French tennis star Corentin Moutet on Wednesday moved into a third round clash at the Australian Open in Melbourne with the top seed Carlos Alcaraz after seeing off the American qualifier Michael Zheng.
Moutet, the 32nd seed, was leading 2-0 in the fourth set and by two sets to one when his 21-year-old opponent retired with a leg injury.
Alcaraz beat Yannick Hanfmann from Germany in straight sets.
Moutet, 26, said he was relishing his first encounter with the 22-year-old Spaniard who has never won the crown in Melbourne but has won six titles at the three other Grand Slam tournaments in France, England and the United States.
"First of all, I'll have to play well against him, that's for sure," Moutet told the French sports newspaper L'Equipe.
"He's one of the best players in the world. As for changing my game, you can't change your identity in a matter of days.
Tennis star Swiatek warns she might miss compulsory events to protect health
"My identity is what makes me a good player. That's how I'm at my best when I step onto the court. I'm going to stay who I am and try to do the best I can."
Moutet, who has never gone further than the last-16 at the Grand Slam competitions, added: "When you play against the best, you can see what you still need to work on. They really manage to highlight your weakest areas. It's a great learning experience for the future."
Moutet's compatriot, Quentin Halys, fell in the second round to the 11th seed Daniil Medvedev.
The 29-year-old Russian, a three-time runner-up at the Australian Open, prevailed 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Another Frenchman, Alexandre Muller, also went down in four sets. Third seed Alexander Zverev dispatched him 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In the women's draw, Yulia Putintseva thrashed the French qualifier Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 6-2 in 74 minutes.
