Red-hot Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev moved closer to a quarter-final showdown with contrasting wins at the Australian Open on Saturday while top-10 seeds Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini set up a fourth-round clash.
Rafael Nadal also accelerated his pursuit of a record 21st Grand Slam title with a testing victory over Cameron Norrie in a battle of the left-handers.
The Spanish second seed has altered his service motion due to lower-back tightness, but it didn’t stop him emphatically demolishing his first two opponents in straight sets. Britain’s 69th-ranked Norrie proved a tougher assignment, with Nadal pressed much harder before emerging a 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 winner.
Daniil Medvedev overcame buttock pain and a walk-out by his coach as he withstood a five-set test from Filip Krajinovic. The fourth seed blew a two-set lead and needed treatment to his left glute before finally moving past the Serb 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0 and into the fourth round, extending his win streak to 17.
He will play Mackenzie McDonald for a berth in the quarter-finals after the unseeded American cruised past South African Lloyd Harris in straight sets.
Medvedev has now gone 17 matches unbeaten, dating back to November and including title wins at the Paris 1000, the ATP Finals in London and the ATP Cup.
Rublev, the seventh seed continued his red hot form and crushed veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 32 minutes to reach the fourth round.
The Russian plays 24th seed Casper Ruud next and remains on a collision course to meet fourth seed Medvedev with the young guns aiming to break their country’s 16-year drought in Slams. The last Russian man to win a Grand Slam was Marat Safin at Melbourne Park in 2005.
Fifth seed Tsitsipas put friendship aside to crush Mikael Ymer the Swede 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 on John Cain Arena. He will now play big-hitting ninth seed Matteo Berrettini who beat 19th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov -6(1), 7-6(5), 7-6(5) despite a long medical timeout.
Casper Ruud became only the second Norwegian to make the last 16 of a Grand Slam, emulating his father Christian who made the grade at the Australian Open in 1997.
The 22-year-old outlasted Radu Albot 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to book a fourth-round Melbourne Park clash with Russian Andrey Rublev and said he was proud to match his dad’s achievement.
Pliskova out, barty win
Former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova was docked a point for smashing her racquet off the court and then slumped out of the Australian Open to Karolina Muchova while current world No 1 Ashleigh Barty made light work of Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Croatia’s 28th seed Donna Vekic had a battle on her hands but got past Kaia Kanepi, who had beaten defending champion Sofia Kenin, 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
Barty’s all-round prowess frustrated the big-hitting 29th seed in the 6-2, 6-4 third-round clash in an empty Margaret Court Arena on the first day of Melbourne’s snap, five-day lockdown. She will face Shelby Rogers in the fourth round after the American dispatched Estonian 21st seed Anett Kontaveit 6-4, 6-3.
Frustrated sixth seed Pliskova was out of sorts throughout and fell 7-5, 7-5 in one hour and 54 minutes in the all-Czech third-round clash.
After Pliskova lost a tight first set, she took her frustration out on her racquet which cost her a code violation. She then walked into the players’ tunnel to inflict further damage, but it was seen by an official who informed chair umpire Alison Hughes resulting in a docked point for a second code violation.
Muchova will play either 11th seed Belinda Bencic or 18th seed Elise Mertens on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Ukraine’s Svitolina made it three straight-sets wins in as many matches through the first week after a 6-4, 6-0 win over 26th seed Yulia Putintseva. It was yet another tricky match after dispatching Coco Gauff in her last one and she has given a good account of herself so far.
She will next face American Jessica Pegula who beat Kristina Mladenovic, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
