Djokovic stays hot as cool wind blows through Melbourne

Reuters: A welcome wind blew away the stifling heat at Melbourne Park on Friday but there was no diverting Novak Djokovic from his path to a third straight Australian Open title as he marched into the fourth round without giving up a set.

Playing with the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena because of a few drops of rain that accompanied the cooler weather, Djokovic’s 6-4, 6-3, 7-5, victory over Radek Stepanek was by no means a cakewalk, however.

The 34-year-old Czech is nobody’s mug and the world number one had to work for every point in the 142-minute encounter, getting a good workout, particularly at the net, before sealing the win with a forehand pass.

“Always great to play Radek. He’s very experienced, very tricky to play. Hope you enjoyed as much as we did on the court,” said 25-year-old Serbian after he reached the fourth round for the seventh year in a row.

Pole Agnieszka Radwanska also continued her red-hot start to the year, notching up win number 12 with a 6-3, 6-1, victory over Britain’s Heather Watson in their third round tie.

Another former French Open champion, Li Na, also progressed as China’s last representative in Melbourne, setting up a fourth round match against German Julia Goerges with a 6-4, 6-1, victory over Sorana Cirstea.