World number 2 Carlos Alcaraz was leading 6-1 6-0 1-0 on Rod Laver Arena before 18-year-old Chinese Shang Juncheng retired from the match due to an injury. Alcaraz has reached the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time in his career.
World number 140 Shang entered the third-round match with his upper right thigh strapped after playing nine sets across his first two matches and received treatment during the second set.
Alcaraz won 86% of his first serve points and did not face a break point to set up a fourth round match against Miomir Kecmanovic.
Alcaraz served well and dropped 5 of the 34 first serve points. The Spanish player did not face a break point and converted six of the twelve break points.
Alcaraz broke serve with a deep return in the third game and fired an ace in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead. Shang faced three break points in the fifth game and saved the first chance with a forehand winner. The Chinese player reached deuce and fended off the fourth break point with a backhand winner. Alcaraz converted his fifth break point to open up a 4-1 lead. Alcaraz held serve at love to race out to a 5-1 lead, as Shang netted a forehand in the sixth game.
Shang faced three set points after a forced error, after he served to stay in the set. Alcaraz closed out the first set 6-1 with his return after 27 minutes.
Alcaraz won the first game with a service winner before Shang held serve with his forehand to draw level to 1-1. Alcaraz held serve at 15 with a service winner in the third game and forced Shang’s error to break serve in the fourth game for 3-1. Alcaraz hit a forehand down the line winner in the fifth game to open up a 4-1 lead before Shang required a medical time-out due to a right thigh injury.
Alcaraz broke serve in the sixth game to race out to a 5-1 lead earning his chance to serve for the set in the seventh game. The 2023 Wimbledon champion closed out the second set 6-1 with a service winner in the seventh game.
Alcaraz earned two break points in the first game of the third set with a drop shot and converted his first chance with a forehand return winner. Shang made a forehand error in the first game of the second set and decided to withdraw from the match.
Alcaraz won two Grand Slam titles at the 2022 US Open and at Wimbledon 2023 and reached the semifinal at Roland Garros in 2023. He could return to world number 1. Should Alcaraz face Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, the title match would double as a shoot-out for the number 1 spot in the ATP Ranking.
“I am feeling great. Probably a seven or eight out of ten. It’s a high note, but that’s how I feel. I think I am improving every day. Every match that I am playing. I am playing better and better. Moving, hitting the ball, and I am getting used to this court as well. I did not play so much on this court. I think everything is good. I am taking good things from the court, from the level that I am playing. Hopefully it’s going to be better and better”, said Alcaraz.
