The day's first match at Rod Laver Arena was hardly vintage tennis, but Sabalenka was pleased to come away unscathed.

Aryna Sabalenka stayed on track for an Australian Open hat-trick Friday, while later Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka can set up a blockbuster clash and Novak Djokovic steps up his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

It wasn’t often pretty, but two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has extended a few impressive streaks while becoming one of the first players to advance to the fourth round of

Sabalenka was pleased to come away unscathed after a little over two hours in bright sunshine and challenging conditions.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was tested by Denmark's Clara Tauson in a baseline battle before booking her fourth round berth.

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka roars in celebration after clinching a tough first set against Clara Tauson. More Australians are in work than ever before, but unemployment still rose last month as the number of people looking for a job grew.