Aus Open PIX: Federer races into last 16; Barty party continues

Images from Day 5 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday.

Roger Federer

IMAGE: Roger Federer celebrates winning his third round match against Taylor Fritz. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Roger Federer celebrated his 100th match at the Australian Open on Friday by giving young American Taylor Fritz a centre court schooling to reach the last 16.

 

Six-times champion Federer was in devastating touch against the talented 21-year-old, breaking him four times while not giving an inch on serve in the 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 masterclass at Rod Laver Arena.

The third seed, bidding for a third straight title at Melbourne Park, reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for a record-extending 63rd time in the professional era.

Roger Federer

IMAGE: Roger Federer celebrates winning his third round match against Taylor Fritz. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The former world number one will take on Greek young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the quarter-finals as he continues his quest for a 21st Grand Slam title.

Barty party continues

Ashleigh Barty

IMAGE: Ashleigh Barty plays a forehand during her third round match against Maria Sakkari. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Ashleigh Barty eased past Greek Maria Sakkari 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday, keeping alive local hopes of a home women's champion.

Australians have had limited success in the tournament despite boasting several Grand Slam singles champions like Samantha Stosur, Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter since the 1990s.

No Australian man or woman has won the singles title at their home Grand Slam since the 1970s. The last women's finalist was Wendy Turnbull in 1980, while Hewitt lost the 2005 final to Russia's Marat Safin.

The 15th-seeded Barty arrived in Melbourne after a final appearance at the Sydney international, where she also beat world number one Simona Halep, and has looked untroubled in the year's first Grand Slam.

The 22-year-old has looked in control and was yet to lose a set in the ongoing tournament.

Under a closed roof at the Rod Laver Arena due to morning showers, Barty broke Sakkari twice in each set to seal the win in an hour and 22 minutes.

Barty, who has also played elite-level cricket, served 13 aces without a double-fault and matched her best Grand Slam showing after reaching the last 16 stage at the 2018 U.S. Open.

"You have to keep giving yourself the opportunity to do better and better," she told reporters. "It's all trusting in the process and the work that my team and myself has done in the preseason, and throughout the last 18 months, two years.

"We're continuing to chip away every single day and get better as a person and as a player every single day and continue to develop my game.

"It's getting to the point now where I'm feeling more and more comfortable on the court and can play my brand of tennis, which when I execute I know it works against the best in the world."

Teenager Anisimova dismisses Sabalenka

Amanda Anisimova

IMAGE: Amanda Anisimova celebrates winning her third round match. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Young American Amanda Anisimova upstaged 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-2, hitting her way into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.

The fearless 17-year-old bullied her much higher ranked opponent who looked shell-shocked by the power being generated at the other end of the court.

It was Anisimova's third consecutive straight sets win, which included a 6-0 6-2 destruction of 24th seed Lesia Tsurenko, signalling the arrival of a genuine new talent in the women's game.

Anisimova, the youngest competitor in the draw, will play the winner of Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic in the fourth round.

Berdych quells Schwartzman challenge

Tomas Berdych

IMAGE: Tomas Berdych plays a forehand during his third round match against Diego Schwartzman. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Tomas Berdych dropped the opening set but recovered to overcome Diego Schwartzman 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

The Czech missed the last six months of 2018 due to a back issue but has since returned to form, reaching the final of the Qatar Open earlier this month.