Defending champion Jannik Sinner raced to victory at the Australian Open on Saturday to sweep into the last 16 as Iga Swiatek demolished Emma Raducanu.
Also into the second week is 38-year-old Gael Monfils after he stunned fourth seed Taylor Fritz — with the veteran’s wife Elina Svitolina also enjoying a shock win immediately after on the same court.
“It’s really a great day for us today, beating top-four players and playing great tennis,” said Ukraine’s Svitolina.American qualifier Learner Tien, 19, won in straight sets to extend his fairytale run on his debut in Melbourne.
But Danielle Collins, the pantomime villain after thanking hecklers for “paying my bills” in the previous round, lost and was booed.
Italian world number one Sinner dropped a set for the first time in 14 matches in the second round.
But there were no such wobble against the unseeded Marcos Giron on Rod Laver Arena as he sprinted home 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in 2hr 1min, slamming 35 winners and eight aces.
Awaiting him next is Holger Rune after the Danish 13th seed defeated Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets.
“If I want to go on in this tournament I have to improve,” said the 23-year-old Sinner.
- French showman Monfils rolled back the years to storm back and defeat the American Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.The unseeded Monfils, who hit a career-high ranking of six in 2016 but is now 41st, is enjoying a late-career flourish.
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