More upsets? Get ready for Saturday matches at Australian Open

Ray Slover

More upsets? Get ready for Saturday matches at Australian Open image

As tennis fans recover from Roger Federer's stunning early exit from the Australian Open, play pushes into the weekend with plenty of top seeds remaining in competition. Who will be the next giant to fall?

The biggest question for American fans is what awaits the best U.S. players. In the men's draw, Steve Johnson has a major test against Japan's Kei Nishikori. Varvara Lepchenko also will need an upset to advance. And either Coco Vandeweghe or Madison Brengle will be knocked out in their match. Madison Keys aso has a challenge againt Petra Kvitova, the women's No. 4 seed.

Victoria Azarenka claimed the first big upset in women's competition when she KO'd Caroline Wozniacki. Entering her match Saturday, Azarenka could be the most dangerous player in the draw. Are Venus and Serena Williams vulnerable? How about David Ferrer on the men's side?

Those answers are coming as the Open heads towards its quarterfinals fields.

Here are Friday's results and Saturday's schedule of play. Because of the time difference between Melbourne and U.S. Eastern, next matches begin about 7 p.m. ET Friday. Saturday's night session in Melbourne begins about 3 p.m. ET.

Singles results

Men, third round

Tomas Berdych (7), Czech Republic, defeated Viktor Troicki, Serbia, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Grigor Dimitrov (10), Bulgaria, defeated Marcos Baghdatis, Cyprus, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Andreas Seppi, Italy, defeated Roger Federer (2), Switzerland, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5).

Andy Murray (6), Britain, defeated Joao Sousa, Portugal, 6-1, 6-1, 7-5.

Bernard Tomic, Australia, defeated Sam Groth, Australia, 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-3.

Kevin Anderson (14), South Africa, defeated Richard Gasquet (24), France, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6).

Nick Kyrgios, Australia, defeated Malek Jaziri, Tunisia, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-1.

Rafael Nadal (3), Spain, defeated Dudi Sela, Israel, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5.

Women, third round

Julia Goerges, Germany, defeated Lucie Hradecka, Czech Republic, 7-6 (6), 7-5.

Ekaterina Makarova (10), Russia, defeated Karolina Pliskova (22), Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-4.

Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium, defeated Sara Errani (14), Italy, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Peng Shuai (21), China, defeated Yaroslava Shvedova, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (7), 6-3.

Eugenie Bouchard (7), Canada, defeated Caroline Garcia, France, 7-5, 6-0.

Irina-Camelia Begu, Romania, defeated Carina Witthoeft, Germany, 6-4, 6-4.

Simona Halep (3), Romania, defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands, United States, 6-4, 7-5.

Maria Sharapova (2), Russia, defeated Zarina Diyas (31), Kazakhstan, 6-1, 6-1.

Saturday schedule

Varvara Lepchenko (30), United States, vs. Agnieszka Radwanska (6), Poland

Serena Williams (1), United States, vs. Elina Svitolina (26), Ukraine

Stan Wawrinka (4), Switzerland, vs. Jarkko Nieminen, Finland

Novak Djokovic (1), Serbia, vs. Fernando Verdasco (31), Spain

Petra Kvitova (4), Czech Republic, vs. Madison Keys, United States

Camila Giorgi, Italy, vs. Venus Williams (18), United States

Feliciano Lopez (12), Spain, vs. Jerzy Janowicz, Poland

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (25), Czech Republic, vs. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus

David Ferrer (9), Spain, vs. Gilles Simon (18), France

Garbine Muguruza (24), Spain, vs. Timea Bacsinszky, Switzerland

Benjamin Becker, Germany, vs. Milos Raonic (8), Canada

Coco Vandeweghe, United States, vs. Madison Brengle, United States

Steve Johnson, United States, vs. Kei Nishikori (5), Japan

Ray Slover