Azarenka breezes into fourth round of Australian Open

Zhang’s ranking had dropped to No. 200 a year ago after a string of losses, prompting her to contemplate walking away from the game.

“The first set was certainly close, up and down”.

Neither player is looking ahead to that possible rematch just yet.

She was drawn against world No. 6 Angelique Kerber in the final, whom she shocked in straight sets.

“What went well? Everything”, said Strycova, a key member of her country’s Fed Cup winning team a year ago.

Then comes the big match.

Murray is trying to become the first man to win a Grand Slam after losing in four finals. Strycova couldn’t keep up with Azarenka, making 32 unforced errors to the No. 4 seed’s 14, and earning just two break points. This is the best Australian Open for the two-time Grand Slam semifinalist (2011 US Open, 2012 Wimbledon). The Djokovic-Simon winner plays the Nishikori-Tsonga winner in the quarterfinals, while it’ll be the Federer-Goffin victor vs. Berdych or Bautista Agut in the other quarter.

The former world number one was in ominous touch as she thrashed the teenage qualifier 6-1, 6-1 in 56 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to make it eighth consecutive last-16 appearances at Melbourne Park. Also, I didn’t play good.

The five-time champion Djokovic and the pesky Simon played plenty of long rallies – the longest of which was 37 strokes.

“It was a hard day back home”, Raonic said.

Ivanovic was leading Madison Keys 6-4, 1-0 when her match was stopped. He was carried out of the arena on a stretcher and taken to a hospital. “Pressure for me, I think it’s part of where I came from”.

The match was stopped at 1-0 in the second set when reports said Sears, father of Kim Sears, who is married to Andy Murray, slipped or fell on stairs near the coach’s box.

Now, Lleyton Hewitt’s career as a professional tennis player really has ended. This quarterfinal berth marks the deepest Kerber has ever gone at the Australian Open.

And New Zealand’s Jade Lewis has lost in the second round of the junior girls’ singles in Melbourne.

The next day he was back in action in doubles with countryman Sam Groth.

Johanna Konta of Britain celebrates after defeating Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016.

Kerber finally held her serve to take the first set in 60 minutes. Isner leads the tournament with 101 aces in three matches. He was dissecting the match in an on-court interview Sunday when a burst of laughter from the crowd caught his attention. “The incident has been closed”. A possible final against Serena Williams.

Strycova has won just six of her last ten, having made early exits at both the Hobart International and Auckland Open during her lead-in to the first grand slam for 2016.