A weary Rafael Nadal had to dig deep to keep his Australian Open hopes alive. The former No. 1 went the distance to beat Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 in just over four hours.

Early on, Nadal was in full control of his fellow lefty, punishing Shapovalov with his lethal forehand.

Shapovalov tried to make inroads, complaining to the umpire about Nadal’s time wasting. Rafa, though, was undeterred.

Up two …

Two more top players fell in the women’s draw Monday at the Australian Open. Simona Halep lost a sluggish match to the drama queen Alize Cornet 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Halep was 3-1 down in her series to the Frenchwoman, and early on it looked like another tough day for the former No. 1.

Battling the heat, seemingly multiple physical issues and each other, the two played some crazy tennis. After taking …

Bottom half favorites Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas had to survive stern upset bids by Americans on Monday at the Australian Open.

After an easy first set, Medvedev was in deep against the hard-charging Maxime Cressy. The 24-year-old American exclusively serve-and-volleys, and while he got rolled in the first, his style began to frustrate the World No. 2.

After dropping the third, Cressy kept fending off break points in the fourth, prompting …

Ash Barty’s service streak was finally snapped Sunday night in Melbourne at the Australian Open. The World No. 1 had won her last 63 service games until getting broken to go down 2-0 in the second set to Amanda Anismova.

Barty, though, quickly got back on track breaking the American in her very next service game at 30, then pulling away for a 6-4, 6-3 victory to reach her fourth straight …

Alexander Zverev’s dreams of winning a Grand Slam will have to wait. The German became the highest men’s seed out as he was dismissed in routine fashion by Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3.

After a tough road to his first Australian Open — playing 13 of a maximum 15 sets — the Canadian lefty enjoyed his easiest match of the event, breaking the German four times while connecting on 35 winners …

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka played her best match of the year. Troubled by double faults, the Belarussian “only” hit 10 Saturday at the Australian Open in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova.

Sabalenka had to once again come from a set behind, but played the best two sets of her season thus far in the second and third.

“Of course I’m proud of myself that I was …

Bottom half favorites Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos inched closer to a semifinal collision at the Australian Open.

Medvedev manhandled Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to reach his fourth straight Australian Open fourth round.

“I am really happy because every round at a Grand Slam is very tough,” Medvedev told the crowd after his 26-winner performance. “Even today the score doesn’t show this, but I feel like it was a much …

The match of the day on the men’s first day of third round play at the Australian Open lived up to the hype as Matteo Berrettini went the distance to deny 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in a thriller 6-2, 7-6(3), 4-6, 2-6, 7-6(10-5) in 4 hours, 10 minutes.

Up two sets, a weary-looking Alcaraz looked done, but it was Berrettini who’s level dropped and suddenly the teen and his last groundstrokes was …

Naomi Osaka’s run at the Australian Open came to an end in thrilling fashion as Amanda Anismova stunned the 2-time tournament champion 4-6, 6-3, 7-6[10-5] in just over two hours.

Anismova, who won Melbourne 2 coming into the event, had to save two match points on her serve at 4-5 in the decider to reach her third Grand Slam fourth round.

“Going into this match I knew I had to be playing …

It was only a matter of time before the upsets hit the women’s draw, and they hit hard yesterday.

The two finalists from the WTA Championships were bounced early as Garbine Muguruza and Anett Kontaveit were upset.

Muguruza, a former finalist, had nothing to offer in the way of French veteran Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-3.

“It’s a tough day,” said Muguruza. “My serve wasn’t there, I think my shots weren’t there also, tactically …

Nick Kyrgios’s act didn’t play well on Daniil Medvedev who ousted the part-time tennis player from him home Australian Open 7-6(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in just under 3 hours.

The tournament favorite Medvedev was 0-2 against Kyrgios, but behind a booming serve which registered 31 aces among his 68 winners he finally got that win. Kyrgios managed to win just 38% of his second serves.

“I came to win this match and …

Tournament favorites Ash Barty and Naomi Osaka moved to just one win from a fourth round showdown at the Australian Open.

Yesterday in Melbourne, home hero Barty had no issues in with qualifier Lucia Bronzetti in a 6-1, 6-1 blowout. Barty’s lost just three games in four sets thus far, and she’s held serve 48 straight times going back to the start of Adelaide.

After two qualifier, Barty will step up to …

Rafael Nadal stayed perfect in 2022 but it was much tougher than he expected. The 2009 Australian Open champion was made to work by German qualifier Yannik Hanfmann 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours, 42 minutes.

Rallies and games were long as the Hanfmann was able to push the former No. 1.

“Having played him before at Roland Garros I knew that he is dangerous,” said Nadal. “His result against Thanasi in …

In a much-anticipated battle of US Open champions, it was Emma Raducanu getting the better of Sloane Stephens Tuesday night at the Australian Open.

Both were question marks coming into the showdown. Raducanu had COVID at the end of 2021 and struggled since her New York triumph. Stephens just got married at the start of the year and had little match prep.

In the end, the 19-year-old Raducanu played two near-flawless sets …

Andy Murray is becoming Mr. 5 sets at Grand Slams. The former No. 1 played another grinding marathon match last night in Melbourne outlasting Nikolaz Basilashvili 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4 in 3 hours, 43 minutes.

Murray had the full support of the crowd against the man he had just defeated last week in Sydney and last summer at Wimbledon. And like those matches, this would also prove to be taxing.

Though …