Defending champion marches on in straight sets

Defending champion Angelique Kerber advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open after seeing off Kristyna Pliskova in straight sets at Melbourne Park yesterday.

The German world women’s No 1 blitzed through the opening set in just 20 minutes and resisted a late fightback to claim a 6- 0, 6- 4 victory.

In the round of 16, she will take on American Coco Vandeweghe, who had earlier beaten Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard.

The performance was more convincing from Kerber after a rusty showing in her first two matches, both of which went to three sets.

Venus Williams joined Kerber in the last 16 after cruising to a 6- 1, 6- 0 win over China’s Duan Yingying in just under an hour.

Bernard Tomic crashed out last night, leaving the host country without a second- week hope in the men’s singles for the first time in three years. Resurgent Brit Dan Evans ended Tomic’s campaign last night with a 7- 5, 7- 6 ( 7- 2), 7- 6 ( 7- 3) triumph.

The victory not only vaulted the 26- year- old into the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time, but was also more sweet revenge after Tomic’s father John once said Evans wasn’t even good enough to grace a practice court with his son.

The one- time bad boy of British tennis plummeted to No 772 in the world in 2015 and last year had his Nike sponsorship torn up, leaving Evans to pick up his own $ 20 T- shirts en route to Melbourne Park. Now he’s set to collect at least $ 220,000.

There was more bad news for Australia as wild card Ashleigh Barty lost 6- 4, 3- 6, 6- 3 to veteran German Mona Barthel. But Barty had done well to reach the last 32, her best performance at a major, on resuming her tennis career after a dalliance with cricket.

Former champion Stan Wawrinka has progressed safely into the fourth round. The fourth seeded Swiss recovered from a slow start yesterday to overcome Serbian Viktor Troicki 3- 6, 6- 2, 6- 2, 7- 6 ( 9- 7).

Wawrinka next plays Italian Andreas Seppi tomorrow after Aussie Nick Kyrgios’ conqueror marched on with a 4- 6, 6- 4, 7- 6 ( 7- 1), 7- 6 ( 7- 2) win over Belgian Steve Darcis.

Switzerland’s triple grand slam champion and US Open titleholder was relieved not to be taken to a fifth set, after he’d trailed by a service break deep in the fourth.

“It was a really close tiebreak,” Wawrinka said. “I’m really happy to get through and not having to play a fifth set.”

Former Australian Open finalist JoWilfried Tsonga is back in the round of 16 after defeating Jack Sock 7- 6 ( 4), 7- 5, 6- 7 ( 8), 6- 3.

Sock and compatriot Sam Querrey were the last American men left in the draw and both lost within moments of each other. Querrey was defeated by No 1 Andy Murray 6- 4, 6- 2, 6- 4. The Scot didn’t appear to show any side effects from the right ankle injury he sustained during his last match.

“I was moving well at the end — it was very positive,” said Murray.