AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Melbourne

DAY 6/ROUND 3

[2] Serena Williams (USA) def. Nicole Gibbs (USA) 6-1, 6-3

Jennifer Brady (USA) def. [14] Elena Vesnina (RUS) 7-6(4), 6-2

[3] B./M. Bryan (USA) def. Zimonjic/M. Zverev 6-3, 6-2

Querrey/Young (USA) def. Khachanov/Kuznetsov 7-6(5), 6-4

Serena Williams still has many obstacles in her path to the final.  She plays Barbora Strycova next in the round of sixteen. Although she leads their head-to-head 2:0, they have not played since 2012 and never on a hard court. This should be interesting.

Coco Vandeweghe will play Angelique Kerber next and that will be a tough task for the American, who has never beaten Kerber (0:2). Can she find a way to beat Kerber?

Jennifer Brady is the Cinderella story of the 2017 Australian Open.  She next plays Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who is all banged up but will still be a dangerous opponent.

NOTABLE MATCHES

[9] Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. [24] Alexander Zverev (GER) 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2

[9] Johanna Konta (GBR) def. [17] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 6-3, 6-1

[13] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) def. [21] David Ferrer (ESP) 7-5, 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 6-4

[15] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs. [18] Richard Gasquet (FRA)

[6] Gael Monfils (FRA) def. [32] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-4

Denis Istomin (UZB) def. [30] Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

[30] Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) def. [6] Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3

Nadal has another tough opponent next in the talented Frenchman, Gael Monfils.  If he gets by him, he may have Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals and fresh in his memory will be his recent loss to the Canadian in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International.

Andy Murray plays older brother, Mischa Zverev, next.  Murray won their only encounter pretty easily.

Roger Federer plays Kei Nishikori next, he won their last three encounters, but they have not played in over a year.

SOURCE OF IMAGE: abc.net.au