Halep sets up Serena clash

World number one Simona Halep set up a headline last 16 showdowns with Serena Williams by beating her sister Venus yesterday as Novak Djokovic’s relentless drive towards more Australian Open glory cranked up another gear. On day six at Melbourne Park, the Romanian finally hit form to pull off her best win of the year and cruise past the veteran American 6-2, 6-3.

“I was super-motivated today,” she said after being taken to three sets in both her opening two matches as she bounces back from a herniated disc that ended her 2018 season early. “I have nothing to lose,” she added, looking ahead to Monday’s clash against 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena.

“I play against a great champion. It's going to a bigger challenge but I’m ready to face it.” Williams crushed Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 6-1 before consoling her at the net as the teenager burst into tears. The ominous 37-year-old seeded 16, has dropped just nine games in her three matches so far on her first return to the tournament since winning it in 2017 while pregnant. Fourteen-time Grand Slam winner and top seed Djokovic is gunning for a record seventh Australian title.

He dropped a set for the first time this year against fast-rising Canadian Denis Shapovalov, before demolishing him in the fourth stanza to win 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.