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American Ethan Quinn and Czech 18th seed Jakub Mensik will clash for a place in the Australian Open fourth round after the two rising stars produced comprehensive straight-sets victories to dismiss their respective opponents on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Ethan Quinn<\/strong>, a 21-year-old unseeded American making his main draw debut in Melbourne, authored the upset of the morning by dominating Hubert Hurkacz<\/strong> 6-2 6-3 6-2. The 28-year-old Pole appeared flat-footed as Quinn dictated play with aggressive baseline hitting and tactical variety. The victory follows Quinn\u2019s clinical opening-round dismissal of 24th seed Tallon Griekspoor, meaning the world number 112 has yet to drop a set in the tournament.<\/p>\n The American\u2019s breakthrough this week follows a highly successful collegiate career. Quinn is a former NCAA singles champion out of the University of Georgia, a milestone he achieved in 2023 as a freshman before deciding to turn professional. Having arrived in Melbourne with limited experience at the Grand Slam level, Quinn\u2019s rapid adaptation to the Australian hard courts has made him one of the most dangerous unseeded players remaining in the draw.<\/p>\n Jakub Mensik<\/strong>, aged 20, ensured he would be Quinn\u2019s next opponent by ending the run of 19-year-old Spanish wildcard Rafael Jodar <\/strong>with a 6-2 6-4 6-4 win. The Czech, who is currently seeded 18th, utilized a dominant service performance to stay in control throughout the contest. Mensik won 80 percent of his first-serve points and struck 26 unforced errors in a performance he described as a significant improvement over his five-set marathon in the first round.<\/p>\n \n