Angelique Kerber building momentum with win over Kristyna Pliskova at Australian Open

Angelique Kerber believes she is finally building momentum after taking less than an hour to see off Kristyna Pliskova and reach round four of the Australian Open.

Having been taken to three sets in each of her first two matches, the reigning champion was more convincing as she defeated Pliskova 6-0 6-4 at Melbourne Park.

Kerber dominated from the start, taking just 20 minutes to wrap up the first set, and will now play American Coco Vandeweghe in the last 16.

The world No 1 said: "It's great to have another good match under my belt and to be in the fourth round again here.

"It's great. I'm looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I'm finding my rhythm in the tournament now.

"I was feeling very good from the first point but of course matches like this are always tough to play against opponents. They are serving very well and you have to bring a lot of balls back, move well, and just go for it. I'm happy about my performance.

"I think it was a little bit up and down, the first week. All matches are different for me. I'm ready for every single match every single day.

"This is what counts because I know that this is the only way to play good tennis, especially [over] two weeks. Let's see what's the next challenge."

Kerber is bidding to become the first woman in four years to successfully defend her Australian Open singles title after Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

She watched some of Vandeweghe's three-set win over Eugenie Bouchard before beating Pliskova and expects a testing challenge.

Kerber added: "I think it will be a little bit similar to today, but of course, I mean, Coco is a tough opponent. She played good today.

"I know that she's serving good, as well. I have to move good, be ready, bring a lot of balls back, but also be aggressive as well, like I can play."

Vandeweghe had to fight back to see off Canadian Bouchard, coming from a break down in the deciding set to eventually win 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Indeed, the world No 35 - a quarter-finalist last year - seemed underwhelmed as she looked back at her victory.

Asked where it ranked in her list of career highlights, she said: "Not that high, now that I think about it. It was kind of expected, in my mind, to get the win and to get the victory."

Svetlana Kuznetsova came through an epic contest against Jelena Jankovic to take her place in the fourth round.

With 111 Grand Slam appearances between them, the two veterans defied their years before Kuznetsova won 6-4 5-7 9-7 in three hours and 36 minutes.

She now faces her fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who upset 11th seed Elina Svitolina 7-5 4-6 6-3.

Kuznetsova said: "Jelena was in total control in the third set but I was trying to hang in, it was amazing I could turn it around. I waited and tried to recover some breaks. I was not playing my best."

Venus Williams wasted no time in racing into the fourth round as the American 13th seed hammered China's Duan Ying-Ying 6-1 6-0 in just 58 minutes. The veteran American will play Germany's Mona Barthel after she defeated local girl Ashleigh Barty, 6-4 3-6 6-3.

Check back for updates on Jo Konta and Andy Murray's matches at the Australian Open by following our blog on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad or our Twitter account @skysportstennis.

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