Melbourne, Australia: Third-seeded David Ferrer has advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Friday.
The Spaniard has reached at least the fourth round for 15 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, dating back to Wimbledon in 2010. He was a semifinalist last year at Melbourne Park, losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
The 31-year-old Ferrer had a career-best year in 2013, reaching his first Grand Slam final at the French Open and finishing the year at No. 3 in the rankings.
He meets Florian Mayer in the fourth round after the German player defeated No. 20-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland in straight sets earlier Friday.
