Aleksandar Vukic scored the biggest victory of his career on day four at Melbourne Park to set a Friday night date with Brit Jack Draper.
Vukic, 28, defeated American 22nd-seed Sebastian Korda in five thrilling sets on Kia Arena, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, to mark his second consecutive five-set win at this year’s Australian Open in what he described as one of the best wins of his career.
"I think being down two sets to one against a great player in Korda, and fighting back when things weren't looking too good for me then and making my first third round, yeah, it's got to be the best or one of the best, for sure," Vukic said post-match.
"I didn't want to just rock up today and have him just beat me in a way. I wanted to do all I could."
Racing out of the blocks, Vukic broke Korda in the opening game of the match and immediately consolidated for a two-love lead. Holding serve through to a one-set lead, Vukic looked calm and comfortable in blustery conditions and grey skies despite his first-round marathon against Bosnian Damir Džumhur on Monday.
Korda, the brother of golfing superstars Jessica and Nelly, quickly turned things around as he hit back to take the second and third sets and quiet down the Australian crowd as Vukic’s backcourt game started to show cracks.
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As rain delays came and went, Vukic was afforded the chance to compose himself and reset.
"I kind of just got some food in just in case it went five," revealed the University of Illinois graduate.
"I stayed with my coach and fitness coach. We stayed in a room and chilled. I think we were watching Ajla play. We were playing some music, really just trying to relax.
"I was kind of switched off."
In a match that spanned almost seven hours due to repeated rain delays, Vukic returned to the court and worked his way back after going two-sets-to-love down against the son of 1998 Australian Open Champion, Petr Korda.
As the contest reached its crescendo, it was the penultimate game at 5-all deep in the fifth set where Korda unravelled.
Serving from the northern end on Kia Arena, Korda struggled with the wind affecting his ball toss and was seemingly taunted and baited by the home crowd into a series of faults and unforced errors.
Ultimately, a loose game gifted Vukic a chance to earn his maiden appearance in the round of 32 at a Grand Slam which he did not let slip.
Now having won his last three five-set matches dating back to Wimbledon last year, Vukic’s experience in these long and tight matches gives the Sydney-sider the mental clarity required to stay present and focus on the task at hand; even if he did wish he could’ve won in straight sets.
"I was taking it all in and really just trying to be positive and really trying to be present and I was able to pull through today," he said.
"I think you do get used to it a little bit more. You do get more comfortable with it
"It's something that, looking back, I'm sure when I retire, I’ll think that was awesome.
"It's also like, if I can get it done sooner, it's probably better in the grand scheme of things."
For his efforts, Vukic is rewarded with a third-round match against Englishman Jack Draper to be played on Friday with the winner likely to face Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round.
Though he’s already played the maximum ten sets of tennis to get to this point, Vukic must be cautiously optimistic of his chances at defeating Draper on Friday night.
The Englishman - who overcame Thanasi Kokkinakis in a four-and-a-half hour battle - conceded his "body really wasn’t that great for the whole of December", and has also required five sets in each of his first two matches.
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