Thaindian News

Melbourne, Jan 21 (IANS) Defending champion Novak Djokovic and former champion Maria Sharapova advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open Saturday with crushing victories in the first Grand Slam of the year.

World No.1 Djokovic brushed aside Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 in just 74 minutes for his third straight-set victory at the Rod Laver Arena after women’s No.4 Sharapova beat unseeded German Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-2.

Djokovic, who dominated last year winning three of the four majors, has dropped only 10 games in his three wins and has spent only a combined four hours and 28 minutes on court.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Portugal’s Frederico Gil’s to put an end to his impressive run in the third round with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win. The Frenchman will now face Kei Nishikori, who became the first Japanese player to reach the last 16 in the Australian Open.

Nishikori, who is now set to break into the world’s top 20, beat Julien Benneteau 4-6, 7-6(7-3), 7-6(7-4), 6-3.

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic also reached the fourth round after Russian Maria Kirilenko retired with a thigh injury when she was 6-0, 1-0 down. The No.2 seed now faces Serbian Ana Ivanovic who recorded a 6-3, 6-4 victory against American Vania King.

Seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva lost to fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-7(7-9), 1-6. China’s Zheng Jie, a semi-finalist in Melbourne in 2010, beat France’s Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-3 and will face Italian Sara Errani in the fourth round.

American Serena Williams put in a dominating performance in her 6-1, 6-1 third-round win over Hungarian Greta Arn to set up a clash against Makarova.

Following are the results of the sixth day of the 2012 Australian Open:

Women’s singles third round:
Zheng Jie, China, beat 9-Marion Bartoli, France, 6-3, 6-3
2-Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic, bt 27-Maria Kirilenko, Russia, 6-0, 1-0(retired)
4-Maria Sharapova, Russia, bt 30-Angelique Kerber, Germany, 6-1, 6-2
Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, bt 7-Vera Zvonareva, Russia, 7-6, 6-1
21-Ana Ivanovic, Serbia, bt Vania King, United States, 6-3, 6-4
Sara Errani, Italy, bt Sorana Cirstea, Romania, 6-7, 6-0, 6-2
14-Sabine Lisicki, Germany, bt 18-Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
12-Serena Williams, United States, bt Greta Arn, Hungary, 6-1, 6-1

Men’s singles third round:
1-Novak Djokovic, Serbia, bt Nicolas Mahut, France, 6-0, 6-1, 6-1
6-Jo Wilfried Tsonga, France, bt Gil Frederico, Portugal, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
5-David Ferrer, Spain, bt 27-Juan Ignacio Chela, Argentina, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
17-Richard Gasquet, France, bt 9-Janko Tipsarevic, Serbia, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
4-Andy Murray, Britain, bt Michael Llodra, France, 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
Mikail Kukushkin, Kazakhstan, bt Gael Monfils, France, 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 1-6, 6-4
24-Kei Nishikori, Japan, bt Julien, Benneteau, France, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3
Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, bt Milos Raonic, Canada, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3