Australian Open: Paul wins all-American battle over Brooksby to reach last 16
Tommy Paul will play the winner of the match between Andy Murray and Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, the No 24 seed, in the next round
In an all-American battle, Tommy Paul defeated Jenson Brooksby in straight sets to reach the last 16 of the Australian Open for the first time in his career.
Paul needed two hours and eight minutes to beat Brooksby 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and will face the winner of the match between Andy Murray and Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, the No 24 seed, next.
Paul, who has now equalled his best ever Grand Slam performance (having also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year), had won against German Jan-Lennard Struff (6-1, 7-6 (6), 6-2) and Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the No 30 seed (6-2, 2-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4) in his earlier rounds.
Meanwhile Brooksby, ranked No 39, scored wins over Australian Christopher O’Connell (3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2) and Norwegian Casper Ruud, the second seed (6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-2).
Australian Open (Grand Slam), other third-round results (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 24,297,942, most recent results first):
- Andy Murray vs. Roberto Bautista Agut
- Alexei Popyrin vs. Ben Shelton
- Grigor Dimitrov vs. Novak Djokovic
- J.J. Wolf vs. Michael Mmoh
- Alex De Minaur (22) beat Benjamin Bonzi: 7-6, 6-2, 6-1
- Holger Rune (9) beat Ugo Humbert: 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
- Andrey Rublev (5) beat Daniel Evans (25): 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
- Sebastian Korda (29) beat Daniil Medvedev (7): 7-6 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (4)
- Karen Khachanov (18) beat Frances Tiafoe (16): 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9)
- Hubert Hurkacz (10) beat Denis Shapovalov (20): 7-6 (3), 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3
- Jiri Lehecka beat Cameron Norrie (11): 6-7 (8), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (6) beat Francisco Cerundolo (28): 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
- Yoshihito Nishioka (31) beat Mackenzie McDonald: 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-2
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (3) beat Tallon Griekspoor: 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-3
- Jannik Sinner (15) beat Marton Fucsovics: 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0