MELBOURNE: Serena Williams continued her impressive Australian Open preparations with a straight-sets thrashing of Tsvetana Pironkova Wednesday, as world number three Naomi Osaka and top-ranked Ashleigh Barty struggled.
Williams, 39, has been in belligerent form at the Yarra Valley Classic and overpowered the Bulgarian with a 6-1, 6-4 victory in 74 minutes.
“So far, so good. It’s special to play here with what’s going on in the world,” said Williams, who only lost four games against Daria Gavrilova in her opener on Monday.
Williams, aiming for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, broke Pironkova first up and kept her foot on the gas with 25 winners and six aces.
The American will play world number six Karolina Pliskova or compatriot Danielle Collins in the quarter-finals.
Osaka and Barty, however, were pushed to the brink, but both avoided early exits at Melbourne Park.
Japan’s Osaka was made to work hard against in-form Katie Boulter, but fought back for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory to reach the quarter-finals in the Gippsland Trophy.
She next meets Irina-Camelia Begu from Romania.
“Today was really tough for me. It just felt like a new experience playing here again after such a long while,” Osaka said.
“For me, I thought she played really well. I sort of had to raise my level, kind of go within myself.”
British world number 371 Boulter, who knocked out teenage sensation Coco Gauff Tuesday, ran her error-strewn opponent ragged to claim the first set in 39 minutes.
A refocused Osaka lifted her intensity to run away with the contest in a one-sided third set.
The three-time Grand Slam champion had comfortably beaten France’s Alize Cornet in straight sets on Tuesday in her first competitive match since lifting her second US Open title in September.
World number one Barty also had a fright in her match against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, but recovered from a second-set stutter to win 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
“Mid-match I lacked execution... but happy to get it on my terms in the end,” Barty said after a quick turnaround, having beaten Ana Bogdan in straight sets on Tuesday night.
Barty, hoping to break her country’s 43-year singles title drought at the Australian Open, will face Shelby Rogers of the United States next.
Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was also pushed hard by American Jessica Pegula, dropping the first set and finding herself 4-1 down in the second before prevailing 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
“I was happy the way I was able to change things in the second set... I found my groove,” said Kenin, who will play Garbine Muguruza next in a rematch of last year’s Australian Open final.
World number five Elina Svitolina also had to come from behind to beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-7 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2.
She’ll next face 20th-ranked Belgium’s Elize Mertens, who knocked out Caroline Garcia of France 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.
But world number two Halep, like Williams, bucked the trend and downed Laura Siegemund in straight sets to set up a Gippsland Trophy quarter-final against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, who upset French Open champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-2.
“I’m really happy with both matches, so it’s good to be back,” said Halep.
Serena sizzles as Osaka, Barty struggle in Melbourne
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Serena sizzles as Osaka, Barty struggle in Melbourne
- Serena Williams aiming for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open later this month
- World number one Ashleigh Barty had a fright in her match against Marie Bouzkova
Klaebo becomes 1st athlete to win 6 golds at a Winter Games as Norway sweeps 50km mass start
- Klaebo’s victory in the 50-kilometer mass start race shattered the nearly 50-year record
- Klaebo said he was overwhelmed with emotions crossing the finish line
TESERO, Italy: Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo completed his historic gold medal sweep of the men’s cross-country skiing events on Saturday by winning his sixth race and setting the record for the most golds by one athlete in a single Winter Olympics.
Klaebo’s victory in the 50-kilometer mass start race shattered the nearly 50-year record set by American speed skater Eric Heiden, who won five golds in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
All of Heiden’s wins were in individual races and two of Klaebo’s have come in team events, so Heiden’s record for individual wins still stands.
Klaebo said he was overwhelmed with emotions crossing the finish line and couldn’t describe how he felt after repeating the feat he accomplished at last year’s world championships in Trondheim, Norway, when he won all six events.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It still feels really good to race, and I’m always looking forward to going out there and fighting for the medal.”
Klaebo’s teammates, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, took silver, and Emil Iversen, won bronze in a Norwegian sweep.
“I’m starting to believe maybe he is a machine,” Nyenget said of Klaebo, who sprinted uphill past him at the end to win in his trademark fashion. “It’s close to impossible to beat him in the finish.”
The three Norwegians broke out to an early lead and then continued to build the gap on their chasers.
In the final lap, Nyenget and Klaebo pushed uphill and dropped Iversen. Klaebo stayed in second waiting to launch his winning move.
As the two reached the final hill, Klaebo literally ran away from Nyenget and was bound for glory.
As he glided toward the finish, he pointed his fingers toward the sky, took one stride across the line, toppled over on his right hip and rolled onto his back.
France’s Theo Schely finished fourth, nearly three minutes back and Savelii Korostelev, a Russian competing as an individual neutral athlete, finished fifth at 3:38.3 back.
The highest-placed US skier was Gus Schumacher, who won a silver in a team relay, in 13th place.
The win extends Klaebo’s record for most career Winter Olympic gold medals to 11 over three Games. The previous record had been eight, which Klaebo broke Feb. 15.
Klaebo has the second-most Olympic golds overall. US swimming great Michael Phelps has 23.
The win gave Norway a record 18th gold medal and further increased their lead in the total medal count in these games to 40 overall.
The country set the record Friday for the most gold medals won by a nation at a single Winter Olympics when biathlete Johannes Dale-Skjevdal won the 15-kilometer mass start race.
