Australian Open 2026 results: Carlos Alcaraz enjoys an improved serve as he reaches the quarter-finals

If Alcaraz qualifies for the semi-finals, he may face Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

The third-seeded German, who ended the hopes of Briton Cameron Norrie in the third round, excelled with his 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the eighteenth-seeded Argentine, Francisco Cerundolo.

Zverev, who lost to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final last year, said he was “as healthy as he has been in the last 12 months” as he bids for his first Grand Slam title.

At last year’s Grand Slam, he followed up a second-place finish in Melbourne with a quarter-final at the French Open, a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon, and a third-round loss at the US Open.

The 28-year-old said: “I suffered from many physical problems and many injuries that prevented me from playing 100%.” “I played through them but I wasn’t feeling really good.

“When I’m healthy, I’m happy on the field and everything becomes a little easier. I don’t want to jinx it, but hopefully we’ll have three more tough games and hopefully I can keep it that way.”

Zverev’s next opponent will be American Lerner Tien, seeded 25th, who overcame an early nosebleed to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

The 20-year-old reeled off an 11-match winning streak in a 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 thrashing of former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who – playing in his 35th Grand Slam tournament – was on the wrong end of a 6-0 set for the first time at a major.