Sinner resumes Australian Open defence, Raducanu eyes first win over Swiatek
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MELBOURNE : The third round of the Australian Open continues on Saturday with second seed Iga Swiatek looking to maintain her perfect record against Emma Raducanu in a battle of former U.S. Open champions.
Top seed Jannik Sinner resumes his title defence when the Italian takes on unseeded American Marcos Giron while 10th seed Danielle Collins faces Adelaide champion Madison Keys in an all-American clash.
TOP WOMEN'S MATCH: IGA SWIATEK V EMMA RADUCANU
Raducanu has lost all three of her previous meetings with Swiatek and while she has accepted the status of an underdog against the Polish five-times Grand Slam champion, the Briton remains a formidable player on her day.
Raducanu, who has dealt with a string of injuries since capturing her only major at Flushing Meadows in 2021, has yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year, reaching the third round for the first time.
Swiatek, meanwhile, is among the favourites for the women's singles crown and the 23-year-old has not put a foot wrong so far at Melbourne Park, carving out comfortable straight-sets victories.
"You live for these matches," said Raducanu, who is ranked number 61 in the world, adding that she is going into the match with no expectations.
But world number two Swiatek said she will not make the mistake of underestimating the 22-year-old Briton.
"It's going to be a tough one. Emma can play great tennis. We all know that," Swiatek told reporters.
"Honestly, there's no point looking at rankings, especially when you have these great players that have already been through great tournaments and won some tournaments. You know that they can play well."
TOP MEN'S MATCH: TAYLOR FRITZ V GAEL MONFILS
Monfils has rolled back the years with an impressive start to the season, winning the Auckland Classic to become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title at 38.
The Frenchman, who made his Grand Slam debut here in 2005, faces his toughest test in Melbourne when he meets 27-year-old Fritz.
The American fourth seed has looked solid so far, powering though the early rounds with straight-sets victories as he continues his bid for a first Grand Slam title after a standout 2024 when he finished runner-up at the U.S. Open.
Fritz beat Monfils in their only encounter on the Tour but the Frenchman still looks capable of troubling the heavyweights.
"I think I have done what I want in a way. If I do more, it's a bonus. I'm happy," said Monfils, when asked what he wanted to achieve before he decides to retire.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON SATURDAY
Here is the order of play on the main showcourts on the seventh day of the Australian Open (prefix number denotes seeding):
ROD LAVER ARENA
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
Emma Raducanu (Britain) v 2-Iga Swiatek (Poland)
31-Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina) v 8-Alex de Minaur (Australia)
Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
1-Jannik Sinner (Italy) v Marcos Giron (U.S.)
19-Madison Keys (U.S.) v 10-Danielle Collins (U.S.)
MARGARET COURT ARENA
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
8-Emma Navarro (U.S.) v Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
4-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v Gael Monfils (France)
Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
28-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v 4-Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
Miomir Kecmanovic (Serbia) v 13-Holger Rune (Denmark)
JOHN CAIN ARENA
Day session (0000 GMT/1100 AEDT)
Alex Michelsen (U.S.) v 19-Karen Khachanov (Russia)
6-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) v 32-Dayana Yastremska (Ukraine)
21-Ben Shelton (U.S.) v 16-Lorenzo Musetti (Italy)
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