Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz Advance to Round of 16 in Australian Open Tennis

The Russian eliminated the irregular Auger-Aliassime in three sets, and the Spaniard easily beat the precocious Chinese Snahg Jungcheng, 18, who ended up abandoning. As for Swaitek, she couldn’t handle the terrible serve of the Czech Linda Noskova, who hit 10 aces and at 19 years old is still on her way to becoming a star.

Saturday January 20, 2024

The Russian Daniil Medvedev and spanish Carlos Alcaraz They qualified this Saturday for the round of 16 of the Australian Open tennis, after sweeping the Canadian off the court Happy Auger-Also (N.30) and the young Chinese Snahg Jungcheng, only 18 years old.

Medvedev, 27 years old and winner of the US Open-2021, vbeat Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4 and 6-3, without fanfare but with his usual solidity, and will compete in the second week of Melbourne for the fifth time in his career. In the round of 16, Medvedev will face the Portuguese Nuno Borges (N.69)who gave the surprise by beating the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (N.13) by 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2 and 7-6 (8/6).

The Russian, who will play in the round of 16 of a Grand Slam for the 14th time in his career, appears as a big favorite against a Borges who had never made it past the second round in a ‘big’ tournament.

As for the charismatic Alcaraz, he eliminated the precocious in three sets Snahg Jungcheng, which specialists see as having a future, but which in the Australian heat showed that it was still far from the forefront of the ranking that includes the Spanish. In just over an hour Alcaraz won the first two sets 6-1, and at the beginning of the third, with 1-0 down, the Chinese teenager retired due to injury.

Auger-Aliassime salutes as he leaves Melbourne, after losing in three sets to Medvedev. (AFP PHOTO)

Alcaraz, who missed the last Australian Open due to injury, said “it’s not the way anyone wants to move forward.” Even so, he acknowledged that with qualification for the round of 16, where he will face Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, he “feels special.”

“It’s the first time I’ve moved on to the second week in Australia”said Alcaraz with a smile, whose best result in Melbourne was the third round played in 2022, and loss to the Italian Matteo Berrettini. The winner of the United States Open (2022) and Wimbledon (2023) will face Kecmanovic, world number 60, in the round of 16, who beat the American Tommy Paul in five sets.

Noskova’s rain of aces

The one who will not see the second week of Melbourne will be the No. 1 in women’s tennis, the Polish Every Swiatek, who seems to suffer a kind of curse in Australia, where he was never able to get past the semifinals (2022). This Saturday she collided with the serve of the young Czech Linda Noskova (N.50), falling 3-6, 6-3 and 6-4.

The winner of three Roland Garros (2020, 2022 and 2023) and a US Open (2022) succumbed to the powerful serve of her 19-year-old rival, who scored 10 aces, and who also knew how to play the decisive points with determination , saving 5 of the 7 break points against.

Australia’s first seed has not fallen so early in the tournament since the 1979 edition and it is the first time since the main draw was contested by 128 players (1988) that the main seed does not see the second week of the event.

Swiatek’s elimination joins that of other favorites for the title in Melbourne, such as the Kazakh Elena Rybakina (N.3) and the American Jessica Pegula (N.5), so the path seems to be clear for the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka becomes the first tennis player to keep the crown since her compatriot Victoria Azarenka achieved it in 2012 and 2013, who also remains in contention after beating the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 and 7-5.

Azarenka, solid

The one who had no problems advancing to the round of 16 was the former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, who beat Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in two sets. For Azarenka, 34 years old and two-time champion in Melbourne, the goal is to equal or improve her performance from last year, when she reached the semifinals.

“I really don’t like playing with her, because she’s a very tough player,” said Azarenka about his rival, who this month won the Adelaide tournament, preparatory to the Australian Open. The Belarusian will compete for a place in the quarterfinals with the Ukrainian Dayana Yastremskawho beat the North American Emma Navarro 6-2, 2-6, 6-1.

Eliminated

Among the outgoing names who said goodbye to Australia this Saturday were several seeds in the men’s draw, such as the Norwegian Casper Ruud (N.11), the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (N.13), the American Tommy Paul (N.14) and the Dutch Tallon Griekspoor (N.31).

AFP/HB

2024-01-20 11:51:47
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