Right, phew,That’s it from us for today, but do join us again tomorrow for Emma Raducanu v Iga Swiatek, while Jannik Sinner, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina are all in action,Thanks for your company and comments,Bye!So next up for Draper is the unenviable assignment of facing Alcaraz in the last 16,That would be a hard enough task, even if Draper didn’t already have 15 sets on the clock after only three rounds.

How Draper is able to physically recover will be crucial.He will, at least, be buoyed by the fact he has beaten Alcaraz before, at Queen’s last year.Nerves.Of.Steel 🥶Jack Draper makes it a hat-trick of five-set wins at #AO2025! 🇬🇧@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen pic.

twitter.com/4rWVhdhRDzDraper resists goading the crowd like Danielle “you pay my bills” Collins did yesterday after beating Australia’s Destanee Aiava.“He came back from the dead,” Draper says of Vukic’s fifth-set comeback.“It was just a great battle.That’s what sport is all about.

My body doesn’t feel too great, it’s lucky I’ve got a good physio.I don’t want to think about [facing] Alcaraz yet.But hopefully it’ll be a great match and my body holds up.” He’s applauded by the remaining spectators, despite probably being public enemy No 1 in Melbourne after his second straight win over a home player.This MP is on Draper’s serve, however, and he takes a little longer before serving, blowing on his sweaty hand.

It does the trick, as a huge first serve gets the job done,For the third successive match he’s come from two sets to one down and he’s through to last 16 for first time! What a scrap,He doesn’t cup his ear to the crowd, as he did after defeating Kokkinakis in the second round,He looks too tired for that,He wearily waves to the spectators, as Vukic departs to huge applause from his home crowd, as he should.

What a performance from him.Both men are trying to give absolutely everything they have left after nearly four hours of play, as Draper moves to 8-7.Now Vukic has two points on his racket … but he can’t get to the drop shot in time and is only able to prod into the net! Draper has two match points at 9-7 … but he snatches at the return! 9-8 …Draper takes a second straight point on the Vukic serve for 7-6 … but blinks on the backhand! 7-7 …Vukic surrenders the mini-break immediately, as Draper absolutely hurtles to the net to put away the winner.Though did his foot touch the net, in which case Draper concedes the point? It was perilously close, but the umpire gives him the point for 6-6 …Draper produces a big serve of his own for 5-5, a longer rally plays out on the next point, and Vukic conjures up the perfect drop shot! The Australian leads 6-5 – but he doesn’t have match point yet, he’s got to get to 10 …Draper must have his heart in his mouth on the next point as his shot looks to be flying beyond the baseline, but it has just enough topspin on it to drop in.4-3 Draper, then Vukic rattles off two quick points on serve to lead 5-4 …A cross-court exchange, Vukic’s backhand to the lefty Draper’s forehand, ensues, and it’s Draper who blinks first.

3-3 at the change of ends …Vukic gets on the board for 3-1, and drags Draper all over the place for 3-2, but it’s Draper who still has the mini-break …It’s first blood to Draper in the breaker, as he claims the mini-break, before two snarling serves back it up for 3-0 …The umpire chastises the crowd for their rowdiness,Good luck with getting them to calm down now,Draper wins an engaging first point, Vukic produces a superb return on the second point but it’s not enough,30-0,The umpire again rebukes the spectators.

40-0.Game.A tie-break will settle this one – and it’s first to ten points.Who’s going to win? The way this match has veered one way and then the other, I have absolutely no clue.In this anything but straightforward match, Vukic appears to be on course for a straightforward hold at 40-15, but Draper comes back for 40-30.

Vukic, moving with zip and hitting with such power now, having looked down and out earlier in the fifth set, chases down the short ball and Draper isn’t getting that back! Vukic leads 6-5 and is once again a game away,Will Vukic break for victory or will we have a deciding tie-break? Let’s find out …Draper isn’t at all obliging, though,15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game,5-5,Back to you, Aleksandar …How quickly tennis can change.

From Draper having break points to make it 4-1, he’s now behind and trying to halt Vukic’s surge, which he does with a cool forehand winner down the line for a 15 hold to make it 4-4.But Draper can’t do any damage on Vukic’s serve, the Australian holds to 30 and springs up from his chair to stirring screams from the crowd, as he attempts to break Draper to seal the biggest win of his career …Vukic is whipping the crowd into an Australian frenzy as he slam dunks for 40-0, Pete Sampras style, as he launches himself into the Melbourne skies, at least two feet off the ground.Remarkable.How has the 28-year-old not done more during his career, given this performance? This is his first time in the third round of a slam, remember.And he holds to 15 for 4-3!Vukic, so subdued a few games ago, is now jumping on the baseline as he gets to 0-30.

He’s then running around the court and waving his arm in the air repeatedly when he brings up 0-40.Draper repels the first two break points but he can’t do anything about the third … as Vukic gobbles up Draper’s drop shot to pass! From it very nearly being 4-1 Draper it’s 3-3.This.Match.Is.

Definitely,Not,Over,Yet,… advantage Draper, a third break point.

A lightning quick serve out wide snuffs out this one.Draper, running to his left, flicks his wrist and curls his forehand around the net for a perfect pass! PlayStation tennis, that.Advantage Draper.Deuce.Advantage Vukic.

Game.After saving four break points, Vukic holds.He’s still a break down at 3-2, but he’s hanging on.Draper grabs for an ice towel at the changeover, a surprising choice at past midnight.No danger of it cooling his momentum though, as he moves to 40-15.

And game, as he dispatches a forehand winner deep into Vukic’s left corner.That’s the break backed up … and Draper is in lockdown mode now, sprinting to 0-30, with a tiring Vukic looking off the pace.That’s soon 15-40 … then 30-40 … Vukic is brave, as he was on the break point in the previous game, and this time his shot does land! Deuce …A quick leg stretch for me, and when I return it’s 1-1 in the decider.This is the only match still taking place, as the clock ticks beyond midnight in Melbourne.Not that the crowd are leaving, they’ve invested too much in this match to depart now, even though the smart money would be on Draper to complete the job from here.

Draper gets the first chance to break when Vukic tiredly hits into the net,30-40,But Draper is only three out of 13 on break points,Can he convert? Yes, because Vukic goes for broke and whacks into the tramlines!If you’re just joining us, a recap of what’s already happened at Melbourne Park on day six:Serbs supporting Serbs 🥰@DjokerNole joined in the celebrations as Olga Danilovic booked her spot into the AO fourth round! 🇷🇸#AO2025 pic,twitter.

com/sxDjKgGHGWLet's play five!@jackdraper0 comes up clutch, outlasting Aleksander Vukic in a fourth set tiebreak to force a decider.It's the third time this week both men have gone the distance!#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/LiL4zc2D5a“One thing Jack is starting to resemble Andy Murray in, is his fitness,” emails David Hindle.“He has held up brilliantly during this run of long matches.

He still looks fine,More of that, in any case!” True, David,And another way in which Draper stirs memories of Murray is in putting his British fans through the wringer…Draper’s defence is superb, he somehow gets the ball back, it hangs in the air for what feels like the length of this match (two hours 52 minutes now), but Vukic nervelessly slams down the smash! 5-5 … 6-5 Draper, and the set point is on his serve … and Draper serve-volleys his way to the fourth set! For the third successive match, Draper is going the distance, after winning a set he didn’t have much right to,Vukic hit 23 winners, won 80% of first-serve points, but the Australian couldn’t get the job done,The fans, while of course cheering for Vukic, are showing Draper some respect though, it has to be said, despite his ear cupping at the end of his victory over Kokkinakis the other day.

Draper then attempts to net rush without success.4-3 Vukic, then 4-4, and 5-4 Draper when Vukic hits high and wide …Vukic concedes the mini-break immediately, as the umpire sternly tells the crowd to stop screaming before the players serve.Hmm, not sure they’re going to listen, especially when their man is so close to victory.Draper edges to 3-2, and they change ends at 3-3 …1-0 Draper, who must win this breaker to extend this match any further.1-1, with Vukic doing well to control Draper’s lob.

Draper has the chance to lob again, with Vukic at the nete, but instead goes for an attempted pass,Vukic shows sharp reactions to put away a winning volley for the first mini-break …No time to dwell on Danilovic’s victory, though, because Draper, leading 6-5 on serve in the fourth set, is 0-30 up on Vukic’s serve,Vukic holds his nerve with a drop shot that catches Draper by surprise,It wasn’t the perfect drop, but Draper was too slow to respond,15-30 becomes 30-all, and Vukic slams a forehand down the line but it whistles just wide.

Draper has set point … and Vukic rips a nerveless inside-out forehand winner! Draper is screaming to Melbourne’s night skies.Deuce.Advantage Draper.Deuce.Advantage Vukic.

Game Vukic.We’ve got a tie-break … which is exactly what this set deserves! If Vukic wins it, he takes the match.If Draper does, we’re going to five.Big win for Olga Danilovic, knocking out recent US Open finalist #7 Jessica Pegula 7-6(3), 6-1.Pegula was misfiring, with 11 winners against 22 unforced errors, but Danilovic kept her under pressure, making 76% of first serves and winning 76% of those points.

#AusOpen“I’m super happy,” beams Danilovic,“She’s such a great player,I knew I had to have my A plus plus plus game to beat her,My first match on Rod Laver Arena,I don’t know what to say.

” The 23-year-old world No 55 will take on Paula Badosa in the last 16.Yes Draper has been dealing with a hip injury, which affected his off-season training and forced him to cancel a training block with Alcaraz, but his movement has looked decent today, it’s his concentration that has been inconsistent.Vukic holds for 4-4, just as Danilovic looks close to taking out Pegula on Rod Laver, leading 7-6, 5-1.Danilovic has two match points at 40-15 … and the Serb can’t chase down Pegula’s drop shot! 40-30 … and Pegula is saving her best until last, coming out on top in a superb rally! Danilovic has a third match point at her advantage, and Pegula’s return goes long! The cameras pan to Djokovic, who is celebrating his fellow Serb’s victory backstage.It’s one of the upsets of the week