Australian Open 2022, day eight: De Minaur and Medvedev in last 16 action – live!

*De Minaur 6-7, 0-1 Sinner (*next server) A very long service game for Sinner to open the second set, who again has de Minaur hurrying and harrying him and ultimately failing to take the break.

De Minaur 6-7 Sinner in the first set. It all comes apart for de Minaur in the tiebreak, just as it all comes together for Sinner. The Italian gets to really lay into a few shots, blasting his way to a lead of 2-5. Then de Minaur pumps a forehand wide on his own serve, scrambles the next point back, but hits the net to end it at 3-7.

De Minaur 6-6 Sinner (tiebreak to come) This is de Minaur’s last shot at breaking Sinner’s serve in the first set, and again he overhits an attempted winner. And again. He’s had far more opportunities than Sinner against serve but he’s blown them.

In the men’s fourth round, Auger-Aliasseme has knocked off Marin Cilic in four sets to go into the quarters against either Cressy or Medvedev. They’re still going, because Cressy has won the third set after trailing by two.

De Minaur 6-5 Sinner* (*next server) Going after the body is de Minaur, denying his opponent room to return. When Sinner can use his wingspan out wide, the ball comes back with interest, but when he finds himself at the net again he bundles his shot into the string. Serve held.

*De Minaur 5-5 Sinner (*next server) First point goes to de Minaur on Sinner’s serve, after which the Italian misses a serve out wide. De Minaur tries to attack the second serve but overcooks a groundstroke, then Sinner aces down the middle. Three aces apiece. Quite a mixed bag from Sinner, whose unforced error out wide makes it 30-30, but then it’s the Italian’s turn to race to the net like a newborn giraffe and put away a volley. Next point he misses long for deuce, next one is ace number four for advantage, next he pumps into the net to go back to deuce. Eventually he holds on.

De Minaur 5-4 Sinner* (*next server) Bold from de Minaur, who attacks the net on the first point and wins it decisively, then takes that as a cue to charge through the game. After those long early games, they’re picking up pace towards a first-set tie-break.

*De Minaur 4-4 Sinner (*next server) Sinner burns through another service game in quick time. He’s a powerful hitter when he has the full length of his arms in play.

De Minaur 4-3 Sinner* (*next server) A couple of unforced errors from de Minaur, who misses a volley before hitting a groundstroke long, and it gives Sinner a break point. But de Minaur attacks the next return early and pushes Sinner too deep to get a controlled shot back. Saves the break, goes to advantage, and holds serve by again forcing Sinner to try a lob return from way behind the baseline.

*De Minaur 3-3 Sinner (*next server) That’s more decisive. The lanky Italian gets more chance to lay into his shots in this service game, and wins it quickly.

De Minaur 3-2 Sinner* (*next server) A quick hold for the Australian, who hasn’t been troubled on serve.

*De Minaur 2-2 Sinner (*next server) Much like Sinner’s first service game, de Minaur has a break point that he can’t take, then drags it back to deuce a couple more times before the Italian can finally hold serve. Making him work early.

De Minaur 2-1 Sinner* (*next server) Games on serve, as de Minaur attacks the net and forces Sinner to try a lob over the top, which goes long.

*De Minaur 1-1 Sinner (* denotes next server) Bold play from de Minaur, who is standing very close to the baseline to receive serve early. Runs around a wide serve and whips a forehand winner return across court. Gets up to break point but blasts long. Sinner needs a couple of game points to hold, but does so in the end.

De Minaur 1-0 Sinner* (* denotes next server) Alex de Minaur starts the game with an ace, but Sinner pushes back into the set. A net-cord pops up in a helpful way. But de Minaur gets up to advantage, then bookends it with an ace.

Well then. Let’s get ready for the next match. Very brimstone in theme, the Demon versus The Sinner.

Alex de Minaur versus Jannik Sinner.

Cornet says that after 30 minutes on court, her vision was blurring and she couldn’t think clearly because of the heat. “But I thought that on the other side of the court, she is not feeling much better than me.” She praises Simona Halep with enthusiasm, saying that she is one of the hardest fighters on tour and an inspiration. From a player in her 17th Australian Open, that is saying a lot.

Then quite a beautiful moment when Jelena Dokic wraps up the interview. Cornet says, “Wait, there is one thing I want to say. To you, the way you have moved on with your life. You were an amazing player, now you’re an amazing commentator. Congratulations.” The crowd goes up, Cornet hugs Dokic, and Dokic bursts into tears. She is taken completely by surprise.

Goodness me. That’s lovely.

Auger-Aliassime is not going away against Cilic. Two sets done, one apiece, and he’s rallied to go up 4-2 in the third.

For the first time in a Slam tournament, she’s through. Holds serve against Halep, and wins a match that took nearly three hours in the mid-afternoon heat.

4-6, 6-3, 4-6.

Cornet consolidates the break before Halep holds her own serve. So it’s Cornet serving for the match at 4-5 in the third.

Cornet breaks serve! The first break in the deciding set. It comes out of nowhere, quickly and a little surprisingly. She was on the ropes against Halep but she’s come back out swinging. It’s 4-3.

Auger-Aliassime has taken the tiebreak from Cilic, so they’re one set apiece on John Cain Arena. Medvedev has won his tiebreak over Cressy, so the Russian has two sets to none.

Again! Cornet has to really dig deep to hold serve. They’re at 3-3 now, but these games must be costing her. Yet when she seems exhausted, she produces a wicked shot or two to get out of trouble, and keeps fighting in the rallies.

Meanwhile, both of the men’s fourth-rounders have gone into tie-breaks for the second set. Cressy nearly broke Medvedev to take it 7-5, but the Russian held on.

Maybe the switch has flicked again? Cornet plays a barnstorming game to hold her serve to deuce, and level up the set again at 2-2. Impressive. She’s still nowhere near it when Halep serves though, just can’t get into the points, Halep dictating placement until Cornet makes errors.

Certainly looks that way from the comfort of home. Cornet manages to hold serve after a battle, but she has started missing shots in strange ways, she’s muttering to herself in distress between points, she serves a double-fault to waste a game point, and has to really fight to get it back. The heat must be really taxing.

From an Australian perspective, everyone is waiting for Alex de Minaur’s match against the Italian Jannik Sinner. They’re due on Rod Laver Arena after Halep and Cornet, so it’ll be another set of waiting for the local lad.

Halep comes back to win the second set 6-3. So she and Cornet will go into a decider.

And the Croatian Marin Cilic won his first set by the same margin over Felix Auger-Aliassime, with the Canadian taking it to 4-4 in the second set so far. All of the active matches are fourth-rounders.

Meanwhile, the men’s two-seed Daniil Medvedev is beating up Maxime Cressy in their fourth-rounder, games on serve in the second set after a walloping 6-2 in the first.

What’s happening live? Well, there’s a ding-dong second set underway between Romanian former numero uno Simona Halep and French ice-cream maker Alize Cornet. The unseeded Cornet has broken and led Halep at various times in the set but has finally been pushed out of her comfort zone, going a break down at 4-3.