Day nine of the 2025 Australian Open was not memorable. Fans experienced only physical misery in the heat, retirements and generally low-quality play, completing the fourth round without any of the eight games involving a five-setter.
The best match of the day was between Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune, but even that match only had a few moments of real quality. Sinner overcame illness and advanced in four sets – 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2.
Ben Shelton took out Gael Monfils after the 38-year-old was forced to retire early in the fourth set, while Learner Tien also struggled in the heat as he lost to Lorenzo Sonego.
In the night match at RLA, home hope Alex de Minaur cruised into the last eight, winning the first eight games against Alex Michelsen, who struggled to settle the match en route to a 6-0 7-6(5) 6-3 victory.
Day Nine 2025 Australian Open Round of 16 Results
| Winner | Loser | Score line |
|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner (1) | Holger Rune (13) | 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2 |
| Alex de Minaur (8) | Alex Michelsen | 6-0 7-6(5) 6-3 |
| Ben Shelton (21) | Gael Monfils | 7-6(3) 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 1-0 COURT |
| Lorenzo Sonego | Student Ten (Q) | 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1 |
Sinner survives Rune
While the result looks straightforward, Jannik Sinner had to deal with some strange physical struggles to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals on Monday, defeating Holger Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The defending champion said he had to consult a tournament doctor before the match, skipped practice and opted to play at the last minute.
When I saw him limp, I assumed it was his hip, but he later clarified that it was pure illness: “Sometimes I walk a little differently when I’m not feeling well, but I’m not injured,” he explained.
Rune, who had a tough five-setter in his last round, showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately faltered as his own movement fell off a cliff for a good chunk of the match.
Sinner, on the other hand, appeared to be on the verge of collapse at various times during the match, only to rally and find their footing in the final sets.
The match was somewhat disjointed, so it wasn’t great viewing. Sinner took an 11-minute medical timeout (MTO) before Rune’s serve in the third set, which some saw as a ploy to disrupt his opponent’s momentum, as the Dane played well.
Rune then took a medical timeout before Sinner served for the third set, seemingly to get back at his opponent. After that, Sinner accidentally broke the network, causing a 20-minute delay 😁
Despite the drama, the tennis was of a high quality in parts, with both players showing impressive skills (see the 37-shot rally in the highlights).
We essentially saw that there is a gap in class between the two. Rune has an uncanny ability to bounce back from adversity, but he can also go for walks and has a tendency to lose focus and make stupid mistakes.
Sinner doesn’t – he’s rock solid and dominated with 83% first-serve points won compared to Rune’s 66%.
I think we saw that today I struggled physically. Get here as late as possible. I knew it was going to be very, very difficult today. You know, playing against a tough opponent, but also playing against myself a little bit. When I’m not feeling well on the course, I sometimes go a little to the left. But, no, in terms of damage, I have nothing. Just health-wise a bit struggling, but I’m good with injuries. Of course, the time of the court with me and the doctor, we talked a little. It helped me today, and it also shows that this tournament has a great organization. Guilty of his physical misery.
De Minaur Downs Michelsen
Alex de Minaur is into his fourth consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, and his first in Australia thanks to a 6-0, 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Alex Michelsen.
I didn’t think Michelsen’s style would pose too many problems for the Aussie and he dominated the start and won the first eight games of the match to really set the tone.
Michelsen looked shaky but settled towards the end of the second set and broke back when De Minaur served out for a two-set lead.
It could have gone the American’s way in a tight tie-break, but De Minaur took full advantage when Michelsen missed set point. He then sealed the third set with seven unforced errors to cruise through.
De Minaur must overcome Sinner if he is to become the first Australian to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005. Sinner leads their Head2Head 9-0, having not lost a set in any previous meetings.
Other notable matches
Ben Shelton is through to his second Australian Open quarter-final after Gael Monfils was forced to retire.
Shelton led 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 1-0 after 2 hours and 56 minutes as Monfils, on an eight-match winning streak, battled physical problems.
For all the accolades surrounding Monfils, he has 28 career strikeouts in the middle of the game, which is an insanely high number.
Monfils used a game plan similar to the one he used against Fritz by mixing up his shots. However, Shelton is more comfortable in the forecourt and can respond more aggressively when hitting the ball
Shelton will now look to surpass his 2023 quarter-final appearance when he faces Lorenzo Sonego, who defeated Learner Tien 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Tien also struggled physically against the dangerous Sonego, which should be a decent test for Shelton.
But despite his win over Tien, the Italian has a 5-6 loss against lefties, so I pick Shelton at number four.
Australian Open Day 10 quarter-final matches
- Noval Djokovic (7) vs Carlos Alcaraz (3)
- Tommy Paul (12) vs Alexander Zverev (2)
