TENNIS:Andy Murray progressed to the fourth round of the Australian Open in emphatic fashion with a 7-5 6-0 6-3 victory over Jurgen Melzer today. When the British number one takes to the court against Fernando Verdasco on Monday it will be just the second time he has made it beyond the third round in Melbourne.
“I am playing really well at the moment,” Murray said. “My concentration was very good. You saw at the end when he loosened up he hit some unbelievable shots that can make it difficult.
“But once I got on top I kept my focus well, especially in the second set and the beginning of the third set.”
After a tight first set, Murray simply did not give the 31st seed a sniff, conceding just three further games — all in the final set.
He had too much power for the Austrian whose 30 unforced errors were testament to the pressure he was put under.
The world number four Murray faces in-form Verdasco next after the Spaniard clinched his place in the last 16 with an equally convincing 6-4 6-0 6-0 win over Radek Stepanek.
Verdasco has dropped just 12 games at the tournament so far and Murray knows he will again have to replicate somewhere near his best to progress.
“That will be a tough match. I will need to use my head again a bit like today,” Murray said. “He is very flashy, he has a big forehand and cross-court backhand.
“He is a lefty which makes it tricky as well, but I’m feeling confident. I’ve played well against him in the past and my record against lefties is very good.”
Elsewhere, it was a good day for the French today as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon all progressed to the fourth round.
Tsonga’s 6-4 6-2 1-6 6-1 win against Dudi Sela set up a date with James Blake, who dropped his first set of the tournament against Igor Andreev in a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1 win.
Monfils and Simon, who have both reached the last 16 in Melbourne for the first time, will face each other in the next round.
Monfils progressed courtesy of a 6-4 6-3 7-5 victory against Nicolas Almagro while Simon moved on thanks to a 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 6-2 triumph over Mario Ancic.
Second seed Serena Williams eased into the fourth round of women’s draw while her sister’s nemesis Carla Suarez Navarro’s dream run continued in her first appearance in the Melbourne grand slam.
Williams produced a mixed performance in defeating Shuai Peng, of China, 6-1 6-4 and admitted afterwards she was still “feeling a little rusty”.
“It was definitely a lot better than my second round,” was Williams’ appraisal of her performance. But, you know, I’m still trying to work on some things and hoping they’ll come together.
“I’m feeling a little rusty, for whatever reason. I’m hoping my next round I’ll be a little better.”
Williams will play Victoria Azarenka in the next round after the 13th seed staved off the challenge of former champion Amelie Mauresmo to win 6-4 6-2.
Suarez Navarro, who ousted Venus Williams in three sets in the second round, continued her march through the tournament defeating countrywoman Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-1 6-4.
She will play another Spaniard in the fourth round after Anabel Medina Garrigues, the 21st seed, upset 12th seed Flavia Pennetta, of Italy, 6-4 6-1.
Jie Zheng reached the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time with a 6-2 6-2 victory against Kateryna Bondarenko.
It wasn’t a good day for the Bondarenko family as Kateryna’s sister Alona, the 31st seed, also exited, going down 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to number eight seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who will now play Zheng.
Dominika Cibulkova, the number 18 seed, defeated Virginie Rezzano 7-5 7-5.