Australian Open 2021: Gauff v Svitolina, Tsitsipas edges out Kokkinakis – live! | Sport

First set: Gauff 3-4 Svitolina* Norrie has taken the third set against Safiullin to lead by two sets to one, while at 30-0 Gauff absolutely climbs into an acceptable Svitolina serve, dematerialising a forehand cross-court winner. But she can’t build on it, and Svito holds to 30. I’ve not a clue who’s going to win this set; Gauff’s best is better, but producing it at the business end is a whole nother thing.

First set: Gauff* 3-3 Svitolina Gauff doesn’t wait to be asked, which is one of the various reasons it’s such a pleasure to watch her work. She’s really stepping into her forehands now and holds to 15, but the question is whether she’ll find similar range when things get tight.

First set: Gauff 2-3 Svitolina* On Court, De Minaur has taken the second set and leads Cuevas 6-3 6-3; Fognini and Caruso and 4-4 in the fifth; and Norrie leads Safiullin 5-2 in the third, the first two sets having been split. Back on Laver, Svito races through a hold to 15, and this is an extremely promising match.

First set: Gauff* 2-2 Svitolina Gauff nets a forehand to give Svitolina 0-15, who then dashes to a half-court ball and with Gauff expecting a cross-courter, knocks a winner down the line. Gauff, though, responds with an ace, and two more big serves raise game-point before an ace drives it home.

First set: Gauff 1-2 Svitolina* What a revelation Hooch was when it came out, Friday lunchtimes in the car park of Kwik Save then back to school. Meanwhile, Svitolina again struggles on serve, before a wafty backhand from Gauff gives her 40-30 and she quickly closes out. She’s really “pumped” out there, but the early signs are that Gauff is just that little bit better.

First set: Gauff* 1-1 Svitolina At 15-0, Gauff tries a drop, and Svitolina runs it down really well, but Gauff is grooved and holds easily, winning the next three points. In commentary, they note than when she started, she won games she was expected to lose and now she’s losing games she’s expected to win, but remains a stellar talent. She’s 16! No doubt she’s got some Embassy No1 and a six-pack of Hooch in her bag.

First set: Gauff 0-1 Svitolina* The number five seed will serve first and soon finds herself in a ruckus, a booming backhand from Gauff making 15-30. A wild swing then gives Svito 30-all, but a big second serve flies out and that’s break point … not for long it isn’t. An ace out wide makes deuce, Gauff then flings a backhand cross-court wide … but comes into the net via clever forehand, dispatching the eventuating volley for another deuce. And we go around again, Svitolina unable to press home her next game point either – these players look really well-matched – before eventually holding. Meanwhile, on 8, Norrie now leads Safiullin by a break in set three.

Gael Monfils, Svitolina’s boyfriend, is in the crowd. I hope he’s feeling better.

De Minaur has broken Cuevas in set two and I daresay this one’ll be over pretty sharply. He leads 6-3 3-1.

Gauff and Svitolina are out knocking up and I can’t wait for this one. Svito has improved so much in the last couple of years, while Gauff is special.

Is Cuevas’ tash ironic? I don’t think it is; he doesn’t look a particularly ironical individual. But he’s serving well now, and trails De Minaur 3-6 1-2 on serve in the second. Back on Court 8, Norrie has broken back immediately and has just held too, so he leads Safiullin 3-6 7-5 2-1.

My school run is completed thanks for asking (die snow) and De Minaur has taken the first set 6-3, leading Cuevas 1-0 on serve in the second. Meanwhile, Norrie nabbed the second set off Safiullin 7-5, but has just been broken in game one of set three. What an absolute heel to the solar plexus that must be.

Right then, the afternoon session is almost in the books. Fognini, the men’s 16th seed, is about to haul Caruso into a decider, while Norrie and Safiullin are 4-4 in set two, first set Safiullin. And coming up shortly, we’ve got what promises to be an absolute jazzer: Coco Guaff v Elina Svitolina, while Cuevas and De Minaur have already got the evening session underway, sitting at 2-2 in set one.

“I just wanna go for a nice bath now,” says Tsitsipas. He’s very pleased with himself – though perhaps not as pleased as the interviewer wearing a syoot and box-fresh white trainer – and is happy to be playing tennis again. He says Kokkinakis is a great player and great competitor, has huge potential and he thinks he knows it himself, he just has to make the most of himself. He’s got a great serve and all the shots, and Tsitsipas really enjoyed being out there showing the world his own skills. He says it was a shame to miss Thanasi on the tour and there’s so much variety and diversity in his generation of great players, and the fight for pots and rankings is going to be great to watch. Too right, old mate; hell’s bells, he’s likable.

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 5-4 Thanasi Kokkinakis Tsitsipas has looked really strong on serve in the second half of this set, but another double hands Kokkinakis 15-all. And have a look! He plays a brilliant backhand on the run and tight to the sideline, which Tistsipas expects to go cross but goes down the line! Tsitsipas, though, finds a murderous forehand to a shovelled return for 30-all .. but can’t find a first serve next up … so sends Kokkinakis out wide, and he can only dump his return into the next. Match-point to the number 5, and when he goes long on the return, Tsitsipas is through! What a brilliant match that was! It’s so good to see Kokkinakis back, and so good to see Tsitsipas extended.

Elsewhere, Safiullin and Norrie are back on serve in set two, the Russian leading 6-3 3-3.

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 5-4 Thanasi Kokkinakis* Kokkinakis is scheduled to play doubles in a couple of hours – with Nick Kyrgios, no less – goodness me. And he begins this game with yet another ace, so that’s a bit of running saved. But at 30-0 a backhand slice drops long, inviting Tsitsipas into the game … only for a terrific forehand winner to a high, looping return, to boot him out of it again. A service winner follows, and the number 5 seed will have to serve ferit.

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 5-3 Thanasi Kokkinakis You’ve got to admire the mental strength of Kokkinakis, a wild-card entrant after two years of injury munt. A big forehand volley gets him to 15-all, and Tsitsipas blinks, losing concentration and maybe a little confidence to hand over a double-fault. But in classic style, a backhand winner out of nowhere redeems the situation, a serve out wide followed by a clean-up forehand raises game-point, and the same formula then forces it home. He’s one away!

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 4-3 Thanasi Kokkinakis* Kokkinakis begins the game with another ace, but at 30-0 a poor serve is straight at Tsitsipas, and he punishes a forehand down the line without having to shift his feet. He’s such a beautiful, lazily hyperactive mover, though a tennis-coach mate tells me Thiem is easily the best on the tour in that aspect. Anyhow, we’re soon at 30-all, whereupon Kokkinakis finds a great angle to go cross-court on the forehand … then so does Tsitsipas; deuce. He looks the stronger man now, but Kokkinakis isnae going away, and a serve out wide followed by a drive-volley earns game-point only for a further forehand to clip the net and flick out. No matter: an ace banged down the T restores advantage, then a wild forehand clinched the sit-down. We’ve now been going four hours and 18 minutes; the lads are made of elasticated metal fibre.

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 4-2 Thanasi Kokkinakis There’s a strong stench of o-v-e-r about this now. Tsitsipas is firing on both wings (forehand and backhand) and he rushes through a love consolidation.

Coming up in the evening session: Gauff v Svitolina (Yes!), Cuevas v De Minaur, Mmoh v Nadal, Pegula v Stosur.

Elsewhere: Roman Safiullin leads Cam Norrie by a set …. but Norrie has just broken for 2-0 in the second.

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 3-2 Thanasi Kokkinakis* Tsitsipas opens up the court and pastes an oblique forehand cross-court to nudge ahead in the match; I’d not commit to it, but I think his class might be starting to tell … and he soon has 15-30. But have a look! Kokkinakis nails an ace, his seventh in this set of 21 altogether; that is brilliant. But the next point is anything but, a tame serve and a long backhand handing Tsitsipas a break point. A body serve gets the point underway but Tsitsipas adjusts well, and again Kokiinakis goes long with a backhand! Tsitsipas has the break!

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 2-2 Thanasi Kokkinakis Thanks Emma and hi everyone. After the marathon, the sprint; Tsitsipas races to 40-15 … but then dumps a backhand slice into the net. Can Kokkinakis make something of it? “Do you wanna make something of it?” not something anyone’s asked me at the back of the top deck of the bus in a while. Anyway, a serve out wide, a clean-up forehand, and we’re all-square again/

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 1-1 Thanasi Kokkinakis Kokkinakis has won his fifth point in a row now but his foe is on the front foot and backing him into a corner. He delivers an aces, and another big serve that yields a ball into the net. Easier service game for Tsitsipas.

Fifth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) 0-1 Thanasi Kokkinakis* Not an ideal start to this deciding for Kokkinakis, who follows a double fault with an unforced error. He has a point now, but another double fault has him down 15-40. He’s shaking out his legs as if cramps are setting in. A big serve elicits a to-long return and a timely ace makes it deuce. He puts away a winner and another ace and that’s his service game taken care off, a mixed bag though it was.

Fourth set tie-break: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-7(5-7) Thanasi Kokkinakis The Kokk needs a big first serve. That’ll do. Set point. Tsitsipas’s serve is just as big but the return is monstrous. It’s sent back to him and he takes the set with a winner for the ages. What a shot, across court, heavy on the top spin so it lifts just high enough and lands low, swinging wide and out of reach. His mouth is open again, fist pumping, veins popping in elation. The crowd goes wild as they embark on a fifth set in this rollercoaster. Kokkinakos was tired but he has hit the refresh button here and there’s light at the end of the tunnel for him. He’s having a banana and some biscuits, and some potion that makes him wince at the taste. I have some biscuits at my desk but I’m somewhat more sedentary. This match, of course, isn’t over for Tsitsipas. The fifth seed knows how to fight, and he’s attaching a new bandana to that curly mop of hair ready for battle.

Fourth set tie-break: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-6(5-5) Thanasi Kokkinakis An unforced error from Kokkinakis allows his combatant to close the gap to a single point. The Aussie is back on serve. He faults, lands the second a little soft and Tsitsipas is hitting that baseline again to leave Kokkinakis out of options.

Fourth set tie-break: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-6(3-5) Thanasi Kokkinakis The home encouragement is boisterous. It’s rowdy (while adhering to etiquette). And the local is lapping it up. He can wrap this up but the next couple of points are crucial. He gives Tsitsipas a lifeline with an overcooked ground stroke and the Greek is now serving. He’s gone big and Kokkinakis is already on the back foot. Now he’s lobbing and that usually only means one thing, and there’s the smash.

Fourth set tie-break: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-6(1-5) Thanasi Kokkinakis Tsitsipas seems to be flustered and he’s lost track. He’s attempting to change ends at the end of the wrong point. Kokkinakis puts away a winner.

Fourth set tie-break: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-6(1-4) Thanasi Kokkinakis Stefanos is making mistakes now and before he knows it he’s suddenly at a disadvantage, hitting one long. He’s clearly frustrated with himself.

Fourth set tie-break: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-6(1-2) Thanasi Kokkinakis Tstsipas opens the play-off with a double fault and then fails to return Kokkinakis’s serve but he has the next point.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-6 Thanasi Kokkinakis* (*denotes server) There’s a bit of “Heeeeey, heey babe, ooooh, aaah!” as the change of ends occurs in anticipation. Kokkinakis makes his first serve count. Well, Tsitsipas makes a mistake he shouldn’t have. But Thanasi forces the issue and that tall drink of water that is the fifth seed is forced to the back corner and pops the ball up. Kokkinakis obliges and puts it away from the net. His serve is really keeping him in this, and he wins the game to love. We’re off to a tie-break.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 6-5 Thanasi Kokkinakis (*denotes server) Ace. Ace. Backhand winner. Forehand winner. Game, and the pressure is back on Kokkinakis no more than a minute after it took him 11 minutes to hold serve.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 5-5 Thanasi Kokkinakis* (*denotes server) Not flawless so far. Tsitsipas has unleashed a risky wide ground stroke that looks as if it’s sailing out until Hawkeye shows it’s nicked the line. Thanasi ups the pressure and forces an error to level at 15-15 but lets himself down with an unforced error. But he will not go quietly and changes it up with a low winner too far forward to Tsitsipas to get to. Parity restored at 30-30. An ace elevates him to 40-30 but blimey, another unforced error. He’s making this difficult for himself. Tsitsipas coughs up and advantages and Thanasi does the same with a wildly loose swing to hoik the ball out. Then he puts away the fastest serve of the match and Tsitsipas has no chance of returning that. But now the Australian opts to go across court and he doesn’t cover his line and gets duly punished as Tsitsipas catches the outside of a line again, this time the baseline. Tsitsipas unforced error. Kokkinakis unforced error x 2. Deuce. Kokkinakis unforced error. A match point is saved when Tsitsipas’s return is too long. Advantage Australian thanks to a smashed volley and Kokkinakis has his mouth open like that evil dude in The Mummy in a roar of victory. Tsitsipas returns the favour by forcing his counterpart into a mistake. And finally, finally this game comes to a close in favour of Kokkinakis. Still on serve.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 5-4 Thanasi Kokkinakis (*denotes server) Tsitsipas is also serving with ferocity. He matches Kokkinakis with two aces. If he can snatch a break here that’ll be game, set and match. The Kokk has to make this service game immaculate.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 4-4 Thanasi Kokkinakis* (*denotes server) And still on serve. Kokkinakis makes sure of that with two aces. Up 40-15, he exerts the pressure and Tsitsipas’s shot down the line is just a smidgeon wide.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 4-3 Thanasi Kokkinakis (*denotes server) As if feeding off spectators clearly on the side of the local, Tsitsipas brings out his ruthless side once again. Kokkinakis returns well but his opponent draws him wide until it’s too much. He is playing with freedom but this contest is still on serve.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 3-3 Thanasi Kokkinakis* (*denotes server) Worth noting that Tsitsipas is 22 with five career titles. Kokkinakis is 24 with zero. But he has beaten Federer. Say no more. Only three points have been lost on serve for the entire set thus far and Thanasi is serving strongly and wins the game despite being pushed all the way. The crowd gives another enthusiastic cheer.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 3-2 Thanasi Kokkinakis (*denotes server) Nice bit of interaction from the crowd, who cheers Kokkinakis and gets a smile out of him. That doesn’t get him a break though.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 2-2 Thanasi Kokkinakis* (*denotes server) sliding but not slipping, rushing forward for a drop shot, with Kokkinakis volleys, which Tsitsipas then volleys out of reach. 15-15. What tennis.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 2-1 Thanasi Kokkinakis (denotes server) Tsitsipas’s serve is brutal. Even his second, which bullets across the service court. Thanasi is tiring and he’s looking down at his racket for some answers. All is not lost, but his opponent is in control. He’s putting away winners with more ease. Kokkinakis shakes his legs out.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 1-1 Thanasi Kokkinakis* (denotes server) Kokkinakis is no slouch either and holds after dropping only a single point through an error.

Fourth set: Stefanos Tsitsipas* 6-7 (7), 6-4 6-1 1-0 Thanasi Kokkinakis (denotes server) Whoosh, the freight train passes Kokkinakis on his right, then on his left. Now Tsistipas is at the net and oh, that is an exquisite drop volley. Clean service game.