Carlos ALCARAZ dominates an injured Juncheng SHANG and secures fourth round at Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) secured his spot in the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open after defeating Juncheng Shang (No. 140) in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 (retired). The 2-times Grand Slam champion needed just an hour and six minutes to overcome the young Chinese player.

Shang, an 18-year-old left-handed player, made his first appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam by defeating Mackenzie McDonald (No. 42) in five sets. However, his journey ended abruptly against the formidable Alcaraz. In the first round, Alcaraz eliminated Richard Gasquet (No. 131) in straight sets, and in the second round, he triumphed over the challenging Lorenzo Sonego (No. 46) in four sets.

Despite Shang's credentials as a young talent, he proved to be no match for 'Carlitos.' In the first set, Shang managed to hold his service in the opening game, but Alcaraz quickly dominated, winning six consecutive games to take a comfortable 6-1 lead.

Alcaraz capitalized on Shang's serving troubles, as the Chinese player had a first serve percentage of only 54%, winning just 57% of those points and a mere 25% with the second serve. In contrast, Alcaraz had a 60% first serve, significantly outperforming Shang by winning 78% of points with the first serve and 83% with the second. Alcaraz exploited his backhand and took advantage of Shang's errors with the forehand to gain the upper hand in cross-court exchanges.

In the second set, Shang again struggled to defend his opening service game, and physical problems became apparent. Alcaraz continued his dominance, winning the set 6-1 once again. Midway through the set, Shang called for a medical timeout, and the physiotherapist was summoned to address issues with a bandage that was later removed. The doctor then treated him for quad pain. Although Shang returned to the match, he faced serious mobility issues, and Alcaraz did not ease up.

At the beginning of the third set, it was clear that Shang was not in a condition to compete. After conceding the first game to Alcaraz, Shang decided to retire from the match, granting Alcaraz passage to the fourth round of the Aussie Open with a score of 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 (retired). The world No. 2 will face Miomir Kecmanovic (No. 60) in the fourth round, who staged a remarkable comeback against Tommy Paul (No. 14).