3 minute read

How day four of the Australian Open unfolded at Melbourne Park.

SNAPSHOT FROM DAY FOUR AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

PLAYER OF THE DAY: Ashleigh Barty - the Aussie ironwoman continued her two-pronged title assault with a fighting three-set first-round doubles win with two-time singles champion Victoria Azarenka over Peng Shaui and Yang Zhaoxuan.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'm always rooting for her, that's for sure." - tennis great Andre Agassi recalling how Aussie darling Ashleigh Barty spent a week with him and superstar wife Steffi Graf in Las Vegas as a young teenager.

STAT OF THE DAY: Kei Nishikori withstood a barrage of 59 aces from Croatian serving colossus Ivo Karlovic to prevail 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 5-7 7-6 (10-7) and reach the third round with successive five-set escapes.

TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: Former semi-finalists Hyeon Chung and Milos Raonic, who downed 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, were among the big names to join Nishikori in the third round, while US Open titleholder Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova and Madison Keys progressed to the women's last 32.