Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo was bundled out of the Australian Open yesterday by an unheralded opponent, but Serena Williams and Roger Federer marched into the quarter-finals.
US sixth seed Andy Roddick also remains in the hunt, digging deep to overcome Mario Ancic in five sets to make the last eight.
Roddick will meet compatriot Mardy Fish, who took care of 16th seeded Spaniard David Ferrer earlier in the day.
But third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova joined Mauresmo on the scrap heap, slumping to Israel's Shahar Peer 6-4, 6-2.
The manner of Mauresmo's 6-4, 6-3 loss to unseeded Lucie Safarova again raised questions of her being a choker.
The second seeded Frenchwoman appeared to have shaken off the tag last year when she won here and then at Wimbledon, but her defense ended meekly against an opponent ranked No. 70 in the world.
"I'm not completely down or whatever, I'm just disappointed," the ousted title holder said.
"But I am going to go back on the court, go back to work, that's obviously what I need," she said.
Safarova, who will now play Czech 10th seed Nicole Vaidisova, who beat seventh seed Elena Dementieva of Russia, said it was the biggest win of her career.
"It's amazing, I still can't believe it, it's incredible," she said.
Peer, 19, was overjoyed at one of the biggest victories of her career over the 2004 US Open champion.
"I have nothing to lose and every match is open," said the 16th seed, who will now play seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams.
Williams rolled back the years to crush eleventh seed Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-2, touted as one of the hottest new talents in tennis.
It was the sternest test yet for Williams, a winner here in 2003 and 2005, as she comes back from injury that restricted her to just four tournaments last year.
"It was absolutely sensational, you know I had a lot of fun out there and I just enjoy Rod Laver Arena a lot and I play some of my best tennis here," she said.
"I like being a dangerous floater, it's fun," she said.
Defending champion and top seed Federer wrapped up his 33rd consecutive win against the dangerous Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-2, 7-5, 6-3, and will next play Tommy Robredo of Spain as he bids for his 10th Grand Slam crown.
"I feel good physically. I've been winning in straight sets every time, plus a day off and I couldn't be better," said the Swiss maestro, who has won in Melbourne twice before and hasn't dropped a set at the tournament.
Roddick ovecame the aggressive net-charging Ancic 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in just over three hours with his greater consistency and patience the key to victory.
"Win or lose, I had to turn the tables on his aggression," Roddick said.
"I just put the ball in the court, that helped. He missed a couple of volleys maybe he wouldn't normally miss," he said.
In third-round matches delayed from Saturday by rain, Chinese hope Li Na upset Marat Safin's sister Dinara Safina 6-2, 6-2 to set up an enticing clash with triple champion Martina Hingis.
The ice-cool Li, seeded 19, dominated the game against the Russian ninth seed with a booming serve and powerful forehand to continue a run of form that put her in the semi-final of the Sydney International earlier this month.
Anna Chakvetadze of Russia also made the fourth round, beating unseeded Croat Jelena Kostanic Tosic 6-4, 6-4.
Chakvetadze will play Swiss eighth seed Patty Schnyder for a place in the quarter-finals.
Slovak Daniela Hantuchova defeated US player Ashley Harkleroad 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-3.
Hantuchovawill now play in-form fourth seed Kim Clijsters.
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
RSS