Australian Open Day 6: Nadal outlasts Zverev in epic, Monfils marches on, Serena signals intent

Rafael Nadal celebrates his win over Alexander Zverev in the third round of the Australian Open on Saturday. Julian Smith / EPA

A round-up of Saturday’s men’s and women’s singles action from the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

MEN’S SINGLES

Nadal outlasts Zverev in epic

Rafael Nadal’s ageing legs outlasted German teenager Alexander Zverev in an epic five sets to reach the fourth round.

Nadal needed all his trademark grit against Zverev, 19, dubbed “the future of tennis”, and his superior fitness told as he ground out a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2 win.

Germany’s Zverev looked in discomfort as he won a punishing 37-shot rally nearly four hours into their contest as Nadal, still full of running, pressed his advantage in the final set.

It means Nadal, 30, follows fellow veteran Roger Federer into the last 16 of a contest now missing defending champion Novak Djokovic after his stunning defeat to Denis Istomin.

“Everybody knows how good Alexander is,” said Nadal, who will play France’s Gael Monfils in the fourth round. “He’s the future of our sport, and the present.”

Raonic overcomes Simon

Milos Raonic negotiated tricky Frenchman Gilles Simon in four sets to reach the fourth round.

Canada’s world No 3, whose chances of making the final from the bottom half of the draw have improved following the shock exit of Djokovic, beat Simon 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3.

Raonic, who was beaten by Andy Murray in last year’s semi-finals in Melbourne, will next face Spanish 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who knocked out David Ferrer.

Raonic said he had spent a difficult previous 48 hours with a bug that laid him low.

“I had a rough last 48 hours. But I got my energy up today much more,” he said. “I had a bad fever. I didn’t come to the stadium yesterday. I just slept pretty much all day. Everything was aching.”

Monfils marches on

Gael Monfils set up a clash with Nadal in the fourth round with a straight-sets win over Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Monfils reached the Melbourne last 16 for the third time following a 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 victory over the 32nd-seeded German in just under two hours on Margaret Court Arena.

It was the sixth seed’s 13th win in 15 meetings with Kohlschreiber and clinched an anticipated crowd-pleasing encounter with Nadal, who fought back to beat Zverev in five sets.

Monfils trails the 14-time grand slam champion 12-2 in their meetings going back to 2005.

Thiem dispatches Paire

Austria’s eighth seed Dominic Thiem battled a shoulder injury as he overcame Frenchman Benoit Paire to reach the fourth round.

Thiem needed massage treatment from a trainer at three consecutive changeovers in the fourth set as he fought out a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over the 47th-ranked Paire in two hours 24 minutes.

Thiem, the first Austrian into the last 16 in Melbourne since Jurgen Melzer in 2011, will face Belgian 11th seed David Goffin in the fourth round.

It was a monumental struggle in the fourth set with Thiem having his serve broken three times and getting them all back before breaking Paire a fourth time to love.

WOMEN’S SINGLES

Konta crushes Wozniacki

Johanna Konta blitzed former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki to set up an intriguing fourth-round rematch with Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova.

The British ninth seed, who made the semi-finals last year to kick-start a breakthrough season, discarded Wozniacki 6-3, 6-1 on Margaret Court Arena.

It sets up a showdown with Makarova, also a former Melbourne semi-finalist, who upset sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova in three hard-fought sets.

Whoever comes through that test — a repeat of last year’s fourth round clash, which Konta won — will have the mighty Serena Williams as a potential quarter-final opponent.

“I was very happy with the way I was able to assert myself from the very beginning, also tighten up my game a bit as that first set went on, and just maintain my level to the very end,” Konta said.

“Against someone like Caroline, she’s not going to give it to you. You really do have to earn it and win it till the very last point. I’m just very happy I was able to keep that pressure on.”

Williams issues warning

Serena Williams warned she is in Melbourne for one reason only as she accelerated towards a record 23rd grand slam title by banishing Nicole Gibbs.

The second seed dispatched her fellow American 6-1, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena to reach the fourth round, further dispelling any lingering doubts about her early-season form.

It is the 14th time in her 17 Australian Opens she has made at least the last 16, and sets her up with a clash against 16th-seeded Czech Barbora Strycova, who beat French 21st seed Caroline Garcia.

If she gets through that, Konta or Makarova will be waiting in the quarter-finals.

“It was really good to get this under my belt,” Williams said. “I always try to take everyone super-serious and I’m always super-focused.

“I have been doing the things I have been doing in practice, and hopefully I can build up on this. That’s all I want to do.”

Cibulkova latest seed to tumble

A bitterly disappointed Dominika Cibulkova became the latest top seed to crash out of the Australian Open when she was upset by Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

The Slovak sixth seed and WTA Finals champion joins third seed Agnieszka Radwanska and fourth-seeded Simona Halep as first-week casualties, blowing the draw wide open. Makarova, 28, was never going to be a pushover.

Melbourne Park has been her most successful Grand Slam and her marathon 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 win in nearly three hours put her in the fourth round for a seventh consecutive time.

In 2015 she made a memorable run to the semi-finals, losing to Maria Sharapova.

“It was an amazing match, an amazing fight,” Makarova said. “This is my favourite Grand Slam and I really want to stay here.

“I want to enjoy this win today because it is my first against Dominika and she is a great player.”

RESULTS

Men’s singles

Third round

Dominic Thiem (AUT x8) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

David Goffin (BEL x11) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO x20) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Roberto Bautista (ESP x13) bt David Ferrer (ESP x21) 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4

Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x30) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Rafael Nadal (ESP x9) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x24) 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2

Gael Monfils (FRA x6) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x32) 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4

Milos Raonic (CAN) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3

Women’s singles

Third round

Jennifer Brady (USA) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS x14) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x30) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x6) 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3

Barbora Strycova (CZE x16) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) 6-2, 7-5

Serena Williams (USA x2) bt Nicole Gibbs (USA) 6-1, 6-3

Johanna Konta (GBR x9) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x17) 6-3, 6-1

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