Smooth Rafael
Nadal has an easy day as Wozniacki gets back on track
RAFAEL Nadal stormed into the round of 16 at the Australian Open with a vintage performance as Grigor Dimitrov and Caroline Wozniacki kept their Grand Slam hopes alive on a hot draining day.
But French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko’s tournament is over, with the Latvian seventh seed crashing out in three sets to Estonian Annet Kontaveit.
Spanish world No. 1 Nadal showed no mercy to 28th seed Damir Dzumhur on Margaret Court Arena, as he rediscovers his best form after ankle trouble.
The top seed raced through the match in just one hour 50 minutes, wasting as little energy as possible in the 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 rout.
“I was very, very focused,” Nadal said.
“I’m very happy with everything and to have another chance on .”
That chance will be against 24th seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman for a place in the quar-
ter-finals.
Third seed Dimitrov, who could meet Nadal in the semi-finals, had plenty to prove after a huge second-round fright from a qualifier, who pushed him to five sets.
And the Bulgarian delivered in a testing 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Russian rising star Andrey Rublev as temperatures touched 40°C.
“These are the most important matches for me, when things are not working for me and I find a way,” he said.
“I’m feeling good physically, the heat didn’t scare me at all today, so that’s a good sign.”
He will next face Australian Nick Kyrgios who beat French veteran Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four close and entertaining sets in a primetime evening match on Rod Laver Arena.
“It was amazing. I’ve never won a match on this court before but playing Jo I was obviously very nervous,” said the 17th seeded local hope. Second seed Wozniacki has not impressed so far, but she put in a better performance to beat Dutch 30th seed Kiki Bertens 6-4, 6-3, finally getting over the line on her fourth match point.
It sets her up with a clash against 19th-seeded Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.
Fourth seed Elina Svitolina also kept her title dreams alive by ending the hopes of young teenage pretender Marta Kostyuk.
At just 15, Kostyuk was the youngest Melbourne Park thirdround contestant since Martina Hingis in 1996.
But she still has a lot to learn with fellow Ukrainian Svitolina handing out a 6-2, 6-2 lesson.
“She’s definitely got a bright future,” said Svitolina.
She now plays another qualifier – big- serving Czech Denisa Allertova who romped past Magda Linette 6-1, 6-4 – for a place in the quarter-finals tomorrow.