The Australian Open produced a day of contrasting fortunes on Wednesday as leading contenders Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Daniil Medvedev progressed to the next round, while Emma Raducanu’s campaign came to an abrupt end.
The action across Melbourne Park highlighted both resilience and dominance, with Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez and India’s Yuki Bhambri also making headlines.
Alcaraz overcomes Hanfmann test
Carlos Alcaraz was made to work hard against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in the second round at Rod Laver Arena.
The Spaniard, who breezed through his opening match, found himself trailing 1-3 in the first set before recovering to force a tiebreak. After a physically draining 78 minutes, Alcaraz clinched the set and carried the momentum into the second, relying on his pace and precision to secure control. Hanfmann required medical treatment before the third set, but Alcaraz showed no mercy, breaking twice and closing out the contest 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2 to continue his strong start to the tournament.
Sabalenka regains composure after early slip
World number one Aryna Sabalenka also faced a brief scare against China’s Bai Zhuoxuan. Racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, Sabalenka suddenly faltered, dropping three consecutive games and allowing her opponent a glimmer of hope. However, the Belarusian quickly regrouped, reasserting her dominance to complete a 6-3, 6-1 victory. The win keeps her firmly on track in her bid for a third Australian Open crown.
Gauff, Sonmez and other women’s highlights
Third seed Coco Gauff was at her ruthless best, dispatching Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-2 in a commanding performance. Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko added to the day’s surprises by defeating American Caty McNally 6-4, 6-3, while Elina Svitolina advanced comfortably with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Linda Klimovicova. Emma Raducanu, however, suffered disappointment, losing 7-6(3), 6-2 to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. The spotlight also fell on Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez, who continued her fairytale run by beating Anna Bondar 6-2, 6-4. Sonmez, who earlier won admiration for helping a ball kid who fainted on the opening day, matched her best Grand Slam performance from Wimbledon 2025 and has quickly become a crowd favourite in Melbourne.
Medvedev and Rublev progress in men’s draw
Daniil Medvedev endured a stern test against Quentin Halys before prevailing 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 at John Cain Arena. The Russian dropped a dramatic 20-point tiebreak in the opening set but steadied himself with early breaks in the next two sets to wrest control of the match. Extending his unbeaten run this season to seven matches, Medvedev signed the camera lens with the words “Not 5 sets,” a nod to his reputation for marathon encounters at Melbourne Park. Guided by new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, Medvedev appears physically reinvigorated and will next face Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán. Andrey Rublev also advanced, defeating Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. The 13th seed was briefly unsettled after dropping the third set but regained composure in the fourth, finding a crucial break at 6-5 to avoid a decider. The victory marked Rublev’s seventh consecutive appearance in the Australian Open round of 32.
Bhambri-Goransson cruise in doubles
India’s Yuki Bhambri, partnering Sweden’s Andre Goransson, enjoyed a fluent start in the men’s doubles event. The 10th-seeded pair defeated James Duckworth and Cruz Hewitt 6-3, 6-4 in just 57 minutes on Court 13. Playing percentage tennis, they won 97 per cent of points on first serve and 91 per cent on second serve, breaking their opponents twice without facing a single break point. Their assured performance underlined their credentials as serious contenders in the doubles draw. In contrast, Niki Poonacha and his Thai partner Pruchya Isaro exited earlier after a straight-sets defeat to Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar.