Alex Bolt vs Jack Sock: Australian Open live scores, blog

Alex Bolt becomes the ninth Aussie through to the second round of the Australian Open with a four-set win over American Jack Sock. An impressive maiden grand slam win, and after the heartbreak of last year's five-set loss, you can bet this will taste sweet. Up next for him is 29th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon, the man who lost to Alex de Minaur in the Sydney International final, who breezed through a straight-sets triumph over Bjorn Fratangelo earlier today. Can he make it to the third round? We'll have to wait and see. Thanks for tuning in today Roarers! Until we meet again...

What a win this is for Bolt- without doubt the triumph of his career. He hugs the fans in the stands, they've been cheering him all the way. It didn't look too promising when he dropped the first set, but from there, Bolt only improved while Sock fell away markedly. The Aussie's serving was phenomenal throughout, with 22 aces and just 3 double-faults, and his backhand got better as the match wore on. In contrast, Sock looked a shadow of the player that was ranked inside the top 8 this time last year, with mistakes aplenty. A disappointing showing from the American, but take nothing away from Alex Bolt- he definitely deserves this.

GAME, SET, MATCH BOLT Bolt 4 6 6 6 Sock 6 3 2 2 Alex Bolt gets it done! Good deep serve forces Sock's short return, he steps in and crunches the forehand, and while Sock gets there, he can't get it over the net! Three points away... 15-0 Sock goes for broke here, steps in off a short Bolt second serve and creams a backhand winner down the line. 15-15 Two points away now as Sock nets an innocuous backhand right off the second serve. Mistakes like that have been far too frequent. 30-15 Deft from Bolt! Comes into the net after a slice, Sock tries a lob and it's not bad, but Bolt reaches to the heavens, gets there, and touches it over the net for the winner! Two match points. 40-15 And he does it at the first go! Second serve that Sock, in typical fashion, backhands wide! Bolt has his maiden Grand Slam triumph!

GAME, BREAK BOLT Bolt 4 6 6 5 Sock 6 3 2 2 Bolt breaks again- he'll have two chances to serve for a maiden Grand Slam win! Sock starts with a booming ace of his own, down the T. 15-0 Big serve again to the Bolt forehand, he gets there but does little else. 30-0 Majestic from Bolt! A touch slower on the second serve from Sock, and Bolt crunches a cross-court backhand for the winner! The improvement of his backhand has been marked as this match has gone on. 30-15 Sock again errs after a lengthy rally, pulling a cross-court backhand wide. Bad miss. 30-30 The pair trade mighty groundstrokes and it's Bolt again who comes up trumps, murdering an inside out forehand into open court. Once again, Sock caught out not covering the whole court. 30-40 Sock saves the break point, though, deft at the net with a wide volley, before a second volley off the Bolt return drops just past the net. 40-40 Good again from Sock coming into the net, Bolt tries to pass but Sock's volley is excellent, right to the back corner. AD-40 But he can't close out the game, trying for another sliced drop shot but this time it doesn't make it past the net. 40-40 (2) Brilliant from Bolt! Sock again charges the net, putting away one volley, but can't do enough with it and Bolt hares it down, smashing a cross-court forehand for the winner! 40-AD And Sock gave up the goose there! Bolt's defence immense as Sock again comes up to the net, before mistiming a volley well short, and just turning his back as Bolt steps in to crunch the winner away! The end nigh for Sock- he's really fallen by the wayside after a strong start.

GAME BOLT Bolt 4 6 6 4 Sock 6 3 2 2 Powerful forehand from Bolt forces the short return from Sock, the Aussie steps in and hammers a winner down the line. 15-0 Too good from Bolt! That forehand's been a weapon all day, this time lasering one down the line with Sock nowhere in the vicinity. 30-0 A double-fault, a rarity for Bolt in the latter stages of this match. 30-15 But he follows it up with a wide swinging ace! Number 21 for the match. 40-15 And number 22 immediately follows, again wide and again Sock can only watch helplessly as it sails by! He's two games away from the second round.

Crowd now chanting Alex Bolt's name to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas".

GAME SOCK Bolt 4 6 6 3 Sock 6 3 2 2 Sock sends a sliced backhand wide to amp the pressure up even further. 0-15 Sock errs again, sending a forehand long. His game has fallen apart in the last few sets- errors aplenty. 0-30 Now it's Bolt's turn to err, sending a forehand long aiming for the line. 15-30 Sock finds a serve at a crucial time, powering an ace wide of Bolt's lunging backhand. 30-30 And another ace, a huge one down the T, saves him momentarily from the danger of a double break. 40-30 And he saves the game and keeps himself alive, a wide serve forces the short return from Bolt and Sock steps in to crunch the forehand winner in the opposite direction of the guessing Bolt.

GAME BOLT Bolt 4 6 6 3 Sock 6 3 2 1 Boom! Big serve down the T gives Bolt his 19th ace of the match. 15-0 Sock puts everything into a series of brutal groundstrokes, and eventually he puts enough pressure on the Bolt forehand for him to send an inside out shot wide of the line. 15-15 Another great serve down the T forces Sock to lob, it's short and Bolt steps in to smash the winner away. 30-15 40-15 now thanks to ace number 20, another booming serve down the T. 40-15 His serving is again phenomenal, wide and swinging away, Sock makes the forehand but sends it wide. Bolt gets ever closer.

GAME, BREAK BOLT Bolt 4 6 6 2 Sock 6 3 2 1 And once again, it's Bolt with an early break! Sock forces Bolt wide with a cross-court backhand, Bolt goes for the kill with a stretched forehand aimed down the line, but just misses. 15-0 Well done from Bolt, Sock pins him to the baseline before trying a drop shot, but the Aussie shows great reflexes to get there and winkle out a shot right at Sock's feet, the American volleying into the net. 15-15 And another huge moment for Sock as a backhand into the net opens up the game for the Aussie. 15-30 A good serve eases the pressure momentarily, a boomer down the T that Bolt gets a racquet to but nothing else. 30-30 Break point now from Bolt as Sock nets a mistimed forehand from the baseline. This could almost be the match right here. 30-40 And for the third set in a row, Bolt has that early break! Sock pinned to the baseline, and leaves the court wide open for the Aussie to thump an inside-out forehand into the space! Bolt so close now.

GAME BOLT Bolt 4 6 6 1 Sock 6 3 2 1 Bolt gets a touch lucky there, Sock comes charging into the net and Bolt tries to pass, it sails long but Sock had touched it with his racquet. 15-0 Good wide serve forces the lob from Sock, Bolt steps in and whips a forehand winner down the line. Sock had given up the goose already. 30-0 Great defence from Bolt as he holds out a couple of crunching Sock forehands, and his last return goes right at Sock's ankles, the American half-volleying into the net! 40-0 And an ace brings up a hold to love, out wide.

GAME SOCK Bolt 4 6 6 0 Sock 6 3 2 1 Sock crunches a forehand into the net after a series of groundstrokes. He can't afford too many errors like that. 0-15 Sock comes up to the net this time after a short return from Bolt, the Aussie tries to pass but finds the net with his forehand. 15-15 Deft from Sock but Bolt is up to it! Tries a drop shot with Bolt deep in the court, but the Aussie gets there, digs out a return, and Sock's stretching forehand volley sails wide! Huge few points here for both players. 15-30 Crunch! Almost Sock's best shot of the match, a whistling inside-out forehand that screams past Bolt. Too quick. 30-30 Magnificent from Bolt! A break point chance as Sock's wide serve is sent right back with a crunching backhand down the line! Sublime. 30-40 The first cry of "Come on" from Sock as a booming serve down the T saves him, Bolt's stretched backhand sailing wide and long. 40-40 Body serve from Sock that Bolt mistimes on the backhand wing, wide and long. Not happy with himself either, is the Aussie. AD-40 And Sock keeps his head above water with a second serve ace, nicely placed to the corner.

GAME, THIRD SET BOLT Bolt 4 6 6 Sock 6 3 2 Bolt takes the third set after holding to love! Bolt's serving this set has been out of this world- another ace down the T, swinging away. 15-0 Great return from Sock right to Bolt's feet but the Aussie is up to it, digging out a lovely half-volley into open court, and a lunging Sock can only send his forehand into the net! 30-0 Good serve wide forces the Sock lob, and while it's not bad, it still sits up for Bolt to smash a forehand down the line! Set point. 40-0 And he only needs one where he needed six in the last set, with a second-serve ace down the T! Bolt leads two sets to one- will it be a maiden Grand Slam victory? He calls for a banana as he sits down.

GAME SOCK Bolt 4 6 5 Sock 6 3 2 Great backhand return from Bolt right to the baseline, and an under pressure Sock can only scoop his backhand return just long. 0-15 Big second serve from Sock down the T, and it works as Bolt can only send a stretched backhand long. 15-15 Great serve from Sock has Bolt running wide, and while the Aussie defends grimly, he soon has to lob, and that's the cue for Sock to step in and crunch an overhead away. 30-15 Now Sock errs with a backhand into the net. 30-30 Good serve wide from Sock averts the immediate danger, Bolt's stretched backhand sailing long. 40-30 And again goes to the Bolt backhand on the serve, this time down the T, and again Bolt's backhand goes long. Sock still kicking in this set- can he hold on as grimly as he did in the second?

GAME BOLT Bolt 4 6 5 Sock 6 3 1 The pair trade heavy groundstrokes and it's Sock who cracks first again, netting a backhand. Poor error. 15-0 Great inside out forehand from Bolt catches Sock out, he gets there but his forehand at full stretch only finds the net. 30-0 Bolt gets a bit too cute here, a good serve forces the short return from Sock, but trying for a cheeky drop shot, he clatters the ball into the net. 30-15 That's better! Sock did nothing wrong here, a lovely backhand down the line for a seeming winner, but Bolt gets there and raises the stakes, crunching a backhand of his own cross-court for the winner! 40-15 And he has the game, and leads 5-1 once more, as Sock sends a forehand long. He's oh so close to a two sets to one lead!

A reminder that Alex Bolt has never tasted victory at a Grand Slam. He lost last year despite leading Viktor Troicki two sets to love, though. This would be the win of his career if he can keep going.

GAME, BREAK BOLT Bolt 4 6 4 Sock 6 3 1 Bolt breaks again! Sock goes for an inside-out forehand right to the back corner, but misses narrowly. 0-15 Goes for the same shot in the next point and this time finds the mark, Bolt gets there but his forehand is long. 15-15 A booming serve down the T, ace. 30-15 Another good serve down the T, bounces slightly on Bolt and as a result his backhand flies well long. 40-15 Now Sock errs as an innocuous backhand finds the net. 40-30 And a double-fault brings it to deuce! Bad mistake from Sock. 40-40 Break point chance for Bolt now as Sock tries for that inside out forehand, but hits it well wide. 40-AD And he has the double-break, and Sock ain't happy! Bolt hits a shot right to the baseline, and it looks for all money like it's out, but it's not called and Sock continues to play the point! After a few more groundstrokes, he misses a forehand, and while he complains to the chair umpire, there's nothing that can be done! Huge moment in this game- for the second set in a row, Bolt is up two breaks.