Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Gauff advance to third round at Australian Open

Alcaraz, bidding for his first Australian Open title and a career Grand Slam, was tested early by Germany's Yannick Hanfmann. The Spaniard overcame a tense opening set 7-6 (7-4) before asserting control to win 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. Despite firing 41 winners, Alcaraz admitted the match was tougher than anticipated.

"To be honest, it was tougher than I thought at the beginning," he said. "The ball was coming as a bombâ”forehand, backhand, serves. I had to be ready for those. Really happy that I got through a difficult first set and could play a high level at the end of the match."

Alcaraz's precision and pace proved decisive in sets two and three, as he converted key break points and defended against pressure to close out a 2-hour, 45-minute encounter. He will now face either France's Corentin Moutet or American Michael Zheng in the third round. At 22, a win in Melbourne would make him the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, surpassing Rafael Nadal.

On the women's side, Sabalenka demonstrated her dominance in front of the home crowd, racing to a 5-0 lead over qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan before dropping just two games to secure a 6-3, 6-1 victory. The four-time major winner, chasing a third Australian Open crown in four years, will next face Russian-born Anastasia Potapova, now representing Austria.

"Super happy to close the first setâ”it gives me confidence that my game is there, my focus is there," Sabalenka said. "Step by step. Super happy with my win. There is always a little gap to improve." The top seed has dropped just nine games in her opening two matches, determined to make amends for last year's final loss to Madison Keys.

Coco Gauff, the third seed, was near-flawless against Serbia's Olga Danilovic, winning 6-2, 6-2 in just 78 minutes on Margaret Court Arena. The two-time major winner will now meet fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 70, who upset home favorite Storm Hunter.

"Near perfect," Gauff said after the match. "It feels good to start the tournament strongly. I'm looking forward to my next match."

With their wins, Alcaraz, Sabalenka, and Gauff remain on course for deep runs in Melbourne, each aiming to solidify their status among the sport's elite and chase Grand Slam glory.

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