Draper and Alcaraz are out on Rod Laver Arena warning up. Draper is all in white, Alcaraz is in teal with his massive guns out, both are sporting lemon yellow kicks that I would very much enjoy wearing.

Just a reminder that Draper has spent over six hours on court more than Alcaraz this week. All three of the 15th seed’s victories have been in five sets, whereas the third seed barely broke sweat for a couple of rounds before Nuno Borges pinches a tiebreak a couple of days ago.

The top half of the women’s draw is now down to four seeded players:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (27)
Coco Gauff (3) v Paula Badosa (11)

I’ll keep that one simmering in the background, but my main focus soon will be Jack Draper (15) v Carlos Alcaraz (3). It’s a match-up Tumaini Carayol is all over.

Draper’s determination and guts have earned him a meeting with the Spaniard on one of the sport’s biggest stages. As he has shown in their previous matches, there is no doubt Draper has the weapons and athleticism to challenge Alcaraz. In 2022, a lifetime ago for both players, Alcaraz defeated Draper 7-5 in the third set indoors in Basel. After retiring from their match at Indian Wells a year later, Draper toppled Alcaraz at Queen’s last year. Draper has been the favourite in his first three matches but in Melbourne he must try to play with more freedom against the number three seed.

The only singles match on court for the time being is Tommy Paul (12) v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Margaret Court Arena. The American has broken the Spaniard’s opening service game to take the early ascendancy.

“Leave it all out there on the court,” is Coco Gauff’s parting message, and one she lived up to this afternoon.

Reflecting on the opening set the third seed was phlegmatic, focussing on the process and speaking to her box that they acknowledge she isn’t going to win every set or every match even if she plays well.

Coco Gauff (3) beats Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1

Gauff (3) v Bencic* (5-7, 6-2, 5-1): Bencic is broken to 15. Her spirit is all but extinguished. Gauff’s endurance is telling late on in these conditions.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (27) beats Donna Vekic (18) 7-6 [7-0] 6-0)

Gauff (3)* v Bencic (5-7, 6-2, 4-1): Coco Gauff’s court coverage is unbelievable. Not for the first time today she is quickly onto a backhand crosscourt that would ordinarily be a clean winner, wrapping her racket around the ball and sending it back in court outside the net post, inside the umpire’s throne. Bencic can only rest her forehead on her racket and suck in the hot air, disbelieving of the athleticism on the other side of the net. The third seed holds to 30.

Gauff (3) v Bencic* (5-7, 6-2, 3-1): Both women are happy to trade forehands, unfamiliar in a tournament with a strong strategic lean to targeting the backhand wing. Each stumble in their own ways to 30-30, then Bencic swipes long to concede a break point. Jelena Dokic on commentary is concerned the Swiss is losing pace in her groundstrokes, which is not a good sign against a player with Gauff’s court coverage.

She escapes the break after Gauff fails to execute the forehand winner after a blistering backhand return, then wins the next point cheaply behind a strong first serve. An agonising net cord lands on the server’s side with a backhand down the line winner begging to be struck, and the misfortune tells a point later when Bencic this time fails to fully commit to an inside-out forehand that lands wide. Gauff is jigging on the baseline ready for the moment – and a third unforced error in a row hands the third seed the break.

That felt significant. Bencic needs a burst of energy from somewhere.

Paula Badosa (11) beats Olga Danilovic 6-1 7-6 [7-2]

Gauff (3)* v Bencic (5-7, 6-2, 2-1): Gauff moves to 0-30 with a magnificent point. Both players trade heavy forehands before the American finds an angle acuter than Moo Deng. Bencic scampers to force an extra shot in the rally but the third seed is ready to pounce. At 40-0 Gauff serves her seventh double fault of the afternoon then seals the deal behind a second serve.

Gauff (3) v Bencic* (5-7, 6-2, 1-1): Bencic holds from 30-30. This is one is a coin toss.

With temperatures climbing into the mid-30s in Melbourne it’s time for me to apply some ice to my typing digits and hand over to the Bjorn Borg of blogging, Jonathan “Iceman” Howcroft. Thanks for your company this morning and enjoy your afternoon!

Meanwhile, on Margaret Court Arena, Olga Danilovic has staged a remarkable recovery after losing the first set 6-1 against 11th seed Paula Badosa. The Serbian fought back and broke early to lead the second set 5-2 only for Badosa to then turn the tables on her rival again, winning back the break. Badosa is now serving for 5-5.

Over on KIA arena 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has taken the first set in a tiebreak – where she did not lose a point – against 18th seed Donna Vekic.

Coco Gauff has done it! She serves out the second set 6-2.

Meanwhile, reports are emerging of a strange and scary experiences France’s Corentin Moutet suffered before his third-round loss to American qualifier Learner Tien yesterday. Apparently the Frenchman fainted in the shower before taking the court at Kia Arena and woke up dazed in the dark. No wonder he went down in straight sets!

Coco Gauff is really unloading on Belinda Bencic’s second serve. It’s not working all the time but when it does it’s damaging the Swiss on the scoreboard and, one senses, psychologically.

In the first set, the 2020 Olympic champion outplayed Gauff with patience and power. But the second set has been a different story. The precocious talent and confidence of the 20-year-old American is now coming to the fore. She takes the fourth game of this second set to love to lead 4-1.

In our other women’s singles match, Paula Badosa has taken the first set 6-1 against Olga Danilovic. The winner of that match will meet this morning’s winner Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter final.

Great hustle from Coco Gauff! Bencic had her pinned in the corners but the American lunged for the last and snapped her wrists across it to deliver a superb crosscourt winner against the run of play. She ices that moment by getting her serving radar back on track, recovering from a double fault to ace the last and make it 3-0 in this second set.

Can Belinda Bencic rediscover her mojo? Or will Gauff go all the way?

Coco Gauff has dropped her first set of the tournament (and the year) and the upset is on at Rod Laver Arena as unseeded Swiss Belinda Bencic continues her surge back up the ratings after taking maternity leave with her first child. What a scalp this would be!

Gauff isn’t done yet though. She wins her first service game to lead the second set 1-0 and then attacks Bencic’s serve to win a 0-30 advantage. The Swiss rips a riposte down the line but Gauff has steel in her eyes and kryptonite in her racquet. She seizes on a Bencic error to make it 15-40 then crashes a winner to win the game.

Coco Gauff has the break and leads the second set 2-0!

Belinda Bencic has a second chance to wrap up this set on serve. Can she do it? Gauff’s return finds the tape for 15-0. Coco Gauff, sensing the peril, digs deep on the next point. But she can’t find the corners like the Swiss and after a 20+ shot rally, sends a backhand wide. 30-0. Make that 40-0! Bencic calmly rallies down the middle before Gauff catches some frame. The Swiss swoops on the space and thunders a forehand down the line.

But Gauff fights back! First with a crashing diagonal backhand and then a thunderous 137kph forehand down the line. But again Bencic stays calm, finds the corners and seizes on the space as Gauff tires. She angles the winner and takes the set 7-5!

Belinda Bencic is pressing hard against Coco Gauff. This eleventh game of the set has again gone to deuce and, with Bencic ripping a backhand return to win advantage, Gauff has to conjur her fastest serve of the match – 189kph – to win back parity. She fritters it by netting the next but quickly regains composure with an ace. Or does she? A double fault puts her back in the hole. That’s her second double fault for the set…

Oh dear, make that her third. A second straight double fault delivers Bencic the break. The Swiss will now serve for the set at 6-5.

Just when Belinda Bencic looked to have an upset brewing on Rod Laver Arena, Coco Gauff breaks back! That was wonderful stuff by the young American. The Swiss star was starting to win the grind, converting 55% of her second serves to Gauff’s 40%. But Gauff upped the ante in that game and lashed two explosive backhands from 30-all to win the game. We are 5-5 in the first set and back on serve.

In the other women’s singles match on Margaret Court Arena, Spain’s No 11 seed Paula Badosa has won her first service game against Serbia’s Olga Danilovic.

Now it’s Coco Gauff under pressure! Down 30-40 she has to scythe a backhand crosscourt to save deuce. She gets advantage with a delicate drop shot but loses it with a lazy mid-court forehand into the net. Belinda Bencic does the same to concede advantage but wins the next by pounding a return down the line. What a shot!

The two players walk the tightrope, trading winners and errors to take it to a fourth deuce and make this the longest game of the set so far. Bencic swoops on a drop shot to lash it into the corner and advances on Gauff’s reply to take advantage. She presses on the next, pinning Gauff on the baseline and forcing a looped forehand that falls long.

Bencic has the break and will serve for the set at 5-4!

Bencic hangs on again, fighting back from 0-30 to hold serve and take this first set to 4-4. The Swiss is in good form and Gauff senses she is is in a real fight here.

Coco Gauff is yet to drop a first serve in this first set of this fourth round encounter. The 2023 US Open champion – a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park last year – now leads 4-3 and is turning up the heat on Belinda Bencic who was taken to deuce in her last service game and only narrowly avoided being broken.

It’s punch for punch and still on serve in the first set of the Coco Gauff v Belinda Bencic clash on Rod Laver Arena. Gauff has had an impressive start to 2025, winning eight matches and 16 sets straight. She takes a 3-2 lead here.

The 27-year-old Bencic is no easybeat. She may be unseeded at this Australian Open but the Swiss star rose to a career-high ranking of world No 4 in February 2020 and has won eight career singles titles, including the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The fourth round clash between America’s No 3 seed Coco Gauff and unseeded Swiss veteran Belinda Bencic is under way, with Gauff serving first in 32C heat.

Gauff is yet to drop a set at this tournament and early signs are good as the 20-year-old wins the first game to love with an on-song serve doing the damage.

While Team GB fans await the Draper v Alcaraz monster match this evening, they can lick their wounds over yesterday’s 6-1, 6-0 demolition of women’s singles hope Emma Radacanu by Iga Swiatek in their third round clash. It was the heaviest defeat of the young Briton’s career but, despite the setback, she showed the class we love her for.

As we await the arrival of America’s No 3 seed Coco Gauff – who will fight it out on Rod Laver Arena with Switzerland’s unseeded veteran Belinda Bencic – let’s prime ourselves for the big men’s singles showdown tonight: Jack Draper v Carlos Alcaraz.

That round four victory over Mirra Andreeva makes it 18 wins in a row for Aryna Sabalenka at Melbourne Park. She has now reached the most women’s singles quarter finals (10) at grand slam events since 2020.

Aryna Sabalenka beats Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2

Aryna Sabalenka is in for the kill. After losing the opening point of the seventh game, she chastised herself, went within and unleashed an explosive return that drew gasps from this near-capacity crowd. It was a shot that hurt Andreeva beyond the scoreboard. Shaken, the Russian teenager double faulted on the next and the defending champion takes the next two points with ease.

Sabalenka will now serve for the match and a spot in the quarter final.

Three break point opportunities and four deuces later, Mirra Andreeva has failed in her first genuine chance to break Aryna Sabalenka. Again, despite the teenager returning with precision, she’s undone by the guile of her older rival, a drop shot sealing it.

Sabalenka retains the break advantage and now leads this match 6-1, 4-2.

Over on Margaret Court Arena, the Italian stallions Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori have Spanish pair Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar on the rack after taking the first 6-3 in their third round game.

Mirra Andreeva has her first break point of the game against Aryna Sabalenka in the round of 16 women’s singles match on centre court. Can she convert?

Andreeva strikes back! Sabalenka was going for the throat in that game, pummelling returns in a bid to break the teenager a second time. Instead Andreeva stayed calm and made it five points in a row to get things back to 3-2 in the second set. That was the Russian’s best game of the match so far. Is it a turning point?

Double trouble for Mirra Andreeva. She has lost her second serving game and is unravelling on Rod Laver Arena with even foot faults creeping in.

Two unforced errors gift Aryna Sabalenka an early 30-0 lead in this fourth game of the second set but swinging big for the corners, she gets things back to 30-30. Sabalenka, serving at 72%, crashes a second serve to get to 40-30 but Andreeva hangs tough, a looping return eluding Sabalenka’s backhand.

But just when the teenager forces the longest game of the match so far, she sends two returns wide to concede the game. Sabalenka leads 6-1, 3-1.

Where to now for Mirra Andreeva? She was mauled in that first set and must change things up and start swinging for the fences if she’s to trouble Sabalenka. Showing composure, Andreeva serves out the first game – a nice start. Can she go on with it?

With utter ruthlessness Aryna Sabalenka takes the first set 6-1.

That set was a 24-minute demolition of Mirra Andreeva and the 17 year old will have to find something very special if she’s to fight her way into this match.

Oh no. Mirra Andreeva has been broken again on centre court. She’s now 5-1 down after just 20 minutes. Aryna Sabalenka has served up a potent brew of power and finesse to completely overwhelm her teenage rival so far. On the final shot of this game, a flurry of bludgeoning baseline shots softened Andreeva up before the No 1 brought the velvet hammer down with a sublime drop shot.

The 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva is under early pressure after losing an early break to Aryna Sabalenka who has defied crowd distractions and even a low-flying airplane to surge to a 4-1 lead. The No 1 seed has dropped only one point so far.

No 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No 14 Mirra Andreeva are into it on Rod Laver Arena. Servers are dominating so far with both players winning their opening games to love and Sabalenka just taking the second to lead 2-1 in the first set.

Preamble