Rublev

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — There was a moment at the Australian Open on Saturday that must have felt very much like a chance for a career-defining result ...

2 Casper Ruud, twice a major finalist last year (beaten by Brooksby); and No. Open champ and the runner-up at Melbourne Park each of the last two years (beaten by Korda), have at the very least made some newcomers feel welcome in the latter stages. “It feels pretty surreal,” said Fruhvirtova, who is appearing in just her second major tournament and got past 2019 French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in a match between a pair of players from the Czech Republic. 9 seed Holger Rune, a 19-year-old from Denmark, would still be in the bracket, and are set up to face each other for a quarterfinal berth on Monday, should come as a surprise to no one. That result, the last of the third round, left Novak Djokovic as the only player among the 16 remaining men who has won a Grand Slam title. “So this time, I just don’t want to even try to think about opportunity or something.” 1 Rafael Nadal, the defending champion and owner of 22 major trophies (beaten by American Mackenzie McDonald); No. 22 Alex de Minaur, a 23-year-old from Australia, who advanced Saturday and now gets the unenviable task of meeting 21-time Slam champion Djokovic. That works for a little bit, then it doesn’t, then works again. Wolf next plays yet another American, 89th-ranked Shelton, who won the NCAA title for the University of Florida as a sophomore last year, then turned pro. Paul, who is ranked 35th, topped Californian Jenson Brooksby by a score of 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. “It kind of always starts well in last few matches, including this one, and then some movement happens and then it gets worse,” said Djokovic, who got his leg massaged by a trainer during some changeovers Saturday.

Before Saturday's meeting with Dan Evans, fifth seed Andrey Rublev predicted that the decisive factor in this match would be “If I will start to go crazy or ...

This was also the last tournament he played with a functioning and organic right hip. If he plays like that and sticks to that, he has a decent chance.” For another, he also “changed his game to how he played me a few times before” – in Evans’s words – by targeting Evans’s weaker backhand wing. I donated one of mine so he could have one.” Would he have been so considerate with an opponent he disliked? Evans’s caring and sharing attitude was a little out of character for a man who likes to get in his opponents’ faces. But when it came to the match itself, Evans was perhaps too generous and friendly for his own good.

Dan Evans' generosity came back to bite him as he was overpowered by fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the third round of the Australian Open.

[Australian Open](https://www.tennis365.com/category/australian-open/) I had obviously a little chance in the first, had a break point (at 3-3), I didn’t take it. [News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/news/) He was very aggressive and better than me. I didn’t feel I did too much wrong. [Live Tennis](https://www.tennis365.com/category/live-tennis/) But I won the last one now. “They only brought two, so I donated (one) so he could have one.” [Tennis News](https://www.tennis365.com/category/tennis-news/) We played great matches. “It was just a nice and fun moment between us,” added Rublev.

The world number six ran away with a convincing victory as he draws near to his best grand slam finish.

Fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the third time in four years with a 6-4 6-2 6-3 win over Dan Evans here ...

Former top-ranked Karolina Pliskova also reached the last 16 with a 6-4 6-2 win over Varvara Gracheva. Pliskova next plays Zhang Shuai, who ended the run of American qualifier Katie Volynets 6-3 6-2. Fifth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka extended her streak to seven matches as she beat Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round. My coach (Dmitri Tursunov) was showing me relax (signals).” He had his right wrist checked but seemed unaffected as he claimed a convincing victory. He helped me with the energy.”

Rune of Denmark emerged victorious in his third-round match with the Frenchman Ugo Humbert despite twisting his right ankle.

Elsewhere, Jannik Sinner defeated Marton Fucsovics on Friday, he completed a thorough turnaround and advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open. The Italian won by scores of 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. "I had a great start compared to my two first rounds, so this was better," Felix said in the post-match. I stuck with it even when I was going up and down with the emotions, but I am thrilled right now, I played amazing, and it was an unbelievable match from me," he added. Korda struck the ball with confidence from the first point onwards and broke Medvedev in the first game. "It was an unbelievable match," said Korda in his on-court interview as quoted by ATP.