<a href="/tennis" class="sdc-site-localnav__header-title" data-role="nav-header" aria-controls="sdc-site-localnav-body" aria-expanded="false"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 34 34" class="sdc-site-localnav__icon"> <path d="M6.02 12.67c.01.194.087.362.247.525l.188.192L16.52 23.45c.188.19.44.294.706.294s.518-.104.707-.293l10.135-10.134.123-.126c.162-.163.24-.332.248-.53.006-.173-.155-.438-.442-.725-.187-.187-.386-.368-.59-.537-.05-.04-.096-.078-.138-.11l-.496.495-9.193 9.193-.355.354-.354-.354-9.197-9.198-.484-.484c-.043.033-.09.07-.14.112-.204.168-.402.348-.59.536-.285.288-.446.553-.44.727z" /> </svg>Tennis </a> <br>Jack Draper won third straight five-set thriller; Jacob Fearnley exited the Australian Open with defeat to Alexander Zverev; Carlos Alcaraz downed Nuno Borges; <strong>watch action from the ATP and WTA Tours on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, NOW and the Sky Sports app</strong><br>Friday 17 January 2025 19:26, UK<br>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<br><br>Jack Draper will play Carlos Alcaraz for a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals after the British No 1 battled back from 2-1 down for the third-straight match to beat home favourite Aleksandar Vukic in an epic five-setter.<br>In a thrilling clash that lasted just shy of four hours, Draper clinched a 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) victory shortly before 1am local time in Melbourne to reach the fourth round of the tournament for the first time.<br>Draper started the match superbly, winning four games on the bounce to take the opening set, fighting back from having been broken immediately.<br>But unseeded Australian Vukic far from wilted in front of fervent home support, the 28-year-old - in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time - himself rattling off five games in a row to breeze the second set and swiftly level the match.<br>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<br><br>An increasingly rattled Draper smashed his racket soon after a double-fault handed his opponent the crucial break in the 11th game of a tight third, Vukic by contrast staying cool and closing it out with an ace.<br>Then in a topsy-turvy fourth set, Draper spurned three break points on the Vukic serve, before having to fend off five himself across his next two service games.<br>Neither player could take advantage, with Draper also missing out on two set points as Vukic forced a tie-break, before the Brit finally cashed in during a tight and tense breaker.<br> Live Australian Open scores/schedule <br> Australian Open: Women's singles draw <br> Australian Open: Men's singles draw <br> Australian Open 2025: Dates, seeds and match schedule <br>The deciding set also went the distance, despite an early break for Draper and four opportunities for a second. Vukic again rallied and would break the Brit's serve to restore parity.<br>The same was true in the final-set tie-breaker too, with an early Draper break and 3-0 advantage quickly wiped out. But eventually the 15th seed forced an opening and won a memorable contest courtesy of a booming serve on his second match point.<br>Draper is coming off the back of the deepest run of his career at a Grand Slam, having reached the final four of last year's US Open. He faces No 3 seed and four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz in the last 16.<br>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<br><br>"I thought it was done and then he just came back from the dead," Draper said after his victory over Vikic. "It was just a great battle, two competitors going at it and that's what sport is about.<br>"My body doesn't feel too great but luckily I have got a good physio. Mentally, I have really competed hard and I've loved the atmosphere… it's given me a lot of energy to keep on pushing and I'm surprising myself."<br>Draper trails Alcaraz 2-1 on the pair's head-to-head record, but won the most recent matchup at Queen's Club last year, taking it 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.<br>"Carlos is a special talent, an unbelievable player and someone I have a good friendship with," Draper said of his next opponent. "It's going to be an incredible match; hopefully my body pulls up, I can give it my all and it will be a great contest."<br>Another British hopeful Jacob Fearnley's fine Australian Open debut ended with a straight-sets loss to second seed Alexander Zverev in the third round.<br>The 23-year-old Scot continues to take the upper levels of the professional game comfortably in his stride and he did not look out of place against one of the tournament favourites on Margaret Court Arena.<br>But he could not maintain any sustained pressure on Zverev, who wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory in two hours and two minutes.<br>Fearnley struck marginally more winners, with his forehand causing Zverev consistent problems, but there were also 34 unforced errors compared to only 15 for the German.<br>It has nevertheless been an excellent week for Fearnley, who defeated Nick Kyrgios and the Australian crowd in the first round before coming from a set down to see off Arthur Cazaux in round two.<br>"I thought I played some good tennis, some good moments, some low moments," said Fearnley. "I don't think there was too much in it. Just a few points here and there.<br>"I think that's what those top guys do so well. They keep composed, and their base level just stays the same throughout the whole match. Mine went quite up and down, which I think is what cost me the match.<br>Less than eight months into his professional tennis career, Fearnley will break into the world's top 80 after the tournament, and he is certain to go higher with no ranking points to defend until June.<br>The 23-year-old acquitted himself very well facing Novak Djokovic on his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon last year, taking a set off the Serb and nearly forcing a decider.<br>"It's a big confidence boost, knowing that I can compete against some of the best players in the world, it's really cool to see," Fearnley added.<br>"He [Zverev] is No 2 in the world, he's probably playing some of the best tennis on the planet right now. So, to have that experience, I learned a lot about my game, about what I need to do better."<br>After his win, Zverev also reserved praise for his opponent, saying: "I think he's an incredible player, he went through all the stages. I've massive respect for him, and the effort that he's put into the sport, and he's going to get better I think over the next few years."<br>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<br><br>Novak Djokovic moved into the fourth round with his most confident performance of the tournament so far, a 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory over 26th seed Tomas Machac.<br>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<br><br>The record 24-time Grand Slam champion - a 10-time winner in Melbourne - was broken only once and converted five of his 15 chances on Machac's serve.<br>It was Djokovic's first straight-sets victory in this year's Australian Open, after getting pushed to four in the first round by 19-year-old Ninesh Basavareddy and again in the second by 21-year-old Jaime Faria - both making their slam debuts.<br>One slight concern for the Djokovic camp, of which Andy Murray is now part of as his coach, came after the opening game of the second set on Rod Laver Arena, when the 37-year-old looked uncomfortable and grabbed at the right side of his rib cage.<br>Then, at the ensuing change of ends, he took the unusual step of taking a seat on his sideline bench instead of just walking around the net to the opposite baseline.<br>In the very next game, Djokovic missed a drop shot to make it 15-40, and subsequently leaned forward and put his hands on his knees. Machac then converted the first break chance for a 2-0 lead in that set when Djokovic missed a difficult volley.<br>But Djokovic broke right back, called out the doctor and then rattled off the next three games on his way towards a comfortable victory.<br>"I was trying to catch my breath," Djokovic said in his on-court interview, laughing off the incident. "I'm not 19 any more."<br>The Serbian will meet another Czech in 24th seed Jiri Lehecka in the last 16.<br>Alcaraz lost his first set of the tournament but the third seed still managed to power through the third round as he downed Portugal's Nuno Borges 6-2 6-4 6-7 (7-3) 6-2 in just under three hours.<br>"I missed Rod Laver [Arena]. I'm just really, really happy to be able to play here once again," Alcaraz said post-match.<br>"I tried to show my best tennis here. For me, it has been a pleasure every time that I step on this court. The last time that I played here I lost [to Alexander Zverev in the 2024 quarter-finals], so I really wanted to play here and get another win here in Rod Laver."<br>A break in the opening game set the tone against world No 33 Borges, with Alcaraz dominant on serve from the start, losing just six points on serve in each of the first two sets.<br>Alcaraz is aiming to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, having already won Wimbledon twice (2023, 2024) as well as the US Open in 2022 and the French Open last year.<br><strong>Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or <a href="https://www.nowtv.com/watch-sky-sports-online?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink">stream with NOW</a> and the <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11677/12572660/download-the-sky-sports-app-premier-league-goals-f1-race-control-and-more-at-your-fingertips">Sky Sports app</a>, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13131189/sky-sports-plus-launches-in-august-to-give-more-choice-to-fans-via-live-streams-app-and-new-channel">Find out more here.</a></strong><br> <a href="/" class="svg-logo site-footer__site-logo"> <img class="svg-logo__image" alt="Sky Sports" src="https://e0.365dm.com/tvlogos/channels/Sky-Sports-Logo.svg" onerror="this.onerror=null;this.src='https://e0.365dm.com/tvlogos/channels/Sky-Sports-Logo.png'"> </a> © 2025 Sky UK <br><br><a href="https://news.google.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?oc=5">source</a>
