Federer ousts foe as Serena eases through
MELBOURNE, Australia—Four-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer advanced to the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory Saturday over Bernard Tomic, the last Aussie in the draw.
Federer broke the 20-year-old Tomic’s service in the first game of the match, ending a run of 76 consecutive service games held by Tomic, who won his first ATP tournament last week at the Sydney International.
The No. 2 Federer, who has won 17 major titles, also beat Tomic in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open.
Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka advanced in contrasting styles the fourth round.
Williams, the tournament favorite aiming for a third consecutive major title, recovered from a break down in the second set to win six straight games and finish off a 6-1, 6-3 win over Japan’s Ayumi Morita in 66 minutes.
Azarenka, the top-ranked defending champion, struggled to hold off injured American Jamie Hampton, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2—and she didn’t help herself with six double-faults.
At least she survived.
Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, lost a marathon match, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-3, to Jeremy Chardy of France, leaving only three major winners in the men’s draw.
Andy Murray, who joined the ranks of the Grand Slam winners at last year’s US Open, advanced with a gritty 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win over Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis.
“I feel so much emotion. Five sets, to be here in a Grand Slam. It’s the most beautiful match of my career,” Chardy said. “It’s a great moment for me, everyone dreams of this.”
After taking del Potro out of the top section of the draw, Chardy will next face No. 21 Andreas Seppi of Italy, who ousted No. 12 Marin Cilic with a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
A pair of Frenchmen advanced and will meet in the fourth round, with No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beating Slovenia’s Blaz Kavcic, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, to set up a meeting with No. 9 Richard Gasquet, who fended off Croatia’s Ivan Dodig, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-0.
Williams, the 31-year-old American, will next meet No. 14 Maria Kirilenko, who beat No. 20 Yanina Wickmayer, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Azarenka next plays Elena Vesnina, who beat 16th-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Two-time major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova continued her comeback from injury with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win over Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro and advanced to a fourth-round match with former No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, a 6-4, 6-3 winner of Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko. AP
