Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi pass the second round, Zheng Qinwen first favorite exits

On Wednesday January 15, Zheng Qinwen became the first favorite to leave the Australian Open prematurely. A year after a final in Melbourne which revealed her, the 22-year-old Chinese was beaten 7-6 (3), 6-3 by the German Laura Siegemund (97^e), oldest of the women's table at 36 years old.

“I had nothing to lose (…) I tried to be extremely aggressive, not try any improbable shots and instead stick to my game plan.”explained the winner of a close fight which lasted well over two hours.

Zheng Qinwen, 5^e world, for his part regretted not having taken the “good decisions” on the “important points”to have multiplied the unforced errors and thus to have failed to break his opponent during the first set.

Faller of the Chinese in the final of the Australian Open in 2024, the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, punched her ticket for the third round on Wednesday, dominating the Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (54^e) in two sets, 6-3, 7-5. The match was not easy for the Belarusian, broken twice at the start of the first set and leading 5-2 in the second. In the next round, she will face the Dane Clara Tauson (42^e), recent winner of the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland.

Double winner in Melbourne (2019 and 2021) and recent finalist in Auckland, the Japanese Naomi Osaka (51^e) also advanced to the third round thanks to her victory in three sets against the Czech Karolina Muchova (20^e). At 17, the young Russian nugget Mirra Andreeva (15^e) won in three sets against the Japanese Moyuka Uchijima (63^e), defeat 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8).

Alcaraz “in great shape”

Among the boys, the world number 3, Carlos Alcaraz, continues his momentum. Winner in three sets for his entry into the competition, the Spaniard repeated this performance on Wednesday in the second round, sweeping away the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka (65^e), with a dry score of 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.

“Physically, I feel in great shape. I just tried to stay focused and spend as little time as possible.” on the court, declared the four-time Grand Slam winner. The 21-year-old is in search of the last major title he is missing in Melbourne. If he succeeds, he will become the youngest player in history to win all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Opposed to the qualified Jaime Faria, Novak Djokovic perhaps did not expect so much resistance from the Portuguese (125^e). But as in his first round, the Serb was forced to play a fourth set (6-1, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2). In the third round, he will face the Czech Tomas Machac (25^e).

In the tricolor camp, Benjamin Bonzi (64^e) qualified by beating Italy's Francesco Passaro (104^e), beaten in qualifying but drafted into the final table following the withdrawal of his compatriot Fabio Fognini. Winner of the ATP 250 tournament in Metz in November 2024, the 28-year-old right-hander will face the Czech Jiri Lehecka (29) for a place in the round of 16^e), who led, on Wednesday, a set to zero in the second round against another French player, Hugo Gaston (81^e), when the latter threw in the towel.

Faller in the first round of the Australian Omar Jasika, the 24-year-old Toulouse explained at a press conference that his retirement was linked to an abdominal injury. He does not know at this stage how long his injury will keep him away from the courts.