Alcaraz and Medvedev advance despite scares, Gauff impresses in Australia

Spaniard and ATP No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Russian Daniil Medvedev and American Coco Gauff advanced to the third round of the Australian Open. The two male players had to rebound after a poor start to the tournament, while Gauff needed just 78 minutes to take down Serbian Olga Danilovic.

Alcaraz, a six-time Grand Slam winner, overcame a tough test against German veteran Yannick Hanfmann before ultimately winning and securing his place in the third round of the Australian Open. The 22-year-old prevailed, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2, at Rod Laver Arena.

However, he initially struggled to gain an advantage over a player 12 years his senior and who has never won a title in his career. "I knew he was going to play very well. I know his level, I've played against him several times," said the world No. 1 in statements reported by AFP. Alcaraz is aiming to become the youngest man to win all four Grand Slam tournaments.

So far, the hard courts at Melbourne Park have been his nemesis, as he has not advanced past the quarterfinals in his four visits to Australia. Last year he fell at that stage to Novak Djokovic and the year before to Alexander Zverev.

Halys put Medvedev to the test

Medvedev had an even tougher time continuing his run in Australia. The three-time runner-up, known for his on-court outbursts, managed to keep his promise to stay calm despite the pressure Frenchman Quentin Halys put him under for just over three hours.

The feisty Russian kept his cool in the sun to eventually prevail, 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. The toughest moments for the former world No. 1 came in the first set, which he eventually surrendered on the 20th point of the tiebreaker after a 68-minute-long titanic duel.

Halys, ranked No. 83, kept the pressure on Medvedev's serve at the start of the second set, causing the Russian to begin showing signs of losing his cool. However, following a magnificent two-handed backhand, Medvedev managed to turn around a match he went on to dominate.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion won three straight games to go 3-2 up and gained a foothold on the scoreboard by taking the second and third sets, upping the pressure on the slumping Halys, 29, before taking off in the fourth.

Medvedev, seeded 11th, will next take on Hungarian Fabian Marozsan at Melbourne Park.

Gauff impresses in Australia

Coco Gauff did not struggle in Melbourne. The 21-year-old only needed 78 minutes to overcome Danilovic, 6-2, 6-2.

The American won the first five games convincingly to impose her authority on the match at Margaret Court Arena. Gauff said afterwards that her performance was "almost perfect."

She will now face compatriot Hailey Baptiste (No. 70), who defeated Australian Storm Hunter in straight sets.

Zverev advances to the third round in four sets

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev lost a set but advanced to the third round Wednesday after defeating Frenchman Alexandre Müller, ranked 52nd.

Last year's tournament finalist won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and will now face British player Cameron Norrie, ranked 27th, for a spot in the round of 16.

Zverev lost a set for the second match in a row, having also dropped one in his previous match against Canadian Gabriel Diallo.

The 28-year-old from Hamburg joined world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who qualified hours earlier, in the third round, awaiting the matches between Jannik Sinner (No. 2) and Novak Djokovic (No. 4), scheduled for Thursday.

Sabalenka on the fast track

In the women's tournament, four-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka defeated Chinese player Bai Zhuoxuan (No. 702) 6-3, 6-1.

The Belarusian had no trouble winning her match in 72 minutes against the Chinese player, who had come through qualifying.

In the third round in Melbourne, Sabalenka will face Russian-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova, who eliminated British player Emma Raducanu.