MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Six-time champion Roger Federer was pushed to the brink by unseeded Australian John Millman but the Swiss prevailed in a fifth-set tiebreak yesterday to reach the Australian Open fourth round on a day of huge upsets at Melbourne Park.
Third seed Federer recovered from 8-4 down in the fifth set tiebreak to complete a heroic comeback in a 4-6 7-6(2) 6-4 4-6 7-6(8) victory over home favourite John Millman.
The Swiss, chasing a record-extending 21st Grand Slam title, recorded his 100th Australian Open match win to reach the second week of the tournament.
Earlier, Serena Williams and defending champion Naomi Osaka suffered shock defeats that tore open the women’s draw.
Chinese 27th seed Wang Qiang extended former world number one Serena Williams’ wait for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, producing a superb performance to seal a 6-4 6-7(2) 7-5 win over the American and move into the fourth round.
American 15-year-old Coco Gauff, beaten in straight sets by Naomi Osaka in the third round of the U.S. Open last year, came up with a superb display to stun the defending Australian Open champion 6-3 6-4 in 67 minutes and reach the round of 16.
Gauff ranked the victory as “somewhere around the top” of her biggest wins.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki brought the curtain down on her glittering career as she suffered a 7-5 3-6 7-5 defeat at the hands of Tunisia’s rising star, Ons Jabeur. Wozniacki said that the tough match which went the distance was the appropriate way to end her career.
“It was only fitting that my last match would be a three- setter, a grinder and my career would finish with a forehand error. I guess it was meant to be,” Wozniacki said in a courtside interview.
“I really am happy. I’m excited for what’s to come. You might see me around off the court.”
Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic thumped down 19 aces as he knocked out sixth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 7-5 6-4 7-6(2) to reach the second week in Melbourne for the seventh time.
Seven-times champion Novak Djokovic made short work of his second Japanese opponent in as many matches, felling Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3 6-2 6-2 in 85 minutes to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 50th time in his career.
Diego Schwartzman was in a humorous mood following his win over Dusan Lajovic, when asked in a courtside interview about his potential fourth-round meeting with Yoshihito Nishioka or world number two Novak Djokovic.
“I just know Nishioka, because he is my size,” Schwartzman said of the Japanese 24-year-old, who like him is also 5ft 7in. “The other guy I really don’t know.”
World number one Ash Barty kept alive hopes of a local champion for the first time since 1978 with a 6-3 6-2 demolition of 29th-seed Elena Rybakina.
Barty needed just 78 minutes to beat the 20-year-old from Kazakhstan to advance to the fourth round.
