Melbourne (AFP)

Gaël Monfils, the only Frenchman still in contention, continues his journey in the knockout stages of the Australian Open, while the women's draw lost another of his headliners with defeat in the third round, on Saturday, the world No.2 Karolina Pliskova.

Rafael Nadal started his duel against his compatriot Pablo Carreno on the short Rod Laver after the qualification of the world N.3 Simona Halep.

Monfils, the last French representative of the 18 entered (13 in the men's table and 5 in the women's), dismissed the Latvian Ernests Gulbis (256th) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-3.

"I'm very happy with the way I played," said the 33-year-old Parisian before leaving the court.

It must be said that Gulbis, if he is today 256th in the world, lived through much more glorious seasons which took him to the semi-finals at Roland-Garros and in the World Top 10. But it was in 2014 and now the 10th in the world is Monfils.

In the aftermath of the premature elimination of the defending champion Naomi Osaka and the favorite Serena Williams, who was looking for a 24th record title in Grand Slam, it was the Czech Pliskova who left the tournament, ejected by the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The latter, 30th in the world, had never beaten her opponent of the day. At best, she had taken a set from him at their 6th and last meeting so far, in 2018 on Eastbourne turf.

But on Saturday, she won the two sets of the duel, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) in 2h25.

- "I love this game" -

"I don't know what to say ... obviously I'm very happy, but it's going to take me a while to realize," said the 28-year-old Russian after finally defeating the Czech by a year her younger.

"I really had fun. I love this game (tennis, note) and that's what keeps me going. I'm very hungry and I'm very motivated, so I hope to go further," commented Pavlyuchenkova who has already reached quarters in Melbourne in 2017 and last year.

Before repeating this performance, she will have to beat German Angelique Kerber, ex-world No.1 today 18th and winner of the Australian Open in 2016.

For Pliskova, this defeat in the first week puts an abrupt end to a nice series at the Australian Open: since 2013, it had always progressed or done at least as well from one year to the next. Eliminated in the 1st round in 2013, it reached the 2nd in 2014, then the 3rd in 2015 and 2016, the quarter-finals in 2017 and 2018, and the semi-finals in 2019.

The women's draw was also freed from the presence of the Swiss Belinda Bencic, 6th in the world, who was swept by the Estonian Anett Kontaveit (31) 6-0, 6-1 in 48 minutes.

"I didn't feel very good on the court today, but she played very well," said Bencic, explaining that she felt "overwhelmed by emotions" at the start of the match.

Halep, she qualified without problem for the 8th at the expense of Kazakhe Yulia Putintseva (38th) 6-1, 6-4.

For a place in quarters, the 28-year-old Romanian will find on her road the Belgian Elise Mertens (17th) or the American Catherine Bellis (600th), back in Grand Slam since an elbow surgery in 2018.

Halep was beaten last year in 8th in Melbourne by Serena Williams, a year after losing in the final to Caroline Wozniacki.

© 2020 AFP