Alcaraz Battles Through Marathon Set to Advance in Melbourne

In the electric hum of Rod Laver Arena, Carlos Alcaraz launched his Australian Open campaign with a fight that echoed the weight of his ambitions. The 22-year-old Spaniard, chasing a career Grand Slam as the youngest in the Open Era to claim seven majors, met Yannick Hanfmann’s gritty resistance head-on. What unfolded was a 78-minute first set—the longest opener of Alcaraz’s Slam career—where the No. 102 in the PIF ATP Rankings pushed the World No. 1 to the brink before the tide turned decisively.

First set tests Alcaraz‘s resolve

Hanfmann seized a 3-1 lead early, his baseline game a fortress of heavy topspin forehands crosscourt and timely net approaches that disrupted Alcaraz’s rhythm on the plexicushion surface. The German saved two break points at 5-5 with sharp down-the-line passing shots, then built a 4-3 edge in the tie-break, the crowd’s tension thickening the air. Alcaraz, facing three break points in his opening service games, responded with a surge: a 1–2 pattern of serve and slicing backhand approach volleyed off four straight points to steal the set 7-6(4), his focus cutting through the pressure like a well-placed inside-out winner.

This opener wasn’t just about strokes; it revealed Hanfmann‘s qualifier hunger, the 34-year-old nearly becoming the first sub-Top 100 player to topple Alcaraz at a major. Newly engaged in Melbourne just last Thursday, the German held his level post-tie-break, but Alcaraz’s mental pivot—shedding hesitation for predatory intent—set the stage for dominance. The shift felt visceral, the arena’s lights casting long shadows as Alcaraz reclaimed control.

Dominance builds amid Hanfmann’s struggle

Into the second set, Alcaraz broke at love, his inside-out forehands skimming the lines and forcing errors from Hanfmann’s steady returns. An apparent oblique injury struck the German between sets, drawing physio attention that visibly sapped his fire, though his tennis stayed competitive. Alcaraz, relentless, stretched the lead to 6-3, varying slice serves to the body that neutralized Hanfmann’s return depth and opened angles for crosscourt backhands.

The third set amplified the Spaniard’s command: four consecutive aces to start his service game, the ball whistling past Hanfmann like arrows. He repelled four break points in the final game, sealing 6-2 with 11 aces total, his footwork devouring the court to redirect pace into offense. This straight-sets victory—his second in the tournament—reclaimed the rhythm Alcaraz has honed through a season of tweaks, the hard courts favoring his aggressive one-two combinations.

Path forward eyes quarterfinal repeat

Alcaraz now faces qualifier Michael Zheng, set to rejoin the Columbia Lions for college tennis after the event, or 32nd seed Corentin Moutet in the third round. Two more wins would match his best Australian Open result—quarterfinals in the past two years—propelling him deeper into a fortnight where every adjustment counts. Hanfmann’s effort, a gritty stand against history, fades into the draw, but Alcaraz carries the momentum, his game syncing with the broader chase for immortality on these Melbourne courts.