Aussies Marc Polmans and Jason Kubler.

We’re T-minus 20 minutes away from the start of Alex de Minaur’s third round match against Francis Tiafoe.

Our homegrown favourite de Minaur holds a 3-1 advantage over the American in their career head-to-head meetings. His most recent win against Tiafoe was at the Canada ATP 1000 event in August. Demon beat him in three sets.

Here’s what both players will need to do to stay on top of their opponent:

Demon:

• Use his prime physical condition and endurance to extend rallies and test Tiafoe’s stamina
• Use his mental strength and never give up attitude
• Lean on consistent first and second serves to neutralise his aggressive return positioning

Tiafoe:

• Use his powerful forehand to control rallies and force defensive positions
• Trust the first serve to build quick holds
• Finish points quickly by using his firepower

I know, it’s a lot to ask from both players. But they’ll need to stick to their big guns if they want to progress to the fourth round (here’s hoping it’s de Minaur!).

This line from Big Foe pretty much sums up how the match will play out.

«He’s going to come for me, I’m going to come for him,» Tiafoe said.

Bring it on, I say!

Coco Gauff has been talking post-match about playing Hailey Baptiste, and coming to her friend’s defence by calling out a member of the crowd.

«She [Baptiste] played really well in that first set,» Gauff told Channel Nine.

«I wasn’t too upset, I thought if she keeps playing like this and I can’t raise my level, then well done to her.»

The two players are friends, and Gauff spoke about the challenge.

«I’ve seen her play a million times, but it’s different when you play [her],» she said.

Gauff received plenty of crowd support in her 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 win, but she was quite willing to call out one of her overzealous supporters.

«We’re both competitors, and to the guy [in the crowd] who made that comment, we’re all doing our best out here.

«I know you were trying to root for me, but let’s be respectful.»

Gauff was met with huge applause for standing up both for her friend and for respect for all.

You might remember Iva Jovic as the thwarter of Aussie Priscilla Hon the other day, but she might soon be known for much more than that.

The 18-year-old American is 29th seed in Melbourne this week and a firm underdog against the Italian seventh-seed Jasmine Paolini today, but it very much looks like an upset is on the cards here.

Jovic just took the first set 6-2, wrapping it up with a scorching backhand winner down the line. She looks totally undaunted by the occasion, and is now a set away from date with Yulia Putintseva. Reckon she might get the crowd’s backing in that one too, should she make it.

Coco Gauff has overcome an early challenge from fellow American Hailey Baptiste to book a spot in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

The third seed was outplayed in the first set, going winner-less as Baptiste took the opener 6-3, but then she roared back to clinch the second 6-0, with a more aggressive game style and determination not to be beaten.

The key moment came in the sixth game of the final set, when Gauff broke Baptiste’s serve.

But it still was left to the 21-year-old to close out the match on serve, after one hour 50 minutes.

Mark it down as a 6-1, 6-1 belting for Karolina Muchova of Magda Linette, the second set taking only marginally longer than the first.

The Czech 19th-seed will play the winner of this Gauff-Baptiste match in the fourth round, with Coco looking the far more likely opponent at this stage.

Things looked like they were heading for a quick conclusion after Coco Gauff blanked Hailey Baptiste in the second set on Margaret Court Arena.

But Baptiste has at least halted the runaway momentum.

When she held for 1-1, it ended a run of seven straight games to the third seeded Gauff.

The 24-year-old doesn’t look like she is breaking Gauff’s serve any time soon, but she is hanging in there in this final set, and you never know what happens if she can create an opportunity.

In the other women’s third-round match currently underway, the Czech 19th-seed Karolina Muchova is sitting pretty in her tie with Poland’s Magda Linette.

Muchova took the first set 6-1 in less than 30 minutes, breaking Linette in the first game of the match and never looking back.

We’re on serve early in the second set, with Linette appearing a little more settled, but it’s a long way back from here.

Well, we’ve seen a pretty extraordinary game on Margaret Court Arena, as Coco Gauff has broken again against Hailey Baptiste in one of the longest games of this tournament.

Baptiste was taken to SEVEN deuces (you read that right), with a string of errors on both sides punctuated by a few winners.

The chair umpire got involved, giving Baptiste a time clock violation, as the American was taking the full allotment (and then some) between points.

Baptiste did get to game point, but perhaps fittingly, she rounded out the game with three consecutive errors, to lose the game after 13 minutes 51 seconds.

Gauff held for 5-0, then broke Baptiste again for a bagel to level the match at a set all.

Not sure what Baptiste has left in the tank, but she will have to find something if she is to stop Gauff’s momentum.

There was no doubt that Coco Gauff would respond after losing the first set to Hailey Baptiste – the question was how?

We didn’t have to wait long for the answer.

The third seed has rushed through the start of the second set, holding serve and then ratcheting up the pressure on Baptiste to get the break for 2-0.

The unforced errors are piling up from the 24-year-old, who has lost the control she had over this match in the first 45 minutes.

Now it’s up to Baptiste to respond.

We’re on for an upset on Margaret Court Arena!

American Hailey Baptiste has taken the first set off Coco Gauff, hitting 12 winners to Gauff’s none.

The third seed has not been on her game, throwing in four double faults on the way to losing the set 6-3 in 41 minutes.

Right now the world number 70 is dictating play — what will Coco do to come back?

Carlos Alcaraz has admitted he didn’t have it easy against Corentin Moutet on Rod Laver Arena – but that couldn’t take the smile off his face.

«It wasn’t easy to be honest, to play someone like him [Moutet], you don’t know what’s coming next!» he told Channel Nine.

«I had too much fun on court, both of us pulled off some great points.

«There were a few highlights out there, I’m grateful to be able to play this kind of match.»

Moutet became a crowd favourite with his shot-making, particularly his drop shots.

«At one point in the end of the first set, I told my team I wasn’t going to run for any more drop shots,» he said.

«I’ve been to the net 55 times, oh my God,» he added, prompting laughter from the crowd.

Alcaraz is looking forward to facing Tommy Paul next on Sunday, but I’m sure he will enjoy his day off before that.

Carlos Alcaraz has wrapped up his third round match against Corentin Moutet, winning 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.

Moutet was entertaining the crowd right to the end, playing a front-facing shot through his legs, and registering a couple of brilliant winners – including a lob into the very corner of the court, and a ridiculous full-stretch drop-volley – to hold for 4-1 before taking a mousketeer’s bow with a flourish as the crowd roared.

The problem was that he just was not allowed the time and space to breathe by Alcaraz, who finished things off with another break of serve.

The world number one was challenged briefly, but lifted his level and was simply too good.

Moutet was cheered off the court by a grateful crowd.

It was a great match with skill and finesse and thrills, and chapeau to both players.

Alcaraz will next take on Tommy Paul in the fourth round — and on this performance, the American will have his work cut out.

In scenes similar to Danielle Collins’s performance after beating Destanee Aiava last year, Yulia Putintseva is dancing as she’s booed en route to her first Australian Open fourth round after beating Turkish fan favourite Zeynep Sönmez.

Sönmez sent her backhand wide to hand the match to Putintseva after three tough sets, and the Kazakh dropped her racquet, urging the crowd to give it to her, before holding her hand to her ear, then blowing sarcastic kisses to the chorus of boos.

After a quick handshake with Sönmez, Putintseva made a point of showing some love to the pockets of Kazakh fans in the stands, before mockingly dancing in front of the Turkish fans, who were cheering her faults all match.

«I thought the crowd, they were loud at times but I thought they were pretty good; they could’ve been a lot worse,» Liz Smylie says in commentary.

«I think this is probably a little bit unnecessary,» she added as Putintseva danced to their boos.

Meanwhile, Sönmez directs some very heartfelt love to the fans with tears in her eyes, the fans pausing the boos just long enough to cheer their hero, before returning their attention to Putintseva as she is interviewed on court.

«Really crazy atmosphere,» she says.

«They’re very passionate about what they’re doing and it’s very, very great to see, especially against me because I love this kind of battle.»

She did a very similar dance for the Brazilian fans after beating Beatriz Haddad Maia in round one.

As Yulia Putintseva prepares to serve while up 4-2 but down 0-30 in the deciding third set against Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sönmez, the umpire issues a warning/plea to fans for the I’ve-lost-count-of-how-many-th time.

«As a polite reminder, please we do not whistle as the player is about to serve,» she says, which is greeted by more sarcastic whistles.

Eventually, Sönmez breaks and but faces a high-pressure service game at 3-4.