World No. 1 Iga Swiatek spearheaded the ladies’s seeds’ march into the ultimate 16 of the Australian Open on Friday, as organizers staunchly defended what Andy Murray had branded a “farce” of a 4:05 a.m. conclusion.
The Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have been additionally large winners, making certain that common order was resumed on day 5 at Melbourne Park following the shocks of a day earlier.
World No. 2 Ons Jabeur was the most important casualty within the ladies’s draw on Thursday, whereas the boys’s area has misplaced its prime two seeds Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud.
Hot favourite Swiatek, a three-time main winner however chasing a primary Australian Open title, swatted apart qualifier Cristina Bucsa of Spain 6-0, 6-1.
The Pole faces Elena Rybakina subsequent after the Wimbledon champion defeated final yr’s Melbourne runner-up Danielle Collins in three units.
“For sure, she’s solid physically and mentally,” Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina mentioned, eyeing up the Swiatek problem.
“I will have to take all my chances. I think Iga is a great player.”
The 18-year-old Gauff stepped up her bid for a maiden main title with a equally emphatic 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow American Bernarda Pera.
The gifted teenager faces the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia within the final 16.
Third seed Pegula, who can be chasing a primary Grand Slam crown, additionally did gentle work of Marta Kostyuk with a 6-0, 6-2 victories.
The 28-year-old subsequent faces what needs to be a sterner take a look at in Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, the twentieth seed and 2021 French Open champion.
Bit of a farce
Off the courtroom, Australian Open chief Craig Tiley insisted there was “no need” to change the scheduling, regardless of stinging criticism after the second-latest end at a Grand Slam.
Veteran Murray battled via a five-set epic towards dwelling hope Thanasi Kokkinakis, which ended at 4:05 am, calling the early hours conclusion “a bit of a farce.”
“I don’t know who it’s beneficial for. A match like that, we come here after the match, and that’s what the discussion is,” the 35-year-old Briton mentioned after the 5 hours and 45 minutes slog, the longest of his profession.
Tiley defended the schedule, saying such late matches didn’t usually occur, after Murray’s brother Jamie – a doubles specialist enjoying at Melbourne Park – was amongst these calling for the one one-night competitors at majors.
“If you just put one match at night and there’s an injury, you don’t have anything for fans or broadcasters,” mentioned Tiley.
Tsitsipas rolls on
Back on the courtroom, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas saved his unbeaten streak this yr to arrange a last-16 conflict with Italian Jannik Sinner.
The 24-year-old Tsitsipas, who’s but to drop a set, clinched his seventh straight win of 2023 by beating Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.
Tsitsipas – who gained all 4 video games on the United Cup main into the Grand Slam – is the very best seed on the boys’s aspect.
His subsequent project, for a spot within the final eight, is a showdown with Fifteenth-seeded Sinner, who stormed again to crush Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0.
Tsitsipas refuses to get carried away as he chases a primary main title.
“There are no presents,” he warned.
“You should be going after it, creating those opportunities and aiming big within yourself, sometimes surpassing your abilities.”
Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian sixth seed, beat Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in 4 units.
Later Friday, two-time Melbourne runner-up Daniil Medvedev of Russia faces harmful twenty ninth seed Sebastian Korda of the United States.
Hot favourite Novak Djokovic, the report nine-time Australian Open champion, performs twenty seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday.
