Australian Open 2023: Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, Belinda Bencic through to fourth round
- Published
Carolina Garcia reached the semi-finals at last year's US Open
Australian Open 2023 |
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Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 16-29 January |
Coverage: Commentary every day from 07:00 GMT on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 'Tennis Breakfast' live from Melbourne, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the BBC Sport website & app |
Fourth seed Caroline Garcia fought back to beat Laura Siegemund and reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The French 29-year-old, one of the picks for the title, came from behind to win 1-6 6-3 6-3 against the German world number 158.
Victory put the WTA Finals champion into the fourth round at Melbourne Park for just the second time.
There were also wins for fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka and 12th seed Belinda Bencic on Saturday.
Belarusian Sabalenka, who is aiming for her first Grand Slam singles title, beat her Belgian former doubles partner Elise Mertens 6-2 6-3.
She will face Bencic next after the Swiss registered a 6-2 7-5 win over Camila Giorgi of Italy.
Sabalenka to 'be like a tiger' in Bencic meeting
Aryna Sabalenka has never gone beyond the fourth round of the Australian Open
Sabalenka has reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the US Open but a major singles title has eluded her so far.
The 24-year-old has yet to lose a match in 2023, having won the Adelaide International 1 title in the build-up to the first major of the year.
Sabalenka said she would have to be "like a tiger" to beat Bencic, with both players yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park.
"I feel like I have to stay really aggressive in the first few shots and then the slower ball or shorter ball will come," Sabalenka said.
"It's all about fast feet on the first few shots. I have to be like a tiger, ready, stay low and be ready for that."
Karolina Pliskova and Donna Vekic also advanced to the last 16 in the women's singles on Saturday.
Former world number one Pliskova beat Russia's Varvara Gracheva 6-4 6-2, while Vekic defeated Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-2 6-2.
Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova, 17, reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 7-5 2-6 6-3 win over compatriot Marketa Vondrousova.
"It feels pretty surreal," said the teenager. "It's an incredible feeling. I'm just so happy and excited to be able to say: 'Hi second week!'"
In the women's doubles, American pair Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula beat Wang Xinyu of China and Japan's Moyuka Uchijima 7-5 6-1 to reach the third round.
Eight-time Grand Slam winner Samantha Stosur played the last match of her career as she and compatriot Matthew Ebden lost to Demi Schuurs and Nikola Mektic in the first round of the mixed doubles.
Stosur won the US Open singles title in 2011 as well as four women's doubles Grand Slams and three mixed doubles majors.