Novak Djokovic found his form at the Australian Open in a straightforward win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The 10-time champion has been struggling with illness and was well short of his best in his first two matches, particularly a second-round clash with Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday that he was lucky to escape. But Djokovic, playing his 100th match at Melbourne Park, looked much more like his usual self in a 6-3 6-3 7-6 (2) victory over Argentina’s Etcheverry, who beat Andy Murray in the first round.
Elsewhere, defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka thrashed Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 6-0 6-0, before Tsurenko spoke out in support of her homeland in the ongoing war after refusing to shake the Belarusian’s hand.
Coco Gauff also comfortably progressed, while 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva is also through to round four. In the men’s, Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz all triumphed earlier on Friday. Home hero Alex de Minaur was a comfortable winner on Friday night, while Sebastian Korda plays Andrey Rublev in one of the day’s most intriguing matches.
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