Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne for the first time after seeing off Miomir Kecmanovic in straight sets.
Carlos Alcaraz had already made his own personal history at the 2024 Australian Open when he defeated Lorenzo Sonego in the second round, reaching the third round for the first time in his career. After subsequent victories over Jungcheng Shang and now Miomir Kecmanovic, the Spaniard has progressed to the quarter-finals, where he will line up alongside 10-time winner Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz.
Spaniard feeling fresh after straightforward victories
The 20-year-old has ultimately had a comfortable ride to the last eight, winning the two opening sets 6-1 in his third-round tie before Shang retired at the start of the third. On Monday, he had another relatively trouble-free contest against Kecmanovic, who was unable to muster even a single break point in a 4-6, 4-6, 0-6 defeat.
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Carlos Alcaraz hit 43 winners (to the Serb’s 14) and converted five of nine break points (one in each of the two opening sets and three in the third, by which stage Kecmanovic already appeared resigned to his fate).
Having spent less than three hours on court to win his last two matches, Alcaraz should head into the quarter-finals feeling fresh as he goes after a third Grand Slam victory after the 2022 US Open and Wimbledon in 2023.
Carlos Alcaraz to play Alexander Zverev in Australian Open quarter-finals
In the last eight, the second seed will take on sixth seed Alexander Zverev, who, by contrast, needed over four hours to see off Cameron Norrie in five sets in round four. Alcaraz and Zverez will go head to head on Wednesday 24 January, although Australian Open organisers have yet to confirm at what time the match will begin.
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The duo have met on seven previous occasions, with the 26-year-old German coming out on top four times to three. Their previous meetings in Grand Slams have ended in one win apiece, with Zverev triumphing by three sets to one at the 2022 French Open, while Alcaraz gained revenge at last year’s US Open, winning in straight sets.
