TENNIS – ARYNA Sabalenka extended her reign as tiebreak queen to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for a fourth successive year and Carlos Alcaraz joined her as Daniil Medvedev’s campaign ended yesterday.
Third seed Coco Gauff advanced to her third quarter-finals in a row with a pulsating 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory over crafty Czech Karolina Muchova in a late-afternoon contest, while Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur eased through.
But three-times finalist Medvedev was handed another harsh lesson by his new nemesis Learner Tien, the Russian going down 6-4 6-0 6-3 to the American.
Twice champion Sabalenka was first out on a glorious morning, seeing off Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko 6-1 7-6(1).
In the quarter-finals, Sabalenka takes on 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, who thrashed Kazakh veteran Yulia Putintseva 6-0 6-1.
Top seed Alcaraz faced arguably his toughest test during this tournament against 19th seed Tommy Paul, a semi-finalist in 2023. Alcaraz appeared in cruise control in a 7-6(6) 6-4 7-5 win.
He next takes on Australian Alex de Minaur, who brushed aside 10th-seeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-1 6-1 to make his second successive quarter-final at Melbourne Park.
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