Melbourne: Aryna Sabalenka continued her pursuit of a historic third consecutive Australian Open title with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 victory over Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Sunday. Despite the searing 32°C (89.6°F) heat, Sabalenka’s dominance on court saw her complete the match in just 62 minutes, extending her unbeaten streak at Melbourne Park to 18 matches.

"I'm super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets," Sabalenka said after her victory. She will next face either Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic or Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals.

Sabalenka, who had struggled with her serve earlier in the tournament, seemed in her element as the temperature soared. "The ball was flying like a rocket. I hope conditions are going to be the same till the end of the tournament," she added.

Djokovic seeks historic 25th Grand Slam

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, on his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, will face Czech 24th seed Jiri Lehecka in the prime-time evening match at Rod Laver Arena. The winner of this match will meet either Carlos Alcaraz or Britain’s Jack Draper in a highly anticipated semi-final showdown.

The 37-year-old Serbian has found his rhythm, having struggled early in the tournament with dropped sets. Djokovic delivered a near-perfect performance in his third-round match, sweeping Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. "There’s always something to improve, work on, but this is definitely the best match I've played in the tournament," said Djokovic, who is aiming for his 11th Australian Open title.

Alcaraz prepares for Draper challenge

Carlos Alcaraz will face Britain’s Jack Draper next. Draper, the 15th seed, has had a gritty run in the tournament, coming from behind in all three of his previous matches, all of which went the distance in five sets. Draper is determined to give Alcaraz a tough challenge, stating, “I need to be brave in the way I play.”

Gauff continues impressive form

In the women’s singles, American third seed Coco Gauff is on a 12-match win streak, and remains yet to drop a set this season. Gauff will face Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, with the winner set to meet either Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa or Serbia’s Olga Danilovic in the quarter-finals.

Despite her impressive form and recognition as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, Gauff remains grounded. "I grew up in the church. I think when you just grow up in the community like that you have no choice but to keep your grounding," she said. “I’m so lucky to be able to do what I do, also get paid while doing it. I’m very grateful."

In-form players set for thrilling quarter-finals clash

Elsewhere, in the men's draw, American 12th seed Tommy Paul will take on Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while German second seed Alexander Zverev faces French 14th seed Ugo Humbert. The winners of these matches will advance to the semi-finals.

With AFP inputs