Teenager Mirra Andreeva saved a match point as she staged a remarkable third-set comeback to reach the Australian Open fourth round.
The Russian, 16, somehow beat France's Diane Parry 1-6 6-1 7-6 (10-5) despite being 5-1 down in the deciding set and facing a match point on her serve. Andreeva reeled off five games in a row and served for the match, but Parry broke back to force a tie-break.
However, Andreeva dominated the breaker to secure her place in the next round. Andreeva, who is making her first Australian Open appearance, also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.
Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka continued her emphatic title defence with a 52-minute 6-0 6-0 victory over Lesia Tsurenko. Belarusian second seed Sabalenka has lost just six games in her three matches at Melbourne Park this year.
“Last year Iga [Swiatek] won so many sets 6-0 and one of my goals is trying to get closer to her,” Sabalenka said.
Coco Gauff also advanced on Friday with a 6-0 6-2 win over Alycia Parks.
‘I'll print it out!' – Andreeva on praise from Murray
During a run to the French Open third round last year Andreeva said she was inspired by a text from Andy Murray and the Scot praised her mental strength again, external on social media after her comeback against Parry.
“I didn't expect him to watch or say anything at all,” she joked in an interview with the BBC.
“When I saw him commenting and then posting it, I will print it out, I will put it in a frame and I will bring it everywhere with me!”
At last year's Australian Open Andreeva was playing in the girls' singles as a 15-year-old and reached the final before losing to friend and doubles partner Alina Korneeva. She began 2023 ranked 405th in the world but ended it 47th. Earlier this week she brushed aside sixth seed Ons Jabeur for her first win against a top-10 player.
“All the kids and everybody have dreams to become world number and to win a lot of Grand Slams,” she said.
“For me, it's just to have a career that everybody will remember, like Roger Federer, like Rafael Nadal.
“They're not playing but everybody is still talking about them everyday, every night. I just want to be the player who everybody remembers.”
Sabalenka continues dominant form
Sabalenka has enjoyed serene progress in Melbourne so far and has also seen some of her title rivals exit early. World number one Swiatek's first two matches have kept her on court for more than five hours, with the Pole having to come back from the brink against Danielle Collins in the second round.
Third seed Elena Rybakina, who Sabalenka beat in last year's final, was beaten in a record-breaking tie-break in the second round, while fifth seed Jessica Pegula also lost on Thursday. Sabalenka, by contrast, has spent just under three hours on court and has yet to be truly tested.
She reached the semi-finals of all four majors last year but says she is in even better form this year, saying in her on-court interview that “Aryna 2024” would beat the Sabalenka of last season.
“I think today's performance was perfection,” she said. “There is always something to improve, you know.
“You just can't be happy with the level you are at right now so you always have to keep moving, keep improving.”
She could face a tougher test against Anisimova, who is playing her first major since taking a seven-month break for her mental health, and beat former world number two Paula Badosa 7-5 6-4. Sabalenka could potentially meet Gauff, who beat her in the New York final last year, in the semi-finals.
Gauff has also yet to drop a set at this year's tournament and was equally dominant against American compatriot Parks on Friday.
She will face either Poland's Magdalena Frech or Russian qualifier Anastasia Zakharova next, while Sabalenka will play Amanda Anisimova.
— CutC by bbc.com
