Fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev superior to the fourth spherical of the Australian Open for the third time in 4 years with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over Dan Evans on Saturday.
Rublev hit 60 winners, together with 10 aces.
“Each match I’m taking part in higher and higher,” Rublev mentioned. “At the start of the yr I misplaced a few shut matches in opposition to actually good gamers and misplaced a little bit of confidence.”
Rublev, who will play both ninth-seeded Holger Rune or Ugo Humbert within the final 16, additionally thanked Evans for serving to him out through the match by giving him a banana.
“I requested for a banana they usually didn’t have any,” Rublev mentioned. “Dan had requested for bananas earlier and had two and he simply gave me one. He helped me with the power.”
Belinda Bencic reached the fourth spherical for the primary time since 2016 when she beat Camila Giorgi 6-2, 7-5 on Rod Laver Area.
Bencic was damaged when serving for the match at 5-4 however she broke within the following recreation after which served out to like for victory.
“I’m actually completely happy I received a second probability to serve it out,” she mentioned. “However general I feel it was an awesome match. (At 6-5) I simply tried to calm down. My coach (Dmitri Tursunov) was displaying me calm down (indicators).”
Bencic, who performs both Aryna Sabalenka or Elise Mertens subsequent, received the warm-up occasion in Adelaide earlier than the Australian Open and has received eight matches in a row.
“I feel numerous credit score goes to my coach,” she mentioned. “We began working collectively on the finish of October on the Billie Jean King Cup. We’re altering some issues . . . I’m out of my consolation zone, up to now it’s working properly.”
Former top-ranked Karolina Pliskova additionally reached the final 16 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Varvara Gracheva. Pliskova, who final made the second week in Melbourne in 2019, didn’t face a break level.
“My serve, it may be a very good weapon,” she mentioned. “I’m not doing as a lot working from the baseline.”
Pliskova subsequent performs Zhang Shaui, who ended the run of American qualifier Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2.
Donna Vekic superior to the fourth spherical for the second time in three years with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain. Vekic will meet both Czech gamers Marketa Vondrousova or Linda Fruhvirtova within the fourth spherical.