American 18-year-old Iva Jovic pulled off the biggest upset of her young career when she stunned Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2 7-6(3) at the Australian Open on Friday to earn her first Grand Slam last-16 appearance.
The 29th seed turned the tables on Paolini, who had beaten her last year at Indian Wells and the U.S. Open, to claim her maiden victory over a top-10 player and extend her tour-leading winning streak to 10 matches in 2026.
"It feels amazing, I've been working really hard for it. I've been wanting this one for a while now," she said.
"I had a couple of tough losses. I'm just so happy to get through that barrier and get the win today."
Jovic had the opportunity to serve for the match before Paolini fought back to force a tiebreak, where the American showed her nerve and won the last five points to book a fourth-round clash with Yulia Putintseva.
"I tried to focus on what I was doing earlier in the match, being really aggressive and controlling the play," Jovic added. "I think when I served for the match, I got a little too passive. So I told myself to go out swinging and it helped in the tiebreak."
It capped a memorable day for North American teenagers after Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko also advanced with a 7-6(5) 5-7 6-3 victory over Clara Tauson.
Paolini, the world number eight, took a medical timeout in the opening set and afterwards revealed she had been hampered by a stomach problem.
"I think I lay down on the sofa after lunch and that wasn't a good idea for my stomach. I stepped on court and I couldn't move at my best."
Jovic, whose parents are Serbian immigrants who moved to the United States, said she also received some advice from Novak Djokovic before her match against Paolini.
"I spoke to Novak yesterday a little bit, so it was pretty incredible. He gave me some very attentive tips for my game and something I can try to incorporate into this match that I just played," she said.
"So that was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it," she added with a smile.
Meanwhile Mboko (above) has world number one Aryna Sabalenka in her sights next.
The 19-year-old Canadian's rapid rise up the rankings will continue after she reached the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time with a 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-3 victory over 14th seed Tauson.
Mboko served for the second set and had three match points before Tauson fought back, but she showed experience well beyond her years to put the disappointment behind her.
Mboko was one of five teenagers to reach the third round in the women's singles, with fellow debutantes Tereza Valentova and Nikola Bartunkova also making a big impression along with 18-year-old duo Mirra Andreeva and Iva Jovic.
"There's a lot of us teenagers on the tour who are actually still in the tournament right now," said Mboko. "I think it's really nice to see.
"I've known a lot of them for such a long time, played against them in the juniors. I always want them to do well and vice versa."
The last 16 has thrown up a fascinating battle between Mboko and two-time former champion Sabalenka, who wobbled against Anastasia Potapova but came through 7-6 (4) 7-6 (7).
Coco Gauff shrugged off a poor start against fellow American Hailey Baptiste on the way to a 3-6 6-0 6-3 win, reaching the Australian Open fourth round as she continues her bid for a first title at Melbourne Park.
Gauff was broken twice as she lost her first set of the tournament to world number 70 Baptiste, who threatened the shock of the Grand Slam until losing her way completely in the second set.
Cutting down the errors, Gauff produced her purest tennis to bagel Baptiste then broke her in the sixth game of the decider before serving out the match.
"Honestly, I didn't change too much. I tried to get more first serves in. I wasn't too upset (after the first set)," third seed Gauff said on court.
"I was able to raise my level and I'm happy with how I stayed mentally calm through that."
Though unable to match Gauff's power and hustle, Baptiste gave the twice Grand Slam champion a proper workout before the American faces Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova for a place in the quarter-finals.
