Yahoo Autos Australian Open 2022 LIVE: Rafael Nadal vs Karen Khachanov result after Naomi Osaka knocked out
Follow all the reaction from the Australian Open as Rafael Nadal confirmed his place in the fourth round with an impressive victory against Karen Khachanov.
Earlier on Friday, defending champion Naomi Osaka suffered a surprising exit against Amanda Anisimova, who rallied from a set down to set up a fourth-round match against Ashleigh Barty. The world No 1 endured few problems in her own meeting with Camila Giorgi, taking just 61 minutes to wrap up a straight sets victory on Rod Laver Arena. Barbora Krejcikova, Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa also all advanced into the fourth round.
The standout match on the men’s side of the draw saw Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini triumph over 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in a pulsating four-hour contest. The Spaniard had rallied from two sets down to force a fifth set but ran out of steam in the tiebreak as Berrettini’s experience prevailed. Elsewhere, world No 3 Alexander Zverev wasted little time in thrashing Romanian qualifier Radu Albot, while Denis Shapovalov overcame Reilly Opelka in four sets.
Follow for live updates and scores from the Australian Open third round:
Australian Open latest updates
Nadal two sets to one up against Khachanov
Anisimova stuns Osaka
Barty cruises past Giorgi
Krejcikova, Sakkari and Badosa win
Berrettini beats Alcaraz in five-set thriller
Australian Open 2022: Nadal speaks post-match
13:27 , Tom Kershaw
“Of course, it’s a very special week for me, coming back from where I’m coming, every single time I’m able to play here is just a very special thing ... tonight I played against a good player and a good friend on tour ... that was the best match I’ve played since I came back [from injury] ... I wish him all the very best for the season, I wish him well.
“In the past year and a half I have been going through some very tough times ... but nights like tonight give me a lot of energy ... that’s something to put in my pocket ... it means everything, I’m super happy, thank you very much everybody.
“People here in Australia appreciate sport in general ... thank you to Tennis Australia for all the support we receive during our careers.”
Australian Open 2022: Nadal beats Khachanov in four sets
13:19 , Tom Kershaw
Nadal holds to love. A clinical final game in a match where he’d been forced to dig deep in that third set. For all the talk of age and rust, the 35-year-old looked fantastic for large parts of that victory. He will be a force to be reckoned with for anyone in the men’s draw.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 5-1 Khachanov
13:16 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov invites pressure onto his own serve with a double-fault at 15-15. A terrific forehand then earns a break point. Khachanov produces a huge serve, follows it with a deep forehand and comes into the net. But Nadal somehow manufactures a stunning cross-court passing shot from way behind the baseline. A stunning shot and he celebrates it wholeheartedly. That’s the double break and Nadal will confirm his place in the fourth round very shortly.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 4-1 Khachanov
13:09 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov holds serve with a fine forehand winner but he’s got no answer to Nadal’s serve at the moment. The Spaniard holds to love and is now just two games away from victory.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 3-0 Khachanov
12:59 , Tom Kershaw
And now Nadal quickly consolidates the break with a hold to 15. Nadal has found another gear. Khachanov might not have any more left. The finish line is starting to come into view.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 2-0 Khachanov
12:56 , Tom Kershaw
Nadal brings up a break point with an absolutely fantastic forehand at 30-30. The Russian’s sliced forehand was a little weak, Nadal quickly runs around it to tee up a forehand of his own, and it fizzes back over the net with unstoppable venom. Khachanov produces an equally fierce winner though to - briefly - alleviate the danger.
Nadal earns another break point at deuce and this time he strikes! What a stunning shot. Khachanov had charged in after a huge serve, smacked a forehand deep into the corner of the court but somehow Nadal managed to skewer a backhand down the line at full stretch. That was a remarkable point and Nadal shouts and punched the air. He has the ascendancy again.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 1-0 Khachanov
12:50 , Tom Kershaw
After struggling on serve in that third set, Nadal resets and makes a much more assured start. He holds to 15.
Australian Open 2022: Khachanov wins the third set
12:43 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov holds to love! A brilliant set of tennis by the Russian. He’s played Nadal seven times in his career and lost on each occasion. He’s still got a mountain to climb at two sets to one down, but he’s back in this match.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 3-5 Khachanov
12:39 , Tom Kershaw
A great display of serving seals a relatively stress-free hold for Khachanov. His ball-striking has been brilliant this set and, in the following game, he hits a lightning-fast forehand winner that leaves Nadal looking a little lost. That’s the only point he can take off the Spaniard’s serve in the game, though. Khachanov will now have the chance to serve for this set.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 2-4 Khachanov
12:33 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov puts everything into the sixth game of this set, again forcing Nadal to deuce, but he can’t take any of the three break points. That would have all but guaranteed him of victory in this third set but instead, the pressure is right back on now.
Khachanov has been a completely different force since falling two sets behind. He’s being aggressive, taking risks and, right now, they’re really paying off.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 1-4 Khachanov
12:21 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov is immediately put under pressure as Nadal attempts to get the break back. On the third break point of another mammoth game, taking over five minutes to complete, Khachanov wins an exceptional rally, forcing Nadal back with a series of drumming groundstrokes. Somehow the Spaniard is able to keep the point alive but Khachanov rushes into the net and ends it with a deft volley. A huge serve keeps the momentum on his side and he grinds out the hold.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 1-3 Khachanov
12:15 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov breaks! What a sensational game from the Russian. From 40-0 down, he fought back as Nadal made two uncharacteristically sloppy backhand errors. At deuce, Khachanov then ends a long rally with a fantastic high-risk backhand cross-court winner that stops Nadal in his tracks. That was a brilliant shot and an errant Nadal forehand seals the break.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 1-2 Khachanov
12:07 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov seems to be cruising to one of his simpler holds of the match at 40-15 only for Nadal to wrestle the game back to deuce. A deft touch at the net brings up break point but Khachanov shows his resolve with a fine volley of his own. The Russian digs in to hold and keep this third set on serve.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal wins second set
11:57 , Tom Kershaw
Nadal wraps up the second set but Khachanov manages to avoid falling behind immediately with an important hold to start the third set. It would take an immense fightback for the Russian to battle back from here.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 5-2 Khachanov
11:41 , Tom Kershaw
The set might be all but lost, but that’s a wonderful hold by Khachanov. Three aces in succession.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 5-1 Khachanov
11:40 , Tom Kershaw
After giving everything in that last game in an effort to break back, Khachanov is running low on reserves and Nadal promptly takes advantage. That’s the Spaniard’s second break of the set and he’s cruising now.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 3-1 Khachanov
11:30 , Tom Kershaw
Khachanov manages to hold on serve this time but he’s not able to put Nadal under any real sort of pressure. In fact, it falls on the Spaniard to do that to himself, with two double-faults giving Khachanov a faint hope. The Russian then produces a scintillating shot, getting back to his feet after tripping over mid-point and firing a wicked backhand down the line to take the game to deuce.
That gives the Russian a newfound sense of confidence and he then comes out on top in a terrific back-and-forth rally, racing to meet Nadal’s drop shot and thundering a backhand cross-court. Khachanov was doing well to target Nadal’s backhand there, but a serve and volley combination proves no less deadly. Nadal holds.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal 2-0 Khachanov
11:15 , Tom Kershaw
A monumental 12-minute game ends in another break of serve - at the fourth time of asking as Nadal hits a punishing return deep into the court that Khachanov can’t deflect. Nadal will have sapped so much of the Russian’s spirit there. Nadal looks fantastic and has barely dropped a point on his own serve.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal wins first start
10:55 , Tom Kershaw
There’s been little to suggest we’ll see an upset in this match. Nadal might have missed the majority of last season due to a foot injury, but he’s been far too sharp for Khachanov so far and needs less than half an hour to clinch the first set.
Australian Open 2022: Nadal makes fast start
10:45 , Tom Kershaw
So now to the final match of day five at the Australian Open. Rafael Nadal has made a fast start against Karen Khachanov, breaking the Russian in his opening service game, and now leads 4-2 in the opening set.
Australian Open 2022: Anisimova speaks post-match
10:44 , Tom Kershaw
“I’m speechless. I can’t stop smiling. I’m just laughing. I absolutely love this.
“Going into this match I knew I had to be playing sharp if I wanted to give myself a chance. She [Osaka] is an absolute champion so I knew I would have to step up my game and be aggressive.
“I’m honestly so grateful that I was able to play so well today and get this win. It means a lot.
“Every single day here is an amazing opportunity. I’m just thinking about having fun and I’m looking forward to my next round.”
Australian Open 2022: Anisimova beats Osaka!
10:37 , Tom Kershaw
Naomi Osaka is out! That was a terrific performance Anisimova in the tiebreak. A backhand winner stretched her lead to 7-4 before Osaka’s unforced error stretches the gap to four points. Although Anisimova’s forehand errs, she then wins the next two points in emphatic fashion - with a forehand winner and an ace on match point - to knock out the defending champion.
Australian Open 2022: Osaka 4-6 Anisimova
10:33 , Tom Kershaw
Anisimova shows no sign of the pressure with an emphatic forehand winner to stretch the gap to 5-2, but Osaka responds again, twice forcing errors to close the gap to 5-4. But then Osaka gifts Anisimova a point with a stray forehand.
Australian Open 2022: Osaka 2-4 Anisimova
10:30 , Tom Kershaw
Osaka rallies to win the next two points but then a sloppy unforced error on her backhand sees Anisimova take a 4-2 lead into the change of ends.
Australian Open 2022: Osaka 0-3 Anisimova
10:28 , Tom Kershaw
Anisimova races into a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak, all three points courtesy of mistakes on Osaka’s backhand.
Australian Open 2022: Osaka 6-6 Anisimova
10:27 , Tom Kershaw
We’re heading to a tiebreak. It’s the finale this match has deserved. Both players have been at such a high level and, having to serve to stay in the match again, Anisimova sealed a calm hold to 15 with an ace.
Australian Open 2022: Osaka 5-5 Anisimova
10:19 , Tom Kershaw
The pressure builds as Osaka attacks the first point of the rally, dragging Anisimova across the baseline to take a 0-15 lead. Osaka then brings up her first match point at 30-40 but Anisimova produces a series of brilliant and brave groundstrokes to alleviate the danger. It’s only temporary, though. Another match point is brought up but Osaka’s backhand then catches the net cord. She shakes her arms. There’s so much tension in this game. Anisimova is able to rise to it and delivers two big serves to see out the hold!
Australian Open 2022: Osaka 5-4 Anisimova
10:10 , Tom Kershaw
Osaka holds serve just as quickly. It’s been such a high-quality contest. Anisimova has shown few signs of nerves so far, but she will have to serve to stay in the match now.
Australian Open 2022: Osaka 4-4 Anisimova
10:08 , Tom Kershaw
Osaka refinds her first serve and fist pumps after another hold. The momentum seems to be shifting ever so slightly in her favour as she holds, but Anisimova pays no heed to that. The American holds to love emphatically.
