Former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev yesterday locked in an all-Russian Adelaide International quarter-final with Karen Khachanov, while Aryna Sabalenka stormed back to book her place in the last eight.
Medvedev, runner-up at the past two Australian Opens, blew away the new year cobwebs with a 6-0, 6-3 romp over Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.
It came a day after the 2021 US Open champion had to save nine set points against first-round opponent Lorenzo Sonego before the Italian retired hurt.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“I’m not sure there were any [easy opponents] from the first round, so really happy to be through, happy with my level,” Medvedev said.
Next up is eighth seed Khachanov, who eased past Britain’s Jack Draper 6-4, 6-2.
Rising Japanese star Yoshihito Nishioka also went through. Having dispatched fifth seed Holger Rune in the first round, he backed up to beat American Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-3.
His reward is a last eight clash with qualifier Alexei Popyrin. The Australian, who stunned second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday, defeated American Marcos Giron 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
World No. 5 Sabalenka came back from 1-5 down in the first set to fight past dogged Russian Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3) and make the quarter-finals.
She is to meet Marketa Vondrousova for a place in the last four after the Czech player’s dominant 6-0, 6-4 dismissal of Estonian Kaia Kanepi.
Russian world No. 9 Veronika Kedermetova also progressed, beating Canada’s Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 6-0, while Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk overpowered Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-3.
ASB CLASSIC
AFP, AUCKLAND, New Zealand
Second-seed American Sloane Stephens yesterday suffered a first-round exit as rain forced players indoors at the ASB Classic in Auckland and cast a cloud over the remainder of the tournament.
An intense storm has settled over the north of New Zealand and is threatening to force organizers to play the remainder of the tournament at indoor training courts, where there is no capacity for spectators.
That unwanted scenario appeared to have an effect on former US Open champion Stephens, who paid for a slew of mistakes in a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) loss to Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova.
Only five singles matches were completed on day three, with former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin not as ruffled by the shift indoors, seeing off China’s Wang Xinyu 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.
It sets up the most anticipated second-round match today, with Kenin to face top-seeded fellow American Coco Gauff.
In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Latisha Chan and partner Alexa Guarachi of Chile beat Brazil’s Ingrid Martins and the US’ Ingrid Neel 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals.
Chan and Guarachi are next to play Leylah Fernandez of Canada and Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US.
Additional reporting by staff writer
UNITED CUP
AP, SYDNEY
Frances Tiafoe yesterday beat Britain’s Daniel Evans 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to move the US into the United Cup mixed teams tournament semi-finals.
Tiafoe’s victory gave the Americans a 3-1 winning lead in the best-of-five Sydney City Final, while Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz pushed it to 4-1 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Harriet Dart and Daniel Evans in the late mixed doubles match.
The US is among four teams in the semi-final portion of the tournament that begins tomorrow at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.
In the Brisbane City Final, Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz dominated Italy’s Camilla Rosatello and Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-2 in the mixed doubles to send their team into the semi-finals.
In the third city final in Perth, Croatia and Greece were level at 2-2 as of press time ahead of the mixed doubles.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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