World No 1 Jannik Sinner fought back from a set down to reach the Australian Open third round, setting up a clash with Daniil Medvedev. Iga Swiatek secured her place in the next round, facing Emma Raducanu in a highly anticipated match. Taylor Fritz dominated his opponents, while Joao Fonseca narrowly missed out in a five-set thriller.
World No 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner made a powerful comeback to secure his place in the Australian Open third round on Thursday, while Iga Swiatek set up a tantalizing clash with Emma Raducanu . Taylor Fritz dominated his opponents in pursuit of a first Grand Slam title, but exciting 18-year-old Joao Fonseca narrowly missed out in a thrilling five-set encounter. Daniil Medvedev , last year's Melbourne finalist, faces 19-year-old American Learner Tien in a later match.
Sinner unexpectedly dropped a set for the first time in 14 matches, losing the opening set to Australian wild card Tristan Schoolkate. However, he quickly regained control after a sluggish start, ultimately prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 against the world number 173 at the cool and breezy Rod Laver Arena. 'It's always tough to play against someone I don't know very well. He was playing much better than I was at the beginning,' said the 23-year-old Italian, who also triumphed at the US Open last year. 'I have to be very happy with my performance and never take things for granted. Very glad to be in the next round.' Fritz stormed into a third-round match against Gael Monfils with an impressive display of power hitting, conceding only eight games in the tournament so far. The American fourth seed was virtually unstoppable on Margaret Court Arena, dispatching Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 in just 82 minutes. Fritz had previously breezed past Jenson Brooksby in the first round, dropping just five games and spending less than three hours on court. The immensely talented Fonseca has been hailed as a future star by Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, who even sees shades of himself in the Brazilian teenager. Having stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets during the opening round, Fonseca unfortunately fell short against Lorenzo Sonego, the Italian ultimately winning 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to the disappointment of the vocal Brazilian fans. Sonego now faces Hungary's Fabian Marozsan, who defeated 17th seed Frances Tiafoe in another five-set thriller. Australia's top hope Alex de Minaur comfortably dismantled American Tristan Boyer in three sets, while 13th seed Holger Rune battled past Matteo Berrettini in four. Swiatek dispatched world number 49 Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2, setting up a third-round encounter with Raducanu. The British player reached the third round at Melbourne Park for the first time, overcoming Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-5. 'Well for sure it's going to be a tough one,' said world No 2 Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner but yet to claim victory in Melbourne. Raducanu, aiming to climb the rankings after an injury-plagued 2024 and return to the form that earned her a stunning US Open title in 2021 as a qualifier, believes the match presents a valuable opportunity. 'It's an opportunity to test my game, see where I'm at.' Other notable matches saw sixth seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina easily overcome American wildcard Iva Jovic in straight sets. Emma Navarro, the eighth seed from the United States, will face Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist, after battling through three sets to defeat China's 108th-ranked Wang Xiyu. Jabeur managed to overcome a difficult asthma attack during her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia's Camila Osorio, stating that she might not have continued if she had lost the first set. Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini comfortably defeated Renata Zarazua of Mexico, winning 6-2, 6-3 despite some early nerves. Friday promises to be another exciting day with Djokovic, Alcaraz, women's No 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka all taking to the court. Should both Gauff and Osaka win their matches, they are on a collision course to meet in the next round
Australian Open Tennis Jannik Sinner Iga Swiatek Emma Raducanu Taylor Fritz Joao Fonseca Daniil Medvedev
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