Serena Williams motors into fourth round of Australian Open

Image Courtesy: Reuters

American tennis star Serena Williams powered into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday following a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Ukrainian teenager Dayana Yastremska to continue her charge through the Melbourne Park draw.

The 37-year-old, who is chasing a record-extending eighth Melbourne title in the professional era, barely broke a sweat on a sunny afternoon at Rod Laver Arena as she sent 20 winners flying past the 57th-ranked 18-year-old.

Yastremska rolled her right ankle midway through and took a medical time-out to have her foot bandaged when trailing 4-1 in the second set.

It stalled defeat only briefly, however, as Williams broke her a third time in the set and claimed the match when the Ukrainian sprayed a cross-court forehand wide.

Williams will play the winner of the match between her elder sister Venus and top-seed Simona Halep for a place in the quarter-finals.

In another women's singles clash, U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka survived a huge scare against Hsieh Su-wei as she rebounded strongly from a set down to clinch a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win over the Taiwanese in the third round of the Australian Open. 

Osaka has now set up a clash for a quarterfinal place against Anastasija Sevastova, who has also stormed into the fourth round of the first major of the season following a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 triumph over China's Wang Qiang.