In a dazzling display at the Australian Open, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and young sensation Coco Gauff breeze into the fourth round, while Yannick Sinner dominates in the men’s category. Meanwhile, Adrian Mannarino sets up a showdown with Novak Djokovic.
In the men’s third-round action, Yannick Sinner, the world number four, showcased his prowess by dispatching Sebastian Beijl 6-0, 6-1, 6-3, maintaining a clean set record. The 20th seed, Adrian Mannarino, faced a tough challenge but emerged victorious against Ben Shelton in a five-set thriller.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka left no room for doubt in her dominance, securing a swift victory against Lesia Tsurenko with a remarkable 6-0, 6-0 triumph in just 52 minutes. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff continued her stellar run, defeating Alyssa Parks 6-0, 6-2.
Notably, the Sabalenka-Tsurenko encounter lacked the customary handshake due to the geopolitical tensions, with Ukrainian player Tsurenko adhering to the practice of refraining from shaking hands with athletes from Russia and Belarus.
While the on-court performances shine, the absence of handshakes in Sabalenka-Tsurenko match raises questions about how geopolitical conflicts extend to the realm of sportsmanship, blurring lines between politics and play.
