Murray continues pursuit of first Australian Open

REUTERS – World number two Andy Murray, four-times a losing finalist, will continue his pursuit for a first Australian Open title against Joao Sousa in the third round on Saturday.

Sousa, who has won only one set against Murray in six attempts, will hope to break his horrible record of having lost his last 16 games against top-10 opposition.

Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka will be looking to become only the 12th active player to record 400 tour-level match-wins when he takes on Lukas Rosol.

Women’s third seed Garbine Muguruza will be hoping to reach the fourth round for the third year running when she takes on Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova in the first match on Rod Laver Arena.

Twice former champion and 14th seed Victoria Azarenka scorched her first two opponents, losing only three games, and will next take on Japanese 18-year-old Naomi Osaka, who is making her first appearance at Melbourne Park.

In an all-French duel Gael Monfils will face Stephane Robert on Hisense Arena.

Robert will bid to become the first qualifier through to the round of 16 at Melbourne Park since Milos Raonic in 2011. Canadian Raonic will be up against Viktor Troicki.

Following the exits of Lleyton Hewitt and Nick Kyrgios, Australia will have to make do with having only one man in the last 16 as compatriots Bernard Tomic and John Millman face off in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.

Eighth seed David Ferrer, who beat Hewitt in the previous round, will be bidding to reach at least the fourth round for the sixth year running when he comes up against American Steve Johnson.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)