Australian Open: Azarenka beats Ostapenko to score 50th win at Melbourne Park

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, seeded 18th this year, defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, the No 11 seed, 6-1, 7-5 to move into the fourth round of the 2024 edition in Melbourne on Saturday.

The former world No 1 romped through the first set 6-1 before Ostapenko found the range on her groundstrokes and went up 5-2 in the second.

Azarenka then fought back to take five games in a row, also saving two breakpoints with aces while serving for the match to close out the match in straight sets.

The win improved Azarenka’s record against Ostapenko to 4-0, which included a three-set win over the former French Open champion in Brisbane earlier this month.

This is the 11th time in 16 main draw appearances in Melbourne Park that the 2012-2013 champion is into the second week and marks her milestone 50th career win at the Australian Open.

Azarenka, ranked No 22, will play Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska next. The Belarusian leads their head-to-head 2-1, including wins in their two most recent encounters.

The 34-year-old Belarusian beat Italian Camila Giorgi (6-1, 4-6, 6-3) and Dane Clara Tauson (6-4, 3-6, 6-2) ahead of her win today.

Earlier in the week, Ostapenko, ranked No 10, defeated Australian wildcard Kimberly Birrell (7-6 (5), 6-1) and edged out Australian Ajla Tomljanovic (6-0, 3-6, 6-4).

Melbourne (Grand Slam), other third-round matches (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 58,910,000):

• Jasmine Paolini (26) beat Anna Blinkova: 7-6 (1), 6-4
• Oceane Dodin beat Clara Burel: 6-2, 6-4
• Qinwen Zheng (12) beat Yafan Wang: 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8)
• Dayana Yastremska beat Emma Navarro (27): 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
• Anna Kalinskaya beat Sloane Stephens: 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-4
• Barbora Krejcikova (9) beat Storm Hunter (Q): 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
• Maria Timofeeva (Q) beat Beatriz Haddad Maia (10): 7-6 (7), 6-3
• Magdalena Frech beat Anastasia Zakharova (Q): 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
• Coco Gauff (4) beat Alycia Parks: 6-0, 6-2
• Marta Kostyuk beat Elina Avanesyan: 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
• Mirra Andreeva beat Diane Parry: 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5)
• Aryna Sabalenka (2) beat Lesia Tsurenko (28): 6-0, 6-0
• Amanda Anisimova beat Paula Badosa: 7-5, 6-4
• Elina Svitolina vs. Viktorija Golubic
• Iga Swiatek vs. Linda Noskova