Carlos Alcaraz yesterday cruised into the fourth round of the Australian Open when his opponent, Shang Juncheng, retired early in the third set of their third-round encounter, while top-ranked Iga Swiatek exited.
The men’s world No. 2 was leading the 18-year-old 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 when Shang, who had his right thigh heavily strapped from the start, called it a day after just 66 minutes.
“It’s not the way you want to move on,” said the Spaniard, who missed last year’s event through injury himself. “Last year I was watching the matches from my couch, wishing to be in the second week. This is my first time in the second week at the Australian Open and it feels special.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
Alcaraz in the next round is to play Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, who saved a match point as he beat Tommy Paul of the US 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-0.
Paul led by two sets to one on Margaret Court Arena and had a match point in the fourth-set tiebreak, but Kecmanovic leveled and then ripped through the deciding set for victory.
“Honestly, I have no idea,” Kecmanovic said of his victory. “I guess it was just supposed to be my day today. I had a bit more luck and I played some fantastic tennis at the end. I’m really happy to be in the fourth round again.”
Photo: AFP
Hubert Hurkacz of Poland saw off France’s Ugo Humbert 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to reach the fourth round for the second year in a row.
He faces wild-card entry Arthur Cazaux of France, who beat Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Daniil Medvedev and Nuno Borges also advanced.
Photo: EPA-EFE
In the women’s singles, two-time former champion Victoria Azarenka took out 11th-ranked Jelena Ostapenko 6-1, 7-5 to make the last 16 for the seventh time.
“I like a challenge,” the Belarusian said. “I really think you can’t run away, you have to face it. It’s scary, it’s difficult, but it’s something you want to acknowledge and go through.”
Azarenka’s next opponent is to be Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska, who equaled her best Grand Slam performance with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 win over the US’ Emma Navarro.
Yastremska was coming off first-round exits in her previous seven Grand Slam appearances and had not been to the second week of a major since reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2019.
“I felt pretty nervous,” said Yastremska, who hit 36 winners. “In the second set I felt a little bit of pain in my neck and thought I might have to crack it, but didn’t want to do it myself.”
“I told myself just don’t be too focused on your neck in the third set because it really takes my attention away,” she said. “I just told myself to enjoy.”
She faces Oceane Dodin, who beat Clara Burel 6-2, 6-4 in a match between two French women.
Sloane Stephens of the US lost 6-7 (8/10), 6-1, 6-4 to Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in a 2 hour, 45 minute match on Kia Arena.
Italian Jasmine Paolini reached the fourth round of a major for the first time with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win over Anna Blinkova of Russia, while Zheng Qinwen edged fellow Chinese player Wang Yafan 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8).
In a late match, Swiatek of Poland was beaten 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.
Two Taiwanese played in the first round of the mixed doubles, with only one advancing.
Hsieh Su-wei and partner John Peers of Poland defeated Australian duo Jan Zielinski and Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2 to book a place in the second round against Pole Hugo Nys and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, but Chan Hao-ching and partner Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico fell at the first hurdle, beaten 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 12-10 by Marc Polmans and Olivia Gadecki of Australia.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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