There are something not even the fittest bodies in the world should be able to do. Carlos Alcaraz left jaws on the floor with this unbelievable show. FOLLOW LIVE
It was the greatest match of the Open so far and Carlos Alcaraz is a super star in the making.
If you didn’t watch the five set epic against Matteo Berrettini you missed a treat.
But here was one eye-popping moment we can’t wipe form our memories.
While impressed and gobsmacked, we’re also trying to figure out how this is 1; humanly possibly and 2; how he didn’t require a doctor afterwards.
It’s the kind of move we’ve only ever seen from Novak Djokovic.
No doubt th eSerb would be impressed.
Check the video out
Day six schedule (all times AEDT)
Rod Laver Arena
From 11am: Clara Tauson Danielle Collins (27)
Kaia Kanepi vs Maddison Inglis (WC)
Not before 2pm: Benoit Paire vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (4)
From 7pm: Pablo Andujar vs Alex De Minaur (32)
Sorana Cirstea vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 10
Margaret Court Arena
From 11am: Tamara Zidansek (29) vs Alize Cornet
Marketa Vondrousova (31) vs Aryna Sabalenka (2)
Not before 2pm: Botic Van De Zandschulp vs Daniil Medvedev (2)
From 7pm: Iga Swiatek (7) vs Daria Kasatkina (25)
Andrey Rublev (5) vs Marin Cilic (27)
John Cain Arena
Not before 12:30pm: Simona Halep (14) vs Danka Kovinic
Krejcikova/Siniakova (1) vs Adamczak/Han
Not before 5pm: Dan Evans (24) vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (9)
11:30 INJURY BOMBSHELL FROM RAFA
Nadal said his foot injury last year was so bad he thought he might never play tennis again.
The Spanish great is chasing a men’s record 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open, where he steamed into the fourth round with a four-set victory over Russian 28th seed Karen Khachanov.
Speaking after his 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory in a late-night match on Rod Laver Arena, the 35-year-old Spaniard laid bare the extent of the foot problem that ended his year on the tour in August.
Nadal suffers from Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a degenerative disease that causes a deformity of one of the bones in the central part of the foot.
“First of all, everybody around me, me included of course, but everybody around me had a lot of doubts,” he said, asked if towards the end of last year he feared he might not make it to Melbourne.
“Not (only) about Australian Open, no, but about coming back on the tour because the foot was bothering a lot of days.
“Of course, still today are doubts because the foot, as I said the other day, it is an injury we cannot fix… so we need to find a way that the pain is under control to play, to keep playing. That’s the goal.” Nadal, who has seen the draw open up for him with the deportation of defending champion Novak Djokovic, dropped a set for the first time this week against Khachanov.
But he called it his best performance since returning to the tour at the start of the year.
Nadal will face unseeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the last 16. “It’s a very special week for me coming back from where I have been, every time I come back here to play is a very special thing,” Nadal told the crowd, a nod to his foot issue.
“I had my best match so far without a doubt since I came back. “I went through some very tough times in the last year and a half, but nights like this mean everything to me, that’s a lot of energy in my pocket to keep going, keep fighting every single day.”
10:10am FIGHT CLUB, AUSSIES THREATENED
The world’s wildest doubles pairing — Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis — did it again on Friday, stunning the world No.1 pairing of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in front of a roaring KIA Arena.
And it seems there was some argy bargy behind the scenes after the match with the Aussies reportedly challenged to a fight.
The Croatian duo vented their frustrations with the party atmosphere while on the court, and it seems their coaches took things further afterwards.
“Just letting you know after yesterday’s chop fest in doubles my opponents coach and trainer proceeded to threaten to fight in the players gym,” Kyrgios tweeted on Saturday morning.
“Tennis is a soft soft sport, all because I moved and hit them with a tennis ball.”
His partner Kokkinakis added “That was crazy, mans thought it was UFC.”
9:30am THIS MUST HAVE HURT
It was the greatest match of the Open so far (in my opinion) and Carloa Alcaraz is a super star in the making.
If you didn’t watch the five set epic against Matteo Berrettini you missed a treat.
But here was one eye-popping moment I can’t wipe form my memory.
While impressed and gobsmacked, I’m also trying to figure out how this is 1; humanly possibly and 2; how he didn’t require a doctor afterwards.
Check the video out
8am ZVEREV NEEDS MORE
World number three Alexander Zverev says that he needs to play even better if he wants to go far at the Australian Open, as the German chases a maiden major crown.
Zverev powered his way into the last 16 with a superb serving display against Moldova’s Radu Albot, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in 1hr 57min in hot conditions.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medallist thundered down 16 aces to put away the 124th-ranked Albot on John Cain Arena.
Zverev will next take on Canada’s 14th seed Denis Shapovalov, whom he leads 4-2 in their series of matches.
“I think from the back of the court I’m playing quite okay,” Zverev, 24, said. “Today was just very different. It was a lot hotter. The balls were flying a lot more. That’s why maybe I was doing a few more mistakes than usual.” Zverev is yet to drop a set as he shapes up for a possible quarter-final showdown with 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
7:45am BARTY’S OPPONENT OMINOUS
Unseeded American Amanda Anisimova said she was just “soaking in the moment” after stunning defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka in the third round on Friday.
The 20-year-old scored one of the biggest wins of her career in toppling the Japanese superstar 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10/5) at Melbourne Park.
It set up a clash with world number one Ashleigh Barty, a repeat of their 2019 French Open semi-final that the Australian won and went on to lift the title.
“I just want to soak in this moment. I’m just extremely happy. It was an amazing match. There were a bit of nerves and to play Naomi for the first time, it’s unreal, honestly,” said the 60th-ranked Anisimova.
“It sucks we couldn’t both win today.”
Originally published as Australian Open 2022 day 6 live scores, results and schedule