Australian Open: Zverev Going About The Business Of Winning

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev (photo: Tennis Australia/Fiona Hamilton)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 17, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 2 Alexander Zverev of Germany has been a dominant player during the first week at the Australian Open. On Friday, he garnered his third consecutive straight-set victory during the Melbourne fortnight by defeating 92nd-ranked Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in two hours and two minutes on Margaret Court Arena.

A two-time AO semifinalist, Zverev hit 25 winners, made only 15 unforced errors, won 79 percent of his first-serve points and outpointed Fearnley 92-68.

“I think my opponent did a great job of maximizing today,” Zverev said, speaking of Fearnley. “[He] was very aggressive, returning quite well. I’m happy with a straight-sets win. Much more difficult conditions to play [compared to previous rounds]. In the first few matches, [there] were perfect conditions, no wind at all. [Today was] obviously very different.”

By reaching the AO fourth round for his sixth time, Zverev tied the Open Era record for German men held by Boris Becker. With his 21 total Grand Slam fourth-round appearances, Zverev now trails Becker’s 31 for most by a German man.

Next, Zverev will face No. 14 seed Ugo Humbert of France, who advanced over fellow Frenchman and 20th-seeded Arthur Fils, who retired with an ankle injury in the fourth set after two hours and 37 minutes. At the time of retirement, Humbert led 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 1-0.

Djokovic rolls back clock in triumph over Machac

No. 7 seed Novak Djokovic’s class was on full display for all fans who packed Rod Laver Arena to appreciate. He punched his ticket to the second week of the year’s first major with his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 26 seed Tomas Machac of Czechia.

Playing in his 20th Australian Open main draw – and appreciating the chase of going after a record-extending 25th Grand Slam crown and 100th singles title – the 10-time AO champion Djokovic wound back the clock Friday evening. He hit nine aces, won 80 percent of his first-serve points, struck 28 winners and broke Machac five times in five tries. Djokovic outpointed his opponent 96-70.

The win advanced the World No. 7 Djokovic into the fourth round at Melbourne for the 17th time.

“I think I played really well, honestly. I’m very happy with my game,” Djokovic said afterward. “I am slightly surprised with the result, to beat him in straight sets. … He was a break up early in the second, I struggled physically there. I tried to catch my breath, I’m not 19 anymore.

“I somehow managed to turn things around, hold my serve when I needed to. A couple of points really decided that set, which could have gone his way, then the outcome of the match would be different. Overall, in the third set, I felt fresh, moved really well. I’m really pleased with my game. There is always something to work on, but this is definitely my best match of the tournament.”

The 37-year-old Serbian is through to the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the 66th time in his 77th  major. He’s also the second man to reach the AO fourth round aged 37 or older since 1988.

Next, Djokovic will face another Czech rising star, No. 24 seed Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Benjamin Bonzi of France, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3, in one hour and 47 minutes, capitalizing on 33 winners and five breaks of serve.

Alcaraz eases past Borges, Draper next

With World No. 3 and third seed Carlos Alcaraz also in his section of the draw, Djokovic is one win away from a potential quarterfinal match with the young Spaniard.

On Friday, Alcaraz, who is needs only to win the Australian Open crown to complete a career Grand Slam, eased past No. 33 Nuno Borges of Portugal, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2, after dropping his first set of the tournament. He hit 54 winners but also committed 50 unforced errors. To his credit Alcaraz’s serve was not broken and he broke Borges’s serve five times in his first match on Rod Laver Arena this fortnight after playing his first two matches on Margaret Court Arena. Now, Alcaraz is through to the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the 11th time.

“I missed Rod Laver [Arena]. I’m just really, really happy to be able to play here once again,” Alcaraz said in his post-match remarks. “I tried to show my best tennis here. For me, it has been a pleasure every time that I step on this court. … The last time that I played here I lost [to Alexander Zverev in the 2024 quarterfinals], so I really wanted to play here and get another win here in Rod Laver.”

Next, Alcaraz will play No. 15 seed Jack Draper of Great Britain, who won his second straight match over an Australian. After defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round on Wednesday, he went the distance to defeat No. 68 Aleksandar Vukic, 6-4, 2-6 5-7. 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8), putting away the win in a 10-point match tie-break.

All three of Draper’s wins have come in five sets this week in Melbourne, improving his career 5-set win-loss record to 5-1. Vukic had also been pushed to the limit in earlier wins over Damir Dzumhur and Sebastian Korda.

“He played incredible,” Draper said, quoted by the ATP Tour website. “It was a tough match and we have both played a lot of sets in our first couple of rounds, so I knew it would be tough. There were lots of ebbs and flows and it was great tennis. I thought it was done [at 3-1 in the final set] but he came back from the dead and played incredible. We are suffering in the five sets and you sometimes get little bits of energy.

“It was a great battle between two competitors going at it and that is what sport is all about.”

Gauff remains undefeated (8-0), 16-0 in sets won

World No. 3 Coco Gauff remained undefeated in 2025 following her 76-minute 6-4, 6-2 win over No. 30 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada on Margaret Court Arena Friday evening.

The 20-year-old American has won her first eight matches of this season (five at the United Cup and three at the AO) – and all of them have been straight-set victories. She is through to the second week of a major for the 14th time and is two wins away from equaling her best run in Melbourne, when she reached the semifinals.

According to the WTA, Gauff is just the fifth player in the Open Era to start a season 8-0, following Margaret Court (1969-73), Steffi Graf (1987-90 and 1994-96), Monica Seles (1991-93) and Serena Williams (2003-05).

Two of Gauff’s eight wins have been against Fernandez, at the United Cup and at the AO. She was asked whether it’s easier or harder to play an opponent twice within a month.

“I think harder because she knows what to expect,” the third-seeded Gauff explained. “I definitely think she played a little bit different today than she did at United Cup.

“Definitely harder, because you’re kind of trying to change up what you did last time because she’s kind of expecting it.

“I knew today was going to be a tough match regardless of the result a couple of weeks ago.”

Next, Gauff will play unseeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. The former Olympic gold medalist advanced by injury retirement over two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka of Japan, after Bencic won the first set 7-6 (3). Osaka retired with an abdominal injury. It marked the third straight tournament (Beijing 2024, Auckland and AO 2025) which have ended for Osaka after a mid-match retirement.

Meanwhile, playing in her first major since giving birth to her daughter Bella last year, this is the furthest Bencic had gone at a major since the 2023 US Open. She’s 15-5 in all competitions since returning to the WTA Tour last October.

Around the Australian Open

Friday’s Australian Open results

Saturday’s Australian Open order of play

By the numbers

Friday’s Day/Night attendance at the Australian Open reached 97,132 fans. This is an AO first Friday Day/Night attendance, breaking the previous record of 90,965 set last year. Friday’s attendance also set an AO single day attendance record. The previous record of 95,881 was set on Thursday. The cumulative main draw attendance at this year’s Australian Open is 546,202.

“Quotable …”

“I like to lose the first two sets and then comeback. I don’t know how to describe this feeling. It is the first time I have won three matches in a row in Australia and it means a lot. Coming back from two sets to love, I had never done it and now I have done it two times in a row.”

– Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain, during his on-court interview following his five-set win over Jakub Mensik of Czechia, in which he lost the first two sets before coming back to win the match in five sets, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-2.

 

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