Battling Sabalenka into Australian Open fourth round, Alcaraz sparkles

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame a wobbly display to reach the Australian Open fourth round while Carlos Alcaraz was at his dazzling best despite a blip as warm and windy weather tested the composure of players on Friday.

Coco Gauff did not have any problems in the evening session as the third seed sealed a straight-sets victory, but it was the end of the road for twice champion Naomi Osaka after she pulled up with an abdominal strain that forced her to withdraw from her match against Belinda Bencic.

Novak Djokovic resumed his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title and 11th at Melbourne Park and was taking on Tomas Machac on the main showcourt.

The opening match on Rod Laver Arena on the sixth day of the championships was hardly vintage tennis, but Sabalenka came away unscathed after a 7-6(5) 6-4 victory over Clara Tauson amid blazing sunshine and intermittent gusts.

"That was a great battle, she played unbelievable tennis," said three-times Grand Slam champion Sabalenka.

"I was playing this match thinking, 'girl, you're really tough'. So many times, I thought 'I'm done', but I was like, 'keep pushing'."

Sabalenka has been far from her devastating best in the first two rounds and against Tauson she dropped serve four times in a shaky opening set, but her opponent was equally profligate as both players struggled for rhythm.

"Conditions are really tough for serving, the balls are heavy and the surface slow," said Sabalenka, who conceded four breaks in the opening set of a match for the first time since San Diego in 2022.

"It was really important to get all of those breaks back. I'm super happy I was able to close this match."

It was Sabalenka's 17th straight win at the Australian Open and kept alive her quest to become the first woman to lift three successive titles at the Grand Slam since Martina Hingis from 1997-99.

Up next for Sabalenka is a meeting with Mirra Andreeva after the 17-year-old Russian moved past Magdalena Frech 6-2 1-6 6-2.

Alcaraz dropped his first set of the tournament but the third seed comfortably beat Nuno Borges 6-2 6-4 6-7(3) 6-2 and will face Jack Draper or local hope Aleksandar Vukic in the fourth round on Sunday.

Second seed Alexander Zverev continued to fly under the radar in search of his first major title, as the German eased past Briton Jacob Fearnley 6-3 6-4 6-4.

Osaka, who had also pulled out midway through the Auckland final earlier this month due to the same abdominal injury, was unable to soldier on after Bencic took the first set 7-6(3).

"It's not fantastic and I'm feeling not great, not bad. In the middle somewhere," Osaka said.

Last year's semi-finalist Gauff then dismantled Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-2 to book a clash with Swiss Bencic.

Earlier, 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova sealed a 6-1 6-2 win over German Laura Siegemund, who at 36 was the oldest player remaining in the women's draw having made the third round with a victory over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

Paris Games runner-up Donna Vekic needed three sets to beat Russian 12th seed Diana Shnaider, the Croatian prevailing 7-6(4) 6-7(3) 7-5 after almost three hours on Margaret Court Arena and she immediately looked forward to an ice bath.

"It was tough, it was pretty warm and she was playing unbelievable tennis," Vekic said.

"In my next life I want to be a lefty (like Shnaider). I don't know the last time I beat a lefty. Now, the ice bath is waiting for me."

Paula Badosa was given a test at a blustery Kia Arena and at one point offered her racket to her coach in the stands, asking him to take over, before finding her focus to get past Marta Kostyuk 6-4 4-6 6-3.