World number one Rafael Nadal powered past Frenchman Gael Monfils to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open in an impressive performance on Saturday. The 13-time Grand Slam champion was too strong for the 25th- seeded Monfils, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in just over two hours on Rod Laver Arena. Nadal will next face Japanese 16th seed Kei Nishikori in the fourth round. Nishikori earlier knocked out American Donald Young in straight sets. The Spanish top seed is bidding...

Players braced for the Australian Open’s hottest day yet Thursday with temperatures forecast to hit a blistering 44 Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) at the year’s opening Grand Slam. With 32 singles matches in prospect, plus a full schedule of doubles, the tournament’s organisers will be in sharp focus as they weigh whether to halt play to mitigate health risks. Temperatures had already reached 38 Celsius as play started at 11:00 am, with players shrouding themselves in ice packs and gulping drinks...

Record Grand Slam champion Roger Federer cruised into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday, downing unseeded Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili in straight sets. The Swiss great, who is chasing his fifth Australian crown, has now made the round of 16 at Melbourne for the 13th straight year after a workmanlike 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win in one hour 41 minutes. It was his 71st match victory at Melbourne Park to extend his record at the Australian Open and set...

Top seed Serena Williams set a new record en route to the Australian Open fourth round Friday as Li Na avoided an upset by fighting back from match point to stay alive. On another hot Melbourne day, the world number one and five- time tournament champion powered past Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-3 to record her 61st Australian Open win, surpassing the previous mark set by Margaret Court. Asked which had been her favourite matches, Williams, who made her Melbourne debut...

Victoria Azarenka swept into the Australian Open third round on Thursday with a straight- sets mauling of Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and said she was thriving on the pressure of being defending champion. The two-time title-holder was rarely threatened on Rod Laver Arena to blast past the Czech 6-1, 6-4 in 88 minutes, benefiting from the roof being shut on centre court because of searing heat. “It feels pretty good, it was a good match and a competitive second set,” Azarenka,...