The Spanish player reached the third round of the Australian Open, while the Serbian validated his qualification by setting a new record for the greatest number of matches played in Grand Slam tournaments.
Determined to win the only Grand Slam title he lacks, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain made a strong impression as he advanced to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday, while Novak Djokovic of Serbia managed to reach the next stage by setting a new record as the player who has played the most matches in Grand Slam events.
Alcaraz, who has four Grand Slam titles at just 21 years old, showed no mercy to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, beating him 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 in just an hour and 21 minutes.
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“The less time you spend on court in a Grand Slam, especially at the beginning, the better,” said the Murcian, whose best result in Melbourne was a semi-final last year.
Djokovic faced some difficulties, but managed to qualify for the second round of the Australian Open. Alcaraz drowned his opponent from the start, winning the first set in just 18 minutes and leaving only four points for the Japanese player (ranked 65th).
Particularly sharp with his serve (14 aces), on which he focused during the pre-season, Alcaraz maintained a high level in the second set and only slightly relaxed his intensity in the last, where a single ball break was enough to seal the match.
Djokovic, seeking his eleventh title in Melbourne, beat Portuguese Jaime Faria, who had passed the qualifying rounds, 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, and 6-2.
The 37-year-old champion had to fight to overcome the courageous resistance of the Portuguese, conceding another set, just as he did in the first round against the young American Nishesh Basavareddy.
This marked Djokovic’s 430th Grand Slam match, putting him at the top of the list in the Open era, ahead of Switzerland’s Roger Federer (429) and American Serena Williams (423).
“I try to give my best every time. I have been competing in Grand Slams at the highest level for around 20 years. Whether I win or lose, I will always leave my heart on the court,” said the Serb.
Alexander Zverev (2nd seed) also progressed without much difficulty, beating Spanish player Pedro Martínez (44th) 6-1, 6-4, and 6-1 in less than two hours.
The big surprise in the men’s draw was the defeat of sixth seed Casper Ruud against 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik (48th) with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, and 6-4, while that the return of the day was led by the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich (66th) against the Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime (23rd), with a victory 6-7 (7/9), 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1, and 6-3 after one in the morning in Melbourne.
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