5-set frenzy continues in third spherical of Australian Open

By three rounds of the Australian Open, there have been a whopping 29 five-setters. Sure, the drama at Melbourne Park has been off the charts.

No person has been extra liable for it to a better extent than Jack Draper–a lot to the chagrin of the Aussie crowd. Draper has damaged their hearts twice, first outlasting Thanasi Kokkinakis in spherical two earlier than beating Aleksandar Vukic on Friday. Mixed together with his opening defeat of Mariano Navone, the British left-hander has performed the utmost 15 units.

“He performed unbelievable,” Draper mentioned of Vukic following his 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(10-8) victory that lasted three hours and 58 minutes. “It was a tricky match and we have now each performed a whole lot of units in our first couple of rounds, so I knew it will be powerful. There have been a lot of ebbs and flows and it was nice tennis. I believed it was finished (at 3-1 within the remaining set), however he got here again from the lifeless and performed unbelievable. We’re struggling within the 5 units and also you typically get little bits of power.

“It was an incredible battle between two opponents going at it and that’s what sport is all about.”

If Draper has been the Marathon Man, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has been the Comebck Child.

Davidovich Fokina has gained every of his final two matches from two units down–and towards very powerful opponents, too. The Spaniard upset Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7(7), 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 within the longest match of the event thus far (4 hours and 51 minutes) after which shocked Jakub Mensik 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-2 after saving two match factors. Mensik led 30-0 whereas serving for the match at 6-5 within the third set solely to see Davidovich Fokina storm again.

“I prefer to lose the primary two units after which comeback,” ADF joked. “I don’t know learn how to describe this sense. It’s the first time I’ve gained three matches in a row in Australia and it means quite a bit. Getting back from two units to like, I had by no means finished it and now I’ve finished it two occasions in a row.

“In all these years I had a whole lot of up and downs. I had determined this yr to battle for each level. It doesn’t matter how the result’s going. I don’t have a look at the outcome. I feel to be quiet and simply focus, to play and benefit from the match. I feel that provides me a whole lot of energy and energy to nonetheless proceed.”

Holger Rune channeled that very same mentality on Saturday evening (or extra like Sunday morning), when he gained the twenty ninth five-setter of the fortnight by overcoming cramps to beat Miomir Kecmanovic.

All of this drama and we nonetheless have a complete week to go!

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and in addition maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You may comply with him on Twitter at @Dimonator.