MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Highlights of the sixth day at the Australian Open on Friday (times GMT):
1258 ANDREEVA BEATS RUSE
Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva beat Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 6-4 to set up a fourth-round clash with Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina.
1248 BUBLIK TO MEET DE MINAUR NEXT
French Open quarter-finalist Alexander Bublik beat Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(4) 7-6(5) 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time, where the 10th seed from Kazakhstan faces Australian sixth seed Alex de Minaur.
1111 ZVEREV BEATS NORRIE TO SET UP CERUNDOLO CLASH
Last year’s finalist Alexander Zverev beat British 26th seed Cameron Norrie 7-5 4-6 6-3 6-1 to reach the fourth round, where the German third seed will play Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo.
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Wawrinka relishing marathon matches at Aus Open, Pliskova embraces underdog role
Dominant De Minaur thumps Tiafoe to make Melbourne fourth round
American teen Jovic stuns Paolini at Australian Open for career-best win
Alcaraz dazzles in 100th Grand Slam match as Sabalenka grinds through to fourth round
Alcaraz turns showman in Moutet mauling at Australian Open
Sabalenka passes Potapova test to reach Australian Open fourth round
Gauff marches on as dad keeps distance at Australian Open
Medvedev fights back from two sets down to beat Marozsan
Teen sensation Mboko sparkles in Melbourne to book Sabalenka match-up
Putintseva embraces role as villain as Turkish fans boo her at Australian Open
Sabalenka hopes to be ‘grandma’ of the women’s tour
De Minaur prepared for ‘absolute battle’ with Tiafoe at Australian Open
Djokovic rolls back years, Sinner supreme, Keys books third round berth
Supreme Sinner overpowers home hope Duckworth
Defending champion Keys survives mid-set wobble to advance
Maestro Djokovic mows down qualifier Maestrelli in Melbourne
Swiatek sees off Bouzkova to reach Australian Open third round
Osaka tones down outfit and beats Cirstea to reach Australian Open third round
Veteran Wawrinka outlasts Gea to extend Australian Open stay
Vacherot shows Shanghai success was no fluke by shining in Melbourne
Alcaraz, Sabalenka pass Australian Open tests to reach third round
1057 DE MINAUR DOWNS TIAFOE
Sixth seed Alex de Minaur beat American Frances Tiafoe 6-3 6-4 7-5 to reach the fourth round of his home Grand Slam for the fifth time in a row.
0945 SVITOLINA BEATS SHNAIDER IN STRAIGHT SETS
Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina beat Russian 23rd seed Diana Shnaider 7-6(4) 6-3 to reach the fourth round.
0906 CERUNDOLO BEATS RUBLEV
Argentinian 18th seed Francisco Cerundolo beat Russian 13th seed Andrey Rublev 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time.
0759 PAOLINI UPSET BY JOVIC
American Iva Jovic claimed the biggest win of her carer when she beat Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2 7-6(3) in the third round to set up a clash with Yulia Putintseva.
Paolini was under the weather and took a medical timeout, telling the doctor she had an upset stomach.
0640 GAUFF OVERCOMES EARLY HICCUP TO ADVANCE TO LAST 16
Third seed Coco Gauff beat fellow American Hailey Baptiste 3-6 6-0 6-3 to set up a fourth-round tie with Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova, who needed just over an hour to beat Magda Linette 6-1 6-1.
0525 PUTINTSEVA OVERCOMES SONMEZ AND HOSTILE TURKISH FANS
Yulia Putintseva beat Zeynep Sonmez 6-3 6-7(3) 6-3 in a match where she not only had to contend with the plucky Turkish qualifier but also the Turkish fans packed into the Kia Arena, who booed her even after her victory.
“Honestly, it was a really crazy atmosphere here. The guys (Turkish fans), look at them. They’re very passionate about what they’re doing,” the Kazakh player said after cupping her ear and blowing kisses to the fans who had given her a hard time.
“It’s very great to see, especially against me, because I love this kind of battle.”
0520 ALCARAZ BEATS MOUTET IN ENTERTAINING ENCOUNTER
Carlos Alcaraz beat Corentin Moutet 6-2 6-4 6-1 in an entertaining match where the Frenchman made 17 drop shots to give the top seed a good workout.
The match was also Alcaraz’s 100th in a Grand Slam as he tied Bjorn Borg for the best win-loss record (87-13) on joining the century club.
0425 MEDVEDEV SCRIPTS EPIC COMEBACK IN FIVE-SETTER
Daniil Medvedev fought back from two sets down to beat Fabian Marozsan 6-7(5) 4-6 7-5 6-0 6-3 in a match that lasted three hours and 43 minutes to reach the last-16.
Medvedev will next face American Learner Tien, who knocked him out in the second round last year and has a 2-1 record against the Russian.
0358 DAVIDOVICH FOKINA RETIRES, PAUL THROUGH
American 19th seed Tommy Paul advanced to the last 16 after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired while trailing 6-1 6-1 with what seemed like a thigh injury.
The 14th seeded Spaniard had taken a medical timeout in the second set and also went off court for treatment.
0250 TIEBREAK QUEEN SABALENKA ADVANCES
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Austria’s Anastasia Potapova 7-6(4) 7-6(7) to move into the fourth round. Sabalenka has won her last 19 Grand Slam tiebreaks, the longest such winning streak in the Open Era.
0235 TEEN MBOKO BEATS TAUSON
Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko earned a 7-6(5) 5-7 6-3 win over Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson to reach the fourth round on her Australian Open debut.
She is the first Canadian to reach the last 16 since Eugenie Bouchard in 2015.
0225 FAST LEARNER THROUGH TO LAST 16
American Learner Tien beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges 7-6(9) 6-4 6-2 to advance to the fourth round. After a tense tiebreak, where the 25th seed saved set points, he breezed through the next two sets in a little over an hour to advance.
0013 PLAY UNDERWAY
The main showcourts at Melbourne Park are in full swing on Friday, with men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz set to continue his campaign for a career Grand Slam as he faces Frenchman Corentin Moutet on Rod Laver Arena.
Two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus meets Russia’s Anastasia Potapova earlier in the day.
The Margaret Court Arena hosts an all-American showdown as world number three Coco Gauff faces compatriot Hailey Baptiste.
Other featured matches include Australia’s Alex de Minaur taking on American Frances Tiafoe and a politically charged encounter between Russia’s Diana Shnaider and Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina across the courts under clear blue skies.
ORDER OF PLAY ON FRIDAY (prefix number denotes seeding):
Rod Laver Arena
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v Anastasia Potapova (Austria)
1-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) v 32-Corentin Moutet (France)
Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
29-Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) v 6-Alex de Minaur (Australia)
Elena-Gabriela Ruse (Romania) v 8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
Margaret Court Arena
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
11-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Fabian Marozsan (Hungary)
3-Coco Gauff (U.S.) v Hailey Baptiste (U.S.)
Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
12-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v 23-Diana Shnaider (Russia)
10-Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan) v Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Argentina)
John Cain Arena
Day session (0000 GMT/1100 AEDT)
17-Victoria Mboko (Canada) v 14-Clara Tauson (Denmark)
19-Tommy Paul (U.S.) v 14-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spain)
Night session (0600 GMT/1700 AEDT)
29-Iva Jovic (U.S.) v 7-Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v 26-Cam Norrie (Britain)
(Reporting by Rohith Nair and Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru and Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Toby Davis)
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