Carlos Alcaraz is on pace to become the youngest winner of all four majors after going strong at the Australian Open.
Aryan Sablenka and Coco Gough faced a rocky road to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday, but Carlos Alcaraz paved the way to gold in his 100th Grand Slam match.
After 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka led yesterday’s parade of heroes into the third round, the TikTok generation had their moment in the Melbourne Park sun.
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American 18-year-old Eva Jovic knocked out seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2 7-6(3) while Canada’s 19-year-old Victoria Mboko defeated 14th seed Clara Towson to reach a last 16 blockbuster against two-time winner Sabalenka, with Anasta winning 7-6(7-6(7-6)). Potapova.
Alcaraz produced a highlight-reel 6-2, 6-4 6-1 drubbing of French drop-shot merchant Corentin Mouttet before the 21-year-old Goff beat her 3-6, 6-0 6-3 after dropping the first set of the tournament.
Chasing a maiden title at Melbourne Park, 22-year-old Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest player to win all four majors and hasn’t stopped in week one.
In the second match at Rod Laver Arena, he chased down a lob with a twiner, then threaded a passing shot down the line to seal the rally against the flamboyant Moutet.
The 32nd-ranked Moutet is no slouch but fell short of Alcaraz’s magic show, becoming the 14th victim in the Spaniard’s unbeaten run against left-handers.
Despite the easy win, chasing Moutet’s drop shots became a chore, Alcaraz joked.
“I thought we were in a drop-shot contest – but he definitely won,” he said.
Sabalenka is favorite for the women’s title but represented her adopted nation of Austria against Russian-born world number 55 Potapova at the Rod Laver Arena.
Potapova had four set points in the second frame but lost them all, while Sabalenka claimed her first match point.
Last season she won 19 in a row to extend her incredible unbeaten streak to 21 in tiebreaks.
“I know every ball is important in a tiebreak. You can’t lose your focus for a second because it’s gone really quickly,” Sabalenka told reporters.
“So you have to be there 100 percent. That’s my approach. I take it one point at a time.”
Three-time men’s finalist Daniil Medvedev was another confidence booster after a tense win.
He became the first player to win the tournament in straight sets against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in the opening match at the Margaret Court Arena, winning 6-7(5) 4-6 7-5 6-0 6-3.
Medvedev will have revenge on his mind when he plays Lerner Tien for a place in the quarter-finals, having been knocked out by the young American in the second round last year.
One of the brightest young talents in women’s tennis, Mboko reached the fourth round on her Australian Open main draw debut, defeating Towson 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.
But Turkey’s happiness was to end at Melbourne Park as crafty Kazakh Yulia Putintseva defeated Zeynep Sonmez in a three-setter.
Melbourne’s strong Turkish community came out in support of world number 112 Sonmez, decorating the Kia Arena with red flags, but Putintseva taunted them with joy after completing the victory, blowing kisses and dancing near her seat.
“What can I do? Only a few people have tennis education and unfortunately, some don’t,” she told reporters, accusing Sonmez’s fans of trying to take away her services.
Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired injured trailing 6-1, 6-1 as 19th seed Tommy Paul entered the fourth round, but next faced a brick wall in Alcaraz.
Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova defeated Poland’s Magda Linnet 6-1, 6-1 to book a last-16 clash with Goff.
Sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia will face American Francis Tiafoe in the prime-time evening slot at Rod Laver Arena, while third-seeded Alex Zverev will take on British danger man Cameron Norrie in the night match at John Kane Arena.