Australian Open: Kvitova dumped, Djokovic and Williams sisters advance
Melbourne: Czech fourth seed Petra Kvitova crashed out of the Australian Open on Saturday, falling to unseeded American teenager Madison Keys in straight sets. World number 35 Keys, 19, defeated reigning Wimbledon champion Kvitova 6-4, 7-5 to set up an all-American fourth round clash with Madison Brengle.
World number one Novak Djokovic served up a storm to advance to the fourth round as defending champion Stan Wawrinka was kept under the radar. The Serb endured a tough workout before inflicting a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 6-4 defeat on tenacious Spanish 31st seed Fernando Verdasco. Verdasco, who had beaten Djokovic in four of their previous 10 encounters, failed to prise a service break from the top seed's 16 service games.
Djokovic's precision serving was a feature, winning 82 per cent of his first serves. "I did serve well and that helps when you are playing big servers like Fernando, who put a lot of pressure on your service games, so you have to stay composed and hang tough," he said.
"I tried to go more for accuracy and precision and allow myself to have an easy first ball and managed to have a lot of free points, which definitely helped," Djokovic added.
Djokovic will now play Luxembourg's Gilles Muller for a place in the quarter-final after Muller knocked out American 19th seed John Isner in straight sets.
The Serb is the favourite for his fifth Australian Open title following Roger Federer's shock exit in Friday's third round.
World number one Serena Williams took time to wake up before sizzling into the Australian Open fourth round on Saturday, joining resurgent sister Venus and the dangerous Agnieszka Radwanska.
The American top seed, vying for a sixth Australian title and the first since 2010, was slow to get in the groove against 26th ranked Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, going down 6-4 in the first set. But she shook off the cobwebs under the blazing sun on Rod Laver Arena to rattle through the next two sets 6-2, 6-0.
It keeps alive her quest to add a 19th Grand Slam title, which would take her to clear second on the all-time Open Era Grand Slam winners list.
She currently has 18 alongside Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, and is four behind German great Steffi Graf's 22. "When in doubt just start running as fast as you can, that's what Venus always told me, that helped," said Williams, whose world number one ranking is on the line if she fails to win the tournament.
She added that her sister's late-career renaissance was an inspiration. "She's winning, she's doing so well and I can do better. We always motivate each other. I'm so proud of her and we're so excited."
It was a day to remember for the Williams clan with Venus making the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon 2011. The evergreen 34-year-old battled back from behind to defeat Camila Giorgi of Italy 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 and set up a fourth round clash with Radwanska. "That feels fantastic, especially when you have things happen in your life which are out of your control," said Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam winner who has had a long battle with the energy-sapping Sjogren's Syndrome.
(Photo: AP)
"I don't want to leave it at that, I'll try to keep going," Venus added, clearly enjoying the moment in front of an appreciative crowd on Margaret Court Arena.
In other matches, Poland's Radwanska defeated American Varvara Lepchenko 6-0, 7-5 and has doled out a dreaded 6-0 "bagel" to each of her three opponents at Melbourne Park this year, lurking as a dangerous dark horse.
She said she was eagerly looking forward to facing Venus, who she beat in the Montreal final last year. "I think playing her is always a great challenge," said Radwanska, who has made the quarter-finals or better in Melbourne on her last four visits.
"I think she is still playing great tennis even she's a bit older. She's still really fit and playing a high level. I think it's going to be another good match," Radwanska added.
Serena will next face Spain's Garbine Muguruza, who overcame a mid-match stumble to beat Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 4-6, 6-0. The 24th seed beat Serena at the French Open last year and said she was up for the challenge again in Melbourne. "I think I don't have anything to lose. I don't think I have pressure. I like to play big matches on centre court, so I'm just really happy that I can play against her," Muguruza said.
