American star Venus Williams dramatically pulled out of the Australian Open with a painful injury on Friday. Defending champion Roger Federer enjoyed a record 57th win at the Australian Open Friday as former winner Justine Henin was condemned to her worst Grand Slam in five years.
-- Record win for Federer as Henin crashes
-- Djokovic, Wozniacki and Sharapova advance
Men's third seed Novak Djokovic, women's number one Caroline Wozniacki and Russia's Maria Sharapova also reached the last 16 as temperatures soared at Melbourne Park. But Williams' injury robbed the tournament of one of its biggest stars. Just minutes into her third-round clash with Andrea Petkovic, Williams screamed in pain and limped to her chair before conceding defeat.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion, 30, had needed treatment for a strained psoas muscle, which runs from the abdomen to the groin, during her previous match with Sandra Zahlavova. "It's super-disappointing because this is just not how I envisioned my Australian Open being," Williams told reporters.
"(I was) just hoping for some magic that I could recover. But I have peace of mind that I really gave more than my best to be out there." Williams, playing her first tournament since the US Open after struggling with a knee injury, had never retired in 250 previous Grand Slam matches. It is the first time in the Open era that no American woman has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
Earlier Federer worked out the frustrations of his five-set rollercoaster against Gilles Simon by handing a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 beating to ponytailed Belgian Xavier Malisse, whom he has known since his junior days. In the process he broke Stefan Edberg's record for the most Australian Open victories in the Open era and took an important step towards a fifth title - and the chance to deny Rafael Nadal a sweep of the Grand Slam crowns.
"It's very nice to take the record but Edberg still stays my idol," Federer told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena. As temperatures rose past 32 deg C (90 F) on the tournament's hottest day so far, 2004 winner Henin was floored by Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, who held her nerve in a gripping tiebreak to win 6-4, 7-6 (10/8).
The seven-time Grand Slam winner, 28, has been struggling with an elbow injury after ending a brief retirement last year, and has not performed so badly at a major since Wimbledon in 2006. "I decided to play not being 100 percent. It's been difficult in the last three days on my elbow and I just did everything that I could to make it okay, but it wasn't enough," Henin said.
Djokovic's quest to break Nadal and Federer's Grand Slam stranglehold received a helping hand when fellow Serb Viktor Troicki retired hurt after going a set down. After Juan Martin del Potro's demise late Thursday, third seed Djokovic is the only player left in Melbourne, other than Nadal and Federer, to have won a Grand Slam since 2006.
Meanwhile, Wozniacki took revenge on Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova, whose shock victory at last week's Sydney International raised new questions about the Dane's credibility as world number one. Afterwards, the 20-year-old Dane turned on journalists who accused her of giving boring press conferences.
"Yesterday (I was told) my press conferences were kind of boring, that I always gave the same answers," she said. "I find it quite funny because I always get the same questions. I know what you're going to ask me already, so I'm just going to start with the answers."
Wozniacki then stunned media by rattling off a monologue answering the predictable questions she knew she would face. French Open champion Francesca Schiavone eased past Monica Niculescu 6-0, 7-6 (7/2) and Latvian Anastasija Sevastova beat Russian Vesna Manasieva 6-1, 6-3 to set up a last-16 meeting with Wozniacki.
Sharapova fought back from a set down before subduing Germany's Julia Goerges 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, while China's Li Na downed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-2, 6-1 to revive memories of her run to last year's semi-finals. Meanwhile Andy Roddick came from behind to see off Dutchman Robin Haase 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2, and Swiss number two Stanislas Wawrinka beat French 12th seed Gael Monfils 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-3. Spain's Fernando Verdasco ended Japanese hopes with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 victory over rising star Kei Nishikori. Collated results from day five of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park here Friday (x denotes seeding):
Women's singles (3rd round): Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x1) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x29) 6-4, 6-3; Francesca Schiavone (ITA x6) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 6-0, 7-6 (7/2); Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) by Vesna Manasieva (RUS) 6-1, 6-3; Li Na (CHN x9) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-2, 6-1; Victoria Azarenka (BLR x8) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 6-3, 6-3; Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x23) bt Justine Henin (BEL x11) 6-4, 7-6 (10/8); Maria Sharapova (RUS x14) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Andrea Petkovic (GER x30) bt Venus Williams (USA x4) 1-0, (ret)
Men's singles (3rd round) Novak Djokovic (SRB x3) bt Viktor Troicki (SBR) 6-2, (ret); Nicolas Almagro (ESP x14) bt Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x17) 6-4, 7-6 (10/8), 6-3; Andy Roddick (USA x8) bt Robin Haase (NED) 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2; Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Xavier Malisse (BEL) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1; Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x28) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2; Fernando Verdasco (ESP x9) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN) 6-2, 6-4, 6-3; Tommy Robredo (ESP) by Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x19) bt Gael Monfils (FRA x12) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-3.
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