Australian Open 2026: Novak Djokovic Into Round Four
Novak Djokovic continued his outstanding progress at the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Denis Istomin.
The Serb, who has actually won the past 3 titles in Melbourne, won 6-3 6-3 7-5 and plays Fabio Fognini in round 4.
Serena Williams won a tournament-record 61st singles match by beating Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-3 in round 3.
Ana Ivanovic, who beat Australia's Sam Stosur 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-2, is next for leading seed Williams, while China's Li Na beat Lucie Safarova 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
Third seed David Ferrer beat 29th seed Jeremy Chardy in straight sets and 15th-ranked Fognini saw off the obstacle of Sam Querrey 7-5 6-4 6-4.
Spain's Tommy Robredo, the number 17 seed, beat France's ninth seed Richard Gasquet 2-6 7-5 6-4 7-6 (8-6).
The conditions continued to be a concern for players, with the temperature reaching a high of 41.4 C a day after matches were suspended on Thursday since of 43.3 C heat,
Rod Laver Arena
S Williams (US) [1] beat Hantuchova (Svk) [31] 6-3 6-3
Five-time champion Williams was not at her finest and seemed fighting with the heat, though she still proved too strong for Hantuchova.
The world primary raced into a 5-3 lead however needed to save 2 break points to hold serve before clinching the very first set.
Williams, who has yet to drop an embeded in the competition, broke early in the second but her challenger was in battling state of mind and reacted to level at 3-3.
Hantuchova's hopes were short-lived, nevertheless, as Williams seized the effort in the Slovakian's next service video game and served out for the success, sealing it with a powerful forehand winner on her fourth match point.
"It was a difficult match," said Williams. "Daniela is a terrific challenger so I'm truly delighted to come out with the win. It was hot however you need to play, you need to be all set and prepare yourself mentally. I'm delighted to survive."
Serena and sister Venus Williams later on withdrew from the doubles soon before their first-round match because of an injury to Venus's left leg.
Ferrer (Spa) (3] beat Chardy (Fra) [29] 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-2
Ferrer reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 15th consecutive time as he eased previous Chardy.
After the Spaniard won the opening embeded in simple style, Chardy put up a stronger challenge in the 2nd but was unable to transform any of his 5 set points, permitting Ferrer to take it on a tie-break.
That proved the decisive minute in the match, as Ferrer finished the triumph to establish a meeting with Germany's Florian Mayer for a place in the quarter-finals.
"The key was when I won the 2nd set," Ferrer stated. "At 4-3 in the 2nd set I made a lot of errors. I had set points down and after winning the second set I played more unwinded. Maybe it was my best match today."
Dellacqua (Aus) beat Zheng (Chn) 6-2 6-4
Ivanovic (Ser) [14] beat Stosur (Aus) [17] 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-2
Home preferred Stosur edged a thrilling first set after rain stopped play with when she was 8-7 up in the tie-break.
Former world primary Ivanovic, 26, broke serve as soon as in the second set and two times in the decider as she covered up triumph with a simple volley into an open court.
"It was a match of the greatest quality. She is a really tough opponent and I just hung in there," stated Ivanovic, who reached the Australian Open final in 2008.
"Winning in Auckland gave me a great deal of self-confidence and I'm looking forward to the obstacle of playing Serena."
Djokovic (Ser) [2] beat Istomin (Uzb) 6-3 6-3 7-5
Four-time champ Djokovic reduced safely into round four with a straightforward victory over Uzbekistan's Istomin.
The Serb, whose last defeat in this competition was available in the 2010 quarter-finals, broke in the third and ninth video games to finish up the first set and another break showed decisive in the 4th game of the 2nd set.
Djokovic looked set to clinch success without dropping his serve, however while serving for the match at 5-4 up in the third set, he double-faulted and hit a backhand into the web to give Istomin a lifeline.
However, the 2nd seed right away broke back and made no error 2nd time around in serving out the match.
"I needed to have really quick footwork and a precise very first service, as high a portion as possible, utilizing every opportunity to take control over the rally," he stated. "I have actually done really well."
Hisense Arena
Li (Chn) [4] beat Safarova (Cze) [26] 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3
Fourth seed Li, runner-up in 2011 and 2013, survived a Safarova match point as she directly prevented becoming the highest-ranked casualty of the first week in a contest enduring 2 hours and 37 minutes.
Safarova, who has never ever beaten a top-10 opponent in a WTA Tour event, served for triumph in the ninth game of the 2nd set and held a match point in the 12th but Li hung on before controling the tie-break to force a decider.
The third set was till Li broke the Czech in the eighth game, and Safarova had no response.
Kerber (Ger) [9] beat Riske (US) 6-3 6-4
Berdych (Cze) [7] beat Dzumhur (Bih) 6-4 6-2 6-2
Robredo (Spa) [17] beat Gasquet (Fra) [9] 2-6 7-5 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
Margaret Court Arena
Pennetta (Ita) [28] beat Barthel (Ger) 6-1 7-5
Anderson (SA) [19] beat R-Vasselin (Fra) 3-6 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 7-5
Fognini (Ita) [15] beat Querrey (US) 7-5 6-4 6-4
Genie's army
Lleyton Hewitt has his 'Fanatics' and Bernie Tomic has 'Tomic's Kittens', but the biggest noise around Melbourne Park on Friday came from an unforeseen love affair in between Australia and Canada.
Genie Bouchard, the increasing star and 30th seed, is through to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the very first time and on course for a quarter-final with Serena Williams.
And the 19-year-old has been vociferously supported throughout by a group of Australian students, 'Genie's Army', who have sung a brochure of tunes about the Canadian and given her presents including a toy kangaroo after her first two wins.
"They appeared to my preliminary away on Court 15 with their tee shirts," Bouchard told BBC Sport.
"They're truly into it and helpful and it's terrific to see I have 'super fans' in Australia. They create a big atmosphere on the court and it's fun to play when they exist."
Quotes of the day
"I inform you this: I'm not geared up to respond to that question. I'm going to leave it alone." Serena Williams is requested her ideas on the competition doctor's suggestion that man "progressed on the high plains of Africa chasing after antelope".
"Serena is on top of the game for so long now. You know, she's someone we admire. I look forward to that difficulty. I have actually been playing some good tennis and it's going to be great test to see where I'm at." Ana Ivanovic is buoyant ahead of her fourth-round match with the world top.
"Because I didn't practise much, I was not able to prepare yourself for the next match. Today I was completely kaput." Poland's Jerzy Janowicz produces his best German to summarize a day in which he lost in straight sets to Florian Mayer while playing in sunglasses.
"I believe five centimetres saved my tournament. If she hit it in, my whole team was on the method to the airport." Li Na on how Lucie Safarova was within a hair of knocking her out on match point.
"I was a bit sick and likewise my mind was not working. I simply viewed the ball and simply struck it. I didn't know where I hit it." Li's compatriot Zheng Jie after her 6-2 6-4 defeat by Australia's Casey Dellacqua
"They are really sad. Especially when you tell the style brand name that they need to make white, they resemble, 'Oh, OK, what can we do?' It's just for ideally two weeks. Then they can go once again." Tomas Berdych on breaking it to his kit sponsors that the blue-and-white striped number he's using in Melbourne will not wash at Wimbledon.
"I have actually constantly said I enjoy playing in the heat, the conditions and things. But today wasn't an example of that." South African Kevin Andersen could have done without spending 4 hours returning from two sets down to beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
"A few of the newspapers and TV stations called me after the match. They said the whole of Bosnia didn't sleep this evening, that everyone was in front of their TV and they were so happy." Damir Dzumhur, the 21-year-old qualifier, who ended up being the very first Bosnian to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament, after losing to Tomas Berdych.
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