Sharapova, Federer surge on

Roger Federer, the 17-time major winner and third seed, won 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours, 40 minutes under the closed roof on Rod Laver Arena and will face Belgium’s 15th seed David Goffin in the next round. Sharapova raced through the first set 6-1 in just 26 minutes, but a lapse that included a pair of consecutive double faults gifted the American a break and a 4-2 lead in the second. Sharapova, 28, will now meet Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic, after the 12th seed earlier rebounded from a one-set deficit to overcome Kateryna Bondarenko.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has continued his march at Melbourne Park, the French ninth seed accounting for qualifier and compatriot Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 7-6(7) 7-6(4) in the third round on Friday.   The 2008 finalist in Melbourne has advanced to the round of 16 for the loss of just one set, and will meet Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori on Sunday. Nishikori advanced with a four-set win over Spanish 26th seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez earlier on Friday.

Italy’s No.13 seed Roberta Vinci tumbled out of the Open in a shock third-round loss to unseeded German Anna-Lena Friedsam. Last year’s US Open finalist looked to be on her way to the round of 16 after sweeping the first set 6-0 but her No.82-ranked opponent fought back in impressive fashion. Friedsam broke Vinci’s serve five times in the last two sets en route to a 0-6 6-4 6-4 win to set up a fourth-round clash with either No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska or unseeded American Monica Puig.

Staring down a break against rising Puerto Rican Monica Puig, women’s fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska has kicked into overdrive, reeling off the last nine games of the match to book her place in the fourth round. The Polish 26-year-old raced past Puig in one hour and 16 minutes under the roof on Margaret Court Arena, 6-4 6-0. It leaves her in a strong position to reach her sixth quarterfinal.

World No.1 Novak Djokovic marched into the fourth round shaking off a persistent Andreas Seppi 6-1 7-5 7-6(6) at Margaret Court Arena on Friday night. The defending champion blazed through the first set in just 25 minutes, but Seppi, who beat Roger Federer at the same stage of last year’s Australian Open, made life tough for the Serb thereafter, but never looked likely to turn around a two-set deficit. Djokovic advances to meet French 14th seed Gilles Simon, who demolished Federico Delbonis 6-3 6-2 6-1.