Top seed and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek continued to carve her way through the Australian Open 2023 draw on Friday (January 20), dismantling Cristina Bucsa 6-0, 6-1 in bright sunshine on the Margaret Court Arena to reach the fourth round. The 21-year-old world number one, who is looking to add a first Melbourne Park crown to the French and U.S. Open titles she won last year, was all business as she whipped through the first set in 23 minutes.


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World number 100 Bucsa had simply no answer to Swiatek’s all-court game and the Spaniard only managed to avoid the dreaded ‘double bagel’ 6-0, 6-0 scoreline by holding her last service game. Swiatek should face a tougher test in Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the last 16 after the big-serving Kazakh earlier upset last year's losing finalist Danielle Collins.



Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula progress as well


American title favorites Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff had convincing third-round wins on Friday at the Australian Open 2023. The third-seeded Pegula, a quarterfinalist the past two years at Melbourne Park, needed 65 minutes for a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Marta Kostyuk. Seventh-seeded Gauff beat Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-2 to reach the last 16.


Pegula raced through the first set and though Kostyuk established herself in the second set, she was always playing catch-up. “I thought I just didn’t give away a lot of free points,” said Pegula, who will meet Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, in the next round. “I was playing aggressive when I had to but also smart. Happy to be through to the next round.”


Gauff had to withstand a barrage of big hitting from Pera. “Today was a tough match,” Gauff said. “Bernarda hit the….I can’t say that word…she hit the ball really hard, I was just trying to hang in there. I’m happy to be through to the second week.”


(with Agency inputs)