MELBOURNE: Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka is into the fourth round for the first time since 2016 after overpowering 15th-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-0, 6-2.
Azarenka accumulated nearly twice as many winners, 17, as unforced errors, nine, and never faced a break point. Svitolina made mistake after mistake, 26 unforced errors in all.
Azarenka improved to 5-0 against Svitolina.
The 24th-seeded Azarenka won the title at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013, and she also has been the runner-up at the U.S. Open three times, most recently in 2020.
She next will play No. 4 Barbora Krejcikova or No. 26 Jelena Ostapenko, who each has won the French Open.
Since a quarterfinal run in Australia in 2016, Azarenka lost first-round matches last year and in 2019, and missed the hard-court tournament in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Day 5 at the Australian Open features two much-anticipated matchups that could lead to an even bigger one.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka faces Amanda Anisimova at Margaret Court Arena, while No. 1 Ash Barty plays hard-hitting Camila Giorgi at Rod Laver Arena. Both are on the night schedule.
The winners of those two matches will meet each other in a fourth-round contest that could have the feel of a Grand Slam final a week early if it’s Osaka vs. Barty.
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka is taking on No. 15 seed Elina Svitolina to get things started in the third round.
Later Friday, Rafael Nadal will continue his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title with a third-round match against No. 28 Karen Khachanov, and Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini takes on No. 31, Carlos Alcaraz.