She had 24 winners to Osaka’s four, with the 18-year-old making her Grand Slam main draw debut.
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Strycova, for her part, advanced to the fourth round of a major tournament for the first time in her career and will next take on Belarusian two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, the No. 14 seed, who routed promising Japanese newcomer Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-1 on Saturday.
The 14th-seeded Azarenka, back in form after two injury-interrupted seasons, has dropped just five games in three matches at Melbourne Park after warming up with a title at the Brisbane International.
Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova serves during her third round match against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, January 23, 2016. That includes the quarterfinal at last year’s French Open, despite Azarenka’s winning the first set.
Second seed Simona Halep, No 6 Petra Kvitova and No 8 Venus Williams have also been eliminated from the tournament.
Muguruza said she felt like her opponent was dictating the play too well, and was never in the match. “I was serving very well, and the plan was to play my game, mix it a little bit, but to play deep”.
If you’re searching for a potential women’s victor who isn’t Serena Williams, there’s a stand out candidate who, for the first time in a while, has been dealt a healthy hand.
“I would like to approach that match the same way as I did my other matches: focus on myself and try to give the best on every point, because I think that’s what creates a good approach for me mentally, physically, and I enjoy it more”.
Azarenka was relentless against Japanese qualifier Naomi Osaka, losing just two games in the 6-1, 6-1 win.
Muguruza was then broken in the next game with Strycova, a former junior champion in Melbourne, dominating from the baseline as the Spaniard struggled to find her range.
The players themselves have been just as entertaining as the tennis. I have said that many times that I had a person (ask) me, “are you depressed?’ I said, ‘no”. Ekaterina Makarova (21), Russia, def. Karolina Pliskova (9), Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-2.
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. “I didn’t get to eat”, she said.
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.
Ferrer beat another American Steve Johnson 6-1 6-4 6-4 while Isner overcame Spain’s Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (8/10) 7-6 (7/5) 6-2 6-4.
It was a remarkable upset by Strycova, who had only gone beyond the third round once in 38 previous Grand Slam appearances – at Wimbledon in 2014, where she made the quarter-finals.
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Despite a sore throat, No. 4-seed Stan Wawrinka had no trouble with Czech Lukas Rosol on Saturday, rolling to a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory in one hour and 55 minutes to set up a fourth round clash with Milos Raonic.
