Kamal Ghorui
Top stars continued their charge at the Australian Open on Wednesday, with Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff all booking places in the third round, though not without contrasting paths.Daniil Medvedev was made to work hard for his spot, grinding out a 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over France’s Quentin Halys at John Cain Arena. The World No. 11 dropped a tight opening-set tiebreak but regained control with early breaks in the next two sets.
The victory extended his unbeaten run in 2026 to seven matches and marked his first appearance in the round of 32 at a Grand Slam since the 2024 US Open. After finishing the match in four sets, Medvedev signed the camera with “Not 5 sets” and will next face Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán.World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz was tested early by Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann before advancing 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. The first set lasted 78 minutes, but once Alcaraz found his rhythm, he moved through the match confidently as he continues his bid to complete a career Grand Slam.In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka cruised past Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round for the sixth straight year. The two-time champion raced to a 5-0 lead early and closed out the match quickly, extending her unbeaten start to the 2026 season.Coco Gauff was equally dominant, producing a near-flawless performance to beat Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-2 in just 78 minutes. The third seed, whose best Melbourne result was a 2024 semi-final, now faces fellow American Hailey Baptiste.Elsewhere, Elina Svitolina continued her strong start to the season with a straight-sets win over Linda Klimovicova, setting up a third-round clash with Diana Shnaider. Andrey Rublev also progressed, defeating Jaime Faria in four sets to reach the round of 32 for the seventh consecutive year.
