Melbourne (AFP) - Top seed Carlos Alcaraz struggled to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday, while top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and second seed American Coco Gauff were also out of contention on the women's side.

Both have easily advanced to the next round. Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev needed a four-set win to keep his Grand Slam dream alive. Alexander Zverev also reached the third round after a four-set battle in the heat of Melbourne Park. 

Spanish superstar Alcaraz, 22, defeated German Yannick Hanfmann 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena. The win kept Alcaraz's chances of winning a Grand Slam, which he has yet to win, alive.

But the 12-year-old presented a tough challenge, especially in the first set. After the win, Alcaraz said, "To be honest, it was harder than I expected. The first set was really tough." 

He has won eight Grand Slam titles, but has yet to make it past the last eight in Melbourne. If Alcaraz wins the Australian Open this time, he will become the youngest player to win all four Grand Slams.

His compatriot Rafael Nadal achieved the feat at the age of 24. Nadal is also the youngest player to achieve this rare feat. 

Medvedev, the runner-up in 2021, 2022 and 2024, played a calm game and defeated Quentin Helias of France 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

The Russian admitted after the victory, “It was a very difficult match. So I am very happy with the win.” Zverev, on the other hand, defeated Alexandre Muller of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a rain-affected match. He also required treatment for an injury during the same match. 

On the women's side, top seed Sabalenka defeated Chinese qualifier Bai Chokwaso 6-3, 6-1. Sabalenka had to wait a long time to win the first set, even after leading 5-0. After the win, she said, "I felt a lot of relief after winning the first set."

She is trying to win the Australian Open for the third time in four years. She has won four Grand Slams so far.