MELBOURNE: Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withstood a barrage of powerful shots to advance to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday, joining Aryna Sabalenka and a near-flawless Coco Gauff in moving forward.
Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev also progressed, but needed four sets to secure victory at a cooler, overcast Melbourne Park following days of hot weather.
Carlos Alcaraz, a six-time major winner, battled past Germany’s hard-hitting Yannick Hanfmann 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. The Spaniard will next face either France’s Corentin Moutet or American Michael Zheng.
“It was tougher than I expected. The balls were coming fast on both forehand and backhand,” Alcaraz admitted. A win in Melbourne would see the 22-year-old become the youngest man to achieve a career Grand Slam, surpassing compatriot Rafael Nadal.
Meanwhile, Medvedev, runner-up in 2021, 2022, and 2024, recovered after dropping a tight first set to defeat France’s Quentin Halys 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. He will face Fabian Marozsan of Hungary next.
Other men advancing safely include Tommy Paul (USA), Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Etcheverry, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Andrey Rublev (Russia). Alexander Zverev will play France’s Alexandre Muller in the evening, continuing his pursuit of a first Grand Slam title.
Four-time major champion Aryna Sabalenka raced to a 5-0 lead against qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan (ranked 702) on centre court. The Chinese player briefly threatened a comeback, but Sabalenka quickly closed out the match 6-3, 6-1. She will face Austria’s Anastasia Potapova, who eliminated 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
“Winning the first set gave me confidence that my focus and game are in place,” said Sabalenka, aiming for her third Australian Open title in four years. She has dropped only nine games so far, looking to avenge her final loss to Madison Keys last year.
Third seed Coco Gauff was dominant against Serbia’s Olga Danilovic, winning 6-2, 6-2 in just 78 minutes on Margaret Court Arena. She will next meet fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 70, who defeated home favourite Storm Hunter in straight sets. “Near perfect,” Gauff said, whose best result in Melbourne remains a semi-final in 2024.
Other day-four winners included Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina, Turkey’s rising star Zeynep Sonmez, and Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, all advancing in straight sets.
Evening action on centre court features home hopes, with sixth seed Alex de Minaur facing Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic, and Priscilla Hon taking on American Iva Jovic.
