Serena Williams, Azarenka make it to fourth round
BY Associated Press
Saturday, January 19, 2013
1/19/13 at 5:37 AM
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Title favorite Serena Williams and defending champion Victoria Azarenka advanced in contrasting styles Saturday to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Williams, aiming for a third consecutive major title, recovered from a breakdown in the second set to win six straight games and finish off a 6-1, 6-3 win over Japan's Ayumi in 66 minutes.
The 15-time major winner even surprised herself with another serve at 128 mph (207 kph), matching her career fastest serve, set earlier in the tournament.
"I tried to hit it really hard. I hit 207 (kph) the other day, and I thought it was luck," she said. "But I did it again, and I was like whew! I'm going to try to go for 210. We'll see."
Top-ranked Azarenka struggled to hold off injured American Jamie Hampton 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, and didn't help herself with six double-faults.
Hampton, who needed a medical timeout for a lower back problem before she served out the second set and winced in pain, frequently on the verge of tears, throughout the third, still managed to hit 41 winners to keep the Belarusian under pressure.
Azarenka appeared frustrated at times but overcame an early break and fended off triple break point in the seventh game of the deciding set before clinching the match in 2 hours, 9 minutes.
