Australian Open: Sebastián Báez won the South American duel against the Colombian Galán and will face the 4th in the world

Sebastiano Baez (29th) He beat the Colombian in the early hours of this Wednesday Daniele Galan (87th) and advanced to the third round of the for the first time Australian Open 2024where he will face the Italian Jannik Sinner, 4th in the world rankings. The start of the day was delayed by rain in Melbourne for around three hours.

The native of Billinghurst, Buenos Aires province, achieved victory in four sets (7-5, 2-6, 6-2 and 6-4) and won the clash between the South Americans after three hours and 14 minutes of play.

In this way he managed to reach, for the first time in his career, the third round of the first Grand Slam of the season. Meanwhile, it’s the second time we’ve reached that stage if everything Major. His first and so far only time had been in US Open 2023where he lost to the Russian Daniel Medvedev.

Your next rival, Sinner, He hasn’t lost a set yet. in this competition. On his debut he beat the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp by 6-4, 7-5 and 6-3, while he then also beat the Dutchman Jesper de Jong for the triple 6-2.

In the early hours of this Wednesday, Francisco Cerúndolo In the second round he faced Hungarian Fabián Marozsan, who won the tie-break to take the first set and then won the second 6-4.

While, Tomas EtcheverryAfter the sensational victory against the Scot Andy Murray, his duel against the experienced French Gael Monfils, former world number 6, is scheduled for today.

In another of the day’s matches, world number one and ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will see action. The Serbian will face the Australian Alexei Popyrin in the second round of the night match at the Rod Laver Arena, which will start at 5 in the morning in Argentina with the duel between the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, reigning champion, and the Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova.

So far, three Argentine tennis players have already welcomed the first Grand Slam of the season in the men’s branch and are starting to think about the South American tour of clay tournaments.

Federico Coria failed to make it past his debut, falling 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 to China’s Zhizhen Zhang; Pedro Cachín lost in four sets (4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and 6-4) against De Jong; and Facundo Díaz Acosta fought, but were defeated by American Taylor Fritz in five sets (4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 and 6-4).

Defeat and elimination for Nadia Podoroska

Shortly before Báez’s triumph, the Argentine tennis player Nadia Podoroska He said goodbye to the competition. After starting with an overwhelming debut, beating Slovenian Tamara Zidansek in two sets 2-0 and 6-1, Rosario, number 63 in the WTA ranking, was defeated in the round of 16.

The only representative of Argentine tennis among women fell 6-2 and 6-3, in just an hour and four minutes, against the American Amanda Anisimovawho is ranked 339th after staying away from the circuit for much of 2023 to prioritize her mental health.

Despite this period of inactivity, Anisimova had just hit a home run by eliminating the Russian in two sets (6-3 and 6-4). Ludmila Samsonova (14th) in the preliminary round of the Australian Open.

For his part, Coco Gauffthe 19-year-old current US Open champion beat her compatriot Caroline Dolehide without major setbacks 7-6, 6-2, in an hour and 44 minutes, and advanced to the third round.