NOVAK DJOKOVIC was at the centre of a dispute at the Australian Open on Monday, while Jannik Sinner battled through intense heat and a medical scare to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek cruised past her opponent, and American teenage qualifier Learner Tien's dream run ended due to injury.
Sinner overcame Danish 13th seed Holger Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena despite needing medical attention for dizzy spells during the match.
Temperatures soared above 30 degrees Celsius for a second consecutive day, causing Sinner to struggle in the humid conditions.
His heart rate was checked during the third set before he took a medical timeout. He now awaits the winner of the match between Alex de Minaur and Alex Michelsen.
Djokovic sparked debate on Sunday when he refused to do the routine on-court interview after defeating Jiri Lehecka.
He later explained it was a protest against comments made by Tony Jones, a presenter with host broadcaster Channel Nine, who had called Djokovic a "has-been" and suggested he be "kicked out."
Djokovic said he would not engage with the network until he received a public apology.
Jones apologised on air on Monday, after which organisers Tennis Australia confirmed Djokovic acknowledged the apology and would now focus on his next match.
Djokovic’s boycott and subsequent video explanation, which garnered over 60 million views on X, drew responses from prominent figures, including Elon Musk and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.
Svitolina advances, maintains protest
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina defeated Russia's Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the quarter-finals for the third time at Melbourne Park.
Svitolina declined to shake Kudermetova's hand, continuing a stance taken by Ukrainian players against Russians due to the ongoing war.
Speaking after her win, Svitolina said, "To bring a little light, a little win for the Ukrainian people is something that I feel I am responsible for."
Organisers displayed a notice on large screens to inform the crowd of the no-handshake policy and requested respect for the situation.
Svitolina will face American Madison Keys in the next round, while her husband, Gael Monfils, was forced to retire from his match against Ben Shelton due to exhaustion.
Shelton now faces Lorenzo Sonego, who defeated Tien in four sets.
Tien's impressive campaign, which included a second-round victory over Daniil Medvedev, came to an end after he struggled with a thigh issue in his loss to Sonego.
(With inputs from AFP)
