Key events
Report
As Tumaini Carayol reports from Melbourne Park, this fourth-round women’s singles match came with a unique twist:
Jonathan Howcroft
Thank you for joining me today. We’re going to close this blog down for the time being and return later this evening to play close attention to second seeds Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, as well as find out what tournament organisers have in store for the crazy heat forecast for Tuesday.
I’ll see you back here soon.
Returning briefly to the wager between Pegula and Keys:
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Anisimova (4) v Wang is the next scheduled singles match today, over on John Cain Arena, but it will be a while before they hit the court as the preceding match on JCA – a third round women’s doubles clash – is into a deciding set.
Which might mean Musetti (5) v Fritz (9) on Rod Laver Arena is where your focus might be drawn next. That one is from 2pm.
Then a reminder that after that from 4pm on Margaret Court Arena it’s Elena Rybakina (5) v Elise Mertens (21) followed by Luciano Darderi (22) v Jannik Sinner (2).
The quarterfinals in an unusually to-seed women’s singles are taking shape:
Sabalenka (1) v Jovic (29)
Gauff (3) v Svitolina (12)
Pegula (6) v Anisimova (4) or Wang
Rybakina (5) or Mertens (21) v Swiatek (2) or Inglis
Pegula also explained how there was a wager on this match. Keys now has to do something involving melted cheese and apples, I think. Pegula (scion of the Buffalo Bills ownership) no longer has to wear a t-shirt in support of Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce, and his beau Taylor Swift. I’m sure we’ll get details on the next episode of their podcast.
More from Pegula:
It was tough in the first set. She played a couple really good games. I really had to focus on where I was and be smart and take some serves, change up the pace as much as I could. I feel like sometimes my serve, it kind of comes right into her and it comes back faster, even if I hit a good serve. So I had to really trust that I was able to change speeds and hit my spots on my serve first and second. In the second set, honestly, I couldn’t see anything into the sun and I was like, whatever. I got broken, like I was trying not to worry about it. It was a little tough on that side into sun, kind of like uphill.
Jessica Pegula has had a few words on court with Coco Vandeweghe:
I’ve been playing really well, seeing the ball, hitting the ball really well this whole tournament, and I wanted to stray true to that and just lean on a couple things that I felt like she would do, and I felt like I came out doing it pretty well. And then I maybe got some points from her early on. So I just tried to, when I had that lead, just stick with that lead as much as I could. Even then she got a little rhythm coming back, but I just really tried to focus on what I needed to do and patterns to look out for.
As expected it was a match between Pegula’s consistency and Keys’s power, and in the end efficiency won out. 13-28 unforced errors, 1-6 double faults… the champion swung from her boots, as is her trademark, but conceded too many free points in crucial moments.
Jessica Pegula (6) beats Madison Keys (9) 6-3 6-4
Pegula serves perfectly down the T then outfoxes Keys with a forehand drop to move within two points of victory. Another precise serve allows the sixth seed to dominate from the net and earn two match points. She only needs one as Keys dumps a forehand in the net.
The two friends embrace at the net. The defending champion is out. Jessica Pegula moves on to the quarter-finals.
*Pegula (6) 5-4 6-3 Keys (9) Keys holds to 30 despite a fourth double fault this set. Pegula will serve for the match.
Pegula (6) 5-3 6-3 Keys (9)* Speaking of first serves, Pegula has dropped to 48% this set, and finds herself 30-30 in a scrappy start to a crucial service game. A much better slider out wide to the Keys forehand sets up a hold opportunity but the champion responds with a deep return to force deuce.
Keys monsters another return, then benefits from a net cord, to earn a break point, but Pegula serves wide to the backhand for a forced return error. With the match in the balance the ninth seed finds the net twice in quick succession to gift her friend a vital hold. That felt like a big moment in this contest.
*Pegula (6) 4-3 6-3 Keys (9) Keys has timed her drop shots to perfection and she slips in another to move up 30-0. She’s only serving at 54% this set though, which is a worry as she’s only winning 23% of points behind her second serve. This is brought into focus as 30-0 becomes 30-30. Fortunately for Keys Pegula overhits mid-rally, then she executes a big first serve to hold.
Pegula (6) 4-2 6-3 Keys (9)* Pegula passes Keys with a brilliant backhand crosscourt but hands the point straight back with a forehand into the net. The ninth seed benefits from a huge stroke of luck as a net cord dribbles just into Pegula’s territory, and despite offering an apologetic hand she shows no mercy with an emphatic overhead smash to earn two break points. She only needs one – a rasping forehand return winner that is past the sixth seed before she’s fully completed her service motion.
Maybe there’s some life in this contest yet?
*Pegula (6) 4-1 6-3 Keys (9) Keys’s 20th unforced error (to Pegula’s seven) drops her to 0-30, but she’s rescued by a massive forehand winner down the line, despite being on the back foot in a rally behind her second serve. A well-timed drop shot brings the champion level but Pegula earns another break point when she resumes peppering deep into the backhand corner. Big moment here for Keys – and she fluffs it – failing to see out the point with the rally on her racket, gifting Pegula breathing room in this second set.
Pegula (6) 3-1 6-3 Keys (9)* Keys wins the first point after a superb rally with both women peppering each other’s backhand corner. Pegula levels with a wicked serve that kisses the T in the deuce court, then rips another in an almost identical place in the ad. A rare unforced error takes us to 30-30 then Keys absolutely monsters a backhand return winner for break point – that is saved with a serve out wide and a solid put-away.
Pegula then serves out from deuce with an ace and unreturnable missile. The sixth seed has sneaky power when she wants to use it.
*Pegula (6) 2-1 6-3 Keys (9) A stabilising hold to 15 for Keys featuring three booming aces and a punishing forehand winner. She needed that.
Pegula (6) 2-0 6-3 Keys (9)* Pegula holds to 30 as Keys racks up more unforced errors.
*Pegula (6) 1-0 6-3 Keys (9) Some big serving and big forehands from Keys moves her up 40-15 as the sky above Rod Laver Arena is filled by the sight and sound of the Royal Australian Airforce Roulettes. The defending champion then finds herself in a dogfight as Pegula wins a couple of points on the bounce, the latter a long testing rally that ends with Keys overhitting.
The ninth seed does the same on her second game point, double faulting on the third. Ten points into the game Keys is 5/5 behind her first serve and 0/5 behind her second.
A second double in a row gifts Pegula the opportunity to break, but as if to reinforce the value of the symmetrical serving stats, Keys saves it with an ace!
The first interruption to that pattern occurs when Keys hits long behind a first serve – but unfortunately for her that’s the only blip, with yet another double fault, the third of the game, continuing Pegula’s run of winning every second serve point.
Pegula is now a set and a break up with Keys looking vulnerable.
Pegula wins the first set 6-3
Pegula (6) 0-0 6-3 Keys (9)* Both players seem to have lost rhythm as the scoreboard limps to 30-30. Pegula then does well to resist Keys’s aggression and take up a strong position at the net, forcing her opponent to hit long. And she only requires one set point when Keys commits her 12th unforced error. 31 minutes played and the sixth seed is a set up on the defending champion.
*Pegula (6) 5-3 Keys (9) Both players go long with forehands as they adjust to the new balls, then Keys plants a put-away volley into the net. Pegula resorts to a couple of moonballs to keep herself in the rally, and it pays dividends when Keys can’t nail the backhand down the line. Nervy from Keys after looking so assured. And those nerves continue as Pegula immediately breaks back courtesy of another unforced error. The sixth seed will serve for the set.
Pegula (6) 4-3 Keys (9)* Keys appears to have hit her way into this contest, crunching her fifth point in a row with a rasping backhand winner. Pegula responds with a clean forehand of her own so Keys ups the ante with an enormous forehand winner. At 30-30 both players work each other around the court but Keys gets on top and earns a break point with a reassuring smash, laying to rest the earlier demons. She can’t convert though, hitting a forehand down the line into the net.
A second break point opportunity comes and goes, but she takes the third when Pegula tamely backhands into the net behind a cagey second serve.
The sixth seed raced out of the blocks but it’s the ninth seed who now has the momentum in this opening set.
*Pegula (6) 4-2 Keys (9) A second double fault of the morning puts Keys behind the eight ball, then she shanks a straightforward put-away at the net – her second horrendous mistake of the match! Two uncharacteristic errors from the ninth seed. Showing great fortitude Keys retains her composure and belts her way in front with a series of huge forehands before sealing a clutch hold with a well disguised backhand drop shot.
Pegula (6) 4-1 Keys (9)* Pegula eases up 40-0, demonstrating her ease of movement and clean ball striking, especially on the forehand side. Keys drags it back to 40-30 but misses an attempted in-to-out winner to fall 4-1 behind in the opening set. The defending champion has won only 4/16 points on the Pegula serve.
*Pegula (6) 3-1 Keys (9) Pegula crunches a massive forehand deep into the forehand corner for 0-15, then after levelling up Keys hits about as wild a second serve as you’re ever likely to see for a grisly double fault. Pegula has a huge opportunity to climb into another second serve but Keys somehow peels off a forehand half-volley winner off her laces to rescue the game. With a huge sigh of relief Keys gets herself on the board with a structured point, serving wide to the Pegula backhand then putting away the groundstroke into the forehand corner.
Pegula (6) 3-0 Keys (9)* Pegula slips to 0-30 with a double fault but roars back to hold. She’s won 7/8 points on her first serve so far, denying Keys any chance to apply pressure.
*Pegula (6) 2-0 Keys (9) Early intent from Pegula, coming to the net against the powerful Keys and putting away a clinical volley for a fifth point in a row. Keys levels up but Pegula has started like a rocket and wins the next three points, forcing errors by moving her opponent around the court, for an early break.
Pegula (6) 1-0 Keys (9)* Pegula, in Adidas orange, holds to love. Keys, in Nike lemon and lime, mentioned in their podcast she was wary of her friend’s drop shots, which proved prescient when a delicate angle from Pegula secured the game.
Pegula has breezed through the draw so far, dropping just ten games. Keys has yet to lose a set but has been made to work harder. Fortunately her serve remains massive, and her 194kmh effort is the second fastest so far in the women’s draw.
The friends have met three times on tour before with Keys winning twice, including the most recent contest, the final of the 2025 Adelaide Open.
As the players begin their on-court warm-up it’s time to focus on Pegula v Keys – or should that be Jess v Madi, in the battle of the podcast co-hosts?
Here they are enjoying some wholesome pre-match chit-chat.
There are only three matches in the men’s draw today after Jakub Menšík was forced to withdraw from his clash with Novak Djokovic after suffering an abdominal injury.
Djokovic (4), joins Carlos Alcaraz (1), Alexander Zverev (3), Alex de Minaur (6), and Learner Tien (25) in the quarter finals.
For those outside Australia who might be unaware, today is Australia Day. Proceedings have just opened on centre court with a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by teenager Daniel Makunike.
Tumaini Carayol endured the heat at Melbourne Park on Saturday that caused havoc with this half of the draw.
Heat is a common subject in tennis, a sport that chases the sun around the world. Last month, after numerous heat-related retirements at the Shanghai Masters, the ATP announced its own heat rules, ending years of debate over whether the tour should prioritise the welfare of its players or continue to enable antiquated attitudes. There are still some who view the sport as a gladiatorial pursuit where athletes should be able to handle all conditions, regardless of how dangerous they are.
Day nine will be hot – day ten will be ferocious
It’s currently 22C at Melbourne Park. We’ll hit 30 by 2pm, and the peak of 35 is expected at 6pm. This is not great news for Jannik Sinner who has drawn the short straw two rounds in a row. The Heat Stress Scale will surely rise above 4 during the afternoon and evening, meaning extended breaks between sets. However, based on Saturday, it seems unlikely we’ll see the Extreme Heat Protocol lead to roof closures and play suspended.
That is unquestionably going to occur tomorrow when the forecast top is a crazy 45C. Assuming play starts earlier than usual to mitigate the circumstances it will still be 33C at 10:30am. 40C will be reached around 1pm and we won’t dip back under 35 until after 10pm.
I don’t envy Craig Tiley and the rest of the tournament organisers. We will find out the scheduling for Tuesday around 6pm, but surely they will back-end as much as possible and expect to play under closed roofs for the entirety of the afternoon and evening.
The powerful contingent of US women continues to grow with teenager Iva Jovic joining Coco Gauff in the quarters. By the end of today half the quarter-finalists in the women’s draw could be American.
Yesterday, Carlos Alcaraz continued on his quest to become the youngest man to complete the career grand slam.
But the Spaniard faces a tough task in the quarter-finals against a confident and composed Alex de Minaur in the form of his life.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of day nine of the Australian Open and the conclusion of the fourth round of the men’s and women’s singles.
The most intriguing match of the day is up first on Rod Laver Arena, featuring close friends Jessica Pegula (6) and Madison Keys (9). That all-USA affair kicks us off around 11:30am local time.
Around 1:30pm on John Cain Arena, Amanda Anisimova (4) is bidding to become the fourth American into the quarter-finals of the women’s draw when she takes on China’s Xinyu Wang.
Back on RLA near 2pm Lorenzo Musetti (5) and Taylor Fritz (9) will have to endure the worst of the day’s heat, while conditions will also be tough on Margaret Court Arena for Elena Rybakina (5) and Elise Mertens (21) when they get going, not before 4pm.
The day session concludes much later than usual with a fascinating all-Italian clash on MCA between Luciano Darderi (22) and two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner (2). It remains to be seen how the second seed has recovered from his gruelling third round match in Saturday’s extreme conditions, and the mercury will again be in the mid-30s when he sends down his first serve around 6pm.
Feel free to get in touch while the blog is live. You can reach me at jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
