Taylor Fritz proved again why he’s climbed to a career-high ranking of No.4 in recent months as he blasted his way past Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin for the loss of just three games on Thursday at Australian Open 2025.
MORE: All the scores from Day 5 at AO 2025
The American’s 6-2 6-1 6-0 beatdown at Margaret Court Arena means he’s dropped only eight games in two matches since he arrived in Melbourne as action in the top half of the men’s draw unfolded on Day 5.
Since 1988, only Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have dropped fewer games en route to the third round of the AO men’s singles.
MORE: AO 2025 men's singles draw
Fritz let slip just eight points on his first serve, broke Garin seven times and afterwards the California native donated his first round prize money of $A132,000 to help those affected by the Los Angeles wild fires back where he grew up.
“Southern California has been my home forever,” said Fritz, who reached his first Grand Slam final on home soil last year. “I spent a lot of time, I still spend a lot of time in LA, but I lived in LA for quite a while.
“I have friends impacted. Family, not so much. I had some family have to evacuate. The house that my brothers grew up in burnt down. Obviously they're not living there anymore.
“A lot of people are affected by it. I feel like if you're in a place to help, then you should.”
Fritz’s win sets up a blockbuster with Gael Monfils, who continued his march through the draw at the ripe old age of 38. The Frenchman beat Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 7-5 6-3 7-6(3) to back up his five-set win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the opening round.
Monfils’ passage into the round of 32 comes less than a week after the former world No.6 became the oldest man to win a tour-level trophy since 1977 as he played his way to the title at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
"I've been fortunate at the beginning of the season,” said Monfils, who is only the fourth man aged 38 or older to make the third round at Melbourne Park since 1988. “Felt the body good. Felt I was hitting good. I'm just surfing on the moment.”
Another man who had been riding a wave of success into the new year is young Brazilian Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old who sensationally took out Andrey Rublev in the opening round.
The teenager finally ran out of steam though in the first five-setter of his career against experienced Lorenzo Sonego. The Italian’s 6-7(8) 6-3 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory marked the first defeat for Fonseca since November after an astonishing 14-match win streak.
American Frances Tiafoe was back on court 48 hours after his physical struggles during his opening victory against Arthur Rinderknech when he was suffering from cramp and vomited on court late in the fourth set.
The No.17 seed managed to drag himself into another deciding set, but this time was perhaps feeling the after effects of Tuesday’s drama, losing 6-7(3) 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-1 to talented Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.
While Tiafoe was sent through the exit door, there was better news for another American as former quarterfinalist Ben Shelton moved past Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in four sets 6-3 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4.
In a battle that featured two of the sweetest one-handed backhands on tour, last summer’s Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti won two key tiebreaks on his way to a 7-6(3) 7-6(6) 6-2 victory over Canada’s Denis Shapovalov.
No.18 seed Hubert Hurkacz was another seeded casualty as he surprisingly fell 6-4 6-4 6-2 to Serb Miomir Kecmanovic, while young American Alex Michelsen is into the third round at a major for first time and plays 19th seed Karen Khachanov on Saturday.