Nadal breezes into 3rd round at Australian Open

STAFF WRITER 9:49 HRS IST

Melbourne, Jan 20 (AP) Rafael Nadal extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 23 matches, continuing his pursuit of a "Rafa Slam" with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 win over American qualifier Ryan Sweeting to reach the third round of the Australian Open.

The top-ranked Nadal is aiming to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

He's conceded only four games en route to the third round, sealing his win over Sweeting today with another of his rifling forehands.

After retiring with an injury in the quarterfinals at the last Australian Open, Nadal rebounded to win the French, Wimbledon and U S Open.

Kuznetsova continues steady progress

MELBOURNE: Svetlana Kuznetsova insisted on Saturday she doesn't care about the lack of attention she gets despite being a top 10 player as she continued her steady progress at the Australian Open.

The eighth seed is the forgotten Russian at this year's Australian Open, with most of the column inches devoted to Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva.

However, she won the US Open in 2004, beating Dementieva in the final, and has been in the top 10 for the last three years so cannot be discounted for the title. "I don't care about the (lack of) attention," she said.

"Before maybe I was thinking about it but now, no, I don't care. In the end what is important is the result." The 23-year-old from St Petersburg ensured a place in the fourth round when she downed Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

She survived three set points in the first set tie-break to clinch the set then broke Bondarenko early in the next set to take out a tense clash. "It was tough but I think I did the right things," Kuznetsova said. "I tried to play to my serve and wait for her mistakes, and she was waiting for my mistakes. Sometimes I went for too much and I made too many unforced errors."

Kuznetsova said saving the set points in the first set had been crucial. "It was great, I was just looking to fight for every point and that is what I did," she said.

The Russian next meets China's Zheng Jie, who beat Bondarenko's sister Kateryna 6-2, 6-2, and must be favoured to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne for the first time since 2005.

"Zheng's tough -- I've never lost to her but I know she's very confident now and she's playing better," Kuznetsova said.

"She's very dangerous. I think I have to be very focussed. She plays very flat and she moves well."

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kuznetsova_continues_steady_progress/articleshow/4025568.cms

Murray, Williams sisters take easy route as Open sizzles

MELBOURNE: Andy Murray and the Williams sisters took the easy route at the Australian Open on Tuesday, breezing into the second round in furnace-like conditions.

As temperatures soared past 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), fourth seed Murray barely broke a sweat against Romanian Davis Cup captain Andrei Pavel who retired with a back injury when the Scot was leading 6-2, 3-1.

Second-seeded Serena Williams was equally comfortable in her 6-3, 6-2 mauling of China's Meng Yuan, not needing the ice vests offered to players between games in such sizzling heat.

Matching her sister, sixth seed Venus barely broke stride as she sauntered past Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3.

While they cruised, Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva survived a gruelling test before grinding down Germany's Kristina Barrois in three sets, while Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska became the biggest casualty so far.

Australian hope Lleyton Hewitt joined Radwanska on the scrap heap after slumping in five sets to Chilean 13th seed Fernando Gonzalez.

Murray is now undefeated in six matches this season as he goes in search of Britain's first Grand Slam title since 1936.

"Obviously you don't want to finish a match like that. Andrei's been having problems with his back for a year," said the world number four.

"It's unfortunate I had to stop but I felt like I was hitting the ball well. I guess if you want to do well in the tournament, it's good to conserve some energy. Hopefully that was a good thing."

The Scot, who was coasting through the match after breaking twice to take the opening set in 31 minutes, is the form player of recent months and is seen as a real chance to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

The experienced Williams is looking for her 10th major crown and her fourth in Melbourne.

Only a few select women, including Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, have won more major titles than the formidable 27-year-old.

Forgoing her usual flashy outfits for a nondescript dark blue number, the American powered past Meng in just 75 minutes.

"I think I hit some pretty solid shots, sometimes I even went for some shots just to try something different," she said, downplaying the effect of the heat.

"There wasn't so much humidity out there, the dry heat is actually better than the humidity. But it was definitely extreme conditions."

Venus, who has yet to lift the Melbourne title, was untroubled by Kerber.

"I'm feeling the best that I can and I'm glad to be in the second round," she said.

Dementieva is widely regarded as a dark horse for the championship after already winning two titles this year.

But the Beijing Olympic gold medallist was pushed to the limit in the 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-1 win, emerging victorious to take her recent unbeaten run to 11 matches.

"I'm just happy to survive," she said.

Other players to progress included 13th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, while China's unseeded Peng Shuai sent Italian 28th seed Francesca Schiavone packing. Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng Jie beat France's Camille Pin.

Amelie Mauresmo, the champion in 2006, showed no signs of the thigh strain that forced her out of the Brisbane International in her 6-4, 6-3 win over Olga Govortsova.

On the men's side, French sixth seed Giles Simon quiety went about his business to beat unseeded Spaniard Pablo Andujar in straight sets.

World number one and top seed Rafael Nadal plays later on Tuesday.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4004841.cms

Murray, Williams sisters take easy route as Open sizzles

MELBOURNE: Andy Murray and the Williams sisters took the easy route at the Australian Open on Tuesday, breezing into the second round in furnace-like conditions.

As temperatures soared past 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), fourth seed Murray barely broke a sweat against Romanian Davis Cup captain Andrei Pavel who retired with a back injury when the Scot was leading 6-2, 3-1.

Second-seeded Serena Williams was equally comfortable in her 6-3, 6-2 mauling of China's Meng Yuan, not needing the ice vests offered to players between games in such sizzling heat.

Matching her sister, sixth seed Venus barely broke stride as she sauntered past Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3.

While they cruised, Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva survived a gruelling test before grinding down Germany's Kristina Barrois in three sets, while Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska became the biggest casualty so far.

Australian hope Lleyton Hewitt joined Radwanska on the scrap heap after slumping in five sets to Chilean 13th seed Fernando Gonzalez.

Murray is now undefeated in six matches this season as he goes in search of Britain's first Grand Slam title since 1936.

"Obviously you don't want to finish a match like that. Andrei's been having problems with his back for a year," said the world number four.

"It's unfortunate I had to stop but I felt like I was hitting the ball well. I guess if you want to do well in the tournament, it's good to conserve some energy. Hopefully that was a good thing."

The Scot, who was coasting through the match after breaking twice to take the opening set in 31 minutes, is the form player of recent months and is seen as a real chance to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

The experienced Williams is looking for her 10th major crown and her fourth in Melbourne.

Only a few select women, including Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, have won more major titles than the formidable 27-year-old.

Forgoing her usual flashy outfits for a nondescript dark blue number, the American powered past Meng in just 75 minutes.

"I think I hit some pretty solid shots, sometimes I even went for some shots just to try something different," she said, downplaying the effect of the heat.

"There wasn't so much humidity out there, the dry heat is actually better than the humidity. But it was definitely extreme conditions."

Venus, who has yet to lift the Melbourne title, was untroubled by Kerber.

"I'm feeling the best that I can and I'm glad to be in the second round," she said.

Dementieva is widely regarded as a dark horse for the championship after already winning two titles this year.

But the Beijing Olympic gold medallist was pushed to the limit in the 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-1 win, emerging victorious to take her recent unbeaten run to 11 matches.

"I'm just happy to survive," she said.

Other players to progress included 13th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, while China's unseeded Peng Shuai sent Italian 28th seed Francesca Schiavone packing. Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng Jie beat France's Camille Pin.

Amelie Mauresmo, the champion in 2006, showed no signs of the thigh strain that forced her out of the Brisbane International in her 6-4, 6-3 win over Olga Govortsova.

On the men's side, French sixth seed Giles Simon quiety went about his business to beat unseeded Spaniard Pablo Andujar in straight sets.

World number one and top seed Rafael Nadal plays later on Tuesday.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4004841.cms