In the semifinals, Leheček will face third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. In five sets, favorite Greece beat Jannik Sinner of Italy in sets 6:4, 6:4, 3:6, 4:6, 6:3

Tsitsipas has met the Czech so far, winning 4:6, 6:4, 6:2 at the tournament in Rotterdam last year. The 24-year-old Athens native amassed 12 aces and 48 winning balls in a game against the world sixteen sinners.

“I feel great. It’s hard to find the right words. If someone had told me before the tournament that I would play like this, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. I’m very happy and excited,” Lehečka said in a court interview.

The 21-year-old Czech lost the first set, as in the previous round, against Britain’s Cameron Norrie. Auger-Aliassime, a year her senior, immediately broke Leheček’s second serve and thanks to the break, she extended the set to the end. In the second set, both players held serve until the end. At 4:3 minutes, Lehečka used the first break point of the match to equalize.

“I know that Félix scores a lot on first serve, and I try to do the same. I believe that I can beat him even playing from the baseline,” said Lehečka.

The third set ended in shortened play. Leheček scored a blockbuster 6:0 in it and took the lead after converting the third set point. A similar scenario was repeated in the fourth set. The two players did not give each other a single break point and the tie-break was decided again. Lehečka did not drop a single serve, while her opponent made two service faults. Even 20 aces didn’t help Canada’s progress.

“And the journey doesn’t end. I beat great players here. I have to show my best tennis and reveal all my cards to succeed. It sounds great, and it’s true too. I’ll try to continue on that path, ” added Lehečka.

Krejčíková, seeded twenty, lost the duel in one hour and 43 minutes. Pegulaová will challenge Belarusian Victoria Azarenkova or Chinese tennis player Chu Lin for the top four spot.

The 27-year-old Czech lost her first match against Pegula, who is a year older. In those duels, she lost serve four times, she failed to serve three times in the last set. Still, she recorded her second best singles result at the Australian Open

Krejčíková continues to play in doubles, where she defended last year’s win with Kateřina Siniaková. Both players fulfill the role of first seed and have already qualified for the round of 16.

World number one Šwiateková also finished

Polish world number one Iga Šwiateková has reached the last 16 at the Australian Open Grand Slam. The 21-year-old Warsaw native, who was one of the big favorites for the overall win, lost to last year’s Wimbledon winner Jelena Rybakinová of Kazakhstan twice 4:6. Rybakinová will challenge Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, who beat American seventh seed Cori Gauffova 7:5, 6:3, in contention for the semifinals.

Last year’s Roland Garros and US Open winner Šwiateková missed her chance to win her fourth career Grand Slam title and her first at the Australian Open.

In this season’s “top four” opening tournament, he didn’t survive last year’s semifinals. The 23-year-old Rybakinová reached the top eight at a Grand Slam for the third time, and will make her debut in the quarter-finals in Melbourne.

“I feel like there is nothing I can take from today to fight more. I took a step back in my approach to tournaments. I will try to be more calm now,” Šwiateková told a news conference.

“I feel the pressure of not wanting to lose, not wanting to win. That’s what I have to focus on in the coming weeks,” added the world number one.

Šwiateková did not start well and dropped serve in the opening game. Then, she was able to return a break to her serving opponent, but in the seventh game she broke again and dropped the set.

In the second set, Polka led 3-0, but Rybakinová stepped up and turned things around thanks to two breaks. After an hour and a half, he ended the duel with a clean game.

“It was a very tough match. I respect Iga for his game and for his number of Grand Slam titles,” said Rybakinová on court, who served six aces for herself. “She is a young player and she is playing very well. I think I served well today. The difference is that I did better in the important moments,” added the Moscow-born player who represents Kazakhstan.

Even world number seven Gauff didn’t make it. The 18-year-old American has come through the tournament so far without dropping a set, but against Ostapenko she won just one break and ended up in the last 16, just as she did three years ago.

2017 Roland Garros Champion Ostapenko will play the quarter-finals in Melbourne for the first time.

Sebastian Korda also went one step further. The 22-year-old American, whose father Petr won the Grand Slam in Melbourne with Czech colors in 1998, also defeated Pole Hubert Hurkacz after the last two years of finalist Daniil Medvedev.

He dominates the duel after a dramatic conclusion 3:6, 6:3, 6:2, 1:6, 7:6. Coach Radek Štěpánek’s protege will challenge Russian Karen Khačanov in the quarter-finals of the first Grand Slam.

Australian Open Grand Slam Tennis Tournament in Melbourne (hard courts, grants AUD 76.5 million):

Man:

Singles – Round of 16: Light (Czech Republic) – Auger-Aliassime (6-Can.) 4:6, 6:3, 7:6 (7:2), 7:6 (7:3), , Khachanov (18-Russia) – Nišioka ( 31-Japan) 6:0, 6:0, 7:6 (7:4), Korda (29-USA) – Hurkacz (10-Poland) 3:6, 6:3, 6:2, 1:6, 7:6 (9:7), Tsitsipas (3-Greek) – Sinner (15-It.) 6:4, 6:4, 3:6, 4:6, 6:3.

Woman:

Singles – Round of 16: Rybakinová (22-Kaz.) – Šwiateková (1-Pol.) 6:4, 6:4, Ostapenko (17-Lot.) – Gauffová (7-USA) 7:5, 6:3, Pegulaová (3-USA ) – Krejčíková (20-CR) 7:5, 6:2.

Doubles – round of 16: VondrousovaKolodziejová (Czech Republic) – Zhang Shuai, Maia Haddadová (7-China/Brazil) 3:6, 7:6 (11:9), 7:6 (14:12).

juniors:

Singles – first half: Dirt (CZ) – Oliveira (Braz.) 3:6, 6:1, 6:1, Philip (Czech Republic) – U-hyok Chang (Korea) 6:0, 6:2.

junior girl:

Singles – first half: Zhiyenbayeva (Germany) – Šmejkalová (Czech Republic) 7:5, 6:4.