Melbourne, Australia: Seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych became the first man to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over Viktor Troicki of Serbia on Friday.
The Czech player needed eight match points to clinch it, most of them in the penultimate game when Troicki held serve. He clinched it with an ace.
Berdych, a Wimbledon finalist in 2010, lost to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals last year at Melbourne Park, where he has reached the quarterfinals or better since 2011.
Troicki is still on the comeback after being banned from tennis for 12 months for failing to provide a blood sample for a doping test, a charge he denies.
