Local favorite Alex de Minaur advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, after a commanding performance against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik. The sixth-seeded Australian won 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 in just one hour and 39 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, setting up a matchup with world number one Carlos Alcaraz.
De Minaur broke Bublik early in the first set and maintained control throughout. He hit 25 winners against only 12 unforced errors, while Bublik struggled with 35 errors. The Australian converted six of nine break points and saved the only one he faced. This marks de Minaur’s second quarterfinal appearance at his home Grand Slam, where he aims to go deeper than his previous best.
Bublik entered the match on a nine-match winning streak, including a title in Adelaide, but de Minaur’s speed and consistency overwhelmed him. After a competitive first set, de Minaur won 12 of the last 14 games. “I played solid tennis,” de Minaur said post-match. “I took my chances and stayed focused.”
Day 8 at Melbourne Park featured eight round-of-16 matches in singles, with top players progressing amid tight contests.
In other men’s action, top seed Carlos Alcaraz defeated American Tommy Paul 7-6(6), 6-4, 7-5. Alcaraz overcame a tense first-set tiebreaker and broke Paul in key moments, hitting 40 winners. He advances to face de Minaur, against whom he holds a 4-1 head-to-head record.
Third seed Alexander Zverev beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Zverev served 15 aces and broke Cerundolo four times, continuing his strong form after earlier rounds. He next plays Learner Tien.
American Learner Tien upset 11th seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-0, 6-3. The 25th seed dominated after the first set, winning 12 straight games at one point. Medvedev, a former champion, committed 42 unforced errors in the loss.
On the women’s side, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame Canada’s Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6(1). Sabalenka cruised through the first set but faced resistance in the second, winning the tiebreaker decisively. She extends her Melbourne winning streak to 16 matches and faces Iva Jovic next.
Third seed Coco Gauff rallied past 19th seed Karolina Muchova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Gauff dominated the opener but lost the second before breaking in the decider. She hit 28 winners and advances to play Elina Svitolina.
Twelfth seed Elina Svitolina defeated eighth seed Mirra Andreeva 6-2, 6-4. Svitolina broke early and held off a late push, converting four break points. This sets up her quarterfinal with Gauff.
American teenager Iva Jovic crushed Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 in 53 minutes. The 29th seed won 12 of 13 games, hitting 17 winners. At 18, Jovic reaches her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The quarterfinals begin on Tuesday with Alcaraz-de Minaur and Sabalenka-Jovic among the highlights. Conditions remained mild, with no major delays.
