Aus Open PHOTOS: Serena marches on; Sharapova survives scare

IMAGES from Day 5 of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Friday.

IMAGE: Serena Williams in action during her third round match. Photograph: Pat Scala/Getty Images

Defending champion Serena Williams charged into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-1 6-1 demolition of Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina, in Melbourne, on Friday.

Playing a record 80th main draw match at Melbourne Park against an 18-year-old on her first trip Down Under, Williams was merciless under the lights of Rod Laver Arena, blasting 24 winners and winning all 10 points coming into the net.

Kasatkina raised rambunctious cheers from sympathetic fans in the terraces when she prised a game in each set but Williams finished full of running, closing out the match in 44 minutes when her frazzled opponent pushed a forehand wide.

Williams, bidding for seventh title at Melbourne Park and a 22nd grand slam trophy, faces another unseeded Russian in Margarita Gasparyan in the next round.

Sharapova survives second set blip

IMAGE: Maria Sharapova plays a forehand. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Russian fifth seed Maria Sharapova eased her way past Lauren Davis after a second set blip provided a minor scare but she went on to beat the American 6-1, 6(5)-7, 6-0 to advance to round four.

She will take on 12th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the fourth round.

Nishikori enters fourth round

Kei Nishikori

IMAGE: Kei Nishikori celebrates winning his third round match. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Japan's seventh seed Kei Nishikori was the first man into the last 16, recovering from a second set wobble to beat Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena

"It was a bit of a tough match, I lost the second set which was tough mentally but I played better in the last two sets," Nishikori said after his victory.

Bencic fights back to reach fourth round

Belinda Bencic

IMAGE: Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Belinda Bencic, the 12th seed, was the first player into the round of 16 after fighting back from a set down to overhaul Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the opening match at Rod Laver Arena.

Bondarenko saved two match points in a tense finish but netted the third as the Swiss teenager continued her best run at Melbourne Park.

Goffin comes through Thiem test

David Goffin

IMAGE: David Goffin of Belgium. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Belgian David Goffin reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time after beating Austrian young gun Dominic Thiem 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 on Hisense Arena.

"It's always tough to play against Dominic. It was almost three hours of high intensity tennis. In the end, I'm really happy," Goffin said after the match.