AO Live Blog, Day 5—Thiem rallies by Kyrgios; women's blockbusters set

The second round of the Australian Open comes to a close Thursday in Melbourne. Beginning Wednesday evening in the United States, we'll bring you updates on the many matches and happenings Down Under in this running blog.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has defeated Taylor Fritz, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, breaking the American—seemingly out of nowhere, given his injury—at 3-2 in the decider, then serving out the third-rounder in an empty arena.

For more on this match, click here.

After winning the first two sets 7-6 (1), 6-4, Novak Djokovic has dropped the third and fourth sets, 6-3, 6-4—and continues to deal with an injury suffered earlier in the match. There is no longer a crowd inside Rod Laver Arena; midway through the fourth set, at 11:30 local time, the chair umpire announced that fans must leave to return home in time for the 11:59 p.m. lockdown in the state of Victoria, per government order, due to COVID-19.

Fritz, to his credit, won nearly all of his service points in the fourth set.—Ed McGrogan

They've met in a round of 16 twice, at Roland Garros. Now, Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep will collide in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

After the Romanian's dominant performance against Veronika Kudermetova, Swiatek posted a straight-sets win over her own, against Fiona Ferro.

You wouldn't expect their meeting to be as one-sided, but consider their history: Halep annihilated Swiatek, 6-1, 6-0, at the 2019 French Open; a year later at Roland Garros, the Pole won in a rout, 6-1, 6-2, en route to her championship run.

With Swiatek's ascent into a Top 20 player and Grand Slam champion, and Halep's history in Melbourne, another uncompetitive contest seems unlikely.—Ed McGrogan

With a two-set lead over Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic was all but into the fourth round. Against the eight-time Australian Open champion, that deficit is typically insurmountable.

But the Serb injured himself while patrolling the baseline at 1-1 in the third, and though he's received treatment, he's been compromised on serve and looked unsure of himself on groundstrokes.

A most interesting development on a bizarre night—one that will see fans forced to exit the grounds before this match concludes.—Ed McGrogan

The fans in John Cain Arena were able to see the Nick Kyrgios-Dominic Thiem match to its conclusion, which itself is a victory. Unfortunately for them, the player they were there to see ended up on the losing end.

In a tidy five-setter—the only thing "epic" was the crowd, which was boisterous from the first ball to last—the third-seeded Austrian recovered from a two-set deficit to win, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in 3:21.

It's the fourth time Thiem has won from two sets down; the last time he did was in the 2020 US Open final.

"There are easier things to do," Thiem said about the challenge he faced, playing Kyrgios on his favorite court. "I was dealing with the loss already."

Thiem ended the match with a pressure-packed hold, unleashing his signature one-handed backhand for the final blow.

"I always prefer playing in front of a crowd, even if they are not for me," said Thiem, who will play Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.—Ed McGrogan

Kyrgios' running forehand crosscourt pass at 3-3, 30-30 was a display of the Aussie's play in the clutch—something he exhibited throughout the latter stages of his second-round win over Ugo Humbert. But it increasingly appears as if Thiem will be the clutch performer today. The Austrian won the net two points with brilliant all-court coverage, increasingly necessary as Kyrgios opts for drop-shot tactics. And while he didn't convert that break point, he converted his next chance, cracking a backhand serve return from well off the television screen that Kyrgios couldn't keep back in play.

Thiem will serve at 4-3; on Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic is now up two sets on Fritz.—Ed McGrogan

Some of Nick Kyrgios' pain has been self-inflicted—a point penalty after accruing two code violations (for ball abuse); hitting himself in the face with his racquet strings. But the most hurtful of all were multiple missed service returns with Thiem serving at 5-4 in the fourth. Broken at 4-4 after some questionable decision-making, Kyrgios continued to apply pressure to the No. 3 seed, and earned a break point, but was unable to make Thiem feel enough pain to prevent a deciding set.—Ed McGrogan

Amidst drama around the grounds, Felix Auger-Aliassime coolly finished off fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3. The 20-year-old's win over the No. 11 seed was by far his most impressive victory at a major; until today, the highest-ranked player Auger-Aliassime had defeated at a Slam was No. 77 Corentin Moutet, at the 2020 US Open. Auger-Aliassime has now reached the fourth round in two of his last three majors after having never gone beyond the third round. He'll face qualifier Aslan Karatsev, ranked 114, for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic took the first set from Taylor Fritz, though it turned from simple to struggle. The world No. 1 led 5-2, but the American pushed back to 5-5, 0-30, before Djokovic stabilized, forced a tie-break—and won that 7-1.—Ed McGrogan

Nick Kyrgios had two break points to go up two sets and a break on Dominic Thiem. He didn't convert and after missing a game point at 0-1, was broken. The Austrian grabbed hold of the set by donating just one unforced error. We've got ourselves an interesting fourth set to come. Which Kyrgios will emerge? Will Thiem show any emotions?

Felix Auger-Aliassime is in the driver's seat, having moved ahead 3-0 on Denis Shapovalov in the third.—Matt Fitzgerald

With this being the last day for fans to soak up tennis at Melbourne Park for at least five days, Nick Kyrgios is giving them something to remember.

The Australian leads last year's finalist Dominic Thiem, 6-4, 6-4, on John Cain Arena. Kyrgios played a terrific return game to break the world No. 3 for 5-4 in the second, then served it out at love by finishing with an underarm serve for an ace.

Over on Margaret Court Arena, Felix Auger-Aliassime wiped away break deficits in his first two sets to surge ahead of Denis Shapovalov, 7-5, 7-5, in an all-Canadian clash. Auger-Aliassime is looking to get his first major win over the left-hander, having suffered 2018 and 2019 US Open losses to Shapovalov.—Matt Fitzgerald

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Qualifier Aslan Karatsev could do no wrong in his third-round match as he flexed his relentless power against Diego Schwartzman on his way to a stunning 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win. As much as the eighth seed tried, Karatsev did not allow him into the match, taking the racquet out of the Argentine’s hand throughout the encounter.

What’s more surprising it that Karatsev, who is playing in his first Grand Slam main-draw event after nine failed attempts, hasn’t dropped a set in his first three matches—he surrendered just one game in the previous round.

For a spot in his first ever quarterfinal, the world No. 114—who had won just three ATP tour-level matches in his career before this week—will have to get past the winner of the match between Canadian countrymen Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime.—Ashley Ndebele

There’s a saying in tennis: “you’re only as good as your second serve.”

For Sara Errani, her lack of confidence on the shot that starts a point prevented her from advancing to the round of 16 at a major in singles for the first time since the 2015 French Open. For Hsieh Su-wei, she used her knowledge of the court to keep herself close with the Italian qualifier and pounced when Errani tightened up in running away with the final four games, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.

The tone was set for one last shift in momentum with Errani serving in the third at 5-4, after Hsieh recovered from 15-30 down to hold. Now asked to close it out on her racquet, Errani missed her first serve in the bottom part of the net, then required two catches on her ball toss. Hsieh brought back her drop shot return to catch the former Roland Garros finalist off guard.

Errani would get within two points of winning again, but misplayed a forehand up the line and forehand drop shot to get broken. From there, the final moments of the match were all Hsieh’s, highlighted by a sublime backhand pass to earn three match points. Both finished with 116 points won.

Hsieh, who notched her first victory in four attempts against Errani, was simply thrilled not to be served a bagel by her opponent for the first time.

"I better [not] eat a bagel today," she exclaimed in her on-court interview.

The 35-year-old is through to the round of 16 at Melbourne Park for the third time (2008, 2018) and can reach her first major singles quarterfinal if she advances past No. 19 seed Marketa Vondrousova.—Matt Fitzgerald

No. 14 seed Garbiñe Muguruza has been utterly dominant through her first three rounds in Melbourne Park, dropping just 10 games to reach the fourth round after a 6-1, 6-1 dismissal of Kazakh Zarina Diyas.

Runner-up Down Under last year, the two-time major champion narrowly missed out on a perfect finish to her Australian Open preparation, falling to world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the finals of the Yarra Valley Classic.

Still, the Spaniard has lost none of her sizzle, striking 17 winners to defeat Diyas in 56 minutes.

Standing between the No. 14 seed and a spot in the quarterfinals will be her first big test regardless of opponent, with 2019 champion Naomi Osaka facing off against Ons Jabeur later today. Jabeur made her major breakthrough in Australia last year, sending former champion Caroline Wozniacki into retirement en rout to the last eight.

With little more than three hours spent on court through the first week, Muguruza will aim to channel her freshness and growing confidence in order to secure another deep run in Australia.—David Kane

Marketa Vondrousova was a mere two sets from a maiden major title two years ago in Paris, and was a credible pick against fellow Grand Slam final debutante Ashleigh Barty after her strong fortnight on the terre battue.

A wrist injury shut down her 2019 season less than a month later and the Czech youngster subsequently struggled for consistency on either end of the pandemic-interrupted season—playing her best again on clay in Rome, only to fall in the first round of Roland Garros to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.

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A semifinal run at the Yarra River Valley set her up in good stead for the Melbourne Park conditions and a week later, the No. 19 seed is back into the second week of a major tournament after a 6-2, 6-4 win over Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

Down a set and a break, Cirstea, who had been vocally critical of some of the pandemic protocols that forced her into 14 days of hard quarantine, battled back and treated the Margaret Court Arena crowd to a tense ending—one that culminated in a phenomenal match point.

Vondrousova will play the winner of the match between Hsieh Su-Wei and Sara Errani; Vondrousova began the year with a narrow loss to Hsieh in Abu Dhabi, playing to a third-set tie-break.—David Kane

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Though Ann Li looked to be capable of going toe-to-toe with Aryna Sabalenka at the start of their third-round match, it would end up being a routine day in the office for the Belarusian. From 2-all in the first set, Sabalenka took control, winning 10 of the next 12 games for a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 win.

Li, just 20 years old, still had a great run despite the 60-minute lesson, reaching her second career Grand Slam third round. Sabalenka has to be pleased with her performance: She was locked into her aggressive game style from the first ball, striking 28 winners to Li’s 10.

Sabalenka has now won 17 of her last 18 matches, and has yet to lose a set at the Australian Open.—Nina Pantic