Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time on Monday after defeating Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, ranked 60th, with a score of 6-4, 6-4, 6-0, leaving the spectators at Rod Laver Arena in awe. Alcaraz entered the match fully energized after his third-round clash against Chinese player Shang Juncheng ended early due to injury. The 20-year-old Spanish player outperformed Kecmanovic under the lights, breaking Kecmanovic's serve in the third game of the match and maintaining his momentum in the following game to extend his lead to 3-1 with a powerful backhand — one of 18 powerful backhands in the opening set alone. Alcaraz set the pace early with his strong play.
Kecmanovic, who had played two five-set matches leading up to facing Alcaraz for the second time, managed to gather himself after losing the first set and remained steady until the seventh game of the next set, when Alcaraz broke his serve again to double his lead. Alcaraz remarked, "He has played a lot of five-set matches and many tough matches, so maybe he wasn’t 100% ready."
Things looked grim for Kecmanovic when he lost his serve twice quickly in the third set, with the stunned crowd in the main stadium unusually quiet as Alcaraz moved to seal his victory. There were loud cheers when the two-time Grand Slam champion secured the win, and Alcaraz expressed his appreciation for the crowd's support. He said, "It’s a pleasure to play here at Rod Laver Arena. It’s a beautiful court. The people here in Melbourne are very nice, and I enjoy playing in front of you. Thanks to you, I am giving my best. I feel like I’m in my country."
