The big story: Federer will meet Kei Nishikori in the fourth round

Roger Federer cruised past 10th seed Tomas Berdych to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open, PTI reported. The Swiss was in destructive form against Berdych and needed only one hour 32 minutes to win 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Federer, 35 and returning from an injury lay-off, said he even surprised himself with an imperious win over Berdych. “In practice things were going well, but I’ve never been the practice king. I was winning tons of sets,” Federer said, adding: “It’s been unbelievable. I did surprise myself.”

Federer will next face world No. 5 Kei Nishikori, with the winner of that match potentially meeting Andy Murray in the quarter-finals.

Other top stories

Tennis

  • World No. 1 Andy Murray eased past American Sam Querrey to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open on Friday.   
  • Defending champion Angelique Kerber reached the fourth round of the Australian Open after beating Czech Kristyna Pliskova 6-0, 6-4.
  • Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka came from a set down to defeat Victor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. 7-6(7) and advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
  • World No. 5 Kei Nishikori progressed with a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win against Lukas Lacko from Slovakia.  
  • India’s highest ranked men’s doubles player Rohan Bopanna and his Uruguayan partner Pablo Cuveas lost their second-round encounter against Australia’s Alex Bolt and Bradley Mousley on Friday.  
  • Sania Mirza won her second-round encounter with ease as she and her partner Barbora Strycova beat Samantha Stosur and Shuai Zhang 6-1, 6-4 on Friday.
  • India’s outgoing Davis Cup captain Anand Amritraj has clarified that he has not sought action against young player Sumit Nagal, saying that the All India Tennis Association should be lenient towards him.

Cricket

  • With the Supreme Court making it clear that a cumulative period of 18 years as per the July 18 verdict stands, the two executive functionaries – joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary and treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary are expected to resume office.
  • Railways, armed forces and Association of Universities on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking recall of its judgement on implementation of Justice R M Lodha panel recommendations advocating sweeping reforms in BCCI.
  • The Supreme Court deferred naming members of the proposed panel to run the administration of cash-rich BCCI to January 24.
  • India opener Shikhar Dhawan is reported to be nursing an injury after he rushed straight to the hospital soon after the team landed in Kolkata ahead of the third and final ODI against England on January 22.
  • Yuvraj Singh revealed he did contemplate retirement at one stage after his fight with cancer, but it was skipper Virat Kohli’s trust that has kept him going, which he said made it important for him to repay that faith.
  • England opener Alex Hales will be missing the remainder of the India tour as he is returning home following an injury in his right hand during the second one-day international in Cuttack.
  • England players have been fined 10% of their match fees while captain Eoin Morgan was docked 20% of his earnings for maintaining a slow over-rate in the second ODI against India in Cuttack.
  • An 18-member India Under-19 squad as named on Friday for the five-match one-day series against England, starting January 30, BCCI announced.
  • Vidarbha Cricket Association will host the two Under-19 ‘Test’ matches between India and England after Tamil Nadu Cricket Association refused to stage the game.
  • Chirag Gandhi struck his maiden first class hundred to steer newly-crowned Ranji Trophy champions Gujarat from a precarious position on day 1 of the Irani Cup clash against the Rest of India at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday, PTI reported.  
  • Opening batsman Soumya Sarkar steered Bangladesh to a competitive 289 all out on day one of the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch on Friday.

Badminton

  • World No. 10 Sania Nehwal defeated Indonesia’s Fitriani 21-15, 21-14 to advance to the semi-final stage of the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold on Friday.

Golf

  • Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar climbed to tied-sixth in the SMBC Singapore Open with rounds of 68 and 69 to be in line to make the cut at the Asian and Japan Tour event, PTI reported.  
  • Anirban Lahiri made a steady start with a three-under 68 and finished tied-34th at the end of the first round at the CareerBuilder Challenge on the PGA Tour.

Football

  • Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he believes that India has the potential to become the next big football transfer powerhouse after China, PTI reported.
  • Striker Diego Costa wants to stay at Chelsea and will be available for Sunday’s Premier League game against Hull City, says manager Antonio Conte.
  • Manchester United have sold Netherlands forward Memphis Depay to French Ligue 1 club Lyon. Depay is reported to have moved for a fee of £21.7m.
  • Barcelona finally snapped their 10-year winless run at Real Sociedad with a 1-0 victory in the first-leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final on Thursday.
  • Shillong Lajong and Minerva Punjab have a solitary point between themselves ahead of a crucial six-pointer at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the I-League in Shillong on Saturday.

Boxing

  • Former World Junior champion Mandeep Kaur of Punjab progressed to the semifinals of the Youth women’s National Championship with a dominating win over Akhila Shine of Kerela in the feather weight division on Friday.