Fired-up Wozniacki marches through

Caroline Wozniacki has defied Kiki Bertens, perceived poor umpiring and the plight befalling senior women’s players at the Australian Open, progressing to the fourth round.

The second-seeded Dane defeated her Dutch rival 6-4 6-3 in 86 minutes on Rod Laver Arena on Friday night.

The match finished early on Saturday as Nick Kyrgios’ four-set defeat of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga entered a fourth hour.

While the world No.2 can now look forward to a fourth-round clash with Magdalena Rybarikova, she fumed several times through the night due to line calls.

“It’s ridiculous how many bad, terrible calls you’ve made today,” she told the chair umpire.

Wozniacki threw her racquet in disgust after Bertens saved a match point – with replays subsequently showing Bertens to have hit a ball long earlier in the point.

Bertens couldn’t translate her fortune into a victory, falling several points later.

After facing elimination in the second round, staving off match points against Jana Fett, Wozniacki said each win was a bonus.

“I’m playing with house money. I have nothing to lose,” she said.

“I got a second chance and I’m going to try and take it.”

Wozniacki hasn’t made the fourth round at the Australian Open in five years, and she has a great opportunity to go further.

Just four seeds remain in the bottom half of the draw; Wozniacki, Rybarikova, 32nd seed Anett Kontaveit and tournament favourite Elina Svitolina.

The Ukrainian fourth seed is on track to meet Wozniacki in the semi-final.

In the top half of the draw, which plays their third-round matches on Saturday, seven seeds have already fallen.

Top-ranked woman Simona Halep faces Lauren Davis in the first match on Rod Laver Arena, with Australian No.1 Ashleigh Barty facing Naomi Osaka later in the afternoon.

Should both win, they’ll play in a blockbuster fourth-round match on Monday.

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