Melbourne: Novak Djokovic underlined his supremacy in men’s tennis on Friday as he marched unstoppably into the Australian Open fourth round - along with Serena Williams, who raced through in just 44 minutes.
Djokovic looked like the man to beat as he weathered a strong challenge from Andreas Seppi to reach the first weekend without dropping a set.
The top seed and defending champion saved two third-set points against Seppi before reeling off the next four points to clinch it 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), his 33rd straight victory over Italian opposition.
It was a moment that once again demonstrated the mental strength of the Serbian 10-time Grand Slam winner - against an awkward opponent who beat Roger Federer at the same stage last year.
Maria Sharapova also weathered a fightback when she beat pint-sized American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, helped by a strategic break and change of dress, for her 600th career win.
Sharapova left the court after she lost the second-set tiebreak but after she came back refreshed and revitalised, she raced to victory to set up a clash with Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.
Williams had no such problems as she crushed overawed Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-1 in 44 minutes, the shortest match of the tournament so far.
“I definitely think I played better today. Everything I’ve been trying to work on was kind of clicking today,” said the buoyant world number one, who is seeking a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title.
The busy day of action helped take the focus off corruption claims which have overshadowed the year’s first Grand Slam after a report said players had been suspected of fixing matches but never faced action.
Belgium’s David Goffin awaits Federer in round four, after he beat Dominic Thiem 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 in a match which included a generous act of sportsmanship from the Austrian.
Thiem, leading in the second set, told the umpire to give a point to Goffin rather than replay it after a Hawk-Eye challenge found a shot from the Belgian had landed in.
Elsewhere, fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska reeled off nine straight games to floor Monica Puig 6-4, 6-0, despite continuing pain from a left-leg injury which stopped her competing in Sydney last week.
And Roberta Vinci was knocked out by Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam in three sets, meaning there will be no rematch of last year’s US Open semi-final when she halted Williams’ bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam.
In other matches, Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain caused an upset when he took out 2014 US Open champion and 12th seed Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5,
Japan’s Kei Nishikori beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ousted fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/4).
Collated results from the Australian Open Grand Slam at Melbourne Park on Friday:
Men’s singles
3rd rd
Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS x29) 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA x28) 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (8/6)
Roger Federer (SUI x3) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x27) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Kei Nishikori (JPN x7) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP x26) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
David Goffin (BEL x15) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT x19) 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x9) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/4)
Gilles Simon (FRA x14) bt Federico Delbonis (ARG) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
Roberto Bautista (ESP x24) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x12) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5
Women’s singles
3rd rd
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 6-1, 6-1
Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-3, 6-4
Belinda Bencic (SUI x12) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Maria Sharapova (RUS x5) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-0
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x4) bt Monica Puig (PUR) 6-4, 6-0
Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x13) 0-6, 6-4, 6-4
Carla Suarez (ESP x10) bt Elizaveta Kulichkova (RUS) 6-4, 2-0 abandon
Daria Gavrilova (AUS) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x28) 6-4, 4-6, 11-9
