Australian Open 2026: Novak Djokovic Into Round Four
Novak Djokovic continued his excellent development at the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Denis Istomin.
The Serb, who has actually won the previous three titles in Melbourne, won 6-3 6-3 7-5 and plays Fabio Fognini in round 4.
Serena Williams won a tournament-record 61st singles match by beating Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-3 in round 3.
Ana Ivanovic, who beat Australia's Sam Stosur 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-2, is next for front runner Williams, while China's Li Na beat Lucie Safarova 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
Third seed David Ferrer beat 29th seed Jeremy Chardy in straight sets and 15th-ranked Fognini saw off the challenge of Sam Querrey 7-5 6-4 6-4.
Spain's Tommy Robredo, the number 17 seed, beat France's ninth seed Richard Gasquet 2-6 7-5 6-4 7-6 (8-6).
The conditions continued to be a problem for players, with the temperature reaching a high of 41.4 C a day after matches were suspended on Thursday since of 43.3 C heat,
Rod Laver Arena
S Williams (US) [1] beat Hantuchova (Svk) [31] 6-3 6-3
Five-time champion Williams was not at her finest and appeared to be battling with the heat, though she still showed too strong for Hantuchova.
The world top raced into a 5-3 lead however had to save two break indicate hold serve before clinching the very first set.
Williams, who has yet to drop an embeded in the tournament, broke early in the second however her opponent was in battling mood and reacted to level at 3-3.
Hantuchova's hopes were short-lived, however, as Williams took the effort in the Slovakian's next service video game and served out for the victory, sealing it with an effective forehand winner on her fourth match point.
"It was a difficult match," stated Williams. "Daniela is an excellent challenger so I'm really pleased to come out with the win. It was hot but you have to play, you have to be ready and prepare yourself mentally. I'm delighted to survive."
Serena and sister Venus Williams later on withdrew from the doubles shortly before their first-round match due to the fact that of an injury to Venus's left leg.
Ferrer (Spa) (3] beat Chardy (Fra) [29] 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-2
Ferrer reached the 4th round of a Grand Slam for the 15th successive time as he reduced previous Chardy.
After the Spaniard won the opening embeded in straightforward fashion, Chardy put up a more in the second but was unable to transform any of his five set points, allowing Ferrer to take it on a tie-break.
That proved the decisive moment in the match, as Ferrer completed the triumph to establish a meeting with Germany's Florian Mayer for a place in the quarter-finals.
"The secret was when I won the 2nd set," Ferrer said. "At 4-3 in the second set I made a lot of mistakes. I had set points down and after winning the second set I played more unwinded. Maybe it was my best match today."
Dellacqua (Aus) beat Zheng (Chn) 6-2 6-4
Ivanovic (Ser) [14] beat Stosur (Aus) [17] 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-2
Home favourite Stosur edged a thrilling initially set after rain stopped have fun with when she was 8-7 up in the tie-break.
Former world number one Ivanovic, 26, broke serve as soon as in the 2nd set and twice in the decider as she wrapped up victory with a basic volley into an open court.
"It was a match of the greatest quality. She is a really hard challenger and I just hung in there," stated Ivanovic, who reached the Australian Open final in 2008.
"Winning in Auckland gave me a lot of self-confidence and I'm looking forward to the difficulty of playing Serena."
Djokovic (Ser) [2] beat Istomin (Uzb) 6-3 6-3 7-5
Four-time champ Djokovic relieved safely into round 4 with a simple victory over Uzbekistan's Istomin.
The Serb, whose last defeat in this tournament came in the 2010 quarter-finals, broke in the third and ninth video games to conclude the very first set and another break proved decisive in the 4th game of the second set.
Djokovic looked set to clinch success without dropping his serve, however while serving for the match at 5-4 up in the 3rd set, he double-faulted and hit a backhand into the internet to offer Istomin a lifeline.
However, the 2nd seed instantly broke back and made no mistake second time around in serving out the match.
"I required to have extremely quick footwork and an exact very first service, as high a percentage as possible, utilizing every chance to take control over the rally," he stated. "I've done truly well."
Hisense Arena
Li (Chn) [4] beat Safarova (Cze) [26] 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3
Fourth seed Li, runner-up in 2011 and 2013, survived a Safarova match point as she directly prevented becoming the highest-ranked casualty of the very first week in a contest long lasting two hours and 37 minutes.
Safarova, who has actually never beaten a top-10 challenger in a WTA Tour event, served for success in the ninth game of the 2nd set and held a match point in the 12th however Li held on before dominating the tie-break to force a decider.
The third set was delicately poised up until Li broke the Czech in the eighth video game, and Safarova had no answer.
Kerber (Ger) [9] beat Riske (US) 6-3 6-4
Berdych (Cze) [7] beat Dzumhur (Bih) 6-4 6-2 6-2
Robredo (Spa) [17] beat Gasquet (Fra) [9] 2-6 7-5 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
Margaret Court Arena
Pennetta (Ita) [28] beat Barthel (Ger) 6-1 7-5
Anderson (SA) [19] beat R-Vasselin (Fra) 3-6 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 7-5
Fognini (Ita) [15] beat Querrey (US) 7-5 6-4 6-4
Genie's army
Lleyton Hewitt has his 'Fanatics' and Bernie Tomic has 'Tomic's Kittens', but the most significant noise around Melbourne Park on Friday originated from an unanticipated love affair between Australia and Canada.
Genie Bouchard, the rising star and 30th seed, is through to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time and on course for a quarter-final with Serena Williams.
And the 19-year-old has been vociferously supported throughout by a group of Australian students, 'Genie's Army', who have sung a brochure of songs about the Canadian and offered her presents consisting of a toy kangaroo after her very first 2 wins.
"They appeared to my preliminary away on Court 15 with their tee shirts," Bouchard told BBC Sport.
"They're actually into it and supportive and it's excellent to see I have 'incredibly fans' in Australia. They develop a big environment on the court and it's fun to play when they exist."
Quotes of the day
"I tell you this: I'm not equipped to respond to that question. I'm going to leave it alone." Serena Williams is requested for her ideas on the competition physician's suggestion that male "evolved on the high plains of Africa going after antelope".
"Serena is on top of the video game for so long now. You know, she's someone we appreciate. I anticipate that obstacle. I have actually been playing some good tennis and it's going to be good test to see where I'm at." Ana Ivanovic is buoyant ahead of her fourth-round match with the world primary.
"Because I didn't practise much, I was not able to prepare for the next match. Today I was completely kaput." Poland's Jerzy Janowicz produces his finest German to summarize a day in which he lost in straight sets to Florian Mayer while playing in sunglasses.
"I believe five centimetres conserved my competition. If she struck it in, my entire team was on the way to the airport." Li Na on how Lucie Safarova was within a whisker of knocking her out on match point.
"I was a bit sick and also my mind was not working. I just viewed the ball and simply struck it. I didn't know where I struck it." Li's compatriot Zheng Jie after her 6-2 6-4 defeat by Australia's Casey Dellacqua
"They are really unfortunate. Especially when you inform the fashion brand that they have to make white, they are like, 'Oh, OK, what can we do?' It's simply for hopefully two weeks. Then they can go again." Tomas Berdych on breaking it to his set sponsors that the blue-and-white striped number he's using in Melbourne will not clean at Wimbledon.
"I've always said I enjoy playing in the heat, the conditions and stuff. But today wasn't an example of that." South African Kevin Andersen might have done without spending 4 hours returning from two sets down to beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
"A few of the papers and TV stations called me after the match. They stated the entire of Bosnia didn't sleep this evening, that everyone remained in front of their TV and they were so proud." Damir Dzumhur, the 21-year-old qualifier, who became the first Bosnian to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam competition, after losing to Tomas Berdych.
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