2024 Australian Open: Michelsen, Navarro, Parks reach R3 in best Grand Slam runs

Ten Americans are through to the singles third round at the 2024 Australian Open, including three tournament debutants who have reached that stage for the first time at a Grand Slam.

Alex Michelsen, Emma Navarro and Alycia Parks are all enjoying career-best major runs in their maiden Melbourne appearances. Michelsen is joined in the men's last 32 by Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton, while Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens and Amanda Anisimova make it five American women still standing.

Michelsen 'on a different planet'

Riding his booming backhand, Michelsen upset 32nd seed Jiri Lehecka on Thursday in the second round, storming back from a set down in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory. The 19-year-old is playing in just his second major after reaching the US Open second round as a wild card last summer.

"It feels great. It feels like I am on a different planet right now," Michelsen said of his Melbourne run. "I wasn't really expecting this coming in, but I just told myself to compete for every point and it worked out pretty good today.

"I can't really comprehend all of it. I never really thought two or three years ago that I was going to be in this position. Now that I am here it is really crazy and I am trying to do my best all the time."

Elsewhere in the men's draw, 12th seed Fritz (def. Hugo Gaston) and 29th seed Korda (def. Quentin Halys) both earned straights-sets wins in the second round. Sixteenth seed Ben Shelton (def. Christopher O'Connell) and 14th seed Tommy Paul (def. Jack Draper) both advanced in four sets, with Paul's victory over Draper a measure of revenge after defeat to the Briton last week in Adelaide.

Navarro finds her rhythm at the highest level

On the women's side, the 22-year-old Navarro has continued her rapid rise with a pair of three-set wins in her Australian Open debut. Entering Melbourne on the heels of her first WTA title in Hobart, the 27th seed was a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 winner against Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto on Thursday in the second round.

After soaring up the WTA rankings largely behind success at lower levels, Navarro is already competing in her third tour-level event of 2023. Prior to the Aussie Open and her Hobart title run, she opened the new season with a semifinal showing in Auckland.

"When you've been played so many matches, you kind of get in this match rhythm," she said of her busy schedule, which will continue in the third round against Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska.

"I like it. It's kind of nice to be in that match rhythm, and it's just like you're constantly preparing for your next round tomorrow or the day after. So it's kind of nice to just be in that rhythm and always be just getting ready to play again."