Australian Open: Cilic saves two MP's against Verdasco. Berdych, Tiafoe win
. The Russian was maybe a slight favorite after two marathon matches that Bautista Agut had to play in the first two rounds but it wasnt to be for him, breaking the rival twice from as many chances but failing to build upon that in his games.
He served at only 52% and offered Roberto plenty of opportunities that the Spaniard took with both hands, earning five breaks from 14 break points to seal the deal in straight sets. Bautista Agut managed to tame the rivals serve and forehand, hitting more winners and fewer unforced errors to control the pace from the baseline, playing well at the net as well to mix up his game and prevail with a break in the late stage of every set.
Nothing could separate them in the opening nine games, with just ten points that returners won before Karen lost serve at love at 4-5 following a huge forehand error to hand the set to his rival. An amazing backhand down the line winner sent the Spaniard 3-1 in the second set after another break at love before Khachanov pulled it back immediately with a powerful forehand that drew an error from his opponent.
They stayed neck and neck until game 12 when Kren sprayed another forehand error to lose serve and send his rival two sets to love up. Khachanov opened the third set with a break thanks to a backhand down the line winner but he hit a double fault to give the serve away in the sixth game, sending the momentum to the other side of the net.
He got broken again in game ten following a forehand winner from Bautista Agut that propelled the Spaniard into the fourth round. .
Fabbiano stayed in the opening set until 5-5 in the tie break although he couldnt do the same in the remaining two sets, ending his best Australian Open appearance in the third round. .
Tomas fired 19 aces and he suffered just one break of serve in the entire match from eight chances he gave to Diego, shooting 65 winners and 50 unforced errors to outplay the persistent rival and march on to set the Rafael Nadal clash.
Schwartzman gave his best to stay in touch with a more experienced opponent but he failed to make an impact on the return after the opener, creating just three break points in the last three sets and dropping serve once in each to hit the exit door.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe kept the banner high for the 1998 generation, scoring wins over Nikoloz Basilashvili and Andreas Seppi to reach the fourth round for the first time. Verdasco blasted 27 aces and despite 54 winners and 34 unforced errors on his tally he couldnt cross the finish line first, breaking Marin three times and giving his serve away on four occasions to end on the losing side despite a valiant effort.
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