Australian Open 2019 Diary: Tempers and temperatures soar on Day 8 at Melbourne Park

The Australian Open is famous for a whole gamut of things - primarily, the blazing temperatures.

While the first week witnessed rather cooler days, normalcy was restored on the second Monday, with temperatures peaking at well over 30 degrees.

Temperatures are only expected to rise over the coming days, which does not bode well for the players involved; many of whom seem pretty hotheaded already.

Temper tantrums and smashed racquets

Alexander Zverev had quite the meltdown on Rod Laver Arena in his fourth round match against Milos Raonic. A set and 4-1 down, Zverev absolutely obliterated his racquet, slamming it against the court EIGHT times amidst a cacophony of boos from the crowd.

That did little to inspire the German as he ultimately crashed out in straight sets. I had the opportunity to attend the World No. 4's post-match press conference - and even ask him a question - and his revelations did little to improve the mood of his quickly dwindling fanbase, as he admitted that he played horribly but was not depressed by the outcome of the match.

There is a lot Zverev has yet to master, and the art of the press conference is certainly one of them.

Zverev wasn't the only high-profile player that struggled to control his emotions. Over on Melbourne Arena, Borna Coric, who isn't averse to the occasional brain fade, had a significant one in his match against mercurial Frenchman Lucas Pouille.

Despite going up a set, Coric was visibly frustrated for the majority of the match and when the inevitable Pouille fightback took shape, the Croat did little to help himself. His racquet flew from his hands just as quickly as his Australian Open chances, and the 22-year-old beat a hasty retreat.

2019 Australian Open - Day 8

Coric's antics continued post-match, arriving early to his press conference and subsequently racing away upon finding no one in the room.

Ultimately, not a great day for the members of the 'Next Gen', who failed to have their own Tsitsipas moment.

Serena and 'Baby Serena' set for a rematch?

2019 Australian Open - Day 8

Naomi Osaka has earned the moniker 'Baby Serena' for her devastating groundstrokes and serve, and she put on a Serena-esque performance against Anastasija Sevastova, fighting back from a set down to blast her opponent off the court. Sevastova has caused a bunch of top players problems with her tricky playing style and after a set, it looked like she had the US Open champion's number, but Osaka, it seems, relishes a challenge.

Making use of her devastating forehand, Osaka ploughed through her opponent in the next two sets to book a berth in the quarterfinals.

Later in the day, I had the privilege of witnessing the G.O.A.T Serena Williams herself take centre stage and I could not have asked for a better experience.

Serena has an aura surrounding her that just sends chills down your spine. It's no surprise then that most of her opponents crumble even before setting foot on the court. That initially seemed to be the case tonight as well, as World No. 1 Simona Halep looked like she'd rather be anywhere but the Rod Laver Arena, conceding the first set 6-1.

However, Halep is nothing if not a fighter and she channeled all of that champion spirit to help her stay competitive in the next set, which she claimed to the shock of the 10000 odd Serena fans in the stadium.

Halep looked to have Serena on the ropes but failed to land the knockout blow and that was enough for the American to reestablish her dominance, edging a thrilling contest in the final set.

2019 Australian Open - Day 8

However, I must confess that I failed to witness the finish to Serena's match as I decided to hop over to the neighbouring Margaret Court Arena, a much cosier stadium, to witness the beginning of Kei Nishikori's thrilling fightback against Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

Nishikori has made a habit of falling behind in matches before producing his best tennis but it looked like he had left it too late, dropping the first two sets and falling behind by a break in the third, but in tune with his reputation, conjured a miraculous escape to take the next three sets in a match that concluded well beyond midnight.

Novak not Djoking around

2019 Australian Open - Day 8

It was finally time for Novak Djokovic who took on another 'Next Gen' member in Daniil Medvedev, who had brazenly announced that the Serb is 'not playing as well as he used to' and that he could be beaten.

Medevev then went on to employ some rather bizarre tactics, content to extend rallies to over 30 shots and out Djokovic Djokovic. That ultimately backfired as the World No. 1 dug deep to secure a four-set victory.

Apart from the action on the court, a shot at Virtual Reality Tennis, a couple of missed interviews, and tons of Haagen Dazs bars comprised what was a rather eventful day at Melbourne Park.