Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka won in straight sets in their third round match at Melbourne Park.
At the Australian Open, top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Arina Sabalenka advanced to the third round.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has fended off a series of “bombs” to enter Wednesday’s Australian Open third round, joined by Aryna Sabalenka and near-perfect Coco Gauff.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev also survived, but needed four sets to get his Grand Slam dream back on track at a cool, cloudy Melbourne Park after days of hot weather.
Spanish superstar Alcaraz took another step toward a career Grand Slam with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 win over hard-hitting German slugger Yannick Hanfmann in a fierce arm-wrestle at Rod Laver Arena.
But before he could set up a showdown with France’s Corentin Moutet or American Michael Jenn, the pace was taken by a player 12 years his senior.
“To be honest, it was harder than I expected at first,” said Alcaraz, who has already won six major titles but has never made it past the last eight in Melbourne.
“The feel of the ball wasn’t that good. The ball came like a bomb, whether it was a forehand or a backhand.”
If the 22-year-old wins the Australian Open and completes a career Grand Slam of all four majors, he will surpass compatriot Rafael Nadal to become the youngest player to do so.
The unpredictable Medvedev, who was runner-up in 2021, 2022 and 2024, has tried to keep his emotions in check this year and was on his best behavior against Frenchman Quentin Harris.
He lost a close first set, but stormed to the finish line 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, putting the result in no doubt.
“It was a very tough match. I’m glad I managed to fight,” the Russian said. His next match will be against Fabian Marozzan (Hungary).
Tommy Paul of the United States, Francisco Cerundro and Thomas Echeverry of Argentina, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain, and Andrei Rublev of Russia also successfully completed second round negotiations.
Sabalenka, Gauff doing well
Sabalenka, a four-time major champion, gave a glimmer of hope to the tottering Chinese players with a 5-0 victory over low-ranked qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan, ranked 702nd, on Center Court.
However, the top seed quickly won it 6-3, 6-1, setting up her next match against Russian-born and current Austrian representative Anastasia Potapova, who sent 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
“I’m very happy to finish the (first) set. It gives me confidence that my game is there and my concentration is there,” said Sabalenka, who is aiming for her third Australian Open title in four years.
“Step by step. I’m very happy with the win. There are always small gaps to improve.”
Sabalenka is looking to make amends for losing to Madison Keys in last year’s final, but has dropped just nine games so far.
Third-seeded Gauff faced Serbia’s Olga Danilovic, who ended Venus Williams’ tournament in the first round.
The two-time major champion took just 78 minutes to seal a 6-2, 6-2 home victory at Margaret Court Arena.
Next, a showdown was set against fellow American Haley Baptiste, ranked 70th, and Baptiste defeated home hopeful Storm Hunter in straight sets.
“It’s close to perfect,” Gauff said. His best performance in Melbourne was in the 2024 semi-final.
