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Australian Open Day 5 - 6

Day Six

Djokovic, Wawrinka, Nishikori, Raonic, Lopez Safely into Round of 16s

atpworldtour.com: January 24 2015 Melbourne, Australia  - World No. 1 Novak Djokovic raised his level as needed on Saturday to withstand the challenge of Fernando Verdasco, beating the Spaniard 7-6(8), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Australian Open fourth round in Melbourne.

 

 Faced with a strong challenge from 2009 semi-finalist Verdasco, Djokovic was frustrated on 12 of his 14 break points, but persevered and waited for his opportunities against the left-hander, prevailing in two hours and 21 minutes. The 27-year-old Djokovic goes on to face Gilles Muller, who upset the 19th-seeded John Isner 7-6(4), 7-6(6), 6-4 in two hours and 13 minutes.

 

Defending champion Stan Wawrinka extended his pair of winning streaks as he dismissed Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 Saturday afternoon. The Swiss now has a 7-0 mark to start the 2015 season and has won nine straight matches at Melbourne Park.

 

The World No. 4 seized control of his third-round match as he went on a six-game run to build a set and 4-0 lead against the 33-year-old Nieminen. Next up for Wawrinka is Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the first time as he dismissed Canada's Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours.

 

World No. 8 Milos Raonic equalled his best result at the Australian Open, cruising into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over German Benjamin Becker on Saturday afternoon. The 24 year old will next face No. 12 seed Feliciano Lopez winner over Jerzy Janowicz 7-6(6) 6-4 &-6(3).

Williams Sisters into 4th Round; Radwanska, Azarenka Advance; Keys Upsets Kvitova

wtatennis.com: January 24 2015 Melbourne, Australia  - After dropping a close first set, Serena Williams took it to a whole new level, storming past Elina Svitolina in the third round of the Australian Open on Saturday afternoon. While Williams was a little bit off in the first set, her 12 winners outweighed by her 14 unforced errors, the No.26-seeded Svitolina was on her game, hitting her powerful serve and groundstrokes to perfection with just seven unforced errors en route to taking the opening frame in 36 minutes.

 

But the No.1-seeded Williams went right to work from there, storming out to a 4-0 lead in the second set and, after losing the next two games, reeling off eight more in a row to win, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Williams had four times as many winners as unforced errors in the deciding set, 16 to 4, and she finished the match on her 45th winner of the day - a massive crosscourt backhand return winner. Next up for Williams is No.24 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, who beat Timea Bacsinszky, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.

 

For a set and a half she was being outplayed by an inspired opponent, but she never stopped fighting, and it paid off. Venus Williams came back from the brink of defeat to beat Camila Giorgi and reach a Grand Slam second week for the first time since Wimbledon in 2011.

 

Giorgi was completely on her game early on in the match, ripping winners left, right and center en route to building a 6-4, 5-3 lead, even twice getting within two points of winning the match. But the No.18-seeded Williams tightened the screws on her unforced errors and began hanging tougher on the biggest points, eventually running away with the third set for an emphatic 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 victory.

 

Things will get tougher for Williams, though, as next up is No.6 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who held off a late surge to beat No.30 seed Varvara Lepchenko earlier on in the day, 6-0, 7-5. Radwanska originally led 5-2 in the second set before Lepchenko rallied and nearly took it to a decider.

 

WTA Rising Star Madison Keys produced a coming of age performance to outplay and outgun No.4 seed Petra Kvitova in the third round of the Australian Open on Saturday evening. For a few years, Keys has been touted as one of the most talented prospects on tour, and against Kvitova she certainly lived up to the hype, triumphing, 6-4, 7-5, to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time. There she will face namesake and fellow American Madison Brengle, who defeated CoCo Vandeweghe, 6-3, 6-2.

 

Victoria Azarenka kept her magical run going at the Australian Open, edging Barbora Zahlavova Strycova to set up a fourth round clash with Dominika Cibulkova. Azarenka, who had to go through Sloane Stephens and No.8 seed Caroline Wozniacki en route to the third round, looked headed for a routine straight set victory as she built a 6-4, 3-0 lead, her big groundstrokes hitting their mark as Zahlavova Strycova kept searching for the right answers.

 

She found them for a while - the No.25-seeded Czech caught up to 3-all, then after losing serve in the next game broke back for 4-all as well. But Azarenka held her nerve too well, breaking one last time and serving it out, wrapping up a grueling 6-4, 6-4 victory after an hour and 41 minutes on court. Awaiting Azarenka in the fourth round is No.11 seed and 2014 Australian Open finalist Cibulkova, who won in a tight two-setter over No.19 seed Alizé Cornet earlier in the day, 7-5, 6-2.

Australian Open Men's Singles Third Round Saturday Jan 24

1-Novak Djokovic beat 31-Fernando Verdasco 7-6(8) 6-3 6-4

4-Stan Wawrinka beat Jarkko Niemine97n 6-4 6-2 6-4

5- Kei Nishikori beat Steve Johnson 6-7(7) 6-1 6-2 6-3

8-Milos Raonic beat Benjamin Becker 6-4 6-3 6-3

9-David Ferrer beat 18-Gilles Simon 6-2 7-5 5-7 7-6(4)

12-Feliciano Lopez beat Jerzy Janowicz 7-6(6) 6-4 7-6(3)

Gilles Muller beat 19-John Isner 7-6(4) 7-6(6) 6-4

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat Vasek Pospisil 6-2 6-4 6-4

Australian Open Women's Singles Third Round Saturday Jan 24

6-Agnieszka Radwanska beat 30-Varvara Lepchenko 6-0 7-5

Venus Williams beat Camilla Giorgi 4-6 &-6(3) 6-1

1-Serena Williams beat 26-Elina Svitolina 4-6 6-2 6-0

Madison Keys beat 4-Petra Kvitova 6-4 7-5

Victoria Azarenka beat 25-Barbora Strycova 6-4 6-4

24-Garbine Muzuruga beat Timea Bacszinsky 6-3 4-6 6-0

Madison Brengle beat Coco Vandeweghe 6-3 6-2

11-Dominika Cibulkova beat 19-Alize Cornet 7-5 6-2

Day Five

Seppi Upsets Federer in Four Sets; Nadal, Sharapova, Halep Through to 4th Round

atpworldtour.com: January 23 2015 Melbourne, Australia  - Andreas Seppi caused the biggest upset of the 2015 Australian Open Friday. In a stunning performance, World No. 46 Seppi recorded one of his greatest victories to knock out second seed and four-time former champion Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5) for a place in the fourth round.

 

“To beat Roger first time, especially in a Grand Slam, best-of-five, is a special moment for me,” said Seppi. “Of course, at the beginning, I just went on the court to enjoy the match and to play my best tennis… I was pretty calm. I have to say, from the beginning [and] also in the important moments.”

 

It ended a 10-match losing streak against Federer, who saw his run of 11 straight semi-final appearances at Melbourne Park come to an end. Federer last lost in the Australian Open third round in 2001.

 

“[It was] just a bad day,” admitted Federer. “I wish I could have played better, but clearly it was tough losing the first two. I had chances to get back into it. I let it slip, I mean, both times in some ways. I guess I won the wrong points out there today. I knew how important that second set tie-break was, so clearly that hurt, losing that one. The end wasn't pretty. It wasn't easy to play with the shadow. But it was the same for both of us. [It was] just a disappointing loss.”

 

Seppi struck 50 winners – seven fewer than Federer – and saved seven of 10 break point opportunities for victory in just under three hours. It broke a 23-match losing streak against players in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and his first win over a World No. 2 since he beat Rafael Nadal at the 2008 ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament. The Italian now plays Nick Kyrgios, who booked his place in the fourth round

Australian Open Men's Singles Third Round Friday Jan 23

Andreas Seppi beat 2-Roger Federer 6-4 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(5)     

3-Rafa Nadal beat Dudi Sela 6-1 6-0 7-5                           

6-Andy Murray beat Joao Sousa 6-1 6-1 7-5                     

10-Grigor Dimitrov beat Marcos Baghdatis 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-3   

7-Tomas Berdych beat Viktor Troicki 6-4 6-3 6-4

Nick Kyrgios beat Malek Jaziri 6-3 7-6(6) 6-1                

14-Kevin Anderson beat 24-Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(6)

Bernard Tomic beat Samuel Groth 6-4 7-6(8) 6-3              

Australian Open Women's Singles Third Round Friday Jan 23

2-Maria Sharapova beat Zarina Diyas 6-1 6-1

3-Simona Halep beat Bethanie Matek-Sands 6-4 7-5

21-Shuai Peng beat Yaroslava Shvedova  7-6(7), 6-3

Yanina Wickmayer beat 14 Sara Errani 4-6 6-4 6-3

Julia Goerges beat Lucie Hradecka 7-6(6), 7-5

7-Eugenie Bouchard beat Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-0

Irina-Camelia Begu beat Carina Witthoeft 6-4 6-4

10Ekaterina Makarova beat 22-Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-4

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