Defending champion Jannik Sinner has moved into the quarterfinals at the Australian Open after beating Holger Rune during a match slowed down by medical timeouts for each player and a delay because the net got knocked loose.

Jannik Sinner and Elina Svitolina won their respective Round 3 matches and advanced to the pre-quarters. While Sinner beat Marcos Giron in straight sets, Svitolina got the better of Jasmine Paolini.

Elina Svitolina advances to Australian Open quarterfinals, to face Madison Keys after defeating Veronika Kudermetova.

World No.1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, Elina Svitolina, Elena Rybakina and other big players will be in action on Day 9 of the hard court major at the Melbourne Park.

Elina Svitolina delivered a stunning first-set comeback before overwhelming Veronika Kudermetova to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals on Monday, but the Ukrainian did not shake hands with her Russian opponent.

They also have a dead-even head-to-head record. Keys won their first two matches, and Rybakina came back to win the next two, including their only meeting of 2024, on hard courts in Miami. Keys has won eight straight matches in Adelaide and Melbourne, while Rybakina, with new coach Goran Ivanisevic, hasn’t dropped a set this week.

A smashed net became an unlikely ally of defending champion Jannik Sinner during a sweltering day's action at the Australian Open. World No 1 Sinner and fourth-round opponent Holger Rune were visibly struggling with the humid conditions on Rod Laver Arena during a match disrupted by medical timeouts for both players on Monday.

Elina Svitolina chases a first Australian tennis Open quarter-final since 2019 in the opening singles match on day nine She meets Russian Veronika Kudermetova from 1:30pm. Craig Gabriel previews the women's draw.

As much as any top player, Sinner has been able to expose De Minaur’s lack of first-strike weaponry. The Aussie’s strength is his scrambling and counterpunching, but Sinner serves too well, hits too hard, places the ball too precisely for his defense to be effective. De Minaur hasn’t found a way to hurt, rattle, of disrupt him.

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine gestures during ... Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his fourth round match against Holger Rune of Denmark at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne ...

Melbourne: Elina Svitolina was 4-1 down before she went on a roll and took 11 of the next 12 games in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Veronika Kudermetova on Monday to reach the Australian Open

The World No. 1, despite feeling unwell in sweltering conditions, kept up his title defense with a four-set triumph.