Tennis News

After an easier match this time around, Maria Sharapova finds herself in the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she will now meet Shuai Peng for the fifth time on the professional tour. Sharapova leads the head-to-head series 4-1, and has won the last three encounters dating back to 2011.

Watch the match here: Sharapova v Peng Live

After being forced to save match points in her second round match, Maria Sharapova rebounded in sublime fashion on Friday evening, as she defeated rising prospect Zarina Diyas to reach the fourth round of the tournament. She hit 22 winners, converted 6 break points and won 78% of her first service points to finish the match 6-1, 6-1, in 61 minutes.

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“I think I rebounded really well. I had a good hit yesterday. Just kind of thought a little bit about what I wanted to try to achieve tonight no matter who I played. Of course, I focused a little bit on myself more than anything else. Just tried to be a bit more aggressive, concentrate.

“I thought I did a good job of focusing well. Yeah, she can be a tough, tough player to play against if you give her the time to change down the line like she likes to do, step down and hit flat, low. So she has that capability, and if you give her the time, she’ll do it.”

Chinese No. 1 Shuai Peng looked sharp in her straight sets victory over Yaroslava Shvedova. She defeated her 7-6(9), 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open. Peng struck 25 winners, 52% of her first service points and converted 5 break points to close out the match in 2 hours and 3 minutes.

Sharapova has won the last three consecutive meetings against Peng and only lost to her in a 2009 meeting in Beijing. However, the two are actually tied 1-1 in hard court matches, but that is unlikely to affect Sharapova – the Russian should have little difficulty reaching the quarter-final round in Melbourne.

Prediction: Maria Sharapova in Straight Sets

Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard continues to impress at the 2015 Australian Open, as she got past a stiff challenger in Caroline Garcia with relative ease to cruise into the fourth round of the tournament. She will next come up against Irina-Camelia Begu, whom she has never met previously on the professional tour.

Watch the match here: Bouchard v Begu Live

Although not playing the cleanest of matches, Bouchard was certainly dominant. She defeated her French adversary Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-0 in less than 75 minutes to advance in the tournament. Bouchard hit 14 winners, converted 2 break points and won 59% of her first service points to close out the match.

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“Yeah, I wasn’t playing great tennis in the first. I feel like she was putting some pressure on me and I really didn’t feel like I got a rhythm. But I’m happy that I just kept going. Even if it wasn’t going so well, I was able to turn it around.

“I loosened up a bit and started going for my shots and playing my game, which is what I need to do more. Yeah, probably taking a bit of time away from her stepping in. She was playing that way as well. It ended up being first-strike tennis and I did that better in the second.”

The Canadian will next come up against Begu, who defeated Germany’s Carina Witthoeft in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the tournament. She struck 14 winners, 5 aces, and won 63% of his first service points to clouse out the match in 1 hour and 26 minutes.

Bouchard and Irina-Camelia Begu have never met previously on the tour, which could add to the potential intrigue in the match. However, given Bouchard’s rejuvenated game so far this week, there is little doubt she will advance to the final eight in Melbourne.

Prediction: Eugenie Bouchard in Straight Sets

In what could prove to be a enthralling match-up, Simona Halep will continue her quest to lift her maiden Grand Slam title with a fourth round contest against a player who has never lost to her in professional competition, Yanina Wickmayer. This will be the fourth time that the two cross paths on the tour, with Wickmayer leading the head-to-head series 3-0.

Watch the match here: Halep v Wickmayer Live

The Romanian had another straightforward match this week in Melbourne, this time against Mattek-Sands. She broke four times to win the match 6-4, 7-5 in exactly 91 minutes of court time. She struck 29 winners, 3 aces and won 79% of her first service points to advance to the final 16 unscathed. She had slight difficulty serving out the match but managed to do so on the second attempt. She will now go up against a stiffer challenge – one she is yet to overcome in her career.

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“She beat me every time when I played her, but next round will be a new day. I have my chance to win it. But I expect a very tough match. She’s very tall and she’s very strong. So I have to wait and to prepare myself to be ready before the match.”

While it may technically be considered an upset due to the difference in the rankings, but few expected Sara Errani to actually defeat Yanina Wickmayer in their third round match-up on Friday. While the Italian won the opening set, her Belgian adversary rallied back to win the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. She hit a grand total of 54 winners, including 2 aces and won 61% of her first service points to close out the match in 2 hours and 14 minutes.

This marks the fourth time that Halep and Wickmayer cross paths on the tour and may be their most intriguing encounter yet. While Wickmayer maintains a stranglehold over the series, she has not faced Halep since 2012, and the Romanian is a far different competitor now. She may be en route to her first ever loss to Halep.

Prediction: Simona Halep in Three Sets

Former Australian No. 1 Bernard Tomic has been out to prove that the younger batch of talent has not passed him by, and he achieved just that by arriving in the fourth round of the tournament. The only other Aussie remaining in the men’s draw is Nick Kyrgios, which bodes well for Tomic. However, he will next come up against Tomas Berdych, whom he has never beaten on the professional tour. Berdych’s wins both took place at the Wimbledon Championships in consecutive years, leaving him with a 2-0 record in the head-to-head series.

Watch the match here: Berdych v Tomic Live

Up against the resurgent Viktor Troicki, Tomas Berdych needed no more than the necessary straight sets to find his way into the fourth round. The Czech No. 1 hit 55 winners, 20 aces and won 89% of his first service points to defeat the Serb 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and set up his meeting with the Aussie.

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In a battle between two Aussies, Bernard Tomic proved to be the superior competitor against his countryman Sam Groth and found his way into the fourth round of the Australian Open. He won the match 6-4, 7-6(8), 6-3 in 1 hour and 43 minutes. Tomic hit 26 winners, 9 aces and won 83% of his first service points to set up the first professional hard court meeting against Berdych.

It should be noted that the Australian did beat Berdych on hard courts in Kooyong (exhibition) several years ago, but even he is not confident that will be the reason for his success.

“Yeah’s that was like Kooyong,” Tomic shrugged. “I don’t know. That was like Kooyong. I can’t even remember what happened. I do take confidence, but last few times were like a very tough match. I learnt a lot, so it’s an opportunity I have to play Tomas. We played twice before. He’s a very, very good player. He’s been at the top for many years. I have to come to this match to play my tennis, and then I have a chance.”

This is set to be the third time that Berdych and Tomic cross paths on the tour, yet the first time on hard courts professionally. Berydch leads the series 2-0 but both those wins took place on grass at Wimbledon. Both those encounters were close affairs and it is quite possible that the Czech star could be pushed to deep waters against the confident Tomic.

Prediction: Tomas Berdych in Four Sets

Top seed Novak Djokovic lived up to his title and stormed into the third round of the Australian Open with remarkable ease, and little fuss. He will next come up against Fernando Verdasco, whom he has met on 10 previous occasions on the professional tour – the first meeting of which took place nearly a decade ago. Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 6-4.

After a smooth victory over Aljaz Bedene, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic had an even easier second round encounter against Andrey Kuznetsov, whom he defeated 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the third round of the tournament. Djokovic hit 28 winners, 8 aces and won 86% of his first service points to close out the match 1 hour and 24 minutes.

“Well, generally this is my most successful Grand Slam and the tournament where over the years I’ve performed my best tennis. Reason? I think there is not one reason. A few reasons together. Probably the fact that I enjoy the conditions of play. Even though last two years the courts have played faster, significantly faster than they were before, still I do enjoy being here in Australia.”

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While it was not as easy for Fernando Verdasco, he managed to get past Go Soeda in straight sets to set up his encounter with the world No. 1. The Spaniard hit 15 aces, 42 winners and won 79% of his first service points to close out the match 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(3) in 1 hour and 56 minutes.

This marks the 11th time that Djokovic and Verdasco will cross paths on the professional tour, with the Serbian star leading the series 6-4. Djokovic clearly holds the advantage on hard court, which he is 4-1 against Verdasco. The Spaniard’s advantage is on clay, where he leads Djokovic 3-2. Given that their meeting is taking place Down Under on hard court, there is little doubt that Djokovic ca overcome his next challenge in straight sets.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Straight Sets

In one of the more interesting and competitive third round matches at the Australian Open this year is the match-up between Spain’s David Ferrer and France’s Gilles Simon. The two are well-versed in each other’s games, as they have met seven previous times on the tour, including contests at Grand Slams, Masters events, and Davis Cup competition. Ferrer leads the overall head-to-head series 5-2.

In a surprising start to his second round match, David Ferrer dropped the opening set and was forced to rally back from the deficit to defeat Sergiy Stakhovsky 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. The contest lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes and saw Ferrer hit 31 winners, 2 aces, and win 77% of his first service points. After the slow start, it was clear that Ferrer was set to cruise control.

One of the more underrated players left in the draw is the 18th seed Gilles Simon, who reached the third round of the draw with a victory over Spain’s Marcel Granollers. He won the match 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4 and did so with relative ease and minimal fuss. The Frenchman struck 41 winners, including 5 aces, and won 83% of his first service points. He even converted 5 break points to make up for the two he handed the Spaniard to close out the match in 2 hours and 16 minutes.

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This marks the eighth time that Ferrer and Simon will cross paths on the professional tour, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head series 5-2. While that may be the case, Simon won their most recent encounter at the US Open 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-3, which only adds to his confidence and chances at another upset on Saturday. This will likely be a grueling five-set encounter.

Prediction: Gilles Simon in Five Sets

For just the third time, Stan Wawrinka and Jarkko Nieminen will cross paths on the professional circuit, and will look to settle the score and determine who will take the lead in the series. With the Head to Head tied at 1-1, and with four years separating them from their last encounter, this is set to be an interesting rubber match.

Watch the match here: Wawrinka v Nieminen Live

While it was a closer match than many expected, defending champion Stan Wawrinka was able to work his way into the third round of the Australian Open with a tight straight sets win against Copil. He hit 36 winners, 2 aces and won 73% of his first service points to close out the match 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 6-3.

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“It was quite tough match. Happy to get through, especially in three sets. Condition wasn’t easy today. Quite hot. Really fast on the court. And he was playing great. He was serving big, putting lots of pressure. Wasn’t playing my best tennis, but I’m happy the way I fight today and the way I did with the match.”

In their second round encounter, Jarkko Nieminen defeated Germany’s Matthias Bachinger in close straight sets to advance to the next stage in Melbourne. The Finnish star hit 41 winners, including 4 aces, and won 71% of his first service points to close out the match 7-6(4), 7-5, 7-5.

“He’s a tough, tough player, lefty,” Wawrinka said of Nieminen. “Love to play from the baseline in the same rhythm. Love to use the speed of the ball. It’s going to be interesting match.”

Wawrinka and Nieminen have not met on the tour in nearly four years, and the Swiss star has not beaten the Finnish veteran since 2009. Having split their previous two meetings, this should be an interesting match, even though their career trajectories have changed dramatically since that time. The defending champion should advance to the fourth round with relative ease.

Prediction: Stan Wawrinka in Straight Sets

Following two entertaining, albeit straightforward, rounds of action, the third stage of the 2015 Australian Open will feature several enthralling match-ups, including the key contest (no pun intended) between Czech No.1 Petra Kvitova and rising American star Madison Keys. This is just the second time that these two competitors cross paths on the professional tour, with Kvitova leading the head-to-head series 1-0.

Watch the match here: Kvitova v Keys Live

Up against Mona Barthel in her second match in Melbourne, Petra Kvitova stormed to an early lead before snatching the opening set in 29 minutes. She followed up with another straightforward set to close out the match 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour and 19 minutes. Kvitova struck 10 aces, 30 winners and won 75% of her first service points en route to victory.

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Her opponent, Madison Keys, needed three sets to advance to the third round, as she rallied back from a set down to defeat Casey Dellacqua 2-6, 6-1, 6-1, The American struck 35 winners, including 5 aces, and won 77% of her first service points to finish the match on a high note.

“She’s better player than she was when I played her in Tokyo,” Kvitova said about her opponent Keys. “It’s different surface, different condition for sure. I know she has a big serve. Is going to be really aggressive from her. That’s what I have to be there and stay. Maybe similar with Venus, you know, very similar game. So, yeah, I need to serve well and try to return her serve.”

Kvitova and Keys have only met once previously on the tour. Kvitova leads the head-to-head series 1-0 with a win two years ago in Tokyo. She will look to remain undefeated against the American, but it will be a much harder task this time around. Keys has looked fantastic since the start of the season and should be able to take her opponent to deep waters.

Prediction: Petra Kvitova in Three Sets

While Venus Williams was written off as an inconsistent player past her prime several years ago, she came into the 2015 Australian Open as a favourite to reach the second week of the tournament, and has so far lived up to expectations and remains well on that quest to reach the later stages of the tournament. Up next is a match-up against Italy’s Camila Giorgi, whom she has never encountered previously on the professional tour.

Watch the match here: Venus Williams v Giorgi

Former finalist Venus Williams advanced to the third round of the tournament with a 6-2, 6-3 win against fellow American Lauren Davis, whom she had met several weeks ago. Williams struck 4 aces, 18 winners and converted 5 break points to close out the match in 1 hour and 16 minutes of court time. She will now look to reach the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time since 2010.

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“Always good to advance. That’s pretty much the goal when you step on the courts, it’s like, Come on. Let’s get to the next round. Met the goal today.”

With no intention of spending more time on court than necessary, Camila Giorgi stormed through her match-up against Tereza Smitkova in straight sets to advance to the third round in Melbourne. She hit 8 aces, 23 winners and won 86% of her first service points to close out the match 6-1, 6-4 in 65 minutes.

“Not sure if I played her before, but she definitely raises her game depending on the caliber player that she plays,” Williams said of her upcoming opponent. “I think it’s just important to remain consistent and aggressive, just as I’ve been this whole year. That’s my goal.”

Venus and Giorgi have never met on the professional circuit before and could make for a particularly interesting match if both players happen to bring their respective A games. While there is potential for some intriguing chemistry, the likelihood is that Williams will overpower the younger Giorgi and find her way into the fourth round of the tournament.

Prediction: Venus Williams in Straight Sets