MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff has continued her impressive performance at the Australian Open, maintaining her perfect record this season. She secured a decisive 6-4, 6-2 win over Leylah Fernandez, a former U.S. Open finalist from 2021, to progress to the fourth round at Melbourne Park on Friday night.
While the men’s draw has seen its fair share of surprises, the women’s side has largely gone according to expectations, with several top seeds advancing smoothly. Among the winners on Friday were the top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion, Gauff, Paula Badosa (seeded 11), and Mirra Andreeva (seeded 14). In contrast, seventh seed Jessica Pegula faced an unexpected exit, falling to world No. 55 Olga Danilovic, who defeated her in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-1, recording her third victory over a top-10 player.
Former two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from her match due to a strained abdominal muscle after dropping the first set to Belinda Bencic, the gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics.
In the men’s category, notable victories came from Alexander Zverev (seeded 2), Carlos Alcaraz (seeded 3), Novak Djokovic (seeded 7), and Tommy Paul (seeded 12). Djokovic, who has claimed 10 of his 24 Grand Slam titles in Australia, overcame breathing difficulties mid-match to secure a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win against Tomas Machac (seeded 26). “I think I played really well,” Djokovic remarked. “I’m very happy with my game.”
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina faced a tougher challenge, coming back from a two-set deficit for the second consecutive match, defeating 19-year-old Jakub Mensik 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-2. This achievement makes him the first male player since 2005 to recover from two sets down in consecutive matches in Australia. Reflecting on his journey, Davidovich Fokina stated, “In all these years I had a lot of up-and-downs. I had decided this year to fight every point.” Alcaraz’s next opponent will either be Jack Draper (seeded 15) or Aleksandar Vukic.
Last year, Gauff made it to the semifinals in Melbourne before losing to Sabalenka, who extended her winning streak at the tournament to 17 matches after beating Clara Tauson 7-6 (5), 6-4. Both Gauff and Sabalenka remain unbeaten this season, setting the stage for a potential semifinal clash.
Gauff’s victory over Fernandez came in just 75 minutes, and although she was broken once, she recorded an 18-7 advantage in total winners. This marked their second meeting in a short span, with Gauff winning at the United Cup team competition as well. Her current record stands immaculately at 8-0 with all sets won thus far. Gauff stated, “It was harder this time because she knows what to expect, and I think she played a bit differently today.”
In an effort to pursue her second major title, Gauff has made adjustments to her coaching staff as well as changes to her technique. Despite her successes last season, she expressed a sense of urgency to enjoy her time competing. “Tennis feels so high stakes, but it’s really not. I’m lucky to do what I do and get paid for it,” explained the 20-year-old from Florida. “What I learned last year is to not take anything for granted and to enjoy the moment, as time passes quickly.”
Meanwhile, Sabalenka’s match against Tauson featured tumultuous serving conditions. The first seven games resulted in breaks, with Tauson initially holding serve at 5-3. However, Sabalenka managed to rally. “I am super happy I was able to push myself,” she shared, adding that numerous times she doubted herself.
Sabalenka’s next challenge will be against Andreeva, who won her match against Magdalena Frech (seeded 23) with a scoreline of 6-2, 1-6, 6-2. Badosa had a narrow escape against Marta Kostyuk (seeded 17), winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, while 2021 French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (seeded 27) defeated Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2, marking a significant drop for Siegemund after a strong showing in past tournaments.
Alcaraz did experience a setback but ultimately triumphed over Nuno Borges with a score of 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2. Zverev secured victory against Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and Paul easily defeated Robert Carballes Baena 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-0.
