Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame a shaky performance to reach the Australian Open fourth round while Carlos Alcaraz was at his best despite a blip on Friday, and Novak Djokovic also eased through.
Women’s third seed Coco Gauff meanwhile sealed a straight-sets victory, but it was the end of the road for two-time champion Naomi Osaka after she pulled up with an abdominal strain that forced her to withdraw from her match against Belinda Bencic.
The opening match on Rod Laver Arena on the sixth day of the championships saw Sabalenka come away unscathed after a 7-6, 6-4 victory over Clara Tauson amid blazing sunshine and intermittent gusts.
It was Sabalenka’s 17th straight win at the Australian Open and kept alive her quest to become the first woman to win three successive titles at the Grand Slam since Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
Up next for Sabalenka is a meeting with Mirra Andreeva after the 17-year-old Russian defeated Magdalena Frech 6-2, 1-6, 6-2.
Alcaraz dropped his first set of the tournament but the third seed comfortably beat Nuno Borges 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 and will face Jack Draper or local hope Aleksandar Vukic in the fourth round on Sunday.
Ten-time champion Djokovic advanced into the last 16 for the 17th time after beating Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
It is Djokovic’s 66th career Grand Slam second week, just three behind Roger Federer now.
Second seed Alexander Zverev continued the search of his first major title, as the German eased past Briton Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Osaka, who had also pulled out midway through the Auckland final earlier this month due to the same abdominal injury, was unable to play on after Bencic took the first set 7-6.
“It’s not fantastic and I’m feeling not great, not bad. In the middle somewhere,” Osaka said.
Last year’s semi-finalist Gauff then dismantled Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-2 to book a clash with Swiss Bencic.
Earlier, 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova sealed a 6-1, 6-2 win over German Laura Siegemund, who at 36 was the oldest player remaining in the women’s draw having made the third round with a victory over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games runner-up Donna Vekic needed three sets to beat Russian 12th seed Diana Shnaider, the Croatian prevailing 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 after almost three hours on Margaret Court Arena.
Paula Badosa faced a stiff test before finding the composure to beat Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
