Alexander Zverev was stretched to the limit by a dogged Cameron Norrie before making it to the Australian Open quarter-finals after a grueling five-set battle on Monday.
The German sixth seed triumphed 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (10/3) in a match that lasted more than four hours.
"At the end of the day it's a Grand Slam and everyone is playing at their best here," said Zverev. "Cam has definitely been playing amazing tennis and I'm just happy to get through."
Both players were solid on serve in the first set until Zverev won a 16-shot rally to earn two break points in the 11th game, making the vital breakthrough when Norrie netted.
The German, who had won all four of their previous Tour-level matches, broke first in the second set to ramp up the pressure on his 19th-seeded opponent but Norrie then went on a four-game winning spree to level the match.
A single break was enough to give Zverev the third set and the roles were reversed in the fourth set as Norrie hit back.
The scenarios quickly changed for the British number one, who dumped a forehand into the net to lose his serve in the opening game of the deciding set.
But he was back on level terms within minutes, breaking for the fourth time in the match. A wild forehand from Norrie in the seventh game handed Zverev two more break points but he failed to close the match. The deciding set went to a tie-break, which turned into a one-sided affair. Zverev raced into an 8-2 lead and he secured the match.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz reached the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time, setting up a showdown against Olympic champion Zverev.
The 20-year-old Wimbledon champion missed the season-opening major in 2023 because of injury but is more than making up for lost time. The No 2 seed beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 in less than two hours to open the night session on Rod Laver Arena.
He has dropped just one set en route to the last eight.
Also, two-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev overcame stubborn resistance from Portugal's Nuno Borges to book a place in the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 win. He will meet Polish ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz next.
World number three Medvedev, whose only Grand Slam title was at the 2021 US Open, was a Melbourne finalist in 2021 and 2022, losing to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
But he said he had improved since.
"I know what I'm worth. I know how good I can play," he said. "I proved it at the US Open, especially for myself, playing some tough opponents, in my opinion, like gamestyle-wise. I managed to beat them.
"I'm ready. Hopefully I can show it on the tennis court. We can talk forever who is ready, who is favourite. You need to win."
In the women's section, seeded players continued to topple as Dayana Yastremska and Linda Noskova advanced to the quarter-finals.
Yastremska beat 18th seed Victoria Azarenka 7-6, 6-4, a two-time Australian Open champion, and No 23 seed Elina Svitolina had to retire after hurting her back when she was trailing Noskova 3-0.
Anna Kalinskaya beat No 26 seed Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-2 in a later match.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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RESULTS
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4.15pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner Jawaal, Jim Crowley, Majed Al Jahouri
4.45pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
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Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
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Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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