Australian Open 2025 as it happened: Aussie heartbreak as Draper beats Vukic in five-set thriller; Djokovic’s support for protest victim

Gut-wrenching defeat for Aleks Vukic, who just kept fighting back every time he looked down and out.

He will probably thinking about his two points he lost on serve when up a mini-break at 6-5 in the match tiebreak, but even then he still got it back to seven-all.

The world No.68 broke new ground at Melbourne Park this week, making the third round of a grand slam for the first time in his career.

That follows him beating two top-20 stars - Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe - late last year, so he is in good form and has set himself up for a big year.

Thanks so much for joining us for another marathon day at the Australian Open.

Aleks Vukic went so close to scoring a place in the fourth round before falling to Jack Draper while Novak Djokovic and fellow Serbian Olga Danilovic booked their places in the fourth rounds with wins on Rod Laver Arena.

We will be back later in morning with our day seven live blog, please join us then.

Bye for now.

Gut-wrenching defeat for Aleks Vukic, who just kept fighting back every time he looked down and out.

He will probably thinking about his two points he lost on serve when up a mini-break at 6-5 in the match tiebreak, but even then he still got it back to seven-all.

The world No.68 broke new ground at Melbourne Park this week, making the third round of a grand slam for the first time in his career.

That follows him beating two top-20 stars - Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe - late last year, so he is in good form and has set himself up for a big year.

Jack Draper is now turning his attention Carlos Alcaraz in the next round but first he needs to get his body right after another exhaustive five-set win.

“My body doesn’t feel great but, luckily, I have a good physio,” Draper said.

Draper said he had a great friendship with Alcaraz and he would put everything he had into his recovery in hope he can be as fit as possible for the match.

He also praised Vukic for his drive and desire to stay in the match when he looked in trouble.

“I thought he was done but he just came back from the dead,” Draper said of Vukic.

Vukic and Draper are going into a 10-point tiebreak.

The winner will be the player who gets to 10 points or more, with a two-point lead.

Draper leads 1-0.

Vukic and Draper are going into a 10-point tiebreak.

The winner will be the player who gets to 10 points or more, with a two-point lead.

Draper leads 1-0.

Sensational stuff from Aleks Vukic.

He looked dead and buried at 1-3, 15-40 in the final set but he not only wriggled out of trouble to hold serve, but broke Jack Draper back with some inspired play.

All the momentum is suddenly with the Australian as holds his serve and takes a 4-3 lead in the fifth.

It’s agony for Aleks Vukic and Australia as British top-20 star Jack Draper plays consecutive great points to seal the fourth set 7-6 (7-5) and force a deciding set.

Both these guys have already played five-setters in their opening two rounds, and will have to do so yet again.

It’s been a fiercely fought contest, with little between them outside the second set that Vukic won comfortably.

Vukic did little wrong throughout that fourth set, but will have to remain aggressive to ward off the net-rushing Brit.