MELBOURNE, Australia — Fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the third time in four years with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over Dan Evans on Saturday.
Rublev hit 60 winners, including 10 aces.
“Every match I’m playing better and better,” Rublev said. “At the beginning of the year I lost a couple of close matches against really good players and lost a bit of confidence.”
Rublev, who will play ninth-seeded Holger Rune in the last 16, also thanked Evans for helping him by giving him a banana late in the first set.
“I asked for a banana and they didn’t have any,” Rublev said. “Dan had asked for bananas earlier and had two and he just gave me one. He helped me with the energy.”
Danish teenager Rune beat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5) to move into the fourth round on just his second visit to Melbourne Park.
Rune had a nasty-looking fall on the second point of the second set when his right ankle slipped. He had his right wrist checked but seemed unaffected as he claimed a convincing victory.
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