Powerful aces, suave cushioning: “La Monf” showed once again that he had lost none of his touch with the ball, ending up disgusting Fritz after a fight of more than three hours. “I think I did the job,” smiled Monfils just after his feat. “With a little success, here I am in the second week of the Australian Open,” he told an audience largely supportive of his cause.
He joins his compatriot Ugo Humbert (14th) in the round of 16 of the Australian Open, qualified on Friday after the abandonment of Arthur Fils (21st), injured in his foot.
Where to watch the Australian Open live? Live sports on TV this Saturday January 18 in Belgium
Jannik Sinner easily qualifies for the fourth round
The Italian Jannik Sinner qualified without difficulty for the fourth round of the Australian Open, the first round of the Grand Slam, of which he is the defending champion, on Saturday in Melbourne.
The world No.1 won in three sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in 2 hours and 1 minute against the American Marcos Giron (ATP 46) on the Rod Laver Arena.
Sinner, 23, does not yet know his opponent in the fourth round who will be either the Dane Holger Rune, 13th in the world and seeded N.13, or the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (ATP 51).
The Italian defends his title in Melbourne where he won the very first Grand Slam tournament of his career. He also won at the US Open in 2024.
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Feminine painting
Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina qualify safely for the fourth round
The Polish Iga Swiatek and the Kazakh Elena Rybakina qualified without difficulty for the fourth round of the Australian Open, the first round of the Grand Slam, Saturday in Melbourne.
-On the Rod Laver Arena, Swiatek, world No.2 and seeded No.2, only needed one hour and ten minutes to beat the British Emma Raducanu (WTA 61), leaving her with only one game: 6-1, 6-0.
The 23-year-old, semi-finalist in Melbourne in 2022, will meet in the fourth round the German Eva Lys (WTA 128), drafted as a ‘lucky loser’ and who notably eliminated Hanne Vandewinkel in the first round of qualifying.
Rybakina, 7th in the world and seeded N.6, also continued her journey in Melbourne by dismissing the Ukrainian Daria Yastremska in two sets 6-3, 6-4 and 1 hour and 24 minutes of play. The Kazakh, 25 years old , finalist in 2023, will challenge the winner of the 100% American duel between Danielle Collins (WTA 11/N.10) and Madison Keys (WTA 14/N.19).
The American Emma Navarro, 8th in the world and seeded N.8, also validated her ticket for the fourth round by beating the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, former N.2, in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. world and now 39th in the WTA rankings.
Navarro, 23, will face Russian Daria Kasatkina, 10th in the world and seeded N.9, for a place in the quarter-finals. Kastakina won in two sets 7-5, 6-1 against Kazakh Yulia Putintseva (WTA 23/N.24).
Jasmine Paolini eliminated in the third round by Elina Svitolina
The Italian Jasmine Paolini, 4th player in the world, was eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open, the first round of the Grand Slam, on Saturday in Melbourne.
Paolini, seeded No.4, was beaten in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 by the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, 27th in the world and seeded No.28. The match lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes at the Margaret Court Arena.
The Italian, 29, achieved her best result in Melbourne in 2024 with an elimination in the round of 16. The finalist at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in 2024 had been exited in the first round during these four previous participations.
Svitolina, 30 years old and former world No.3, will meet the Russian Veronika Kudermetova, 75th in the world and defeater of the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (WTA 17/N.15) in the third round, for a place in the quarter-finals, her best result in Melbourne. The Ukrainian was then eliminated by Elise Mertens in 2018.
