NEWSFEEDZONE

Dan Evans will bid to match his best run at the Australian Open when he plays Canadian ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in round three on Saturday.

The British number two reached the last 16 once before in 2017.

Evans, 31, received a walkover into the third round after France’s Arthur Rinderknech withdrew through injury.

In the first round, Evans beat Belgium’s David Goffin in straight sets.

Evans is looking to continue a fine start to the 2022 season, where he won his opening five matches after three victories at the ATP Cup and a run to the Sydney semi-finals.

“I had a lot of fun at ATP Cup. I wasn’t too hard on myself in pre-season,” Evans, who reached a career-high ranking of 22nd last year, said after he beat Goffin.

“I’ve just carried on doing what I was doing at the end of last year. It was a long year.

“I have played some good tennis already. Hopefully get some more this week, and you never know.”

Elsewhere at Melbourne Park on Saturday, Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev continues his bid for a first Australian Open men’s singles title against Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.

Medvedev, 25, lost to Serb top seed Novak Djokovic in last year’s final but is now the favourite to win the title after the world number one was deported from Australia in the row over his visa.

The US Open champion plays Van de Zandschulp on Margaret Court Arena not before 03:00 GMT.

The pair will go on court after Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka’s match against Czech 31st seed Marketa Vondrousova in the women’s singles third round.

Romanian 14th seed Simona Halep is another notable name in action, with the 2018 runner-up playing Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic – who beat British number one Emma Raducanu – on John Cain Arena.

Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, meets 25th seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia at 08:00 GMT on Margaret Court Arena.