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Stefanos Tsitsipas and Iga Swiatek dazzled in brilliant sunshine to make quick work of their third-round opponents on Friday as some normalcy returned to the Australian Open after scheduling woes, wild climate, upsets and late finishes hogged the headlines.
Third seed Tsitsipas, the highest surviving seed within the males’s draw, checked his telephone after a 6-2 7-6(5) 6-3 win over Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor and mirrored on the gorgeous day after hours of tennis have been misplaced this week to the warmth and stop-start rain.
“Truthful crack of the whip mate, I imply, it was nice,” Tsitsipas mentioned, slipping into the native vernacular.
“I feel my placement on the serve was distinctive in the present day, I didn’t have plenty of rallies on my serve, which helped lots.
“Type of saved issues clear and I loved the climate in the present day, what a stunning day for tennis it’s in the present day, isn’t it?”
Tsitsipas has nonetheless not dropped a set within the match as he chases his maiden Grand Slam, together with his possibilities boosted by the exits of holder Rafa Nadal and second seed Casper Ruud and an damage cloud hanging over favorite Novak Djokovic.
Iga Swiatek of Poland indicators autographs after defeating Cristina Bucsa of Spain of their third spherical match on the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. (AP Picture/Dita Alangkara)
However the 2021 French Open runner-up got here shut, saving a set level within the second set earlier than doubling his benefit following a tiebreak to pave the way in which for a cushty win to thrill his supporters on Rod Laver Enviornment.
Roared on by Greek followers, lots of them from Melbourne, which has the biggest inhabitants of Greek audio system exterior Greece and Cyprus, Tsitsipas will subsequent tackle Italian Jannik Sinner in what might be a tough check.
High seed and ladies’s favorite Swiatek was equally dominant in her 6-0 6-1 victory over Cristina Bucsa as she bids so as to add to her two French Open wins and U.S. Open crown.
“A few years in the past after I was within the fourth spherical I used to be actually exhausted, and proper now I really feel that is the appropriate place to be,” Swiatek mentioned.
“Hopefully I’m going to proceed to taking part in strong and hopefully I’m going to play extra matches right here.”
Up subsequent for Swiatek is Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina who battled previous final 12 months’s Melbourne Park runner-up Danielle Collins 6-2 5-7 6-2.
Jessica Pegula was additionally in a rush to wrap up her match, because the third-seeded American swatted apart Marta Kostyuk 6-0 6-2 to make it seven straight victories in 2023 after a loss to Petra Kvitova within the United Cup.
Seventh seed Coco Gauff faltered on two matchpoints after which double-faulted earlier than easing her nerves to save lots of a breakpoint and dismiss left-hander Bernarda Pera 6-3 6-2 in a battle between People.
Nadal’s conqueror Mackenzie McDonald couldn’t proceed his run nevertheless, because the unseeded American fell to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka who received 7-6(6) 6-3 6-2, although fellow People Sebastian Korda and Frances Tiafoe are all in motion later within the day.
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Grand Slam Oval is heaving!#AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/6NlvL4agDa
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2023
No male U.S. participant has captured a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick on the 2003 U.S. Open, however the nation’s hopes had been rekindled with eight gamers within the third spherical.
Organisers will hope the swift victories proceed within the night having defended their scheduling following a late end to yesterday after former world primary Andy Murray beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in a five-set epic.
That match completed at 4.05 a.m. (1705 GMT on Thursday) and Murray described the late end as a “joke.”
Event director Craig Tiley dominated out instant modifications after Murray mentioned tennis should intention to keep away from late finishes.
“At this level there’s no want to vary the schedule,” Tiley mentioned. “We’ll all the time take a look at it, after we do the debrief — like we do yearly.
“However at this level, at what it’s, we’ve bought to suit these matches within the 14 days, so that you don’t have many choices.”
Sinner supplied the drama on an in any other case clean day, because the Italian fifteenth seed overcame a poor begin to his encounter in opposition to Marton Fucsovics dropping the primary two units earlier than outlasting his Hungarian opponent 4-6 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-0.
The fifteenth seed is among the many sport’s brightest names having made the quarter-finals of all 4 Grand Slams with out going additional and confirmed his class within the final three units taking part in superior tennis in opposition to a fading Fucsovics.
Former French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova, a quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park in 2022, additionally went safely via with a 6-2 6-3 win over Anhelina Kalinina and meets Pegula.
Sixth Felix Auger Aliassime additionally superior with a 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-4 win over Francisco Cerundolo.
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