![\"Alexander](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/9c33e25caed493d4ceac7823fdfe14ad74493996.jpeg\")
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Alexander Zverev serves big in his quarter-final.Credit: Penny Stephens<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah I get sick of them, but they don\u2019t get sick of me because I pay for everything,\u201d the German joked.<\/p>\n
When asked if she preferred encouragement or tactical advice from coaches on court, eliminated teen quarter-finalist Iva Jovic said it depended on the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have a lot of experience yet with the whole on-court coaching, but in general, I\u2019ve never been a person who went too much to the coaches,\u201d she said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI usually like to figure things out on my own. So I don\u2019t do a crazy amount of little tactical things. More just encouragement, and then maybe if there\u2019s something that\u2019s obviously going wrong, you give more specific tactical advice.\u201d<\/p>\n
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka said she was lucky her team \u201cknows me better than I know myself\u201d, joking she expects them to read her mind.<\/p>\n
![\"Iva](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/d62121b8637286b4ca92c592efcb2b71d9b923e8.jpeg\")
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Iva Jovic, congratulates Aryna Sabalenka following their quarter-final battle Credit: AP<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I need some tactical advice. Sometimes I just need them to cool me down,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cSometimes I just need the support. Sometimes I want them to be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Australian Open organisers closed the roof of Rod Laver Arena shortly before the quarter-final started \u2013 a welcome reprieve for the sunscreen-clad, sweaty spectators, but even better news for Tien and Zverev who would have been playing in full sun as the temperature climbed over 40 degrees at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n
Zverev took the first set in under 40 minutes, notching monster aces of 214km\/h and taking his time between serves, receiving a time violation at one point.<\/p>\n
Tien tried to counter Zverev\u2019s style by speeding things up. At one point the American served with 19 seconds left on the clock.<\/p>\n
![\"Learner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/b1352d4b1526d9910f2e3b96ac29aee25a20714f.jpeg\")
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Learner Tien in action. Credit: Penny Stephens<\/p>\n
The young star fought hard in the fourth set but failed to convert a crucial break point and missed the opportunity to force Zverev to a fifth set.<\/p>\n
Zverev came to the net, hitting an impeccable drop shot to level scores and later won the tie-break with a string of aces.<\/p>\n
He said Tien\u2019s coach, the former world No.2 and Roland-Garros champion, had worked wonders on the 20-year-old\u2019s game during the off-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout my 20 aces or something I probably would not have won today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Zverev, who lost last year\u2019s final to Jannik Sinner, will play the winner of Tuesday night\u2019s clash between Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n
Read more about the Australian Open:<\/p>\n