In the second week of the Australian Open, the path is clear for the defending champions, while the quarter-finals offer the first big battle: Carlos Alcaraz versus Novak Djokovic.
Although the men’s field has seen the emergence of new players such as American Learner Tien and Czech Jiri Lehecka, Italian Jannik Sinner remains the heavy favorite to win the Australian Open.
Sinner has had some moments of hesitation, such as in the second round against Australian Tristan Schoolkate. The uncertainty has been attributed to the pressure he feels from the trial scheduled for April for his doping case.
The good news for Sinner is that his potential semifinal opponent, world No. 4 Taylor Fritz, lost to veteran Gael Monfils. And he could only face the strongest players of this edition in the final: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. So he has a clear path.
Today, Sinner will face Holger Rune in the round of 16, a strong opponent but with many ups and downs.
The one who does not hesitate is Aryna Sabalenka, who has not dropped a set in this 113th edition of the Australian Open. She is already in the quarterfinals where she will face Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The Belarusian booked her place in the quarterfinals yesterday after beating Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-1 6-2. The WTA No. 1 is the overwhelming favorite to win the final on Saturday, January 25. It would be her third consecutive title in Australia and she has not lost a set in this edition.
Aryna Sabalenka is leaving records in her path: she is reaching the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the 11th time, has won 24 consecutive sets at Melbourne Park, and is on the verge of winning the Australian Open for the third straight year, something that has not happened since the 1990s with the Swiss Martina Hingis (97, 98 and 99).
Another great contender for the Australian crown is Coco Gauff who eliminated Belinda Bencic by 5/7 6/2 6/1. Coco is the reigning US Open champion and since she started this year she has won 18 out of 19 sets.
Now the question is that Coco will be Sabalenka’s rival in the semifinals, a very challenging match for both, but first, she will have to defeat the Spanish Paula Badosa, who is number 12 in the world.
In Sinner’s way only appears as a great rival in the quarterfinals, the Australian Alex De Miñaur.
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