Nick Kyrgios couldn’t pull off his second straight 5-set upset as Dominic Thiem came from two sets down to beat the Australian 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in just over three hours in the third round at the Australian Open.

Kyrgios started with a quick break and rode his fast-paced game to an early set led. The crowd was in full frenzy and Kyrgios pulled ahead by another break in the …

Serena Williams saved two points in a 7-6(5), 6-2 win over Anastasia Potapova to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open. Serena fell behind a break early in the first but the 19-year-old Potapova completely gagged serving for the set at 5-3 tossing in five double faults including two on set points.

Serena took over in the breaker and then cruised to his 90th career Australian Open win.

“It was good …

Rafael Nadal’s ailing back is getting put in the rearview mirror. Last night in Melbourne, the 20-time Grand Slam champion looked good in a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over American qualifier Michael Mmoh.

“I always try to be better. Sometimes better, sometimes not,” said Nadal about going from his first match to second. “I think tonight has been a positive evening for me, winning in straight sets. Great news, for everything.”

About …

Elina Svitolina blew past Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-4 in the the second round at the Australian Open Thursday night.

In the first meeting, Gauff starting out not missing a serve for the first three games, but the 5th-seeded Svitolina was equally tough and undeterred and she was the tighter player off the ground committing 15 15 unforced errors to Gauff’s 23.

“I knew that Coco is all the time playing with …

Nick Kyrgios did it again under the lights in Melbourne. The 25-year-old Australian bad boy was in deep trouble down two match points in the fourth set to a very in-form Ugo Humbert. But Kyrgios caught fire at just the right time, putting together an array of exquisite shotmaking to deny the Frenchman 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.

Kyrgios moves on to meet 2020 finalist and US Open Dominic Thiem in …

Former Australian Open finalist Simona Halep was on the brink Wednesday night in Melbourne. The 2-time Slam champion was down 5-2 in the third to Australian Ajla Tomljanovic before mounting an incredible comeback winning the last five games to steal the match 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

The nerves nearly cost Halep she admitted afterward.

“I talked to my team after the match, and they told me that I should have played like I …

Rafael Nadal shrugged off any back issues with a good start to his Australian Open campaign defeating Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

Nadal missed all three match last week at the ATP Cup due to a back injury which didn’t hamper the 20-time Spaniard in his efficient win. The 34-year-old’s serve speed was down a little, but the groundstrokes were humming.

“It’s been a tough 15 days for me, because I had …

Naomi Osaka may be the tournament favorite, but Ash Barty has something to say about that. The Australian gave home fans added hope with an dominating 6-0, 6-0 opening win in Melbourne over Danka Kovinic Monday night.

Barty, who just won a Sunday tune-up over Garbine Muguruza, won the first 16 points in the 44-minute destruction.

“I wanted to go out there and almost take the sting, take the pepper out …

The favorites in the women’s draw all rolled in their first matches at the Australian Open Monday in Melbourne.

Serena Williams showed no signs of being 39. She was broken in her first game but them crushed Laura Siegemund winning 10 straight games for 6-1, 6-1 win to go to 76-1 in Grand Slam first round matches.

“This was a good start. Definitely vintage ‘Rena,” said Serena. “It’s definitely good. I think …

The Australian Open got off to a rousing start Monday in Melbourne.

Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic rolled Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 in his opener. The Serb is now 14-0 against Chardy, 33-0 in sets.

“It felt great,” said Djokovic. “I started the match really well. Broke his serve and, pretty much flawless match, especially on my service games. I was very dominant. I went very quickly through my service games. …

Here we go! In a few short hours the long-awaited Australian Open gets underway in a new time slot. Sixteen years after first playing Melbourne, Novak Djokovic is still the man Down Under.

The Serb has won the event eight times including the last two years. This is his home.

Rafael Nadal has a home, too, it’s in Roland Garros. But the Spaniard needs this one for two reasons: pass Roger Federer …

Ash Barty showed little signs of rust. Player her first event in almost a year, the world No. 1 won the Yarra Valley Classic title Sunday in Melbourne downing a red-hot Garbine Muguruza 7-6(3), 6-4.

“It was some of the better tennis I played throughout the whole week,” Barty said. “Garbine forced me to play at that level. It was a great final.

“Today I had to try and neutralize as best …

Daniil Medvedev stayed hot leading his Russian team to the ATP Cup title Sunday in Melbourne, beating Italy 2-0 in the final.

Medvedev went 4-0 in the team competition capping it off with a strong 6-4, 6-2 win over Matteo Berrettini to seal the 2-0 victory.

Medvedev has now won his last 14 matches, 10 of which have come against Top 10 players.

“It’s a really big achievement because I also didn’t lose …

Brit Dan Evans captured his first career ATP title Sunday in Melbourne denying Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Murray River Open.

Evans was 0-2 in final previously but was able to jump all over the Canadian earning a quick break to go up 3-2.

“The past three matches, I really put my game on the court and was decisive in how I was going to play,” said Evans. …

Jannik Sinner collected his second straight ATP title Sunday in Melbourne defeating countryman Stefano Travaglia 7-6(4), 6-4 to win the Great Ocean Road tune-up event.

The 19-year-old Sinner closed 2020 winning his first ATP title in Sofia, and after Sunday, has now won his last 10 matches.

“There have been very great moments from last year, which obviously I take with me,” said Sinner who saved a match point in his …