Roger Federer crushes Taylor Fritz to continue Australian Open march
Last year's runner-up Marin Cilic survives two match points to win five-set marathon
Friday 18 January 2019 16:45, UK
Defending Australian Open champion Roger Federer marked his 100th match on Rod Laver Arena by storming past American Taylor Fritz in the third round on Friday.
Federer put on a vintage performance to set up a mouth-watering fourth-round clash with Greek superstar Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Federer was pushed in the second set by 21-year-old American Fritz but pulled off a succession of highlight-reel shots in a 6-2 7-5 6-2 victory, hitting 34 winners in an 88-minute demolition job.
"I think he played really well there. I actually did too. I thought it was really high-quality tennis," said Federer, who has yet to drop a set this year and came into the Australian Open on the back of victory at the Hopman Cup in Perth.
"This is obviously a different type of match, it being best of five, it being a fourth round of a Slam."
The 37-year-old Swiss will play in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 63rd time against a man through to that stage for just the second time in 20-year-old Tsitsipas.
Tsitsipas is arguably the most exciting young star in tennis and he battled to a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili.
"I'm happy for him. He's playing so well, and I'm looking forward to the match-up with him. I think it's going to be a good one," Federer said of Tsitsipas.
"I like how he mixes up his game and also comes to the net. So will I. I think we will see some athletic attacking tennis being played."
A resurgent Tomas Berdych is also through to the last 16 for the eighth time in the last nine years here after a 5-7 6-3 7-5 6-4 victory over 18th seed Diego Schwartzman.
Fernando Verdasco failed to take two match points - including throwing in a double-fault - as he fell to a heartbreaking five-set defeat to last year's runner-up Marin Cilic.
Verdasco, a lefty from Spain seeded 26th, took the first two sets before 2014 US Open champion Cilic rallied to win 4-6 3-6 6-1 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 in a match lasting four hours and 18 minutes.
"It was a tough match. The emotions were up and down," said Cilic, who is into the fourth round at Melbourne for the sixth time. "At two sets down it was a big hill to climb."
Cilic will now face Andy Murray's first-round conqueror Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals.
We have the Australian Open covered from all angles via our website skysports.com/tennis. On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation.
