Melbourne (AFP)

It's over for Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki! The American, in search of a 24th Grand Slam title, and the Danish who played the last tournament of her career, were eliminated Friday in the third round of the Australian Open.

The defending champion Novak Djokovic was imperial, especially at the service, to eliminate a second Japanese in a row, Yoshihito Nishioka (71st). He did not lose a single point on his throw-in in the first two sets.

"It was one of my best performances in service, he confirmed. It was thanks to Goran (Ivanisevic, whom he recently took on in his staff), I thought of him during the meeting".

This 5th day in Melbourne also highlights in the Rod Laver Arena the title holder Naomi Osaka, whose shock with Coco Gauff is eagerly awaited, and to finish in the evening Roger Federer, against the Australian John Millman who had beaten in the 8th finals of the US Open 2018.

One left in anger "to work", the other bowed out with a smile on a professional circuit which "brought him everything".

Serena Williams (38th in the world), 38, believes she has committed a professional misconduct by being beaten by the Chinese Qiang Wang (29th), whom she swept four months ago in 44 minutes in the quarterfinals of the US Open.

- sure to win -

"She didn't play the same way today (...) She served well and I didn't go back like Serena. But, honestly, if you don't want to lie, everything is for me. I lost the game, "said Williams. In 2 h 41 min. match, she committed 56 direct faults, against 20 for Wang.

"I have made a lot of mistakes. I haven't done as many bad shots in New York, or even in general for a very long time. I have made too many mistakes for a professional athlete," she said. said.

The gain in the second run, during which she saved two break points, had given her some confidence.

"I was optimistic, I thought I would win the game. I thought to myself + okay, now we have to finish it. I really didn't think I would lose this meeting."

Finally, after the four finals played since her last major title in 2017 in Melbourne, it is not yet this time that she will equal the record for 24 Grand Slam titles held by Margaret Court.

- Weeping Wozniacki -

The younger sister of the Williams sisters had not been eliminated so early in Melbourne since 2006, she who has held 7 titles there since 2003. She had not played the tournament in 2011 or 2018.

His worst Grand Slam result went back to his elimination in the third round of the last Roland-Garros.

Half an hour earlier, his great friend on the Wozniacki circuit (36th) had lost his meeting with the Tunisian Ons Jabeur (78th). A page has turned for the one who announced on December 6 that this Australian tournament, where she won her only Grand Slam title in 2018, would be the last.

"What I have achieved on the courts has been incredible (...) The support of my father who has coached me all these years ... Here, these are memories that will never leave me. I cry, but I'm happy, "she said before leaving the Margaret Court Arena for the last time, just 29 years old.

The very first to qualify for the 8th finals was Ashleigh Barty, world No.1, who eliminated Kazakhe Elena Rybakina (26th).

"This is certainly my best game of the summer (Australian)," said the 23-year-old Australian, who, since the beginning of January, lost in the first round in Brisbane before winning the title in Adelaide.

In the men's draw, the first qualifier for the 8th was the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman (14th) who beat the Serbian Dusan Lajovic (27th).

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