Aryna Sabalenka stayed on track for an Australian Open hat-trick Friday, while later Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka can set up a blockbuster clash and Novak Djokovic steps up his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title. Women's number one Sabalenka was made to work hard behind a faltering serve before beating Denmark's Clara Tauson in straight sets in the third round on Rod Laver Arena. Sabalenka was broken four straight times at the start of the match but somehow clung on to win 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 after more than two hours of attritional tennis.
"I'm just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win," said Sabalenka.
It puts the defending champion into a potential clash against highly rated 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Carlos Alcaraz, who has raced into the last 32 for the loss of just 12 games, and second seed Alexander Zverev will also look to book their places in the second week of the opening Grand Slam of the year.
American third seed Gauff had to battle back from 5-3 down in the second set against Britain's Jodie Burrage in round two after dropping her serve three times.
She knows she will need to improve against former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, even though she recently beat the Canadian at the United Cup.
"Obviously I did well at the United Cup. It's a different match, different story. Anything can happen," said Gauff, who plays in the night session on Margaret Court Arena.
Awaiting the victor will be either two-time Melbourne champion Osaka or Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist.
Following two tough three-set wins in Melbourne, Osaka is in the third round of a Slam for the first time since the birth of her daughter in 2023.
Former world number four Bencic only returned to the circuit in December after her own maternity leave, but has not dropped a set so far.
"She's an incredibly tough player. She fights a lot," said Osaka.
"I think it's really cool that she also had a baby and she came back as well."
Russian Andreeva announced her burgeoning talent by beating Sabalenka in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year and faces Poland's 23rd seed Magdalena Frech later.
In other women's draw early action, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova swept past Germany's Laura Siegemund, who stunned Zheng Qinwen in the second round, 6-1, 6-2.
The Russian 27th seed will face Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic for a place in the quarter-finals.
Vekic outlasted another Russian, 12th seed Diana Shnaider, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5 in the day's first match on Margaret Court Arena
Seventh seed Jessica Pegula, the US Open finalist last year, takes on Serbia's Olga Danilovic to round off the action on centre court.
Djokovic eyes Alcaraz
In the men's draw Djokovic and Alcaraz will look to remain on track for a quarter-final clash.
Ten-time champion Djokovic first must dispose of Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac in a prime-time evening match to reach the last 16, while Alcaraz faces Portugal's unseeded Nuno Borges.
Djokovic set another record in the second round when he played his 430th Slam contest to claim sole ownership of most singles matches played, men or women, in the Open era ahead of Roger Federer (429) and Serena Williams (423).
Zverev came into Melbourne at a career-high number two ranking and has barely been troubled in two straight-sets victories.
He faces up-and-coming Briton Jacob Fearnley, who saw off an ailing Nick Kyrgios in the first round.
Jakub Mensik, the Czech teenager who shocked sixth seed Casper Ruud in round two, will make his bid to reach the second week against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
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