Chinese Taipei’s unseeded player Su-Wei Hsieh made a return to the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time since 2008 with a 6-2 7-5 over Agnieszka Radwanska.
Hsieh hit 31 winners and converted six of her eight break points.
After an early trade of breaks, world number 88 Hsieh got another break in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead with a crosscourt backhand. Hsieh did not face a break point in the next games and got another break to seal the opening set 6-2. Radwanska received treatment on her leg after the first set.
Radwanska rallied from an early break down to draw level to 5-5 in the 10th game Hsiej earned the decisive break with a lob, as Radwanska was serving to stay in the match at 5-6.
Hsieh earned a match point with a forehand that forced an error from Radwanska.
Radwanska recovered to reach game point, as Hsieh hit a service return long. Hsieh earned a second match point, after Radwanska made a double fault and a forehand error. The Chinese Taipei player converted on her second chance to secure her spot in the fourth round where she will face Angelique Kerber, who beat 2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-3.
Hsieh reached a career-high of world number 23 in 2013 and won two Grand Slam doubles titles. She beat Garbine Muguruza in the second round.
“It is always hard closing out a final game like that against a great player. This is amazing for me to be back in the fourth round after ten years. Everyone says that Radwanska and I have a similar game, and it looks very similar. I tried to have a Plan A for the match, but at the end you just cannot think over the plan, so I just tried to focus on every point and every game. I tried to hit the ball a little big bigger. Her ball is a little bit different from the other girls, because she changes the rhythm a lot. She does slice, she does some faster balls and some slower balls. It’s really difficult if you get tight or you are losing a little bit of concentration. When you still in the tournament, youn need to be ready for the match. I have a doubles match tomorrow, and I still want to win in doubles. I try to be calm, and then do all my stuff. I am happy that every day I have been doing. I am handling good. That’s very good for me”, said Hsieh.
Earlier today Karolina Pliskova battled past her compatriot Lucie Safarova 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 after one hour and 38 minutes. Both players faced a total of three break points during a tough match. Pliskova saved the only break point she faced in her first service game of the second set. Neither player faced a single break point in the first game in a very tight first set, where Safarova held serve to force the tie-break in the only game, which went to deuce. Pliskova dropped jsut six points in her first six service points. Safarova got the first mini-break on the first point in the tie-break, but Pliskova pulled it back on the third point. Both players held their serve untl Safarova won the 11th point to earn a set point at 6-5. Pliskova fended off the set point with a forehand down the line before closing out the opening set, as Safarova missed two backhands.
The second set went on serve with no breaks of serve until the 11th game when Pliskova rallied from 0-30 to get the decisive break with a drop-shot to seal the win.
“It’s tough to play against another Czech player especially as we are Fed Cup teammates. It’s always close but I served well and that’s the key for me”, said Pliskova.
Naomi Osaka upset local favourite Ashleigh Barty 6-4 6-2 to reach the fourth round in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career. Osaka set up a fourth round against Simona Halep, who came back from one set down to beat Lauren Davis 4-6 6-4 15-13.
Osaka got an early break in the first game and saved two break points in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Barty earned two more break points when Osaka was serving for the set at 5-4, but Osaka saved them with her serve and a backhand winner. Osaka held her serve and sealed the first set two points later.
Osaka started the second set with an early break in the first game as she did in the first set. The Japanese player went up a double break with a backhand winner to race out to a 3-0 lead. Osaka fired three aces to hold serve for 4-0. Barty got her first game on the scoreboard for 1-4. Osaka made two unforced errors to go down 0-30 as she was serving for the match at 5-2. Osaka fired an ace on her match point to clinch a straight-set win.
“I feel really happy, but I feel kind of sorry because I know you guys really wanted to win. I think I was down on my serve at 0-30. You would think the game is basically over a little bit, and get really upset. I tried to think positive and stuff. I think that’s how I helped myself in that area”, said Osaka.
In the doubles tournament Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic rallied from one set down to beat Lara Arruabarrena and Aranxta Parra 3-6 6-3 6-4. Babos and Mladenovic finished runner-up as a team at Wimbledon in 2014 and won three doubles titles in Dubai, Marrakesh and Rome in 2015. Arruabarrena and Parra went up a double break to race out a 4-1 lead. Babos pulled one break back, but dropped her serve as she served to stay in the set. The second set was marked by six breaks of serve before Babos finally held serve the earn her team a crucial lead. Both teams went on serve in a very tight third set before Mladenovic and Babos got the decisive break on the match point after nearly two hours setting up a Round of 16 match against Viktorija Golubic and Nina Stojanovic, who beat Kateryna Bondarenko and Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (7-2) 6-0.
