Sports Sunday, January 20, 2019 17 Halep sets up Serena showdown, Djokovic relentlessly marches on AFP to force a decider. MELBOURNE “I just didn’t want to give Open Talk up,” said the Japanese, who WORLD No. 1 Simona Halep received a code violation after set up a headline last 16 show- throwing her racquet. down with Serena Williams Sixth seed Elina Svito- by beating her sister Venus on lina struggled with a pain- Saturday as Novak Djokovic’s ful shoulder complaint that relentless drive towards more required treatment at every Australian Open glory cranked changeover, and medical up another gear. timeouts, before she some- On day six at Melbourne how beat China’s Zhang Sh- Park, the Romanian finally hit uai 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 as the tem- form to pull off her best win perature rose in the centre of the year and cruise past the court sunshine. veteran American 6-2, 6-3. “I just told myself ‘you’re go- ing to die or win’,” said Svitolina, who scored her biggest career win by clinching the WTA Finals in Singapore last October. She will next meet 17th- seeded American Madison Keys, while 7th seed and former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova will face two-time Slam winner Garbine Muguruza. And you are? “I was super-motivated Eighth seed Kei Nishikori Federer stopped today,” she said after being RESULTS made it back-to-back victories by security taken to three sets in both her for Japan, following Osaka on opening two matches as she Men’s SINGLES 3RD ROUND court by beating Portugal’s HE may own 20 Grand Slam Daniil Medvedev (RUS x15) bt David Goffin (BEL x21) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 titles, six of them earned at bounces back from a herni- Kei Nishikori (JPN x8) bt Joao Sousa (POR) 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 6-2 44th-ranked Joao Sousa in ated disc that ended her 2018 Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x23) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x12) 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 three sets. the Australian Open, but that season early. Milos Raonic (CAN x16) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) The 29-year-old has won all doesn’t mean Roger Federer “I have nothing to lose,” Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN x25) 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 three of his first week matches can walk about without his Alexander Zverev (GER x4) bt Alex Bolt (AUS) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 accreditation pass. she added, looking ahead to Borna Coric (CRO x11) bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena to Monday’s clash against 23-time Lucas Pouille (FRA x28) bt Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-7 (10/12), 4-6, 6-3 reach the last 16 for the seventh A video posted by the tourna- Grand Slam winner Serena. “I time in nine appearances. ment on Saturday and doing playing against a great champi- WOMen’s SINGLES 3RD ROUND “I love to play this court,” the rounds on social media Naomi Osaka (JPN x4) bt Hsieh Su-wei (TPE x28) 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 showed the Swiss being on. Its’s going to a bigger chal- Elina Svitolina (UKR x6) bt Shuai Zhang (CHN) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 said the 2014 US Open finalist lenge but I’m ready to face it.” Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x13) bt Wang Qiang (CHN x21) 6-3, 6-3 after delighting a large contin- stopped by a security guard Williams crushed Ukrain- Serena Williams (USA x16) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 6-2, 6-1 gent of Japanese fans. outside a locker room. ian Dayana Yastremska 6-2, Madison Keys (USA x17) bt Elise Mertens (BEL x12) 6-3, 6-2 He next plays Spain’s 23rd Even players are expected to Simona Halep (ROU x1) bt Venus Williams (USA) 6-2, 6-3 wear their identity lanyards on 6-1 before consoling her at the Garbine Muguruza (ESP x18) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 seed Pablo Carreno Busta. net as the teenager burst into Karolina Pliskova (CZE x7) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA x27) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 Fourth seed Alexander Melbourne Park grounds and tears. Zverev demolished Australian being the defending champion The ominous 37-year-old, wildcard Alex Bolt in straight does not make you exempt. seeded 16, has dropped just sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a Federer didn’t protest after he nine games in her three match- fourth-round match-up with was stopped, just waited for a es so far on her first return to Canada’s Milos Raonic. member of his team to come the tournament since winning The German fourth seed and vouch for his identity. it in 2017 while pregnant. said his next match would The security guard did look “I just play each match at a be “tough.” slightly embarrassed although time, play as hard as I can and “There’s not going to be a rules are rules. do the best I can. That really is Simona Halep of Romania in action against Venus Williams of the US at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday. (EPA-EFE) lot of long rallies. Both of us If he remembers his pass, all you can do,” she said as she can serve pretty well, it’s going Federer will be back on court zeroes in on an eighth Austral- Shapovalov, before demolish- seed Daniil Medvedev, who quarter-finals. Osaka’s win equals the to be fun.” on Sunday, when he faces ian title and a record-equalling ing him in the fourth stanza to eased past David Goffin and Fourth seed Naomi Osaka 21-year-old’s best perfor- France’s Lucas Pouille beat Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place 24th Slam crown. win 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. has yet to drop a set. looked down and out against mance at the Australian Open, back a challenge from Austral- in the quarter-final. Fourteen-time Grand Slam Djokovic’s victory means Another young gun Alex- Taiwanese veteran Hsieh where she reached the last 16 ian wildcard Alexei Popyrin winner and top seed Djokovic he is guaranteed to stay world ander Zverev made the last Su-wei before battling back in 2018 but lost to Halep. in an almost four-hour bat- is gunning for a record seventh number one when the new 16 for the first time when he to win 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 and set But she looked headed tle that ended 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, Australian title. rankings are released after the swatted aside Australian Alex up meeting with Latvia’s for the exit when she conced- 6-7 (10-12), 4-6, 6-3 and the He dropped a set for the tournament. Bolt in three sets and will play Anastasija Sevastova. ed the first set and was down up-and-coming 22-year-old first time this year against He next plays another up- former world number three 4-1 in the second, before Borna Coric defeated Filip fast-rising Canadian Denis and-coming star, Russia’s 15th Milos Raonic for a place in the ‘Die or win’ winning five straight games Krajinovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. ‘Agitated’ Novak regrets meltdown in floodlight fury AFP the red mist descended under “Other than the little let- against left-handers at Grand MELBOURNE bright sunshine. down that I had when I was 4-1, Slams to 18 matches. “I think there was no 4-2 up in the third set, other The last leftie to beat him at TOP seed Novak Djokovic ad- sense to turn on lights on than that I thought I played well, a major was Rafael Nadal in the mitted he should have “known court at 5pm when we have especially in the fourth set.” final at Roland Garros in 2014. better” than to let a floodlight another four hours of day- Up till his mini-meltdown, Djokovic left the court at row get to him after copping a light,” fumed the Serb 14- Djokovic had made his out- the end of the third set and code violation during a mini- time Grand Slam winner. ing on centre court look like came back refocused. meltdown in the Australian “Completely unnecessary an afternoon practice session He unleashed a massive pri- Open on Saturday. to turn on the lights. The ex- for two-and-a-half sets against mal scream to relieve his tension The Serb angrily blamed planation I got was for TV Shapovalov, one of the Next- as he broke for 2-0 before clos- floodlights for dropping a tour- reasons. I hope the viewers Gen stars tipped to take over ing out the whirlwind last set in nament set for the first time as enjoyed it,” he added. from the sport’s old guard. a match that lasted 2hr 22min. I put on 15 kilos he beat Denis Shapovalov 6-3, The normally mild-man- He skilfully dominated the “Making that break was but I’m still called 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in the third round. nered Djokovic earned his 19-year-old, who could not find crucial for me,” said Djokovic. asparagus: Zverev He seethed when leading warning from French um- enough winners to throw the “It was important to start off 3-0 in the third set against the pire Damien Dumusois for Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after a point against Canada’s Denis 14-time Grand Slam winner the fourth set well.” ALEXANDER Zverev, known for 25th-seeded Canadian when snapping at a cheeky fan who Shapovalov at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday.