TENNIS Live

Australian Open - 3rd Round - Men

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
ArgentinaJ Del Potro6767-
LuxembourgG Muller7535-

Gilles Muller

Nationality LUX
ATP Ranking 95

Juan Martin Del Potro

Nationality ARG
Date of Birth 23/09/1988
Height 1.98 m
Weight 82 kg
 

Live Comments

  1. 7-5 - DEL POTRO WINS!!! The Argentine smashes home in emphatic fashion to seal the victory, which was far from comfortable. Muller put up a decent fight and Del Potro will surely have to find another gear if he is to beat Marin Cilic in the fourth round.

  2. 6-5 - Big point at 30-30 on the Muller serve and he reacts with a wonderful forehand winner down the line...but a double-fault follows and they go to deuce. After some toing and froing, Del Potro earns a break point and wins a fine point with a punched forehand volley winner. Muller perhaps could have gone for a lob, but he tried to go cross court. DEL POTRO WILL SERVE FOR THE MATCH!!

  3. 5-5 - Del Potro holds and we move to 5-5.

  4. 4-5 - Nothing to separate the players in the fourth set. Both are serving well, although Muller's error count for the match is now considerably higher than Del Potro's. Muller has made 56, to Del Potro's 25.

  5. 3-3 - Normal service appears to have resumed in the fourth set. The players both hold serve without too much ado.

  6. 2-2 - Del Potro eases to a hold of serve to make it 2-2 in the fourth set.

  7. 1-2 - GREAT SHOT FROM MULLER!!! The pair exchange groundstrokes for what seems like a decade, before Muller sends Del Potro out to his backhand, then crushed a backhand of his own down the line to seal his service game.

  8. 1-1 - The pair exchange holds to get the fourth set off and away.

  9. 6-3 - Del Potro comfortably wraps up the third set, smashing home to bring up three set points and taking the first opportunity to close in out. He's had 14 winners in the match so far.

  10. 5-2 - This is beginning to look ominous for Muller. Del Potro has got the bit between his teeth and he looks intent on blasting his opponent away.

  11. 4-2 - Another one!!! Del Potro earns a break point and puts away a stunning backhand winner to seal the deal. Muller came into the net and Del Potro hit the shot on the run. If there was chalk on these courts the dust would be everywhere. Superb shot!!

  12. 2-2 - Suddenly this match has gone break-of-serve potty! Del Potro piles on the pressure with some fine returns and takes his opportunity to level the third set.

  13. 1-2 - MULLER BREAKS!! The Luxembourgian gets his first break point of the match and takes the chance to steal the momentum in the third set.

  14. 1-1 - Del Poltro earns himself another chance to break in the second game of the second set...but Muller holds his nerve to make it 1-1.

  15. 7-5 - DEL POTRO BREAKS, FINALLY!!! He takes the second set and indulges in some exaggerated grunting and fist-pumping to celebrate. The Argentine is clearly being frustrated by Muller, who has a compact and tight game and could push Del Potro all the way here.

  16. 6-5 - The number eight holds serve and will have a second bite at the Muller serve.

  17. 5-5 - Muller survives!! Del Potro cannot believe he let that opportunity slip by.

  18. 5-4 - Unbelievable point!! Del Potro has set point, with a chance to break the Muller serve...he comes into the net and looks to have found a backhand volley winner, but Muller reacts quickly and somehow gets his racket on the ball to send a blocked drive over Del Potro's head and inside the baseline!!!

  19. 4-4 - Del Potro finally gets himself a break point at 4-3, but Muller reacts with a couple of thundering serves and his chance passes like a train in the night. Are we headed for another tie-break?

  20. 3-3 - Neither player can find a way to tackle their opponents' serve effectively. We've had no break points thus far and that despite plenty of rallies advancing to the baseline-slugging stage.

  21. 2-2 - Both players hold and we move to 2-2 without incident.

  22. 1-1 - Muller looks very solid on his serve, with 10 aces and counting.

  23. 1-0 - Del Potro takes the opening game of the second set on his serve. The young Argentine has some serious work to do here.

  24. 6-7 - Del Potro slams his racket on the floor in disgust as Muller fights back from 5-3 down to take the opening set 7-5 on the tie-break.

  25. 6-6 - To the tie-break we go. Del Potro has dropped just three points on his serve thus far. Muller has dropped 11.

  26. 5-5 - With serve we go, as Del Potro holds.

  27. 4-5 - A superb serving game from Muller. The left-hander is making things very difficult for Del Potro with his placement on the first serve.

  28. 4-4 - This is a real battle at the baseline. Del Potro holds to take us to 4-4.

  29. 3-4 - A wide serve to Del Potro's forehand results in a simple opportunity to smash home for Muller and he takes the game to 30. Del Potro had a really good chance at 30-30, but he put a backhand volley into the net with the court wide open.

  30. 3-3 - Del Potro is looking very relaxed and he strolls to his third service without even the merest hint of a Muller threat.

  31. 2-3 - Muller slams down his second ace to seal a straightforward hold of serve.

  32. 2-2 - Del Potro holds comfortable to take it us to 2-2. The Hisense Arena is slowly starting to fill up now on what is another hot and sunny day in Sydney.

  33. 1-2 - Muller saves two break points as Del Potro has a real go at his serve. 2-1.

  34. 1-1 - The pair exchange holds to start the match. Del Potro really is hotly-tipped here, some even think he has the game to get all the way to the final.

  35. - - The Argentine Del Potro is seeded eight and entered the Australian Open ranked number six in the world. In terms of Grand Slams, his best performance was reaching the quarter-finals of 2008 US Open. The 20-year-old is tipped for big things. Muller, who hails from Luxembourg, is unseeded and ranked 86 in the world.

  36. - - Good morning (just about) tennis fans and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the third-round clash between Juan Martin Del Potro and Gilles Muller.