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Patna : Third seed Naomi Osaka, 23, Japan; 7th seed Aryna Sabalenka, 22, Belarus; 10th seed Serena Williams, 39, USA; and 14th seed Garbine Muguruza, 27, Spain, marched into women’s singles 4th fround of Australian Open (AO) 2021 on February 12, 2021, winning their respective 3rd round matches comfortably at Melbourne Park, Australia.
Naomi Osaka, the winner of three Grand Slam single titles including the AO title in 2019, beat 27th seed Ons Jabeur, 26, Tunisia, in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 in third round winning 3 games in a row during the match. Osaka, who won US Open singles title in 2018 & 2020, won 4 break points during the match to 1 by Jabeur. She fired 8 Aces during the match to 5 by Jabeur. Osaka, in all, won 74 points to 61 by Jabeur, who had reached AO quarter-finals in 2020.
Aryna Sabalenka demolished Ann Li, 20, USA, in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 in third round winning 4 break points and 5 games in a row during the match. Sabalenka fired 7 Aces in the match to 1 by Li. The Belarussian, in all, won 67 points during the match to 44 by Li. She will face Serena Williams in 4th round.
Serena Williams, who is chasing a record equalling 24th Graand Slam singles title, beat Anastasia Potapova, 19, Russia, 7-6, 6-2 in 3rd round. Serena won 5 break points in the match to 3 by Potapova. Serena fired 9 Aces to just 2 by Potapova. The American, in all, won 78 points during the match to 63 by Potapova. Serena also won 4 games in a row in the match to 2 by Potapiva.
Garbine Muguruza, the winner of 2 Grand Slam singles title, crushed Zarina Diyas, 27, Kazakhstan, in straight sets 6-1, 6-1 in 3rd round winning 5 break points and 9 games in a row during the match. The Spainiard, who had reached AO final in 2020, won 56 points in the match to 30 by Zarina. Muguruza, who had won French Open title in 2016 and Wimbledon title in 2017, fired 3 Aces in the match. Muguruza will face Osaka in 4th round.
Hsieh Su-wei, 35, Taiwan, who had stunned 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in 2nd round, beat 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani, 33, Italy, in a three-set thriller 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 in 3rd round. Both the players won 9 break points each in the match. They also won 4 games each in a row in the match. Both the players won 116 points each during the match. Hsieh though fired 2 Aces too. Hsieh will face 19th seed Marketta Vondrousova, 21, Czech Republic, in 4th round.