ChabDog’s Aussie Open Conversation Openers (Day 9):

• In the end, only Nadal was looking pretty in pink; Kyrgios gave us flashes of brilliance, but he showed weakness when it mattered most, and against Rafa providing any opening is normally lethal.
• Zverev pounds out a convincing victory against Rublev, and readies for a tougher test in the next round.
• Fed survives an Antietam type, blood and guts skirmish with Tennys, who brought a gimpy Roger to the brink of elimination; but 7 match points later, it’s the favorite who remains standing … and waiting for the winner of Djoker-Raonic.  Give the No. 3 tons of credit for hanging in against almost insurmountable odds.  For Sandgren, there may well be sleepless nights thinking about all those lost opportunities.
• Steady Kerber just didn’t have the weapons in her tool kit to avoid getting run over in the third by Pavlyuchenkova.
• Barty’s versatility gives less flexible Kvitova nothing but fits.
• Sofia knocks out Jabeur.