Naomi Osaka of Japan Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame a wobbly display to reach the Australian Open fourth round while Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz were at their dazzling best on a warm but windy Friday at Melbourne Park.
Third seed Coco Gauff swept through in straight sets in the evening, but it was the end of the road for twice champion Naomi Osaka after an abdominal strain forced her to withdraw from her match against Belinda Bencic.
Djokovic was in vintage form for his late match against Tomas Machac, the 37-year-old ramping up his serve to crush the Czech 6-1 6-4 6-4 and remain on course for his 25th Grand Slam title and 11th in Melbourne.
"Best match of the tournament for me. I didn't have too many drops in the concentration and the level of tennis," he said.
"I think I prepared myself very well and played a terrific match."
Djokovic is likely to have to beat Alcaraz in the last eight and the French Open and Wimbledon champion continued to carve his way through the draw despite dropping his first set of the tournament in his 6-2 6-4 6-7(3) 6-2 win over Nuno Borges.
"I'm just really happy with my level," the 21-year-old said. "Could be better. I made a lot of mistakes that I shouldn't have ... but in general, I'm just happy and have things to improve in approaching the next match."
Second seed Alexander Zverev continued to fly under the radar in search of his first major title, as the German eased past Briton Jacob Fearnley 6-3 6-4 6-4.
Blazing sunshine and intermittent gusts of wind caused problems for some players early in the day but they might look back on the cooler conditions with fondness as the temperatures soar over the next few days.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Big impression
Sabalenka was one of those who struggled but she came away unscathed from a 7-6(5) 6-4 victory over Clara Tauson that kept the Belarusian on track for her third straight title.
"Conditions are really tough for serving, the balls are heavy and the surface slow," said Sabalenka, who conceded four breaks in the opening set.
"I was playing this match thinking, 'girl, you're really tough'. So many times, I thought 'I'm done', but I was like, 'keep pushing'."
Up next for Sabalenka is a meeting with Mirra Andreeva after the 17-year-old Russian moved past Magdalena Frech 6-2 1-6 6-2.
Teenagers made a big impression in the men's draw in the first week of the tournament with a trio of Grand Slam debutants taking out top 10 seeds.
Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik, who ousted sixth seed Casper Ruud in the second round, had match points against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday but the Spaniard rallied for a 3-6 4-6 7-6(7) 6-4 6-2 win.
"I had decided this year to fight every point. It doesn't matter what the result is. Don't look at the result," said Davidovich Fokina, who also came from two sets down to win his second round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Tommy Paul, the men's 12th seed, romped past his Spanish opponent Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6(0) 6-2 6-0 to raise the Stars and Stripes in the fourth round with five of his compatriots bidding to join him on Saturday.
Gauff, a semi-finalist last year, ensured a presence for the United States in the women's last 16 by dismantling Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-2 to book a clash with Bencic.
"It felt great," said the 2023 US Open champion. "It definitely was efficient. I thought I played well. I thought it was good quality tennis from both ends."
Her fellow American Jessica Pegula crashed out, however, the seventh seed going down 7-6(3) 6-1 to Serbian Olga Danilovic in the final match on Rod Laver Arena.
Bencic progressed when Osaka, who also pulled out midway through the Auckland final earlier this month due to the same abdominal injury, was unable to continue after losing the first set on a tiebreak.
"It's not fantastic and I'm feeling not great, not bad. In the middle somewhere," Osaka said.
In the late men's matches, Ugo Humbert took an all-French tie when Arthur Fils retired while trailing in the fourth set. British 15th seed Jack Draper survived a late-night scare to squeeze past Australia's Aleks Vukic 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(8).
-Reuters
