DEFENDING champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame a tough challenge to secure a spot in the Australian Open fourth round, where she will face 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Sabalenka struggled early, being broken four consecutive times, but eventually found her rhythm to beat Denmark’s Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 after over two hours on Rod Laver Arena.
"I'm just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win," said Sabalenka, who is pursuing a rare third consecutive title in Melbourne.
Andreeva, the 14th seed, earned her place with a three-set victory over Poland’s Magdalena Frech.
In the men’s draw, Carlos Alcaraz faced a brief scare before advancing past Portugal's Nuno Borges 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.
The Spanish third seed has now reached the last 16, continuing his pursuit of a first Australian Open title.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev also cruised into the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.
Zverev, seeded second, has yet to drop a set in Melbourne and remains a strong contender for his maiden Grand Slam title.
In the women’s doubles, former world number one Naomi Osaka's campaign ended in disappointment as she retired due to an abdominal injury after losing the first set to Belinda Bencic in a tiebreak.
Bopanna and Zhang advance in mixed doubles
Indian tennis veteran Rohan Bopanna and Chinese partner Shuai Zhang progressed to the second round of mixed doubles with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ivan Dodig and Kristina Mladenovic.
The duo, aiming to bounce back after Bopanna's early exit in men’s doubles, delivered a strong performance to secure victory in just over an hour.
Bopanna and Zhang will next face the winners of the match between the fourth-seeded Taylor Townsend-Hugo Nys pair and the wild card Australian duo of Maddison Inglis and Jason Kuber.
The Indo-Chinese team showcased sharp net play, converting five of nine break points, while their opponents struggled with key opportunities.
Bopanna, who won his first doubles Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2024, continues to excel at 43 years old.
His mixed doubles pairing with Zhang is showing promise for another deep run in the tournament.
(With inputs from agencies)
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