Australian Open 2015: Day 6 Results, Highlights and Scores Recap from Melbourne
Four-time champion Novak Djokovic made his way past third-round opponent Fernando Verdasco in three sets on Saturday at the Australian Open and will face Gilles Muller in the last 16.
The Serbian world No. 1 put on an impressive show to beat Verdasco 7-6 (8), 6-3, 6-4, despite the Spaniard putting in his own fine performance.
Serena Williams also won her Saturday encounter with Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the American surviving a first-set scare to advance to the last 16 in the women's draw where she is joined by sister Venus.
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Elsewhere, defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka saw off Jarkko Nieminen in straight sets while Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was dumped out of the tournament by an impressive Madison Keys.
Here's a look at all the results from Day 6:
| Winner | Score | Loser |
| (1) Novak Djokovic | 7-6(8) 6-3 6-4 | (31) Fernando Verdasco |
| (4) Stan Wawrinka | 6-4 6-2 6-4 | Jarkko Nieminen |
| (5) Kei Nishikori | 6-7(7) 6-1 6-2 6-3 | Steve Johnson |
| (8) Milos Raonic | 6-4 6-3 6-3 | Benjamin Becker |
| (9) David Ferrer | 6-2 7-5 5-7 7-6(4) | (18) Gilles Simon |
| (12) Feliciano Lopez | 7-6(6) 6-4 7-6(3) | Jerzy Janowicz |
| Gilles Muller | 7-6(4) 7-6(6) 6-4 | (19) John Isner |
| Guillermo Garcia-Lopez | 6-2 6-4 6-4 | Vasek Pospisil |
| Winner | Score | Loser |
| (1) Serena Williams | 4-6 6-2 6-0 | (26) Elina Svitolina |
| Madison Keys | 6-4 7-5 | (4) Petra Kvitova |
| (6) Agnieszka Radwanska | 6-0 7-5 | (30) Varvara Lepchenko |
| (11) Dominika Cibulkova | 7-5 6-2 | (19) Alize Cornet |
| (18) Venus Williams | 4-6 7-6(3) 6-1 | Camila Giorgi |
| (24) Garbine Muguruza | 6-3 4-6 6-0 | Timea Bacsinszky |
| Victoria Azarenka | 6-4 6-4 | (25) B. Zahlavova Strycova |
| Madison Brengle | 6-3 6-2 | Coco Vandeweghe |
Djokovic Sails Through
Djokovic was taken to a tiebreak by Verdasco in the opener after spurning six break-point opportunities while losing just four points on his own serve.
Although the Serb had the better of the opening exchanges, his Spanish opponent dug in tremendously well and was the one who took the initiative in the tiebreak.
It looked as though Verdasco may take an invaluable first set when he went 5-3 up in the tiebreak and was serving to claim three set points.
However, an almost comedic double fault from Verdasco, per Live Tennis, proved to be a key turning point, Djokovic eventually winning the tiebreak 10-8 with his fourth set point:
"Is this the worst second serve you've ever seen (when leading the world #1 in a tiebreak)? https://t.co/eRvKprsLwK (via @tjc05) #Verdasco
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) January 24, 2015"
The world No. 1 then broke early in the second set for 2-0 before producing three consecutive aces at 0-40 down in the very next game to hold onto the advantage.
After taking the second set 6-3 he wrapped things up with a clinical 6-4 third-set victory despite Verdasco playing at a very high level.
The 31-year-old hardly deserved to lose in straight sets but Djokovic's performance was such that it was fairly easy in the end for the four-time Melbourne champions.
However, The Telegraph's Jonathan Liew believes Djokovic is beatable:
With Roger Federer out of the tournament and Rafael Nadal struggling on occasion, perhaps Andy Murray is the most likely challenger to Djokovic, but a fifth Australian Open title is very much on the cards.
Serena Recovers in Style
A potential upset was looming after the opening set between Williams and Svitolina in the Rod Laver Arena as the Ukrainian took a 6-4 win.
Svitolina took advantage of a slow start from the world No. 1 to take an impressive first set which included three breaks of her opponent's serve, but Williams inevitably kicked up a gear or two in the second.
Indeed, the American gave just two games away in levelling the scores at one set apiece, before then crushing her opponent to win the final set 6-0 and claim victory.
As the tournament moves into the second week, Serena cannot afford another sluggish start, but it was a clinical comeback from her on Saturday.
She now faces Garbine Muguruza in the last 16, the Spaniard who ousted her early on at the 2014 French Open.
Serena is joined in the fourth round by elder sister Venus, who came through, despite also going a set down, against Italy's Camila Giorgi, per BBC Tennis:
The 34-year-old will face sixth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska in a enticing fourth-round match-up.
Stan Continues Defence, Kvitova Out
Wawrinka has happy memories of the Australian Open having picked up his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne last year and he has barely put a foot wrong so far in 2015.
He came through in straight sets once again in his Saturday third-round match against Nieminen, winning 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, and he is looking good to go deep into the tournament with Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to face next.
After Federer's shock defeat on Friday, Wawrinka is now the main Swiss hope for glory in the year's first Grand Slam, and he seems very happy with how he is playing, per Sky News:
"I'm really happy with my game so far, I think today was a really good match. I was aggressive on the court, it was in quite fast conditions and I took control of the match. It's been three really good matches, I think my game is there and I'm really happy to get through again.
"
Kvitova was outplayed by 19-year-old Keys, the American producing a phenomenal display to win in straight sets, per BBC Sport's Piers Newbury:
At a set and a break down, Kvitova certainly looked down and out but she drew things back level to start her potential comeback.
However, Keys broke again at the crucial moment to make it 6-5, and she served out the match to send the No. 4 seed out of the competition.
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