While top-seeded and three-time champion Roger Federer played Albert Montanes in a Rod Laver Arena crammed with 15,000 fans, top-ranked and Australian Open defending champion Serena Williams took on Carla Suarez Navarro at the neighboring show arena with a retractable roof that seats 10,000.
One hour and 48 minutes and 1:21 later, respectively, Federer and Williams walked off their courts after booking fourth-round matches on Monday. Federer beat Montanes 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and Williams defeated Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad hereWilliams, who beat Dinara Safina in last year’s final, needed a marathon final game of the opening set Saturday to clinch it, facing five break points, 13 deuces and won on her eighth set point. The final game lasted nearly 20 minutes — longer than the five previous games combined in the 37-minute set.
“I think it was definitely the toughest 6-love set, especially in the end because she was really fighting for it,” Williams said. “I thought, ’OK, Serena, don’t put too much pressure on this. Worst-case scenario it will be 5-1.”’
Serena’s sister Venus also advanced when she beat Australian wild-card entry Casey Dellacqua 6-1, 7-6 (4), winning on her fourth match point with an ace. The Williams siblings could meet in the semifinals but Venus must first overcome Francesca Schiavone of Italy, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2, 6-2.
Venus is thinking final, which would mean beating Serena along the way.
“Of course I want to progress well to the final, that is my goal,” Venus said. “So far, I’m getting closer. You know how it works. Just got to play well every match.”
Melbourne sports fans regularly pack a 100,000-seat Australian Rules football and cricket stadium and turn the southern hemisphere’s biggest horse race — the Melbourne Cup — into a weeklong festival.
U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark beat Shahar Peer of Israel 6-4, 6-0. Wozniacki will face Li Na of China, who equaled her best run at Melbourne Park when she advanced 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 over 2008 semifinalist Daniela Hantuchova.
Sam Stosur beat Italian Alberta Brianti 6-4, 6-1, No. 7 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus had a 6-0, 6-2 win over Italy’s Tathiana Garbin to set up a fourth-rounder against No. 9 Vera Zvonareva of Russia, who beat Argentina’s Gisela Dulko 6-1, 7-5.
Stosur will next play Serena Williams. No. 13-seeded Stosur beat the 11-time Grand Slam singles champion the last time they played in California last year.
“I just remember I hit some great shots and she returned them back for winners,” Williams said. “I know what to expect. She has nothing to lose going into this match.”
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