Watch: American teen Iva Jovic upsets Jasmine Paolini at 2026 Australian Open

Jan. 23 (UPI) -- American teen Iva Jovic clinched the biggest upset so far at the 2026 Australian Open, shocking Jasmine Paolini on Friday in Melbourne.

Jovic, 18, clinched a spot in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time with the 6-2, 7-6(3) triumph on Day 6 at Melbourne Park. She needed just 106 minutes to earn the straight-sets upset.

"It's really nice to be getting good results this early in the season," Jovic told reporters at her post-match news conference. "Hopefully I can keep going and winning some more."

Jovic said she spoke to 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic before her match. The No. 4 Serbian gave her "very attentive tips."

"That was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it," Jovic said.

The No. 27 American will meet No. 94 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the fourth round. The winner will face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus or Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko (No. 16) in the singles quarterfinals.

"Hopefully I can keep it simple and not let the crowd and all of that stuff get too much into the effect," Jovic said. "Hopefully I can just play the better tennis out there."

Sabalenka, who is aiming for her third crown in four years, swept No. 55 Anastasia Potapova of Austria 7-6(4), 7-6(7) at Rod Laver Arena. Mboko, 19, edged No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3.

Gauff, the No. 3 player in the world, overcame a dropped first set en route to her 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 triumph over fellow American Hailey Baptiste (No. 70) on Friday in Melbourne. Baptiste edged Gauff 2-0 in aces and 21-9 in winners, but trailed 5-2 in break point conversions and totaled 22 unforced errors, compared to her favored foe's 38.

Gauff, who advanced to the semifinals in 2024 and quarterfinals in 2025, will take on No. 19 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round at Melbourne Park. The winner will face No. 12 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine or No. 7 Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the quarterfinals.

"It's not often you play two players like Muchova and Hailey, so I think I will take what I did today and try to make some more adjustments to do better," Gauff said.

"She [Muchova] is a tough opponent. I always say she is one of the best players on tour. ... It's going to be a tough one. It's never easy with her."

Muchova needed just 63 minutes to beat No. 50 Magda Linette of Poland in straight sets in her third-round match. Svitolina and Andreeva also advanced in straight sets.

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany, No. 6 Alexander de Minaur of Australia, No. 10 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan and No. 12 Daniil Medvedev of Russia were the top men to advance on Day 6.

Alcaraz, who is looking to win his first Australian Open and become the youngest man in history to capture a career Grand Slam, beat No. 37 Corentin Moutet of France 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 in his third-round match. He held advantages of 3-0 in aces and 30-18 in winners. He also converted 8 of 13 break point chances and totaled 20 unforced errors. Moutet logged 34 unforced errors and converted 2 of 4 break points.

Alcaraz will battle No. 19 Tommy Paul of the United States in the fourth round. The winner will meet de Minaur or Bublik in the quarterfinals. Paul advanced after his third-round foe -- No. 14 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain -- retired due to injury.

Bublik bounced No. 62 Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina in straight sets. De Minaur also won in straight sets, eliminating No. 34 Frances Tiafoe of the United States with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 triumph at Rod Laver Arena.

Zverev beat No. 27 Cameron Norrie of Great Britain 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. He will face No. 21 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in the fourth round. Cerundolo beat No. 15 Andrey Rublev of Russia in straight sets.

The winner of the Zverev-Cerundolo match will face Medvedev or No. 29 Learner Tien of the United States in the quarterfinals. Medvedev outlasted No. 47 Fabian Marozsan of Hungary in a 3-hour, 43-minute match. He held a 19-0 advantage in aces in the 6-7(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 victory at Margaret Court Arena.

Tien beat No. 46 Nuno Borges of Portugal in straight sets.

Djokovic, No. 2 Jannik Sinner of Italy, No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, No. 7 Ben Shelton of the United States, No. 9 Taylor Fritz of the United States, No. 13 Casper Ruud of Norway and No. 18 Karen Khachanov of Russia will be the top men in action on Day 7.

No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, Americans Amanda Anisimova (No. 4), Jessica Pegula (No. 6), Madison Keys (No. 9), No. 5 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and No. 17 Naomi Osaka of Japan will be among the top women's players to face off Saturday at Melbourne Park.

Encore coverage will air from 2 to 5 p.m. EST Friday on ESPN2. Additional third-round coverage will start at 9 p.m. on the same channel.