Carlos Alcaraz makes Australian Open last 16 for first time after Shang Juncheng retires injured

Carlos Alcaraz is into the last 16 of the Australian Open for the first time in his career after Shang Juncheng retired with the Spaniard leading 6-1 6-1 1-0.

The result sees the second seed into the round of 16 at the Australian Open for the first time in his career, and he will face Miomir Kecmanovic next.

Alcaraz was in near-total control for the entirety of the match, and it was little surprise when Shang retired as a thigh injury increasingly impacted his mobility.

“It is not the way anyone wants to move on,” said Alcaraz on court after his opponent retired. “First of all I want to wish him a speedy recovery.

“He is an amazing player. He started the year unbelievable.”

The match against Shang was the first time the world No. 2 had played a tour-level match against a player who was younger than him, and he made that experience pay.

Alcaraz pulled his opponent around the court, combining drawing out unforced errors and thundering down winners to take the match away from him.

Shang beat Francis Tiafoe on his way to the semi-final stage of the Hong Kong Open earlier in January, but the first set whizzed by in just 27 minutes. The Chinese player opened with a hold but then it was all Alcaraz, who rattled off the next six games to take control of the contest.

The second set followed a similar pattern to the first. The world No. 140 opened with a hold but then Alcaraz pulled away behind some ferocious hitting to open up a 4-1 advantage. Shang called for the trainer at the changeover to assess a heavily strapped quad.

The medical timeout did not halt Alcaraz’s superiority as he broke his opponent’s serve immediately to fashion the opportunity to serve for the set. He duly took that opportunity.

Shang again called for the trainer at the changeover of sets and emerged for the third set but retired injured two games later.