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Top-Ranked Iga Swiatek Beats Karolina Pliskova in Montreal 

Iga Swiatek of Poland waits to receive a serve from Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic on Day 3 during the National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 9, 2023 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland waits to receive a serve from Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic on Day 3 during the National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 9, 2023 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Top-Ranked Iga Swiatek Beats Karolina Pliskova in Montreal 

Iga Swiatek of Poland waits to receive a serve from Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic on Day 3 during the National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 9, 2023 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland waits to receive a serve from Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic on Day 3 during the National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 9, 2023 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images/AFP)

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek overcame a first set-scare to beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (6), 6-2 on Wednesday in the second round of the National Bank Open.

“Well, for sure it’s nice to have some challenges and overcome them,” said Swiatek, coming off a victory last week at home in the Poland Open. “It wasn’t an easy first round, but I’m happy that I stayed solid."

Swiatek advanced to face 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova, a 7-5, 6-4 winner over Sorana Cirstea. Swiatek beat Muchova this year in the French Open final.

“We have to be ready for the next match and kind of expect that anything can happen because tennis can be pretty unpredictable,” Swiatek said. “You know, one player can have a bad day. At the same time the other one can play the best tennis of their life.”

In the night session, second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka beat Petra Martic 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the hard-court event. Sabalenka is the Australian Open champion.

“Especially on this surface, I was really struggling with all her slices,” Sabalenka said. “I think I need some time to adjust to this surface. I hope the next match I will play a little bit better, but overall, I’m just happy to get through this tough match.”

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, seeded ninth, beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 7-5. Wozniacki, a former No. 1 player, was playing her first WTA Tour event in 3 1/2 years.

Vondrousova set up a match against sixth-seeded Coco Gauff, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Katie Boulter. Gauff won last week in Washington for her fourth career title.

Third-seeded Elena Rybakina outlasted Jennifer Brady 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-3 in a match that was suspended Tuesday night because of rain.

Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula topped Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-4; and 10th-seeded Daria Kasatkina edged Anna Blinkova 6-2, 7-5.

Canadian Leylah Fernandez also advanced, beating 11th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. Fernandez will face Danielle Collins, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari.

In the late match, seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova, the 2012 winner, beat 2021 champion Camila Giorgi 6-2, 5-7, 6-0.

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Djokovic Marches into Melbourne Quarter-final with Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during the Men's Singles round four match against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2025. (EPA)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during the Men's Singles round four match against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2025. (EPA)
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Djokovic Marches into Melbourne Quarter-final with Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during the Men's Singles round four match against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2025. (EPA)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during the Men's Singles round four match against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2025. (EPA)

Irrepressible 10-time champion Novak Djokovic set up a blockbuster Australian Open quarter-final Sunday with Carlos Alcaraz after downing Czech Jiri Lehecka.

The 37-year-old Serb, who is gunning for a record 25th Grand Slam title, beat the 24th seed 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Rod Laver Arena.

It sent him into the last eight at Melbourne Park for a 15th time, a record he now shares with Roger Federer and one ahead of Rafael Nadal and John Newcombe.

The win also extended his own all-time mark to 61 for most quarter-final appearances at majors, three ahead of the Swiss great.

His reward is a showdown on Tuesday with third seed Alcaraz, who is already a four-time Slam winner aged 21 but has never gone beyond the Australian Open quarter-finals.

The Spaniard set up the clash after Briton Jack Draper retired during their last-16 match when losing 7-5, 6-1.

"Being in a quarter-final, I'm going to approach the match the same as I did in the previous matches against him, and let's see," said Alcaraz of Djokovic.

"When we are seeing him playing, he seems like he's young again, so... It's unbelievable. He's in a really good shape."

But the Spaniard added: "I'm just ready and I know what I have to do in quarter-finals."

Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other seven times with the Serb leading 4-3, including victory in their last clash in the Paris Olympics final.

They have crossed paths at Grand Slams three times, twice in the Wimbledon decider with the Spaniard winning on both occasions.

But they have never played at Melbourne Park, where Djokovic has achieved his greatest success.

Lehecka won the lead-up Brisbane International event, where Djokovic lost in the quarter-finals, but he was never seriously in the reckoning on the big stage.

Djokovic quickly put pressure on his serve and achieved a break in the eighth game of set one when the Czech sent down a double fault.

Another break on Lehecka's opening serve set the tone for set two with Djokovic dominating from the baseline.

The young Czech changed tactics in a closer set three, pushing Djokovic to the net more while picking up his serving intensity.

It went to a tiebreak where the Serb produced some stunning shots to seal the win.

Against Draper, Alcaraz was well on top when the Briton pulled the pin on a sweltering afternoon because of "multiple areas really in pain".

The 15th seed Draper needed five sets to win his first three Melbourne matches, rallying from behind in all of them to stay in the tournament, and it finally caught up with him.

"It's not the way I wanted to win. But obviously I'm happy to play another quarter-final here in Australia," said Alcaraz.

"Physically, I'm feeling great. So coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it is important to feel well physically because right now the matches are even tougher."