Alcaraz matches Borg record as Sabalenka survives Melbourne scare

Carlos Alcaraz stepped up his quest to win a maiden Australian Open as he overwhelmed showman Corentin Moutet yesterday to reach the last 16, while Aryna Sabalenka said she was "emotionally all over the place" in victory.

Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev battled through on day six at a warm and sunny Melbourne Park, as did third seeds Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev.

Top seed Alcaraz was never in danger against French 32nd seed Moutet, easing through 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena in 2hr 5min. It was the Spaniard's 100th Grand Slam match and he boasts a remarkable 87-13 win-loss record, matching the legendary Bjorn Borg at the same stage of his career.

Victory thrust Alcaraz into a clash for a place in the quarter-finals with American 19th seed Tommy Paul, who progressed when Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired with an apparent knee injury while two sets down.

"It wasn't easy. To be honest, when you play someone like Corentin you don't know what's going to be next," said the 22-year-old Alcaraz, who is attempting to clinch the one major missing from his collection. "But I had fun on the court. I think we both pulled off great shots, great points."

Women's top seed Sabalenka did not have it easy against unseeded Russian-born Anastasia Potapova of Austria, pulling through 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (9/7) in just over two nervy hours. The Belarusian is trying to win the title for a third time in four years, having been stunned in last year's final by Madison Keys.

"I was always on the back foot, one of those days you have to fight to try and get the ball back," said the world number one. "Emotionally I was all over the place," added the 27-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion, who faces Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in the last 16. "It was such a fight and I really enjoyed it."

The 19-year-old Mboko defeated Clara Tauson of Denmark 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-3. Gauff, the third seed, plays 19th seed Karolina Muchova next after beating fellow American Hailey Baptiste 3-6, 6-0, 6-3. The 21-year-old Gauff has won the US Open and French Open, but her best performance in Melbourne is the semi-finals.

Jasmine Paolini, the seventh seed from Italy, was on the end of an upset against American Iva Jovic. The 18-year-old Jovic won 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) to make the last 16 at a major for the first time.

Russia's 11th seed Medvedev faces 25th seed Learner Tien of the United States next. It is a rematch of their late-night five-set epic last year, when the youngster stunned Medvedev in a second-round match that finished just before 3am.

The gutsy Medvedev fought back from two sets down yesterday against unseeded Fabian Marozsan of Hungary. The 2021 US Open champion, who had a wretched record at the majors last year, scraped through 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 in 3hr 43min. It was the fifth time in his career that the former world number one has come back from two sets down to win.

"Five sets again," he wrote afterwards on the on-court camera.

In other matches, Germany's Zverev, well beaten by Jannik Sinner in last year's final, dropped a set for the third match running before easing past British 26th seed Cameron Norrie 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Home hope and sixth seed Alex de Minaur also stayed alive, downing American Frances Tiafoe in straight sets.

Play tomorrow will start early on the main courts because temperatures are forecast to hit a brutal 40 degrees later in the day. Novak Djokovic and defending champions Sinner and Keys are all in action.

AFP