January 16, 2025: Top-seeded players Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur both advanced to the third round of the ongoing Australian Open on Thursday after dominant victories over qualifiers Cristian Garin and Tristan Boyer, respectively.
Fritz, seeded fourth, claimed a quick 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 win over Garin in just 82 minutes. Fritz's powerful performance included 24 winners, and he won 80% of his first-serve points and 60% of his second-serve points. Reflecting on his match, Fritz expressed high confidence, saying, “It always feels great to come out and play a match like that. I played well in the first round too, so I am high in confidence going into the third round. This is awesome.”
In a generous gesture, Fritz also announced that he would be donating his 132,000 Australian dollars first-round prize money to relief efforts for the Los Angeles fires.
Fritz's next challenge will be Gael Monfils, the recently crowned Auckland champion, who extended his win streak to seven matches with a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Daniel Altmaier.
On the other side, Alex de Minaur, the eighth seed and local favorite, overcame Tristan Boyer with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win in just under two hours. De Minaur spoke about Boyer’s dangerous playstyle, saying, "He is a dangerous player who takes the racquet out of your hand. My team did some scouting but ultimately it was about me bringing the best version of myself."
De Minaur's next opponent will be Francisco Cerundolo, the 31st seed from Argentina.
Both players are looking ahead to potential tough quarterfinals, with Fritz set to face Daniil Medvedev, while De Minaur could meet world number one Jannik Sinner.
