The Serb, in search of a 22nd Grand Slam title to equal Rafael Nadal's record, faces Grigor Dimitrov from 7:00 p.m. (GMT + 11).

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Finished for the Blues

Benjamin Bonzi (48th) and Ugo Humbert (106th) were the last Blues in the men's table, but they were both clearly dominated.

Bonzi, who was playing for the first time in his career at the age of 26 in a third round of the Grand Slam tournament, resisted until the tie break of the first set against the Australian Alex De Minaur (24th).

But he did not score a single point in this decisive game and was then overtaken 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-1.

Too much in trouble on his face-off (he had 22 break points to defend and saved 15), committing too many unforced errors (42 or double his opponent), he could not upset De Minaur.

It is therefore the Australian who will face Monday for a place in the quarter-finals Novak Djokovic (5th) or Grigor Dimitrov (28th).

Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in the 3rd round of the Australian Open against Australian Alex De Minaur on January 21, 2023 in Melbourne © ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP

Humbert, he was logically beaten by Holger Rune (10th) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), despite a fall which could have cost the Dane dearly.

In the first game of the second set, Rune twisted his right ankle and hurt his wrist when he fell.

"I was in a little pain, but the doctor told me there was nothing so I tried not to pay attention to it", explained the winner of the Masters 1000 in Paris who was bandage the ankle on the court.

Rune is taking part in his second Australian Open: last year he lost outright, before reaching the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros, his best result in a Major so far.

He can replay a quarter in a Grand Slam tournament, provided he beat Russian Andrey Rublev (6th) on Monday.

The latter obtained an undisputed victory against the Briton Daniel Evans (30th) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.

The 25-year-old Russian had played the 8th in 2020 and the quarters in 2021, but failed in the third round last year.

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Pleasure

Frenchman Ugo Humbert against Dane Holger Rune in the 3rd round of the Australian Open on January 21, 2023 in Melbourne © Paul CROCK / AFP

'I'm playing better than last year and maybe that's why I'm having more fun': Aryna Sabalenka was all smiles after her clear 6-2, 6-3 win over Belgium's Elise Mertens (32nd ) with which she had won the Australian Major in doubles in 2021.

The 24-year-old Belarusian has not yet lost a single set not only of the tournament but of the year, which began with a title in Adelaide 1.

"It's a great stat, but I don't care about it. I just try to keep playing my best," she said.

Sabalenka will play in the Round of 16 in Melbourne for the third time in a row, but she has yet to make it to the quarters, despite reaching the Grand Slam semi-finals three times (Wimbledon 2021, US Open 2021 and 2022).

His next opponent, Belinda Bencic (10th), also remains on a title before the Australian Open, in Adelaide 2.

The Swiss beat the Italian Camila Giorgi (70th) 6-2, 7-5 and returns to the second week of the Australian Major for the first time since 2016.

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The return

The Czech Karolina Pliskova (31st) had not passed the third round in Melbourne since her semi-final in 2019.

The Czech Karolina Pliskova against the Russian Varvara Gracheva in the 3rd round of the Australian Open on January 21 in Melbourne © WILLIAM WEST / AFP

It's done thanks to her quiet victory against the Russian Varvara Gracheva (97th) 6-4, 6-2.

Since the 2019 Australian Open, she has played the 2021 Wimbledon final and the quarters at the US Open in 2021 and 2022.

She will try to climb into the quarters by facing the Chinese Shuai Zhang (22nd) who beat the American Katie Volynets (113th and qualifying) 6-3, 6-2.

© 2023 AFP