Sönmez soaks in acclaim on historic Melbourne run

MELBOURNE

Emerging Turkish talent Zeynep Sönmez said she had never known an atmosphere like it as she extended her trailblazing Australian Open run on Wednesday in front of an electric crowd.

The 112th-ranked qualifier dispatched Anna Bondar of Hungary 6-2, 6-4 and faces Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in the third round on Jan. 23.

The 23-year-old from Istanbul stunned 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in her opening match to become the first woman from Türkiye to reach the second round in Melbourne.

"I really appreciated there were many Turkish people, and I felt like I was at home," she said after her flag-waving compatriots roared her to a dominant win over 74th-ranked Bondar.

"In the beginning I was a bit nervous and then I think I got used to it."

She added: "I felt very good on the court. I really felt the support and I felt like we were all playing together, actually."

Sönmez made history at Wimbledon last year and put Turkish tennis on the map by becoming the first Turk to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in the Open era.

She enjoyed rapturous support on that occasion as well, but said it was even better this time.

"At Wimbledon also there were many people and my first round here, too, there were many people," she said.

"But today was... I have never experienced something like this."

The Turkish fans were so loud that she "couldn't even hear my own thoughts," said Sönmez, who captured the only WTA title of her career in Mexico in 2024.

Knowing her compatriots were watching in the early hours back home on television also spurred her on.

"I know they're supporting me. I know they're watching me. It was, like, 3 a.m., and I know that there were many people who just woke up to watch me."

In other matches in Melbourne, top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz fended off a series of "bombs" before surging into the Australian Open third round, where he was joined by Aryna Sabalenka and a near-flawless Coco Gauff.

Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev also stayed alive, but he needed four sets to keep his Grand Slam dream on track at a cooler and overcast Melbourne Park after days of hot weather.

Spanish superstar Alcaraz came through a tough arm-wrestle 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena against hard-hitting German Yannick Hanfmann to take another step towards a career Grand Slam.

If the 22-year-old does win the Australia Open to complete the career Grand Slam of all four majors he will be the youngest man to do so, surpassing compatriot Rafael Nadal.

The unpredictable Medvedev, runner-up in 2021, 2022 and 2024, is trying to keep his emotions in check this year and was on his best behavior against Frenchman Quentin Halys.

He lost a tight first set but the result was never in doubt as he surged to the finish line 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

"It was a very tough match, happy I managed to fight," said the Russian, who faces Fabian Marozsan of Hungary next.