THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019 16 Federer, Nadal stay on track Dominant Sharapova win sets up Wozniacki clash in third round

Consistent • wins battle of lefties

Sixth seed Cilic grinds KNOW WHAT into• Open third round

AFP | Melbourne is bidding for his own oger Federer ground out slice of history by a tough three-set win to becoming the first Rmake the Australian Open man in the Open era, third round for an incredible and only the third in 20th straight year yesterday, history, to win each with long-time rival Rafael Na- dal also safely through in his on two or drive towards an 18th Grand Spain’s Rafael Nadal hits a return against Australia’s more occasions Switzerland’s hits a return against Britain’s Daniel Evans Slam title. Women’s defending champion year after winning three titles, away to his credit.” era, and only the third in history in the final to Federer last year, I performed,” said Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki also pro- was whipped in three sets by The Swiss star’s Australian along with Emerson and Rod had no such dramas, grinding adding that she was looking for- gressed to set up a mouth-wa- Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchen- achievements so far put him on a Laver, to win each Grand Slam past American Mackenzie Mc- ward to the Wozniacki show- tering clash next with in-form kova. par with other six-time winners on two or more occasions. Donald in four sets and next down. former world number one Maria Federer might be 37 but he’s and Roy Emer- “I played a solid match, I was plays Spanish 26th seed Fer- “It’s a tough third round but Sharapova. not showing his age, with British son -- although the Australian happy with the way I served. I nando Verdasco. I have set up the challenge and But it was curtains for South qualifier Dan Evans the latest to great’s victories all came before did a few things very well,” said Dane Wozniacki, who is I’m ready to go out there and African , who fall under his spell as he works the Open era. Nadal, who next plays Australian battling rheumatoid arthritis, take it.” slumped out to young American towards a third successive Aus- He next plays American Tay- . “It is an honour steamrolled Sweden’s Johanna Meanwhile, three-time and became the tralian crown and 21st major lor Fritz. to play here. Was a great atmos- Larsson 6-1, 6-3 as she bids to be- Grand Slam champion Kerber highest seed, at five, to be sent victory. If he goes on to win the tour- phere.” come the first woman to defend dominated Brazilian qualifier packing so far. He defeated Evans at Wim- nament, he will become the first Anderson, beaten by Novak the title since Victoria Azarenka Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 6-3 On an overcast day at Mel- bledon last year with the loss man ever to claim seven or more Djokovic in the Wimbledon fi- in 2013. to stay on a collision course bourne Park, second seed An- of just eight games, but it was titles at two Grand Slams, having nal last year, was sent home by It set up a tough clash with with Stephens in the quarter- gelique Kerber, the 2016 winner, a much harder assignment this already won eight Wimbledons. Tiafoe 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. five-time Grand Slam champi- finals. and former US Open champi- time, winning 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3), Nadal had an easier route to The fifth seed struggled with on Sharapova, who blitzed past Stephens, who endured a hor- on joined the 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena. round three, outclassing local an elbow injury early in the Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson 6-2, ror run at Melbourne Park since big guns in round three, but the “I think if I could have pulled hope Matthew Ebden 6-3, 6-2, clash and couldn’t cope with the 6-1. The Russian is in scintillat- reaching the semi-final in 2013, women’s side also saw a top 10 away earlier in the match it 6-2. 20-year-old’s power and finesse. ing form and has dropped just exiting in the first round in 2015, player crash. might have been easier,” said The Spaniard is bidding for three games in her opening two 2016 and 2018, swatted aside Ninth seed Kiki Bertens, who the third seed. “I think he played his own slice of history by be- Collision course matches. former doubles partner Timea raced through the rankings last very well, it was hard to pull coming the first man in the Open Sixth seed Marin Cilic, who lost “I’m really happy with the way Babos 6-3, 6-1.

Bernardo Silva welcomes return of Man City big guns New Zealand’s Bevin wins second AFP | City illustrated the depth Tour Down Under stage to lead of their squad as they named ernardo Silva says Man- De Bruyne, Aguero and Riyad Bchester City’s squad is Mahrez on the bench for Mon- The stage win gave New Zealand’s Patrick Bevin a 10-second time bonus, lifting approaching full strength at day’s clash with Wolves and the right time as they mount still eased to a 3-0 win. him into the overall lead of the race a four-pronged trophy assault “It feels like we have all Kevin De Bruyne and Ben- the squad, which is impor- AFP | Adelaide, Australia jamin Mendy have missed tant because we need all of large chunks of the campaign them,” said playmaker Silva. ew Zealand time-trial through injury, while David “It is good finally to be back Nchampion Patrick Bevin Silva, Fernandinho, Sergio together. swooped to take his first cycling Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan “Of course until this mo - World Tour stage and claim the have had spells out recently. ment of the season we have overall lead in Australia’s Tour But the Premier League had so many injured players, Down Under yesterday. champions are now we never played with the Bevin, 27, riding for the CCC getting close to whole squad. To have Team, capitalised on confusion full strength, with almost the whole squad in the peloton sparked by a mass Mendy the only key available is fantastic for crash inside the final kilometre player sidelined with us and it is very good to of the 122-kilometre (70-mile) a serious injury, and try and go for all the com- second stage to power home in there are hopes he petitions.” the finish. could be back in Silva, 24, has no The Kiwi unleashed a sprint action before issue with the on the uphill 700m finishing the end fact that means straight to reel in Spain’s Luis of the increased Leon Sanchez before holding off month. competition Australian star sprinter Caleb for his own Ewan and Slovakia’s former tri- place. ple world champion Peter Sagan “That is at the line. what hap- The stage win gave Bevin a pens when 10-second time bonus, lifting you play in one him into the overall lead of the Race winner and new leader Patrick Bevin (L) from New Zealand of CCC Team crosses the finish in Angaston in the of the best teams in race, five seconds ahead of Ita- Barossa Valley the world,” he said. ly’s Elia Viviani, who won Tues- sius (104 Fahrenheit). Bevin, whose previous race raise his hands in celebration. “You have fantastic day’s stage one but could only “I got to pick a pretty good best in the UCI season-open- His victory is CCC Team’s players in your posi- manage seventh the next day. line in the hard, draggy finish. ing tour was 10th in 2016 and maiden World Tour victory and tion, you have to work Bevin holds a five-second lead Once Sanchez was off the front 11th last year, avoided a pile-up his first triumph outside of a Bernardo hard to try and play over Viviani in the race gener- in the final it gave me the per- in the peloton which blocked national championship since Silva as many minutes as al classification with Ewan in fect springboard and I just went the road to the Angaston finish winning stage four of Australia’s you can. third place ahead of Germany’s long,” Bevin said. line. Herald Sun Tour in February “That is a good Max Walscheid (Team Sunweb). “It was definitely a gamble, The crash left around 25 rid- 2015. thing. It means you have Walscheid finished 23rd in you could take five seconds ers to contest the finale with The peloton once again had a good squad. Everyone yesterday’s stage through South today and lose two minutes in Bevin surging from deep before to endure brutal temperatures pushes the other teammates Australia’s famous Barossa Val- three days’ time but that’s bike dipping in behind Sanchez’s on the stage, which was cut pre- so you have to work harder to ley wine country in scorching racing, we’re here to try to win slipstream and crossing the line race by 26.9km because of the get in the team.” temperatures of 40 degrees Cel- it.” with enough time to clench and extreme weather conditions.