Melbourne, Jan. 21 -- Carlos Alcaraz overcame a stern challenge from Yannick Hanfmann to progress to the third round of the Australian Open 2026, winning in straight sets 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-2 at Melbourne Park here on Wednesday.
The top-seeded Spaniard, world number one, faced far more resistance than rankings suggested against the 34-year-old German, ranked 102nd, in what turned into a competitive encounter, particularly in the opening set.
Hanfmann immediately applied pressure, using his powerful forearm shots and deft drop shots to keep Alcaraz on the defensive. The first set extended to a tiebreak after a marathon 78 minutes of baseline rallies, with Alcaraz eventually prevailing 7-4.
The German's rib injury began to tell as the match...