2024-01-20 11:22:26
The Australian Open enters its second week without the women’s number one. The Pole Iga Swiatek had to say goodbye in the third round on Saturday with a three-set defeat once morest the young Czech Linda Noskova. Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, is in the round of 16 for the first time in his career in Melbourne. The Spaniard benefited from a submission from China’s Shang Juncheng. Daniil Medvedev, who handled Felix Auger-Aliassime, also showed no weakness.
Swiatek suffered her first defeat once morest Noskova following 18 match wins in a row. Melbourne doesn’t seem to be her soil. The 22-year-old’s best result is a semi-final in 2022 at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. However, Swiatek will keep her lead in the world rankings because her pursuer Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus cannot gain any points as the defending champion. Noskova cried with happiness following her 3:6.6:3.6:4 victory. The 19-year-old is in a major round of 16 for the first time.
For the first time in his career, Alcaraz also reached the round of 16 in Australia. The young Spanish star, seeded number two, who missed the tournament last year due to injury, faced a player younger than him for the first time on the professional tour. However, the 18-year-old Shang had to miss the score at 1:6.1:6.0:1 due to a thigh injury and congratulated the Iberian, who was two years older.
“Of course that’s not the way you want to progress,” said Alcaraz following the one-sided game. “But I’m happy with the way I’m playing. I’m happy to be here for the first time in the second week.” There he meets the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. The 24-year-old fended off two match points in the fourth set once morest last year’s semi-finalist Tommy Paul from the USA and prevailed in the fifth round.
In the 6:3,6:4,6:3 win once morest Dominic Thiem’s conqueror Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev said he still felt the following-effects of his second-round night shift once morest the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori, which he only beat at 3:39 a.m. ( local time) following five sets. “I didn’t feel very fresh. I didn’t want to run a lot, so I tried to play difficult balls for him,” explained the number three seeded finalist from 2021 and 2022. Luckily, he has a superpower: “I can sleep anytime, anywhere.”
In the round of 16, Medvedev will not face Grigor Dimitrov as expected, but will face the Portuguese Nuno Borges for the first time. The 26-year-old defeated the number 13 seeded Bulgarian 6:7(3),6:4,6:2,7:6(6) and is in the round of 16 at a major for the first time in his career. He was eliminated also the Norwegian Casper Ruud (No. 11). The former world number two had to bow to Briton Cameron Norrie 4:6,7:6(7),4:6,3:6.
After a four-set win once morest Frenchman Ugo Humbert, the Pole Hubert Hurkacz (No. 9) now faces his compatriot Arthur Cazaux. The 21-year-old wildcard player had eliminated the Dane Holger Rune (No. 8) in the previous round and now gave another test of talent once morest the Dutchman Talon Griekspoor with a score of 6:3.6:3.6:1.
The two-time Melbourne winner Viktoria Asarenka eliminated the eleventh seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6:1,7:5. In the round of 16, the 34-year-old from Belarus, who reached the semi-finals of one of her favorite tournaments last year, will face Ukrainian qualifier Dajana Jastremska. Zheng Qinwen won the Chinese duel with Wang Jafan 6:4,2:6,7:6(8) and now faces the Frenchwoman Oceane Dodin in an already thinned-out grid district.
For Sebastian Ofner it was also the end of the day in doubles. The Styrian, who was narrowly eliminated in the first singles round, lost in the second doubles round alongside the French Alexandre Muller to the number eight seeded Germans Kevin Krawietz/Tim Pütz 2:6,2:6. Austria is no longer represented in both the singles and doubles main competitions at Melbourne Park.
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