Azarenka reached her fifth quarter-final in Melbourne with her 6-2 6-4 win over unseeded Czech Barbora Strycova.
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No. 7 seed Angelique Kerber has advanced to the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time with a 6-4 6-0 victory over fellow German Annika Beck. “It’s what helped me win my first three matches here, is that comfort and confidence of going forward”, he said. “In terms of the level that I’ve played, it’s the match to forget for me”.
“I have never won against her but that will be the challenge. I’m just really happy with how I was able to handle things and to keep trekking on”.
Azarenka, 27, has been in the zone at the Melbourne Park, dropping just 11 games in four matches as she zeroes in on a return to the top after battling injuries for the past two years.
The 25-year-old Canadian is into the quarterfinals for the fourth time at the majors, including a loss here last year to Djokovic.
It was a great day at Melbourne Park for Victoria Azarenka, a self-confessed “diehard” sports fan.
“It was a tough match and both of us had our chances, Bernie didn’t play his best tiebreak and missed a few easy balls so that helped at the end but he fought right to the end”, Murray said. She told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena she had been so nervous all morning – not about tennis – about the football games playing Sunday night in the USA around the time of her Monday morning match Down Under.
On the women’s side, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka returned to the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Barbaro Strycova 6-2, 6-4.
“She’s very hungry”, Strycova said Monday.
“I’ve had tough matches against Azarenka in the past, the last one was in Brisbane in the final (which she lost in straight sets)”. But the signs of Azarenka’s aggression came early, the Czech needing to recover from 0-40 to hold serve in the third game and was broken just two games later. Seventh seed Angelique Kerber or German Annika Beck will take on the victor of the match in the quarter-finals.
Strycova then faced Vania King, prevailing over the world No. 349 American 7-6, 6-4, before taking on world No. 3 Garbine Muguruza, whom she stunned 6-3, 6-2 – an outstanding achievement.
“The first set was very close”. Kerber is getting at least 56 percent of her first serves in play and is winning at least 56 percent of those points.
“Yesssss!!!!” – then she stepped back and raised both arms – “I’m so happy now”. “Mentally, emotionally and physically I left it all out there on the court”.
Prior to the Australian Open, she won the Brisbane International.
She was sent packing in the third round or worse at all four majors, with her quarter-final appearance here the best she has managed in nine attempts in Melbourne.
But it was a short-lived advantage with Kerber immediately breaking back. Eventually, Azarenka held serve and found herself a game away at 5-3. The victor will play Johanna Konta, who had a 4-6, 6-4, 8-6 win over 2015 semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova and became the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1983 to advance to the quarterfinals in Australia.
The No. 10-seeded Isner thinks she needs to work on it.
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“She’s such a tough opponent”.
