Reuters
Romania's Simona Halep celebrates after winning the match against Sofia Kenin of the U.S. on January 17. (REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)
Highlights of Thursday's fourth day of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
SERENA CRUISES PAST BOUCHARD
Serena Williams, chasing a record 24th Grand Slam title, struck 20 winners and converted six break points to beat Canadian Eugenie Bouchard 6-2 6-2.
The American, who recorded her 83rd match win at Melbourne Park, will face Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in the third round.
TOP SEED HALEP FENDS OFF AMERICAN KENIN
World number one Simona Halep survived an almighty scare against Sofia Kenin before she overcame the unseeded American 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 to reach the third round.
After blasting her way through the first set and racing to a 3-0 lead in the next, 2018 runner-up Halep appeared to step off the gas as she allowed the determined Kenin to level at 3-3 and eventually drag the contest into a decider.
Halep battled hard in the third set and regained control with a decisive break in the ninth game before closing out the match on her second match point in two hours and 31 minutes.
POPYRIN THROUGH AS THIEM RETIRES
Australian wildcard Alexei Popyrin advanced to the third round after seventh seed Dominic Thiem retired from the contest while trailing 7-5 6-4 2-0.
CHUNG STUNNED BY HERBERT
Last year's semi-finalist Chung Hyeon, seeded 24th, was knocked out by unseeded Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-2 1-6 6-2 6-4. Frenchman Herbert meets Milos Raonic next.
RAONIC OVERCOMES WAWRINKA
Canada's Milos Raonic dropped the first set but recovered to beat Stan Wawrinka 6-7(4) 7-6(6) 7-6(11) 7-6(5) in a contest that lasted just over four hours.
PLAY UNDERWAY AFTER RAIN DELAY
Action resumed on the main showcourts at Melbourne following a short spell of rain.
OSAKA SAILS THROUGH
U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka powered past unseeded Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-2 6-4. She plays Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei in the next round.
RAIN DELAY IN MELBOURNE
Play was suspended at the Australian Open due to rain. Stan Wawrinka and 16th seed Milos Raonic were locked at 4-4 in the third set having claimed one set apiece in their second round encounter on Rod Laver Arena.
NISHIKORI MADE TO WORK HARD FOR WIN OVER KARLOVIC
Kei Nishikori was dragged into a five-setter for the second match in a row but the eighth seed dug deep to beat Croatian veteran Ivo Karlovic 6-3 7-6(6) 5-7 5-7 7-6(7).
The Japanese looked in control after taking a two-set lead but the 39-year-old Karlovic did not back down and levelled the contest. Nishikori held his nerve in a tight decider to prevail in three hours and 48 minutes.
SEVASTOVA BATTLES PAST ANDREESCU
U.S. Open semi-finalist Anastasija Sevastova overcame a mid-match blip to defeat Canadian qualifier Bianca Andreescu 6-3 3-6 6-2 and advance to the third round. The 13th seed takes on China's Wang Qiang next.
GIORGI SWATS ASIDE SWIATEK
Italy's Camila Giorgi took less than an hour to move into the third round with a 6-2 6-0 victory over Polish qualifier Iga Swiatek.
The 27-year-old capitalised on a poor service game from Swiatek to sieze six of her 11 break opportunities and will next face either seventh seed Karolina Pliskova or Madison Brengle.
PLAY UNDERWAY AT MELBOURNE PARK
Play got underway on schedule under cloudy skies at 11 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) with the temperature hovering just above the 25 degrees Celsius mark with an expected high of 37C and some rain forecast.
Former men's champion Stan Wawrinka should prove a dangerous opponent for 16th seed Milos Raonic when they are up second on Rod Laver Arena, while Serena Williams continues her quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title against Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in the first match of the evening session.
Men's eighth seed Kei Nishikori, who was in danger of losing his first round match to Kamil Majchrzak before the Polish qualifier suffered severe cramping, faces Ivo Karlovic on Margaret Court Arena.
