Alcaraz this Saturday at the Australian Open is something to keep awake

Carlos Alcaraz He has an interesting challenge this Saturday at the Australian Open. For the first time on the professional circuit he will face a younger rival, who is also looking for his best result in this Grand Slam, entering the round of 16.

The US Open 2022 and Wimbledon 2023 champion, who has reached the semifinals in his last four Grand Slam tournaments, will be participating at Melbourne Park for only the third time. He was part of the alternatives to power in 2023, but he was injured. Now he is a strong candidate to bid for the title he is defending Novak Djokovic.

It also has a mathematical option to remove the Serbian from world number one, although the calculator will start working as soon as it is put into quarters.

First he had to face an interesting figure project, proving the development of Chinese tennis, even though he trained from the age of 13 in the United States. Juncheng Shang He is 18, two below the Murcian and 140th in the world ranking. He reached the ATP semifinals in Hong Kong, where he took the opening set from Russian Andrey Rublev, who eventually won.

Alcaraz will repeat the program about his rivalry with the Italian Lorenzo Sonego. He will not return to the local evening session, where he debuted against Richard Gasquet.

The Australian Open remains on the daytime calendar this Saturday, in the second round of central Rod Laver Arena. That means Spanish fans won’t get much sleep to see Alcaraz, who will be on the field around half past three in the morning.

So far there is no warning that it will not start in any case not before 03:30, as happened against Sonego. His rivalry with Shang will now go immediately after the clash between Qinwen Zheng and Yafan Wang, which will start at 2:00 am. Wow, a very Chinese morning, with Alcaraz as a special guest.

The Australian Open is called the Grand Slam not only of Oceania, but it emphasizes that it is also of Asia. That is why he always invites some related figures from the Asian continent in his painting. This is the case of Juncheng ‘Jerry’ Shang (Jerry from the Tom and Jerry cartoons).

To not sleep, because Alcaraz This is a guarantee of a show and it will be interesting to gauge where Shang is really at, a novice but aiming to become a rival to the Spaniard soon. Conditions for this son of a professional soccer player and world table tennis champion.

The match, like the entire tournament, will be televised on Eurosport. Also follow him live on Mundo Deportivo website.

Rod Laver Arena

02:00 hours

Qinwen Zheng (Chn/12)-Yafan Wang (Chn)
​Jenchung Shang (Chn/WC)-Carlos Alcaraz (ESP/2)
(09:00 hours)
Iga Swiatek (Pol)-Linda Noskova (Che)
Alexander Zverev (Ale)-Alex Michelsen (USA)

2

Margaret Court Arena

02:00 hours

Tommy Paul (USA/14)-Miomir Kecmanovic (Srb)
Jelena Ostapenko (Let/11)-Victoria Azarenka (Blr/18)
(09:00 hours)
Felix Auger-Aliassime (Can/27)-Daniil Medvedev (Rus/3)
Elina Svitolina (Ucr/19)-Viktorija Golubic (Sui)

3

John Cain Arena

01:00 hours

Emma Navarro (USA/27)-Dayana Yastremska (Ucr)
(not before 3:30 am)
Ugo Humbert (Fra/21)-Hubert Hurkacz (Pol/9)
(not before 7:00 am)
Cameron Norrie (GBR/19)-Casper Ruud (Nor/11)