In the fourth round of the Australian Open, Frenchman Arthur Cazaux and Czech teenager Linda Noskova are set to continue their impressive performances after defeating higher-ranked opponents in the earlier rounds.
Cazaux, at 21 years old, caused a major upset by defeating the eighth seed, Holger Rune, in the second round. He has the chance to become the first wildcard to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam since Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon in 2014. His next opponent is Polish ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz, and their match is scheduled to take place on John Cain Arena.
Melbourne has been taken by surprise by Cazaux’s success, as he was ranked 122nd in the world coming into the tournament. His determination to fight for every point has been evident in his matches, and he expressed his readiness to take on anyone who stands in his way.
On the women’s side, 19-year-old Noskova delivered an impressive performance by coming back from a set down to stun world number one Iga Swiatek. She now faces former world number three Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in her fourth-round match on Margaret Court Arena.
The men’s draw also features the bid for a maiden Australian Open title from second seed Carlos Alcaraz, who will face unseeded Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the first night session match on Rod Laver Arena. Also, third seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia is set to play 69th-ranked Portuguese Nuno Borges.
Meanwhile, Britain’s last remaining hope in the singles, Cameron Norrie, will take on German sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the day’s final match on Margaret Court.
Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion from Belarus, is scheduled to play Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the opener on Rod Laver. In addition, Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya is set to meet Italian 26th seed Jasmine Paolini in the final match on John Cain.
The action promises to be intense as young talents and established players alike continue their journey in the Australian Open, making for exciting matches and unexpected outcomes.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
