Melbourne, Jan 21 (.) Australia’s Alex de Minaur survived a stern second-round test at the Australian Open 2026, rallying from a set down to defeat Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic 6-7(5) 6-2 6-2 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night.
World No.6 De Minaur was pushed hard by the unseeded Medjedovic, ranked 90th, who used his power and depth to dictate play early and claim the opening set in a tie-break. The Australian struggled to find breakthroughs initially, going without a service break for the first 17 games of the match.
The turning point came midway through the second set when De Minaur converted one of six break points to lead 3-2. From there, the Australian gained control, breaking Medjedovic in six of the next eight service games to swing the momentum firmly in his favour.
A 30-minute rain delay at the end of the second set failed to halt De Minaur’s surge, as he dominated the third and fourth sets, closing out the match in emphatic fashion. His fourth-set performance included a rapid 46-second service hold and a one-sided final scoreline.
The victory marked De Minaur’s seventh consecutive appearance in the third round at Melbourne Park, underlining his consistency at his home Grand Slam.
De Minaur will next face American 29th seed Frances Tiafoe, who overcame Argentina’s Francisco Comesana in four sets after midnight to set up a much-anticipated third-round clash on Friday.
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