Gregor Dimitrov beat top seed Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to book a place in the Miami Open semi-final.

The Bulgarian, seeded 11th, won 6-2 6-4 to book a last-four meeting with Germany’s world number five Alexander Zverev.

Dimitrov made a fast start as he opened a 3-0 lead and Alcaraz, chasing back-to-back titles after winning in Indian Wells, was never able to get back on terms.

He fought back from 4-1 down in the second set, but Dimitrov broke again to seal his second successive win over the Spaniard.

“I think overall, to win against him, you have to play at your best; that’s just how it is,” said Dimitrov. “I came into the match very focused and extremely clear what I had to do.

“Sometimes simplicity is genius. It’s very, very hard to do it, especially when you play against an opponent like that, but I was really able to dictate the game, read the game a little bit better than last time.

“Overall, I think a very great match on my end and I’m just happy I finished in straight sets.”

Zverev ended unseeded Fabian Marozsan’s run with a 6-3 7-5 success.

The Hungarian had beaten top 10 pair Holger Rune and Alex de Minaur to reach the last eight, but could only muster two break points as Zverev won 80 per cent of points on his first serve.

“I’m happy to be back in these late stages of these tournaments, playing the best players in the world, I think there are only those left,” said Zverev, who reached the final in Miami in 2018.

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev will meet Jannik Sinner in the other semi-final in a rematch of the Australian Open final.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (5) 6-1 on Sunday to win his second-straight BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells.

The world number two took only one hour and 42 minutes to claim victory, marking Alcaraz’s first title since his triumph at Wimbledon last year.

The 20-year-old Spaniard began the Indian Wells tournament with a 6-3 record on the season and an injured ankle, which he sustained during his latest outing in Rio de Janeiro.

Medvedev started strong in the match’s opening rounds, establishing a 3-0 lead as Alcaraz’s errors began to pile up.

It did not take long for Alcaraz to find his feet though, breaking back before matching the world number four to force a tie-break.

He almost let an early lead in the tie-break slip by, but recovered again to take the first set in just over an hour.

Once he had broken out in front, the world number two was barely troubled in the second set en route to retaining his Indian Wells title.

He told reporters on-court after the match that the win had bolstered his confidence following his Rio injury scare.

“Winning this tournament means a lot to me because the week before it began, I had a lot of doubts about my ankle,” Alcaraz said.

“I remember my first practice here was just 30 minutes with no movement, and probably the first practice with really good tennis players was really tough for me because I thought I was not going to play my best.”

He added: “I was not feeling well with my ankle, so a lot of doubts for me. But once I stepped on the court, the first round, I started to feel better.”

Carlos Alcaraz ended Jannik Sinner’s winning run as he claimed a place in the BNP Paribas Open final 1-6 6-3 6-2.

Australian Open champion Sinner had won 16 straight matches to begin the year – and 19 in all stretching back to last season – but the number three seed had no answer to the Spaniard after winning the first set.

Defending Indian Wells champion Alcaraz was broken twice after a three-hour rain delay as Sinner raced to a 6-1 first set victory.

But having faced deuce on his opening service game of the second set, the Spaniard grabbed the initiative with an early break.

He saved break points in successive games and served out to level the match.

Alcaraz, who would have surrendered the world number two spot to Sinner with a defeat, again broke early in the deciding set.

He dropped just three points on his serve, rattling off five straight games to lead 5-1, clinching victory on his third match point in just over two hours.

“I stayed strong mentally,” said Alcaraz. “I think that’s a really important part in this game. You have to be strong mentally if you want to overcome these kind of matches, a set down against someone that’s playing an unbelievable game.

“I changed my style a little bit, I changed my game a little bit and I think it worked very well. I’m really happy to beat Jannik and be in the final again.”

World number two Carlos Alcaraz raced into the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open with a straight-sets win over Fabian Marozsan in Indian Wells.

The Spaniard, bidding to become the first player to defend the title since Novak Djokovic in 2016, won 6-3 6-3 in an hour and a quarter.

Hungarian Marozsan, 24, came into the match with a rare winning head-to-head record against Alcaraz, having beaten him on the Rome clay last year in their only previous meeting, one of the shock results of the season.

The Wimbledon champion quickly went about taking his revenge, winning four games in a row from 3-2 down to take the first set.

A solitary break for 4-2 in the second proved enough to wrap up the match and book a last-eight meeting with Alexander Zverev.

“Honestly I was nervous before the match, playing against someone who beat you, let’s say easily, it was difficult for me to approach the game,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.

“But I’m happy with the win. Today I knew better what I needed to do than in Rome.”

Zverev took down Australian Alex de Minaur after he lost the first set before coming back to win 5-7 6-2 6-3.

Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner continued his stellar start to the year, recording his 18th straight win in a victory over American Ben Shelton 7-6 (4) 6-1.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 11th seed from Greece, was on the end of an upset as he slipped to a 6-2 6-4 defeat to Czech youngster Jiri Lehecka.

Carlos Alcaraz must ignore the comparisons to fellow Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal otherwise it will "hinder his career".

That was the message from former Dutch player Richard Krajicek, who won the Wimbledon men's singles title back in 1996.

Alcaraz triumphed at Wimbledon last year as well, his second major title after winning the US Open in 2022.

Though veteran Nadal has some 22 grand slam titles to his name, two behind the ever-reliant and ruthless Novak Djokovic, comparisons continue to be drawn between the two Spaniards.

"If he starts to think about it or live up to it or try to beat it, then it will hinder his career," Krajicek said of the similarities between Nadal and Alcaraz.

"His name is Carlos Alcaraz, he said it himself and he's not the new Nadal. Nadal is a legend and he's going to do what he has to do.

"I think by winning two grand slams, being number one, I don't think he feels any pressure or like, 'I have to do this or this'. He's improved already so much.

"I don't think he has too much to prove and he's just playing for the love of the game and he's going to win many more Grand Slams and he will be number one for many weeks also."

An athletic, bustling right-hander Alcaraz has the pure power, mixed with delicate control, to trouble major-title contenders for the next decade or so.

However, Krajicek says it is Alcaraz's passion for the sport that is most impressive.

"I like everything about this game. I mean, he's physically good, he's fast, I love his mentality on the court. Also like Rafa, very humble person, and he can do it all," he added.

"He can play, he plays from the base, and he's got a big forehand, he's got a very good touch on the drop shot. He can volley. Yeah, and he really loves the game.

"When he played the US Open and it was a really important point, and they were playing for number one in the world. It was one set all, Alcaraz loses the point, but the point was unbelievable, and Alcaraz smiled to his box 'Wow, I just played a great point and I love this game'.

"So for me, then I became a fan. I'm like, 'Wow, you really love this game'. So that's so great to see."

Richard Krajicek believes it will hurt Carlos Alcaraz's career if he compares himself too much to Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz is being hailed as Spanish tennis' next big hope with Nadal nearing the end of a hugely decorated career, one that has seen him win 22 grand slam titles, two behind Novak Djokovic at the top of the all-time list.

Alcaraz himself has claimed two grand slams at the age of 20, winning the US Open in 2022 before following it up by claiming Wimbledon glory the following year.

Despite the comparisons, Krajicek hopes Alcaraz doesn't think too much about comparing himself with his countryman Nadal.

"If he starts to think about it or live up to it or try to beat it, then it will hinder his career, I think, a little bit," said Krajicek, speaking to Stats Perform at the Rotterdam Open. "But no, his name is Carlos Alcaraz. He said it himself. And he's not a new Nadal.

"Nadal is a legend. And he's going to do what he has to do. And I think by winning two grand slams, being number one, I don't think he [Alcaraz] feels any pressure or like, I have to do this or this.

"He's proved so much already. I don't think he has too much to prove. And he's just playing for the love of the game. He's going to win many more grand slams and be number one for many weeks also."

Krajicek thinks Alcaraz's all-round game has the potential to take him to the top, if he hasn't reached it already.

"I like everything about his game," Krajicek added. "I mean he's physically good, he's fast, I love his mentality on the court."

"Also like Rafa, [he is] a very humble person and he can do it all. He can play serve and volley, he plays from the base, he's got a big forehand, he's got a very good touch on the drop shot, he can volley."

Krajicek pointed to Alcaraz's affection for the sport of tennis as a particularly infectious part of his game.

"He really loves the game," Krajicek continued. 

"I think when he played the US Open, there was a huge point in the final and it was a really important point. And they were playing for number one in the world.

"It was one set all, and Alcaraz loses the point, but the point was unbelievable. And Alcaraz smiles to his box like, 'Wow, I just played a great point, and I love this game'.

"So for me, then I became a fan. I'm like, 'Wow, you really love this game'. That's so great to see."

It is only a "matter of time" until Carlos Alcaraz is the number one tennis player in the world, according to Richard Krajicek.

At the age of 20, Alcaraz has already won Wimbledon and the US Open, becoming world number one in September 2022.

He was defeated in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open to kick off this year's grand slams, though, failing to win any of the three tournaments in which he has played in 2024.

However, former world number four Krajicek believes Alcaraz is on his way to becoming the best, despite dropping to number two in the world rankings.

"His potential is very high," Krajicek told Stats Perform. "I think he's the future number one.

"I'm not saying anything special because he's beaten everybody. He beat Djokovic three times out of the last four times they played. He beat Medvedev from being two sets to love down, which shows how mentally and physically strong he is.

"So for me, it's a matter of time until he becomes number one. I think he can play on all surfaces, maybe clay is his worst surface but all the other surfaces you would say he's a title contender."

With the 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic already retired or nearing the end of their storied careers, there's been much discussion over who will fill their boots.

Alcaraz has already proved his abilities, while 22-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner claimed Australian Open glory to kick off this year having reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2023.

Krajicek feels those two will lead the way for the next era of men's tennis, saying: "It's difficult to say who the next generation will be, but I think Alcaraz and Sinner will have a good rivalry. They already have played unbelievable matches.

"Of course, Alcaraz has already been number one, won two Grand Slams. Sinner is now slowly coming also to that level. He is number four, maybe number three after this week."

However, Krajicek has reservations over whether the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner can reach the legendary status of the 'Big Three'.

"To really have the same kind of rivalry, I don't know if that's possible," Krajicek added. "I mean, together, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic won 66 Grand Slams. That's incredible. In every Grand Slam, they were in the final or winning. It's just amazing.

"I don't know if it's possible to have two players or three players that basically win every Grand Slam they play. But I believe those two are going to be the two biggest names for the next couple years."

World number two Carlos Alcaraz has retired hurt after twisting his ankle in the first round of the Rio Open.

The two-time grand slam winner hurt his ankle after just two points while playing Brazilian Thiago Monteiro before the Spaniard went on to break his serve.

But just one game later, Alcaraz had his serve broken, shook Monteiro’s hand, and left the court shortly after, retiring from the match.

It comes a week after the 20-year-old lost to Chile’s Nicolas Jarry in the semi-finals of the Argentina Open.

After the match, world number 117 Monteiro said it was “strange” for an injury to occur so early in the match.

“On the court it didn’t look so serious, but then I saw it in the big screen and it was a bad twist,” he said.

“Now I can only cheer for him to recover. He is a star, a dominant one in the new generation.”

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner can join Novak Djokovic as members of a new 'Big Three' in men's tennis over the coming years, before taking up the Serbian's mantle when he retires.

That is the view of four-time grand slam semi-finalist Tommy Haas, who believes Sinner's sheer power will help him build on the Australian Open title he captured last month.

Sinner recovered from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling Australian Open final in January, claiming his first grand slam title at the age of 22.

The Italian's triumph made him the third-youngest man to win the event since it moved to Melbourne Park in 1988, older only than Djokovic in 2008 and Jim Courrier in 1992.

That breakout victory led to suggestions that Sinner could join Alcaraz in becoming a regular challenger to Djokovic, who has largely dominated men's tennis in recent years, with Roger Federer retiring in 2022 and Rafael Nadal beset by injury problems.  

While Haas believes Alcaraz is currently a more rounded player than Sinner, he feels the Italian has every chance of adding to his first major crown in the coming years.

"Maybe with Al, it's a bit more of an all-round game, but I think Sinner is going to continue to work on his," Haas told Stats Perform. 

"He's already done a great job on movement, on defence. Maybe he doesn't actually need to learn to get to the net and finish more, but I'm sure he's going to try because of his powerful groundstrokes.

"If he keeps playing like he does, it's just so powerful. You're going to be reacting pretty much all the time against him.

"He's going to try to improve his serve, he's going to try to improve physically. If he stays healthy, if Alcaraz stays healthy, these two are going to be the ones playing for a lot of the big titles."

However, Haas also thinks there are other contenders capable of pushing for major honours, adding: "Then you have Holger Rune, you have these other young players coming up.

"He now has to step it up a little bit. I think there's been lots going on with his team, with lots of chefs in the kitchen, but he's got the right mindset, he's got the will, he's got the potential.

"You have [Alexander] Zverev, who obviously still believes he can and should win a slam, so there's a lot of nice contrast there. 

"Medvedev, on hardcourts you can never count him out, and he's only 27. I think there is still potential for those guys to keep doing well.

"[Andrey] Rublev, I feel like he's getting better on defence as well. He pounds the ball like no other. So if he gets a little bit tougher mentally, don't count him out. There's a lot of good storylines there."

Juventus have signed Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz on loan for the rest of the season with an option to buy.

The 21-year-old Argentinian has scored four goals in 26 appearances for Saints this season, with Russell Martin’s side third in the Championship as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League.

Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox told the club website: “Allowing Charly to leave on loan was a decision that we have been deliberating on for some time.

“Considering the midfield options we have available to us right now, and Charly’s lack of game time, we wanted to allow him this chance to gain some valuable experience in one of the top leagues in Europe.

“Juventus are a huge club and we are convinced that this move will allow Charly the opportunity to flourish and then come back and be a success at Southampton.”

Massimiliano Allegri’s side sit second in Serie A, one point behind leaders Inter having played a game more.

“Special” Jannik Sinner is ready to lead tennis’ youth revolution alongside Carlos Alcaraz, according to his coach Darren Cahill.

Sinner’s comeback victory against Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final gave him a first grand slam title and appears a sign of things to come.

The 22-year-old has followed in the wake of Carlos Alcaraz, who is two years younger, and between them they have now won three of the last six slams, with Novak Djokovic winning the rest.

The Serbian will be 37 in May and, while writing him off would be extremely premature, there is no doubt the hierarchy is changing.

Cahill said: “I think this sport at the moment has a few superstars. I think Carlos is very similar to Jannik in both the way they play with the excitement level they bring to the game, and their personalities and their likability.

“Both guys are incredibly alike off the court. They both like each other. They have a friendly rivalry. They both light it up when they play each other. I don’t think any of their matches have ever been boring.

“I think we have some really good personalities in the game at the moment, and it’s important they keep winning. It’s important they do what Jannik was able to do, and that’s to show a side of this young generation that are going to fight until the very end.”

He continued: “They really want to make a name for themselves, and Jannik did that. Carlos has done that already a couple of times, the match he played at Wimbledon to beat Novak was just a special performance.

“Our job now is just to make sure that we keep him pumped up. It’s a long year, and it’s important to enjoy the moment, but when we get back onto the tennis court, we will try to keep him in that good mindset and try to keep him winning.”

Alcaraz became a slam champion as a teenager in New York before stunning Djokovic in five sets at Wimbledon last summer.

Sinner’s path has been more gradual and Cahill, who previously worked with the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Simona Halep, has no doubt Alcaraz’s success has inspired his man.

“Hell, yeah, absolutely,” he said with a smile. “There’s no question seeing the young players come through and having success drives each and every one of them. Not just Jannik. They all desire it.

“Carlos has trailblazed for a lot of young players. We’re thankful for that. He’s a delight to watch play, and a delight to watch him on court. We aspire to be as good as him and hopefully one day be better than him but, at the moment we’re chasing Carlos, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Sinner, who hails from the north of Italy and was a champion skier as a child, split from long-term coach Riccardo Piatti in the summer of 2022 and hired renowned Australian Cahill and countryman Simone Vagnozzi.

The combination is certainly working, and Cahill added: “We believe in Jannik, we always have. He’s a special young kid. Even the way he hits the ball, it just sounds special.

“When you hit the ball the way he does, when you want to improve the way he does, when you move the way he does, he’s going to have success at some point.

“Our job as coaches is to try to fast track that as quickly as possible and get him to where he wants to go quickly so he can have a long window at the top of the game.

“He’s been doing well. He’s absorbing everything and trying new things on the court, and he just wants to get better. I’m sure after this sinks in he won’t settle. He’ll never settle.”

Sinner is popular with his peers, who have long known the explosive power contained in his wiry frame.

Speaking on Eurosport, Australian star Nick Kyrgios said: “Jannik is an incredibly nice guy in the locker room. You always see him super professional, but he’s like a sponge.

“Ever since he came on tour that first match he played against Steve Johnson in Rome, the locker room was watching and thinking, ‘Who is this skinny guy who has the crowd in the palm of his hand?’. We could already see the ball-striking.

“This is going to be such a big leapfrog to him, I think we’re going to see him win plenty more slams in the next couple of years. Now he’s got this one, he’s going to be unstoppable.”

Carlos Alcaraz insisted he was happy with his Australian Open efforts despite falling to a quarter-final loss against Alexander Zverev.

The Wimbledon champion had been in excellent form in Melbourne and threatened a comeback after a slow start but it was Zverev who moved through to the last four thanks to a 6-1 6-3 6-7 (2) 6-4 victory clinched at 1.19am.

In his seventh grand slam semi-final, Zverev will take on third seed Daniil Medvedev, who earlier battled past Hubert Hurkacz in five sets.

Alcaraz was heavily fancied to make it an all top-four semi-final line-up but he looked very tight at the start and Zverev took full advantage, barely missing a first serve and striking his groundstrokes with power and precision.

The German has faced a lot of off-court scrutiny regarding his forthcoming domestic abuse trial – he denies the allegations – but his ability as a tennis player is unquestionable.

Alcaraz briefly rallied in the second set but he was staring at defeat inside two hours when Zverev served for victory at 5-3 in the third.

The Spaniard was not done yet, finally breaking the Zverev serve and then playing a sublime tie-break, but ultimately there were too many errors from his racket.

This was Alcaraz’s best run in Melbourne, and he said: “It has been a good tournament for me, making quarter-finals, playing good tennis.

“I’m sad with my level today, because I have been playing good tennis, the round before this one with a lot of confidence. Serving pretty well.

“But in general I leave the tournament happy. Forgetting about today’s level. Obviously quarter-final of a grand slam is good. It’s not what I’m looking for, but it’s not bad.

“It’s a shame that I started the match like the way that I did and ending the way that I did. But it’s tennis.”

Alcaraz played down the impact of being without his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is back in Spain recovering from knee surgery.

“It didn’t affect (me) at all,” said the 20-year-old. “As I said, I was playing great tennis without him. I had Samuel (Lopez), that is a pretty good coach as well. I trust him 100 per cent.”

Zverev, who lost his only grand slam final to Dominic Thiem at the US Open in 2020, received treatment for blisters on his foot at the end of the third set but rallied well, helped by a phenomenal serving display.

“When you’re up 6-1 6-3 5-2, you start thinking,” said the sixth seed, for whom this was a first win over a top-five opponent at a grand slam.

“It’s not always helpful but I’m happy I got there in the end. I fought back quite well in the fourth set.”

Earlier, Medvedev struggled in the heat of the day against ninth seed Hurkacz, who was looking to make the last four at a grand slam for only the second time.

The Pole twice fought back from a set down but Medvedev came out on top 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-3 5-7 6-4 after three hours and 59 minutes.

The Russian finished it off with a drop shot before blowing kisses towards his box.

Medvedev will now try to reach the final for the third time in four years, and he said: “I’m so destroyed right now. I was feeling very tired physically at the end of the second set already.

“In the fourth set, he played good, I wasn’t beating myself up. I had no more concentration, I thought, ‘I just have to try my best to do whatever I can. If I lose, I lose and I go home. It’s OK’.

“I’m happy that like this I managed to win and I really liked the match point.”

Carlos Alcaraz became the biggest casualty of the men’s draw so far at the Australian Open.

The second seed was beaten in four sets by Alexander Zverev, who will take on Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals following his five-set victory over Hubert Hurkacz.

Qualifier Dayana Yastremska made it through to the last four in the women’s draw, where she will play another first-timer in 12th seed Zheng Qinwen.

Picture of the dayPoint of the dayLongevityHewitt honoured

Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.

Fallen seeds

Women: None
Men: Carlos Alcaraz (2), Hubert Hurkacz (9)

Who’s up next?

It is women’s semi-finals day on Thursday, with both matches taking place in the night session.

First up is a rematch of the US Open final, with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka hoping to turn the tables on Coco Gauff, before Yastremska plays Zheng.

British wheelchair stars Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are in singles and doubles semi-final action, while Mingge Xu plays her girls’ singles quarter-final against Iva Ivanova.

Carlos Alcaraz’s hopes of a first Australian Open title ended in a quarter-final defeat by sixth seed Alexander Zverev.

The Wimbledon champion had been in excellent form in Melbourne and threatened a comeback after a slow start but it was Zverev moving through to the last four thanks to a 6-1 6-3 6-7 (2) 6-4 victory clinched at 1.19am.

In his seventh grand slam semi-final, Zverev will take on third seed Daniil Medvedev, who earlier battled past Hubert Hurkacz in five sets.

Alcaraz was heavily fancied to make it an all top-four semi-final line-up but he looked very tight at the start and Zverev took full advantage, barely missing a first serve and striking his groundstrokes with power and precision.

The German had faced a lot of off-court scrutiny regarding his forthcoming domestic abuse trial – he denies the allegations – but his ability as a tennis player was unquestionable.

Alcaraz improved at the start of the second set, finding some of the dynamic, all-court play that has made him such a fan favourite, but he could not take either of two break points in the sixth game.

He then found himself under more pressure in the following game and, after being given a time violation, he netted a forehand to drop serve again.

Alcaraz, who had comfortably beaten Zverev at the same stage of the US Open last summer, looked furious with himself but he could not conjure up any response as errors continued to flow from his racket.

The end seemed nigh when Zverev, who lost his only grand slam final to Dominic Thiem at the US Open in 2020, broke serve again to lead 3-1 in the third set.

But Alcaraz roused himself just in time to break the Zverev serve for the first time at 5-3 and then reeled off a string of seven absurd points to win the tie-break and take it to a fourth set.

The German received treatment for blisters on his foot and Alcaraz seemed to have the momentum but more errors helped Zverev break to lead 5-4 and this time he managed to serve it out, securing his first victory over a top-five opponent at a slam.

“When you’re up 6-1 6-3 5-2, you start thinking,” said Zverev. “It’s not always helpful but I’m happy I got there in the end. I fought back quite well in the fourth set.”

Earlier, Medvedev struggled in the heat of the day against ninth seed Hurkacz, who was looking to make the last four at a grand slam for only the second time.

The Pole twice fought back from a set down but Medvedev came out on top 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-3 5-7 6-4 after three hours and 59 minutes.

The Russian finished it off with a drop shot before blowing kisses towards his box.

Medvedev will now try to reach the final for the third time in four years, and he said: “I’m so destroyed right now. I was feeling very tired physically at the end of the second set already.

“In the fourth set, he played good, I wasn’t beating myself up. I had no more concentration, I thought, ‘I just have to try my best to do whatever I can. If I lose, I lose and I go home. It’s OK’. I’m happy that like this I managed to win and I really liked the match point.”

It was a back-and-forth contest throughout between the two big servers, who both move tremendously well for such tall men.

Medvedev edged the first set on a tie-break and looked to be in full control when, having dropped the second, he took the third and moved a break ahead in the fourth.

But Hurkacz, who had won his last two matches against the Russian and their only previous grand slam meeting at Wimbledon in 2021, did not allow his head to drop and levelled at 4-4.

It was now Medvedev under real pressure on serve, and Hurkacz clinched his opportunity to force a decider when his opponent sent a forehand long.

Medvedev had survived a five-setter in the second round, coming from two sets down to defeat Emil Ruusuvuori at nearly 4am.

And the third seed was not to be denied, a break in the seventh game proving the difference.

Novak Djokovic suffered in the heat at the Australian Open but made it past Taylor Fritz and into the semi-finals.

There he will face Jannik Sinner, who finished his straight-sets victory over Andrey Rublev at 1.22am after long matches in the day session.

There will be a rematch of the US Open final in the women’s semi-finals, where defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will face Coco Gauff.

Picture of the dayStat of the dayBromanceMum’s the word

Gauff was not too impressed with mum Candi’s moment in the spotlight, saying: “I saw the video of her celebrating. I was, like, ‘it wasn’t that hard of a ball to catch. You know, celebrate your little wins’.

Fallen seeds

Women: Barbora Krejcikova (9)

Men: Andrey Rublev (5), Taylor Fritz (12)

Who’s up next?

The quarter-finals conclude on Wednesday, when Carlos Alcaraz’s battle with Alexander Zverev takes centre stage in the night session.

The winner will face either third seed Daniil Medvedev or ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz, while China’s Zheng Qinwen is the only seed left in the top half of the women’s draw and plays Anna Kalinskaya.

Czech teenager Linda Noskova, who beat Iga Swiatek in the third round, faces qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the opening match of the day.