Melbourne, Jan 24 (NationPress) Amanda Anisimova and Lorenzo Musetti triumphed in their respective third-round matches at the Australian Open, defeating Peyton Stearns and Tomas Machac. Anisimova showcased her skills at the Margaret Court Arena, while Musetti battled it out at the John Cain Arena on Day 7 of the season's first Grand Slam.

Anisimova's victory secured her a spot in the fourth round of the Australian Open for the second consecutive year, as she overcame American rival Peyton Stearns with a score of 6-1, 6-4 in just 71 minutes. The World No. 4 started strong, saving a break point in the opening game and breaking Stearns twice to take a swift 5-1 lead in the first set. She served out the set comfortably in just over half an hour, displaying little sign of struggle.

In the second set, Anisimova maintained control at 5-2, but Stearns began to rally back. The former University of Texas player saved a match point and broke back to narrow the score to 5-4. Despite the shift in momentum, Anisimova kept her focus and sealed the match with a forehand winner on her third match point.

Despite tallying 30 unforced errors, significantly higher than Stearns' 14, Anisimova's aggressive play yielded 14 winners compared to Stearns’ six. This victory marks her fourth appearance in the Round of 16 at Melbourne Park. In her upcoming match, she will face the winner of the contest between No. 13 seed Linda Noskova and Wang Xinyu. Anisimova holds a 2-1 edge in head-to-head matches against Noskova, including a victory in last year's Beijing final, although she has never faced Wang before.

Musetti displayed remarkable tenacity to defeat Machac in a thrilling third-round duel, finishing the match with scores of 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. Machac took an early lead, winning the first set 6-2 with relentless baseline play and powerful groundstrokes. Musetti showcased his fighting spirit, saving two set points with stellar serves, but Machac's relentless pressure proved challenging.

Responding in the second set, Musetti secured a 6-4 win through precise serving and powerful strokes. After breaking Machac in Game 9, he clinched the set to even the match. Musetti then dominated the third set, winning 6-2, relying on his strong serving and baseline consistency to take a 2-1 match lead.

Machac rallied in the fourth set, breaking Musetti's serve to win 7-5 and push the match to a decisive fifth set. However, Musetti's composure shone in the final set, where he broke early and sealed the match 6-2. His remarkable ace of 205 km/h and clinical forehand winners rounded off a stunning comeback after trailing two sets to one.

Musetti advances to the fourth round after four hours and 27 minutes of intense tennis.