Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MELBOURNE – Serena Williams smashed the 39-year-old record for Australian Open wins on Friday as she powered into the fourth round closely followed by China’s Li Na on another scorching day in Melbourne.
The American five-time champion, making light of one of the city’s worst ever heatwaves which halted play on Thursday and has caused chaos in the surrounding area, dispatched Daniela Hantuchova to advance.
Li fought back from a match point against Czech Lucie Safarova to stay on course for her second straight final, and in the men’s draw David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych both made it to the first weekend.
Despite a fourth straight day of temperatures over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) — a run not seen since 1908 — Williams was untroubled in her straightforward 6-3, 6-3 win.
Shielded from the sun by a pink cap, the 32-year-old world number one wielded a killer serve as she overpowered the Slovak in 80 minutes, setting up a meeting with Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic.
“It was hot but you have to play, you have to be ready and prepare yourself mentally. I’m excited to get through,” Williams said.
It was Williams’ 61st victory at the tournament, breaking the record set by 11-time champion Margaret Court up to 1975. Williams’ first Australian Open match win was on her debut aged 16 in 1998.
Asked which had been her favorite victories, she replied: “All the finals I was able to win.”
Li soon joined Williams in the next round but she took a very different route after flirting with disaster in a three-set struggle with Safarova.
Li saved a match point in the second set then played a nerveless tiebreak before taking it 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 in two-and-a-half hours for her seventh straight win over the Czech.
“In the beginning she played very nice, very good and it was tough to find any rhythm,” said the popular Li, who has more than 10 million fans on Chinese social media.
“I’m happy I was able to fight and win the match. I just tried to play at the baseline and move the ball around the court.”
Li will now play Russia’s 22nd seed Ekaterina Makarova, who beat Romania’s Monica Niculescu, for a place in the quarter-finals.
In the evening session, Australia’s Sam Stosur suffered further heartbreak on home soil when she threw away a one-set lead against Ivanovic.
Stosur, who held her nerve when a first-set tiebreak was interrupted by rain — while she was on set point — then faded as Ivanovic won 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Williams.
In 12 visits to her home Grand Slam, 2011 US Open champion Stosur has never managed to get past the fourth round.
In the men’s draw, Spain’s super-fit Ferrer again proved impregnable as he ground down France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 to reach his 15th consecutive Grand Slam fourth round.
Seventh seed Berdych ended the fairytale run of Damir Dzumhur, the first man from Bosnia and Herzegovina to compete at a Grand Slam whose brave performances won fans at home and abroad.
Berdych will next play South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, who came through a five-set scrap with Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France.
Italian seed Fabio Fognini beat American Sam Querrey in straight sets to set up a last-16 clash with defending champion Novak Djokovic, who was playing Denis Istomin in the night’s final match.
Despite day-time temperatures of 42 Celsius, organisers opted not to repeat Thursday’s use of emergency rules which allow them to suspend play on outside courts and close the retractable roofs on the two main stadiums.
The heatwave has caused controversy over the difficult playing conditions and has also set off hundreds of bushfires in the surrounding state.
China’s Zheng Jie was the latest tennis casualty when she needed medical treatment and a rub-down with ice during her loss to Australia’s Casey Dellacqua.