Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka swept past up-and-coming Japanese star Naomi Osaka Saturday to set up an Australian Open fourth-round showdown with Barbora Strycova.
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Belarussian Azarenka explains the driving force behind her form Pressure is merely a matter of perspective for Victoria Azarenka, who can recall days when she was anxious as much about going hungry as she was about her next match.
Azarenka dominated her 18-year-old opponent in every department of their first meeting and closed out the win with a roar towards the players box after driving a volley into an open court on match point.
A two-time Australian Open champ, the former world No 1 should have been getting ready to meet world No 3 Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round instead, but Strycova knocked her out in straight sets, leaving No 7 Kerber as the top seed in Azarenka’s half of the draw.
Muguruza misfired frequently on her groundstrokes, finishing with 32 unforced errors, and looked a bit listless throughout the match. Ferrer won 3-0. (Xinhua/Bai Xue)She was sensationally upset by Czech veteran Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour and joins second seed Simona Halep, sixth seed Petra Kvitva, eighth seed Venus Williams and ninth seed Karolina Pliskova as top 10 casualties at the open.
“It wasn’t easy for sure, especially when you don’t know who you’re playing”.
“I just couldn’t find the court or my shots – I didn’t really find my game”.
After his win over Viktor Troicki on Saturday, the 25-year-old Canadian said, “Today, before I stepped out on court it was a hard day back home”.
“It just feels like I’m competing to the best of my ability and that’s all I can ask for”.
“Obviously it took me over a year to be able to control all that”.
She turned heads after coolly working her way past 18th seed Elina Svitolina in the second round, but the learning curve was too steep for the world number 127 against the accomplished Azarenka.
Azarenka was relentless against Japanese qualifier Naomi Osaka, losing just two games in the 6-1, 6-1 win.
It opens up a path to the quarter-finals for the Belarusian, with third seed Muguruza no longer a concern after she was shocked by Strycova. This was her Grand Slam main draw debut. She also won the Brisbane International earlier this month, her first title since 2013.
“The plan was to play my tennis and hang in there. I think today is a very bad day, you know, at the office”, Muguruza told reporters afterward.
Strycova doesn’t seem concerned about her winless record against Azarenka.
Sydney-born Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open since 1987 when she beat Denisa Allertova 6-2, 6-2.
Muguruza’s demise leaves No. 8 seed Angelique Kerber from Germany as the highest remaining seed in the bottom half of the women’s draw.
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Twice in 2015, she ran into Williams in grand slams, at the French Open and Wimbledon, and was beaten in three sets.
