By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff took a rocky path to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday but Carlos Alcaraz’s road was paved with gold in his 100th Grand Slam match.
A day after 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka led a parade of yesterday’s heroes into the third round, the TikTok generation had their moment in the Melbourne Park sun.
American 18-year-old Iva Jovic knocked out seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2 7-6(3) while Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko beat 14th seed Clara Tauson to book a last-16 blockbuster against twice-champion Sabalenka, a 7-6(4) 7-6(7) winner against Anastasia Potapova.
Alcaraz produced a highlight-reel 6-2 6-4 6-1 demolition of French drop-shot merchant Corentin Moutet before 21-year-old Gauff recovered from losing her first set of the tournament to overhaul fellow American Hailey Baptiste 3-6 6-0 6-3.
Chasing a first title at Melbourne Park, 22-year-old Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest man to win all four majors and has appeared unstoppable in the first week.
In the second match at Rod Laver Arena, he won what might end up the rally of the tournament against the flamboyant Moutet, chasing down a lob with a tweener then threading a passing shot down the line.
The 32nd seed Moutet is no slouch but he was reduced to the fall guy in Alcaraz’s magic show, becoming the 14th victim in the Spaniard’s unbeaten run against lefthanders.
Despite the ease of the win, chasing down Moutet’s drop shots became a chore, Alcaraz joked.
“I thought we were in a drop-shot competition — but definitely he won,” he said.
TIEBREAK TYRANT
Sabalenka is favourite to win the women’s title but had a torrid time at Rod Laver Arena against Russia-born world number 55 Potapova, who represented her adopted nation Austria with distinction on centre court.
Potapova had four set points in the second frame but lost them all, while Sabalenka claimed the win on her first match point.
It extended her incredible unbeaten record in tiebreaks to 21, having won 19 in succession last season.
“I know that every ball is important in the tiebreak. You cannot lose your focus for a second because it’s gone, like, really quickly,” Sabalenka told reporters.
“So you have to be there 100%. That’s my approach. I just take it one point at a time.”
Three-times men’s finalist Daniil Medvedev was another gathering confidence after a tense win.
He became the first player to win from two sets down at this tournament against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, winning 6-7(5) 4-6 7-5 6-0 6-3 in the early match at Margaret Court Arena.
Medvedev will have revenge on his mind when he plays Learner Tien for a place in the quarter-finals having been knocked out by the young American in the second round last year.
NO MORE TURKISH DELIGHT
Mboko, one of the brightest young talents in women’s tennis, reached the fourth round in her Australian Open main draw debut, beating Tauson 7-5 5-7 6-3.
But it was the end of Turkish delight at Melbourne Park as wily Kazakh Yulia Putintseva ended Zeynep Sonmez’s run in a tight three-setter.
Melbourne’s strong Turkish community was out in force in support of world number 112 Sonmez, decorating Kia Arena with red flags, but Putintseva gleefully taunted them after completing victory, blowing kisses and dancing near her seat.
“What can I do? It’s just some people have education of tennis and, unfortunately, some of them not,” she told reporters, accusing rowdy Sonmez fans of trying to put her off her serve.
Tommy Paul, the 19th seed, had a smooth path into the fourth round when Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired injured when trailing 6-1 6-1 but next faces the brick wall of Alcaraz.
Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova thrashed Poland’s Magda Linette 6-1 6-1 to book a last-16 matchup with Gauff.
Australia’s great hope Alex de Minaur, the sixth seed, meets American Frances Tiafoe in the prime-time evening slot at Rod Laver Arena, while third seed Alex Zverev faces British danger man Cameron Norrie in the night match at John Cain Arena.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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