Carlos Alcaraz drops first set easily against Alexander Zverev in quarter-finals

Carlos Alcaraz is eyeing a spot in the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time as the Wimbledon champion takes on sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the match of the day at Melbourne Park.

Second seed Alcaraz stormed through his fourth-round match in straight-sets, while Zverev was pushed to a fifth-set tie-break against British No 1 Cameron Norrie before prevailing. They face each other in the second match of the night session, so can be expected around 10am (GMT).

Earlier on Wednesday, third seed Daniil Medvedev beat Polish star Hubert Hurkacz in five titanic sets, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to reach the last four.

In the women’s singles, this half of the draw is wide open. Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska is two matches away from emulating Emma Raducanu after beating Linda Noskov in straight sets and will face 12th seed Qinwen Zheng of China, after she beat the unseeded Anna Kalinskaya in the first night match.

Follow live scores, updates and results from the Australian Open below:

Australian Open LIVE: Latest updates and scores

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

12:09 , Kieran Jackson

Alexander Zverev 6-1 3-3 Carlos Alcaraz*

Big hold by the German, who levels it up despite facing two break points!

Some stunning shots from Alcaraz bring him to 15-40 but he then goes astray, back to deuce.

Zverev then takes the initiative behind his first serve to seal the game – with a big “come on!” at the end.

Much more positive from the Spaniard though!

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

12:06 , Kieran Jackson

*Alexander Zverev 6-1 2-3 Carlos Alcaraz

A hold to love for Alcaraz. Who has suddenly found his flow.

Consistent and aggressive on his groundstrokes now.

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:59 , Kieran Jackson

Alexander Zverev 6-1 2-2 Carlos Alcaraz*

Another hold to love for Zverev. The one-two serve-groundstroke does the damage again.

It’s as one-way as an on-serve start to the set can be. Pressure back on Alcaraz.

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:55 , Kieran Jackson

*Alexander Zverev 6-1 1-2 Carlos Alcaraz

That’s a bit more like it from Alcaraz!

More aggressive and finding his mark on forehand, before a big “vamos!” after a strong first serve is shanked wide by Zverev.

On serve in the second…

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:52 , Kieran Jackson

Alexander Zverev 6-1 1-1 Carlos Alcaraz*

Zverev holds to 15 – and is so in the zone here!

Alcaraz has a chance in-rally at 40-15 but a whipped forehand angle from the German is returned into the net by the Spaniard.

Alcaraz hasn’t had a look-in on return yet1

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:49 , Kieran Jackson

*Alexander Zverev 6-1 0-1 Carlos Alcaraz

Quite an important hold for Alcaraz – comfortable too – as he looks to find some momentum in this match.

Finding the first serve, unsurprisingly, the key.

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:43 , Kieran Jackson

Alexander Zverev 6-1 Carlos Alcaraz*

One-way traffic so far as Zverev takes the first set!

A limp backhand drop shot at 30-0 a sign of Alcaraz’s mantra in this set – he just doesn’t seem present in the moment right now!

And with an ace, Zverev seals the first set after just 29 minutes!

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:39 , Kieran Jackson

*Alexander Zverev 5-1 Carlos Alcaraz

Zverev just a game away from the set now as he breaks again!

Alcaraz a bit wild with his forehand so far – some long, some in the net – but Zverev lets him off the hook with a few errors of his own. However, the German gets it to deuce with an aggressive return.

Alcaraz comes forward with a forehand drive volley winner at deuce, but Zverev just leans into his backhand approach and even the Spaniard can’t get it back in play.

Zverev then finds a sublime forehand pass down the line to bring up BREAK POINT, and Alcaraz nets on the forehand again!

Zverev will now serve for the first set… who saw this coming?!

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:32 , Kieran Jackson

Alexander Zverev 4-1 Carlos Alcaraz*

Alcaraz just can’t make any headway on Zverev’s booming first serve at the moment!

A hold to love this time for the German, who is coming forward to the net too with great effect when the rally gets going…

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:29 , Kieran Jackson

*Alexander Zverev 3-1 Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz gets on the board!

The second seed a bit better in this game and he gets himself to 40-30 before Zverev smashes a forehand winner down the line – stunning shot!

Zverev nets on return before this time going wide with his forehand down the line – and Alcaraz holds. He shouts “Vamos!” – he’s trying to get the adrenaline pumping early on…

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:22 , Kieran Jackson

Alexander Zverev 3-0 Carlos Alcaraz*

Quite the start from the German!

The one-two punch – big first serve, damaging groundstroke – working very well so far. 9/10 first serves as well for Zverev, as Alcaraz goes wide on backhand to close out the game.

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:19 , Kieran Jackson

*Alexander Zverev 2-0 Carlos Alcaraz

Zverev breaks to love!

Strong start here from Zverev, who wins the first lengthy point at 0-15 as Alcaraz nets on the backhand wing.

The second seed then goes long on the forehand – and Zverev has three break points to start! An aggressive forehand crosscourt approach sees Alcaraz net, and it’s advantage to the sixth seed early on!

Carlitos simply hasn’t got going yet. Just one point out of nine…

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:16 , Kieran Jackson

Alexander Zverev 1-0 Carlos Alcaraz*

A strong start from the German, holding his serve to 15 with his booming first serve finding range early on.

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:13 , Kieran Jackson

Here we go then!

Alexander Zverev, the sixth seed, will start off on serve.

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev latest score

11:09 , Kieran Jackson

Both players are now out on court warming-up at the Rod Laver Arena!

Just after 10pm local time… what time will it be when we’re wrapped up here?

Zverev actually has a positive win-loss record over the Spaniard!

Australian Open LIVE: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev

10:58 , Kieran Jackson

Alcaraz vs Zverev should now be imminent on the Rod Laver Arena!

Australian Open LIVE: Qinwen Zheng vs Anna Kalinskaya latest score

10:52 , Kieran Jackson

GAME, SET AND MATCH – Qinwen Zheng beats Anna Kalinskaya 6-7(4) 6-3 6-1

Zheng is through to her first Grand Slam semi-final!

She will face Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the semis tomorrow!

Australian Open LIVE: Qinwen Zheng vs Anna Kalinskaya latest score

10:42 , Kieran Jackson

*Qinwen Zheng 6-7(4) 6-3 4-1 Anna Kalinskaya

Zheng moves a double break clear in the decider!

But Kalinskaya is now in the midst of a medical timeout… it’s going to be another late one in Melbourne!

Australian Open LIVE: Qinwen Zheng vs Anna Kalinskaya latest score

10:34 , Kieran Jackson

Qinwen Zheng 6-7(4) 6-3 3-1 Anna Kalinskaya*

An update from Rod Laver – Zheng has levelled the match and is a break up in the third set.

Alcaraz vs Zverev could now be imminent.

Australian Open’s lucky escape cannot cover up its absurd late-night habit

09:55 , Kieran Jackson

At 1:24 am in Melbourne, it was tempting to suggest that the Australian Open had narrowly escaped an embarrassing night. As Jannik Sinner defeated Andrey Rublev in straight-sets to advance to the semi-finals, perhaps the tournament organisers breathed a sigh of relief that the day’s play finished at ‘only’ half one in the morning rather than an even later hour. That, however, would only confirm just how ridiculous it is that tennis continues to do this to itself and how these absurd late-night finishes have become part of the game. It is a habit that no one wants, no one benefits from, and a problem the grand slams are seemingly unwilling to kick.

Had Sinner not produced a wonderful recovery from 1-5 down in the second-set tiebreak, or if Aryna Sabalenka had not been so utterly dominant in her thrashing of Barbora Krejcikova in the previous match of the night session, then the Australian Open would have surely staged another match well into the late, late stretches of the night. Fortunately, this was not Andy Murray’s 4am finish from last year, or Daniil Medvedev’s 3:39am comeback against Emil Ruusuvuori from earlier in the tournament. Both those matches went to five sets – Sinner made sure his didn’t. If it had, it may have wrecked his body clock ahead of facing Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

But will tennis learn its lesson? This is what the sport has become, at the request and enjoyment of no one.

Australian Open’s lucky escape cannot cover up its absurd late-night habit

Australian Open LIVE: Qinwen Zheng vs Anna Kalinskaya latest score

09:43 , Kieran Jackson

*Qinwen Zheng 6-7(4) 1-1 Anna Kalinskaya

The unseeded Russian has taken the first set on Rod Laver Arena.

Work to do for the 12th seed here then!

Australian Open: Nick Kyrgios seriously considering tennis retirement and admits he’s at career ‘crossroads’

09:16 , Kieran Jackson

Nick Kyrgios says the prospect of life after tennis now “excites” him as he takes to the commentator’s box for the Australian Open.

The Australian former world No 11 has taken time off from the professional circuit due to injury, filling in his time by working at the grand slam for Eurosport.

He wrote on Wednesday in Australian newspaper The Age that he is now seriously considering retirement.

“I’m at a crossroads in my career and have reached a point where life after tennis is a prospect that excites me,” he wrote.

Nick Kyrgios considering tennis retirement and admits he’s at career ‘crossroads’

Australian Open LIVE: Qinwen Zheng vs Anna Kalinskaya latest score

08:59 , Kieran Jackson

Qinwen Zheng 3-3 Anna Kalinskaya*

The first night match on Rod Laver Arena is between 12th seed Qinwen Zheng – the only seed left on this half of the women’s draw – and the unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya.

It’s currently three games all in the first set.

Qualifier Dayana Yastremska moves into semi-finals

08:49 , Kieran Jackson

Dayana Yastremska is two wins away from emulating Emma Raducanu after beating Linda Noskova to reach the Australian Open semi-finals.

Raducanu is the only qualifier ever to win a grand slam title but Yastremska increased her tally of wins in Melbourne to eight with a 6-3 6-4 victory on Rod Laver Arena.

The stories are not exactly comparable, given Yastremska was ranked 21 in the world as a 19-year-old before serving a six-month provisional suspension for a failed doping test, for which she was later deemed to bear no fault.

Qualifier Dayana Yastremska moves into semi-finals after straight sets win

Daniil Medvedev battles into Australian Open semi-finals

08:44 , Kieran Jackson

A drained Daniil Medvedev scrapped his way into a third Australian Open semi-final with a five-set victory over Hubert Hurkacz.

Ninth seed Hurkacz, who was looking to make the last four at a grand slam for only the second time, twice fought back from a set down but Medvedev came out on top 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-3 5-7 6-4 after three hours and 59 minutes.

The Russian finished it off with a drop shot before blowing kisses towards his box.

Daniil Medvedev battles into Australian Open semi-finals

Australian Open LIVE!

08:41 , Kieran Jackson

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the Australian Open on the second quarter-final day at Melbourne Park!

Carlos Alcaraz is eyeing a spot in the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time as the Wimbledon champion takes on sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the match of the day at Melbourne Park.

Second seed Alcaraz stormed through his fourth-round match in straight-sets, while Zverev was pushed to a fifth-set tie-break against British No 1 Cameron Norrie before prevailing. They face each other in the second match of the night session, so can be expected around 10am (GMT).