Good morning everyone. We get started with a new day of the Australian Open. In a few minutes we will have in action Carlos Alcaraz at the Rod Laver Arena. It will be his fourth game in the tournament. He will face Jack Draper in the round of 16a round that the Spaniard steps on for the second time in his career in the first major of the season.
Alcaraz settled his first two commitments in Melbourne on the fast track. He beat Shevcneko 6-1, 7-5 and 6-1 and Nishioka 6-0, 6-1 and 6-4. In the third round a set was left against Portuguese Nuno Borges: 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3) y 6-2.
Alcaraz and Draper have faced each other three times. The Spaniard won two (Basel 2022 and Indian Wells in 2023) and lost the last one at Queen's in 2024. The Briton had planned to share training with Alcaraz at the Ferrero Tennis Academy this preseason but in the end that possibility did not arise.
If Alcaraz wins the Australian Open he will be the fifth man to complete the Grand Slam in the Open Era after Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic. In addition, he would become the youngest player, at 21 years and 266 days, to win the quadruple crown. Don Budge achieved it at 22 years and 363 days in 1938. In the Open Era, Rafa Nadal achieved it at 24 years and 102 days after winning the US Open in 2010.
-After the meeting between Alcaraz and Draper, The night match at the Rod Laver Arena will open with the duel between Novak Djokovic and Jiri Lehecka. If the Spaniard, first, and the Serbian, later, win their respective matches, we will have a reissue of the last Olympic final in the quarterfinals.
