(Melbourne) World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz qualified for the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday by beating American Tommy Paul (20^e) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 7-5 and has still not lost a single set in the tournament.

“The level was very high on both sides so I am very happy to have won in three sets,” began the Spaniard.

In particular, he was able to count on his formidable service and was pleased with it.

“I impressed myself,” he underlined, saying that at the end of each set he looked at his first ball statistics displayed on the court screens.

“I’ve been working on it for a long time so I’m happy that my first serve percentage is good,” he added.

He will face the Australian Alex De Minaur (6^e) for a place in the last four which he has never reached before in Melbourne.

Alcaraz is looking at 22 for a first title in Melbourne, his seventh in Majors. Winner at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the United States Open, Alcaraz has never made it past the quarter-finals in Australia reached in 2024 and 2025.

Easy for Zverev

World No.3 Alexander Zverev won 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday against Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo (21^e) to advance to the quarter-finals.

After dropping a set in each of his first three matches in Melbourne, the finalist of the last edition this time left little room for doubt against a player who was playing his first round of 16 at the Australian Open at the age of 27.

By beating Cerundolo, Zverev secured a third victory in six duels against the Argentine. The 28-year-old German lost all three matches played on clay and won all three played on hard court.

After a first set pocketed 6-2 in thirty minutes, Zverev encountered more resistance in the second set. Trailing 5-2, Cerundolo managed his first break of the game and then came back to 5-4.

The world No.3, however, gave him no chance in the following game, won without conceding a single point and concluded with an ace.

Initially balanced, the third set turned upside down when Zverev chained a break and a shutout on his serve to break away at 5-3, then 6-4 after 2 hours 12 of play.

A three-time Grand Slam finalist, Zverev will face the young American Learner Tien in the next round.

Tien eliminates Medvedev

The American Learner Tien, 29^e world, did not leave the slightest chance to the Russian Daniil Mededev (12^e) to take his revenge on last year and beat him 6-4, 6-0, 6-4, Sunday in the round of 16 where he will play his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

“It’s crazy… I’m so happy,” Tien said before leaving the court, a huge smile lighting up his face, eyes darting around the stands as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Last year in the second round, Tien, who came from qualifying, eliminated the Russian in five sets. The rest of the season was dark for Medvedev, in Majors in particular where he was beaten in the first round at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the United States Open.

Medvedev held his own in the first set, but was then completely overwhelmed by an opponent who had everything successful.

After losing 11 games in a row between 5-4 in the first set and 4-0 in the third, Medvedev won his service game to stop the bleeding. Better, he came back to 3-4. But the comeback stopped there, the American winning the next two games and the match, concluded with an exceptional final shot: a long backhand line passing on a smash from Medvedev.

Tien is the youngest player to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne since Nick Kyrgios in 2015.

De Minaur versus Alcaraz

Australian Alex De Minaur (6^e world) swept away Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik (10th) on Sunday^e) to enjoy a prestigious duel against circuit boss Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

The last local player competing in Melbourne, the 26-year-old right-hander won 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 and reached his second quarter-final in a row at the Australian Open.

The Sydney native had been beaten by Bublik in their last two duels, notably suffering a defeat in five sets at Roland Garros after leading two sets to nothing.

De Minaur had never before eliminated a member of the top 10 at the Australian Open.

Djokovic takes advantage of Mensik’s package

The Czech Jakub Mensik withdrew due to injury on Sunday on the eve of his round of 16 against Novak Djokovic, who thus finds himself qualified without playing for the quarter-finals, the organizers announced.

“It’s an unfortunate decision to make. After the last two matches, I had more and more pain and the problem comes from the left side of my abdominal muscles,” explains the 17^e world player in statements sent by the tournament organization.

“Enter the court tomorrow [lundi] would be taking too big a risk for the following weeks, for my next tournaments and simply for my health,” he adds.

Djokovic (4^e) will therefore face on Wednesday the winner of the quarter-final which will oppose the Italian Lorenzo Musetti (5^e) to the American Taylor Fritz (9^e).