Mom was superior: Victoria Azarenka into 4th spherical at Australian Open

Before Victoria Azarenka had an opportunity to research each gamers she would possibly meet subsequent, a query was posed to her son concerning the two-time Australian Open champion’s third-round efficiency.
Five-year-old Leo, carrying his sun shades within the information convention room and sitting on his mom’s knee, responded succinctly: “Awesome!”
Thanks, child.
Azarenka’s personal highlights from her 6-0, 6-2 win over Fifteenth-seeded Elina Svitolina on Friday included the “amount of aggressivity I could bring point after point, applying a lot of pressure, the consistency. The break points I faced, I played really strong.”
“Yeah, taking control of my end of the court,” she added. “I think that’s what I’m more happy about.”
She’ll subsequent play French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, who rallied from a set and a break down towards No. 26-seeded Jelena Ostapenko to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 and advance to the fourth spherical in singles at Melbourne Park for the primary time.
In this photograph offered by Tennis Australia, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus sits together with her son Leo throughout a press convention following her third spherical win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. (David Mariuz/Tennis Australia by way of AP)
The Twenty fourth-seeded Azarenka, who gained the title at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013 and has been a U.S. Open finalist 3 times, is into the fourth spherical right here for the primary time since 2016 after extending her successful document to 5-0 towards Svitolina.
She accrued practically twice as many winners, 17, as unforced errors, 9, and by no means confronted a break level. Svitolina made mistake after mistake, 26 unforced errors in all.
Since a quarterfinal run in Australia in 2016, Azarenka misplaced first-round matches final 12 months and in 2019, and missed the hard-court match in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
The 32-year-old former world No. 1 from Belarus is feeling snug proper now, fulfilling the twin roles of participant and mom in Melbourne.
In this photograph offered by Tennis Australia, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus walks together with her son Leo to a press convention following her third spherical win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. (David Mariuz/Tennis Australia by way of AP)
Azarenka was requested if it was extra demanding, distracting or stress-free to have her son together with her on the tour.
“All of the above,” she stated, laughing, as Krejcikova and Ostapenko have been enjoying. “It’s definitely not a distraction, I will never say that. Being a parent is not easy. He’s full of personality — I don’t know where he gets it from!”
Leo flipped his match credential round on its lanyard as his mom responded to questions from throughout the room and on-line. He yawned at the very least as soon as and blew air onto the microphone.
“I always feel privileged that I’m able to have him here,” Azarenka stated. “These kind of moments are really priceless for me. To be able for me to share that with my son is pretty incredible.”
In different outcomes on Day 5, fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari beat No. 28 Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 to maneuver right into a fourth-round match towards twenty first seed Jessica Pegula of the U.S., who beat Nuria Parrizas Diaz 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Victoria Azarenka waves after defeating Elina Svitolina of Ukraine of their third spherical match on the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
Eighth-seeded Paula Badosa had a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win over Marta Kostyuk to maneuver right into a fourth-round match towards American Madison Keys, who held off Wang Qiang 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2).
On the lads’s aspect, Miomir Kecmanovic is benefiting from the absence of his fellow Serbian Novak Djokovic, reaching the fourth spherical at a significant for the primary time with a 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-5 win over No. 25-seeded Lorenzo Sonego.
He had been drawn to play top-ranked Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open champion, within the first spherical. But Djokovic was deported on the eve of the match for failing to satisfy Australia’s strict COVID-19 laws, and Kecmanovic as a substitute confronted Salvatore Caruso — a so-called fortunate loser from qualifying — within the first spherical and Tommy Paul within the second.

Kecmanovic will subsequent play Seventeenth-seeded Gael Monfils, who beat No. 16 Cristian Garin 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-3.
The night time session later Friday featured two much-anticipated matchups that would result in a fair larger one.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka was to face Amanda Anisimova at Margaret Court Arena, whereas No. 1 Ash Barty was set to play Camila Giorgi at Rod Laver Arena.
The winners of these two matches will meet one another in a fourth-round contest that would have the texture of a Grand Slam last every week early if it’s Osaka vs. Barty.
Rafael Nadal was to proceed his bid for a document twenty first Grand Slam title with a third-round match towards No. 28 Karen Khachanov.