Carlos Alcaraz makes Australian Open last 16 for first time after Shang Juncheng retires injured

ByEurosport

Updated 20/01/2024 at 08:18 GMT

Carlos Alcaraz progressed to the last 16 of the Australian Open after Shang Juncheng retired injured. The Spanish world No. 2 held a two-set advantage when a troublesome thigh injury proved too much for Shang. The 18-year-old called for the trainer midway through the second set and then again ahead of the start of the third. He retired with the score at 6-1 6-1 1-0 in Alcaraz’s favour.

Carlos Alcaraz is into the last 16 of the Australian Open for the first time in his career after Shang Juncheng retired with the Spaniard leading 6-1 6-1 1-0.

The result sees the second seed into the round of 16 at the Australian Open for the first time in his career, and he will face Miomir Kecmanovic next.

Alcaraz was in near-total control for the entirety of the match, and it was little surprise when Shang retired as a thigh injury - which was strapped up throughout - increasingly impacted his mobility.

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“It is not the way anyone wants to move on,” said Alcaraz on court after his opponent retired.

“First of all, I want to wish him a speedy recovery. He is an amazing player. He started the year unbelievable.”

The match against Shang was the first time the world No. 2 had played a tour-level match against a player who was younger than him, and he made that experience pay.

Alcaraz pulled his opponent around the court, combining drawing out unforced errors and thundering down winners to take the match away from him.

Shang beat Francis Tiafoe on his way to the semi-final stage of the Hong Kong Open earlier in January, but the first set whizzed by in just 27 minutes. The Chinese player opened with a hold but then it was all Alcaraz, who rattled off the next six games to take control of the contest.

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The second set followed a similar pattern to the first. The world No. 140 opened with a hold but then Alcaraz pulled away behind some ferocious hitting to open up a 4-1 advantage. Shang called for the trainer at the changeover to assess a heavily strapped quad.

The medical timeout did not halt Alcaraz’s superiority as he broke his opponent’s serve immediately to fashion the opportunity to serve for the set. He duly took that chance.

Shang again called for the trainer at the changeover of sets and emerged for the third but retired injured two games later.

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It is the first time Alcaraz has made the second week at Melbourne Park and he has set his sights high at the first Grand Slam of the year.

“It feel specials [to make the second week],” added Alcaraz.

“I came to the tournament wanting to improve the result I had in 2022, and I did it. Now it is time to keep going and to play better and better.”

The world No. 2 is on the other side of the draw to 10-time winner Novak Djokovic, and should both men make the final, it would represent a straight shootout for the world No. 1 spot too.

'It feels special' - Alcaraz in entertaining interview after third-round victory

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