Sabalenka, Gauff, Alcaraz advance to Australian Open third round

Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the third round of the Australian Open. Sabalenka beat Bai Zhouxuan, Gauff defeated Olga Danilovic, and Alcaraz overcame Yannick Hanfmann. Popapova upset Emma Raducanu, while Medvedev, Rublev and Paul also progressed

Melbourne: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, two of the top three women’s seeds at the Australian Open, both reached the third round on Wednesday, while top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz also advanced.

Sabalenka defeated China’s Bai Zhouxuan 6-3, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena, while No. 3 seed Gauff beat left-hander Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena.

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Alcaraz overcame Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in a tough match, winning 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2. “It was tougher than I thought. The ball was coming like a bomb — forehand, backhand — so I had to be ready,” Alcaraz said. The 22-year-old is aiming for his first Melbourne Park title to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Sabalenka, winner of the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and runner-up last year, is chasing her fifth Grand Slam crown. She will next face Anastasia Popapova, who upset 28th seed and former US Open champion Emma Raducanu 7-6(3), 6-2.

Elsewhere, 12th seed Elina Svitolina beat Poland’s Linda Klimovicova 7-5, 6-1, while her husband Gael Monfils bowed out earlier in his retirement year after losing to qualifier Dane Sweeny.

Turkey’s Zeynep Sönmez, praised for helping an ill ballkid in her first-round match, advanced to the third round by defeating Anna Bondar 6-2, 6-4, cheered on by Melbourne’s Turkish community.

Men’s results:

Daniil Medvedev (11) bt Quentin Halys 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

Andrey Rublev (13) bt Jaime Faria 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Tommy Paul (19) bt Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-4, 6-2