Australian Open: Beware, Alcaraz Is Feeling Better And Better Every Day

Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz (photo: Tennis Australia/Josh Chadwick)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 22, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

With a two-sets-to-none lead in his Australian Open fourth-round match, Carlos Alcaraz raised the level of his game against Miomir Kecmanovic. Monday night on Rod Laver Arena, the World No. 2 from Spain came to play – and he played like a two-time major champion eager to add a big prize to his trophy case.

Alcaraz compiled 43 winners against the 60th-ranked Serbian and earned a comprehensive 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 triumph to reach the AO quarterfinals for the first time. He dazzled the Australian crowd by hitting winners from both his forehand and backhand sides.

En route to victory, Alcaraz won 83 percent of his first-serve points, including five aces, converted five of nine break points, and his relentless play prompted Kecmanovic into committing 17 unforced errors. Alcaraz, who didn’t face any break points, outpointed his opponent 90-63.

“I’m feeling better and better every day,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “Every match that I play here in Rod Laver Arena, I’m feeling more comfortable. Obviously, it is a pleasure to play here. It’s an amazing court, a beautiful one.

“I enjoy playing here and showing my best level. It feels like home, which is always great, so I hope to keep feeling better and better every day.”

Before the match, Kecmanovic said of Alcaraz: “He’s been playing amazing. We played two years ago, but after that he has done so much…”

Monday’s victory advanced Alcaraz to a quarterfinal showdown with No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, who was pressed for four hours and five minutes by No. 19 seed Cameron Norrie of Great Britain before prevailing 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (10-3).

“Well, it feels better to make the quarterfinal here in Melbourne,” Alcaraz added in his post-match news conference. “It’s really big tournament, an amazing tournament.

“I’m proud with the level that I am playing. So, it’s going to be a really tough quarterfinal against Sascha. Hopefully to make the semifinal here, but let’s see how it’s going to be the next match.”

Over on Margaret Court Arena, there was plenty of drama as Zverev managed to keep his focus long enough to eke out a deciding-set match tie-break against Norrie to improve his Australian Summer win-loss record to 8-1, which includes leading Team Germany to the United Cup title earlier this month.

“At the end of the day, this is a Grand Slam. Everybody is playing their best here,” said Zverev in his on-court interview.

Zverev struck 54 winners, including 15 aces, and remained undefeated at 5-0 against Norrie. His cumulative record at the Australian Open is 24-8, including a 2020 semifinal run.

“I feel like I played the best tennis in the tiebreak of the fifth set. I think that was extremely important,” Zverev added in his post-match news conference. “I mean, for a large part of the match I was obviously not feeling great on the court. I was not hitting the ball as well as I was maybe the previous round, the previous match.

“Yeah, I got the win in the end, and I’m in the quarterfinals, which I’m very happy about.”

Medvedev: From burning midnight oil to soaking up Aussie sunshine

Just four days after Daniil Medvedev was pushed to five sets and a 3:40 a.m. finish by Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori, the World No. 3 from Russia is through to the quarterfinals of the year’s first major – and, for once, he got to enjoy playing in the mid-afternoon sunshine of Rod Laver Arena.

The third-seed Medvedev reached the last eight of the men’s draw for the third time in the past four years after ending the surprising run of No. 69 Nuno Borges of Portugal, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-1. Earlier, Borges had become the first Portuguese to advance to the fourth round in Melbourne.

Medvedev controlled much of the fourth-round match and was leading 5-2 in the third set – and had two match points on Borges’ serve at 5-4 – but lost five straight games to prolong matters to a fourth set. Finally, Medvedev steadied himself to put his opponent away in four sets.

Although Borges hit 54 winners, many of them of the drop-shot variety in taking advantage of Medvedev’s desire to play deep behind the baseline, he also racked up 66 unforced errors. Medvedev countered with 34 winners, including 13 aces, but also served 11 double faults and made 34 unforced errors. The Russian outpointed his opponent 152-130.

Next, Medvedev will oppose No. 9 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, who halted the surprising run of 21-year-old Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3), 6-4, in two hours and 28 minutes on John Cain Arena.

The 122nd-ranked Cazaux, who received a reciprocal wild card entry, was impressive in earlier wins over Serbia’s Laslo Djere, No. 8 seed Holger Rune of Denmark and No. 28 seed Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands. However, Hurkacz won the fourth-round match with 41 winners, including 11 aces, and outpointed Cazaux 111-90.

Medvedev was asked in his news conference about his upcoming quarterfinal matchup with Hurkacz. “He serves well. It’s tough to return his serve. By number of aces, he was number one. Maybe actually the best serve last year,” he said. “That’s going to be the key. I need to stay strong on my serve, don’t give him the break, either try to break him or go to the tiebreak and try to win the tiebreak.

“Going to prepare well mentally tomorrow.”

Zheng is only seed remaining in upper half of women’s draw

Just 21, Zheng Qinwen of China is playing like a seasoned veteran. On Monday evening, she breezed into her second straight Grand Slam quarterfinal – first at the Australian Open – with her 59-minute 6-0, 6-3 route of France’s Oceane Dodin on Rod Laver Arena.

After reaching the US Open quarterfinals last year, Zheng is back in the last eight for the second straight major. She hit 19 winners against the 95th-ranked Dodin, who managed just five.

“I’m quite, like, happy with my performance today because I finished match really fast compared to the three rounds before,” Zheng said in her news conference. She’s the fourth Chinese player to make the Melbourne quarterfinals following 2014 champion and twice finalist Li Na, 2010 semifinalist Zheng Jie and 2016 quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai.

“Of course, there is something I can do better on court. But, generally, I’m quite [happy] enough with my performance today.”

Next, Zheng will oppose No. 75-ranked Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, who defeated No. 26 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 6-4, 6-2, with a first major semifinal berth going to the victor.

Around Melbourne Park

Monday’s Australian Open results

Tuesday’s Australian Open order of play 

By the numbers

Day 9 at the Australian Open saw three more attendance records set. The day session attendance of 42,346 broke the Monday day session record of 41,781 set in 2020. The night session attendance of 22,549 bettered the 2023 Monday night session record of 21,388. The total Day 9 attendance of 64,895 exceeded the 2020 record of 58,074.

“Quotable …”

“I didn’t know that, so … Obviously, Iga was in the semis here before. Definitely
really, really exciting. I want more kids hopefully to play tennis, enjoy that sport. I think it’s a fun sport.

“Definitely, definitely really happy with my performance today. Making it to the quarterfinals, it’s nice, but obviously we’re hungry for more. Definitely proud of my performance and the team performance today. Looking forward to next one.”

— Hubert Hurkacz, during his post-match news conference, putting into perspective the significance of being the first Polish man to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals and what it means for tennis in Poland.

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