Live: Zverev battles into Australian Open semifinal, heat rules in effect

Alexander Zverev has received a pretty kind reception from the crowds in attendance at his matches this year.

It’s been a stark contrast to how his tournament ended last year when he was heckled during his runner-up speech in the final due to allegations surrounding his personal live.

After advancing into another semifinal, Zverev was asked about the crowds and was apparently not in any mood to give a lengthy answer.

Here’s how the exchange went down to open up his press conference.

Reporter: “Compared to previous years, at Rod Laver Arena it feels very different. The focus is on your serve, a lot of crowd support, rather than attention on your personal life. Do you feel different this year?

Zverev: “I think this question is not worth asking anymore.”

As a casual observer, this tournament seems to be pretty much following the script so far, the top 6 seeds making the final 8 in the men’s and women’s and not too many surprise results apart from a few injury withdrawals (in the back half at least) – are we due for an upset? Something like the 6th seed beating the world No. 1 in the quarterfinals for example…

— Mike

Hi Mike,

You’re on the money there.

The 2026 Australian Open is the first grand slam that all top six seeds in the men’s and women’s singles have reached the quarterfinals in the Open Era.

And in terms of your upset comment, all of us here on the ABC Sport desk are hoping the Demon pulls something extraordinary off tonight.

WOOHOO!

The Aussies have taken the opener in 47 minutes, 6-4.

The Australian Open have released tomorrow’s quarterfinal schedule.

Here’s the order of play on Rod Laver Arena (AEDT):

From 11:30

• Elena Rybakina [5] v Iga Swiatek [2]

Not before 1pm

• Jessica Pegula [6] v Amanda Anisimova [4]

Not before 2:30pm

• Lorenzo Musetti [5] v Novak Djokovic [4]

From 7:00pm

• Ben Shelton [8] v Jannik Sinner [2]
• Kim Birrell/Talia Gibson [WC] v Ena Shibahara/Vera Zvonareva 

Aussies Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans are currently playing on Margaret Court Arena in the men’s quarterfinal.

They’re up against the number 12 seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul.

We’re on serve 4-4 in the first set.

We’ve got a bit of a wait to go until Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz take to the court, but there’s no doubt this is THE match of day 10.

The hometown favourite up against the best player in the world in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena. Doesn’t get much bigger.

Aussie pair Olivia Gadecki and John Peers have done it.

They beat Mate Pavic and Aleksandra in straight sets in the mixed doubles quarterfinals to book their spot in the semis.

It was an impressive match from the duo on Margaret Court Arena. They took the first set 6-1 but then have to battle to a tiebreaker victory in second 7-6 (8-6).

Some nice stuff on the court from our winner this afternoon, Alexander Zverev, talking about his foundation.

I’ll let him do the explaining:

“I’ve been a diabetic since I was four years old. I started my foundation not just for athletes with diabetes but for kids with diabetes too.

“Unfortunately we live in a world where not every single country is as fortunate as Australia, as the United States, as Germany where I’m from, where everybody who is diabetic has the medicine, has all the sensors and all the technology.

“We started the foundation to help kids — and I say kids because most of the time in not-so-well-developed countries, if somebody gets the sickness of diabetes, they don’t survive past a certain age. We want to give the opportunity to provide medicine, provide hospitals, a normal life with diabetes all over the world.

“It’s something that is very close to my heart of course, and if ever there will be a diabetic grand slam champion, even if it’s not me, I will be the happiest person in the world. And if I made a difference for a parent or a kid, I’m the happiest person in the world.”

Learner Tien would have won a lot of fans today with his refusal to throw in the towel, and some of his strokeplay was a treat to watch. He will be a challenger around these parts for many years to come.

But Zverev never really looked threatened throughout, not with his service game in such good order. He blew Tien off the court with his serving and apart from a hiccup in the second-set tiebreak, he never looked in any real danger.

Zverev is into the semifinals and will face either Carlos Alcaraz or Alex de Minaur.

Zverev has some kind words for Tien:

“I don’t know what [coach] Michael Chang has done with him in the offseason, but the way he is playing is incredible.

“Without my 20-something aces I probably wouldn’t have won today.”

Here we go. Can Tien pull it out again to extend the match into a fifth set?

Tien misses a backhand wide after an extended rally to give Zverev an early mini-break. 1-0 Zverev.

Ace. 2-0 Zverev.

Ace. 3-0 Zverev.

A wild and sloppy forehand from Tien flies well wide. He’s on the ropes now. 4-0 Zverev.

Brilliant from Zverev! A punishing backhand winner down the line. Nearly there. 5-0 Zverev.

Tien sends another one long, and angrily thrashes the ball into the net in response. Six match points to Zverev. 6-0 Zverev.

Double-fault! His first one of the match. Laughable, really. 6-1 Zverev.

Ace Tien. 6-2 Zverev.

Unreturnable serve. Surely not? 6-3 Zverev.

Zverev gets there! Tien read the smash from Zverev but his recovery stroke just hung a little long. 7-3 the final score in the tiebreaker.

From nowhere, Tien has a break point… The crowd senses the opportunity, as I’m sure the American does too… It’s a break and set point…

And Zverev whips down an unreturnable serve at 207kph. Never mind.

Zverev seals the deal with a couple of really classy volleys, proving he’s not all power. To the tiebreaker we go.

A comfy hold for Learner Tien, who isn’t serving too badly himself currently. Zverev doesn’t seem like he can be bothered with the long rallies at the moment, content to go boom or bust and conserve some energy.

Again he will force Zverev to serve to stay in the set, with a tiebreaker seemingly on the cards again.

Has there been a better display of serving at the Australian Open this year? It’s been a total clinic from Alexander Zverev this afternoon, and it’s seemingly only been getting better and better.

There was nothing Tien could do there. Zverev is up to 22 aces now and hasn’t served a single double fault. He’s still only coughed up two break points all match.

From 40-15 down, Zverev forced a deuce out of Tien and drew a few nervous groans from the crowd.

But just as he did a few games ago Tien saved his best serving for the pressure moments, putting the game away with an ace and a winner down the line.

Zverev will now serve to stay in the fourth set.

Tien’s only real chance here is forcing Zverev to a tiebreaker and hoping he gets away with a couple of crucial points. Because there is just next to no chance of him finding a break of serve with how well the German is sending them down.

Zverev is getting frustrated at times on Tien’s serve, but with ball in his hand he is not even flinching.

Some good news Aussie tennis fans!

Aussie duo Olivia Gadecki and John Peers have taken the opening set against Mate Pavic and Aleksandra Krunic in the mixed doubles quarterfinals.

They did it quite convincingly too, claiming it 6-1.

Thankfully, they’re on Margaret Court Arena, so away from that very, very hot sun.

Whatever inflicted Learner in that third set has been swiftly eradicated, this is much more like what we were expecting from the American.

He is steady on serve and his ground strokes are consistently troubling Zverev whenever a rally breaks out. He leads 4-3.

Ace. Ace. Unreturnable. Ace.

Alexander Zverev refuses to give Tien a look in on serve.

Yep, feels like the second set on replay here.

Tien was forced to save a break point there, but he did so in some style with a big serve and a punishing cross-court winner.

Two big serves in the deuce – the second coming on the second serve – puts the game away and keeps us all locked up.