The world's number one tennis player, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, advanced to the third round of the Australian Open today after defeating German Janik Hanfmann 7:6, 6:3, 6:2.
In the 78-minute first set, the longest Alcaraz has played in his Grand Slam career, Hanfman led 3-1 and saved two break points at 5-5, then led 4-3 in the tiebreak, before the Spaniard won four consecutive points.
Alkaras settled the second set with a break in the fourth game, and in the third game he broke his rival's serve twice, thus securing a place in the next round.
Alcaraz's next opponent will be Frenchman Corentin Moutet, to whom American Michael Zhang surrendered his second-round match.
A place in the third round of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season was also secured by Russian Daniil Medvedev, who eliminated Frenchman Kantan Allis after four sets - 6:7, 6:3, 6:4, 6:2. He will play Hungarian Fabian Morozhan in the next round.
Another Russian tennis player, Andrei Rublev, advanced with a 6:4, 6:3, 4:6, 7:5 victory over Portuguese Jaime Faria. The world's 15th-ranked player's next rival will be Argentine Francisco Serundolo, who defeated Damir Džumhur from Bosnia and Herzegovina with a 6:3, 6:2, 6:1.
American Tommy Paul celebrated against Argentine Thiago Tirante with 6:3, 6:4, 6:2 and thus scheduled a duel with Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokine, who defeated American Riley Opelka in the second round with 6:3, 7:6, 5:7, 4:6, 6:4.
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