The sixth day of the Australian Open is usually one of the best attended of the Grand Slam fortnight but there was an eerie quiet around the Melbourne Park precinct as play got underway on Saturday.
A snap five-day lockdown to try to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 came into effect just before midnight on Friday, restricting Victoria’s six million residents to their homes and shutting fans out of the tennis.
MEDVEDEV SURVIVES KRAJINOVIC TEST
Daniil Medvedev was forced to dig deep to fight off a charging Filip Krajinovic on Saturday but came through 6-3 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-0 to extend his winning streak to 17 matches and join the Russian charge into the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The 25-year-old, who had lost his six previous five-setters, joined compatriot Aslan Karatsev in the fourth round after the qualifier manufactured a stunning straight sets upset of Diego Schwartzman on Friday.
With seventh seed Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov also in action on Saturday, Russia could end up with an open era record four men in the last 16 of a Grand Slam.
“When somebody like him [John McEnroe] says something good about you, it means you are doing things right.”@DaniilMedwed certainly doing things right at #AO2021 🙌#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/If9v7P5ouF
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 13, 2021
FIFTH SEED SVITOLINA INTO FOURTH ROUND
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina survived an early wobble to cruise into the fourth round with a 6-4 6-0 victory over Kazakh Yulia Putintseva on Margaret Court Arena.
BRADY ROLLS INTO LAST 16
American Jennifer Brady, seeded 22nd, held off a spirited challenge from Slovenian qualifier Kaja Juvan in the second set before claiming a 6-1 6-3 victory.
PLISKOVA KNOCKED OUT
Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova’s frustration boiled over as she smashed two rackets during a 7-5 7-5 defeat by fellow Czech Karolina Muchova.
Pliskova was also docked a point for racket abuse in the tunnel between the two sets.
🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿@karomuchova7 is through to the #AusOpen final 16 for the first time with a 7-5 7-5 upset win over sixth seed Karolina Pliskova.#AO2021 pic.twitter.com/veNYTO8acA
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 13, 2021
PEGULA POWERS INTO FOURTH ROUND
American Jessica Pegula reached the fourth round in a Grand Slam for the first time in her career with a 6-2 6-1 victory over France’s Kristina Mladenovic.
VEKIC BATTLES PAST KANEPI
Croatia’s 28th seed Donna Vekic saved a match point as she rallied from a set down to beat Estonian Kaia Kanepi 5-7 7-6(2) 6-4.
