MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic confidently progressed to the third round of the Australian Open after defeating Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria with scores of 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday, moving closer to his 25th Grand Slam title.

During the first week of a major tournament, top players focus on finding their rhythm under competitive pressure, and Djokovic was fortunate to face two Grand Slam debutantes leading up to this round.

In their first match, American teenager Nishesh Basavareddy put up a strong fight for the first hour against the ten-time Melbourne Park champion. Faria, aged 21, presented additional challenges for Djokovic to overcome.

Faria achieved his first tour-level victory in the opening round, while Djokovic made history by surpassing Roger Federer to participate in his 430th Grand Slam match.

The disparity in experience was evident in the lopsided opening set, but Faria made a comeback by clinching the second set in a tiebreaker, showcasing impressive ball-striking and athleticism across the court.

Djokovic, with former rival Andy Murray in his coaching corner, secured a break at 4-2 in the third set and effectively neutralized the challenge posed by world No. 125 in the fourth, setting him up for a match against Czech player Tomas Machac.

“I love playing on this court and I thrive in competition,” the 37-year-old Serbian expressed after reaching the third round of the Australian Open for the 17th time, marking his 14th ace of the match.

“I believe I responded well in both the third and fourth sets. He played exceptionally well during the closing of the second set and the start of the third, and I had to endure that challenge.”

“I told him at the net, ‘you have a bright future ahead, so keep it up.'”

Carlos Alcaraz shines

Carlos Alcaraz took the center stage during his match at the Australian Open on Wednesday, demonstrating his powerful serve by hitting 14 aces in a decisive victory. He jokingly asked, “Am I a serve bot?” while writing on a camera lens after his triumph over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka with a score of 6-0, 6-1, 6-4, advancing him to the third round.

Alcaraz has been focused on enhancing his serve this season after making adjustments to his technique during the off-season.

He wasn’t satisfied with his serving performance in the first round against Kazakh player Alexander Shevchenko, where he landed less than 60% of his first serves and managed only six aces.

However, Wednesday’s results were much more promising for the detail-oriented Spaniard, as he doubled his ace count and won 32 out of 36 points (89%) on his first serve.

This improvement followed an extensive service practice session with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero the previous day.

“I felt more at ease with my serve today. Confidence and feel are key,” he shared with reporters.

“Today was great; my ball toss felt just right, which greatly aided my serving.”

Despite winning the French Open and a second Wimbledon title last year with his prior serve technique, Alcaraz was not content with its precision and the strain it put on his body.

The new action is more relaxed, employing a looser wrist to enhance timing.

Alcaraz acknowledged that he still has a long way to go if he intends to compete with top-server players like American Reilly Opelka and Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

As the third seed with four Grand Slam titles, Alcaraz would typically expect to play on the main court, Rod Laver Arena, but he has thus far been slotted for matches at the Margaret Court Arena.

While players can express preferences for their match location, there’s no certainty that these will be honored.

Alcaraz admitted a desire to play on Rod Laver Arena, particularly since defending women’s doubles champion Aryna Sabalenka and ten-time champion Novak Djokovic were on the schedule there on Wednesday.

Nonetheless, he is willing to continue competing on smaller courts if it ensures an earlier end to his day.

“I definitely want to play on Rod Laver, but it all depends on the schedule. As I’ve mentioned before, I prefer not to play night sessions.”