The Latest: Kyrgios avoids sanction for using phone on court
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) The latest from the Australian Open on Sunday (all times local):
3:35 p.m.
Nick Kyrgios won't be sanctioned by tournament officials for answering his phone on court before a mixed doubles match at the Australian Open because the call was taken before the pre-match meeting.
Kyrgios answered the mobile phone call, which he said was from a friend, before a match he and his girlfriend, Ajla Tomljanovic, lost in straight sets to the No.1-ranked team of Ivan Dodig and Sania Mirza on Saturday.
Under the ATP Tour policy ''a player is not allowed to use any electronic devices (e.g. C.D. players, mobile phones, etc.) during matches, unless approved by the supervisor.''
The Australian Open released a statement on Sunday saying ''Referee reviewed the situation ... as Nick walked on to the court before his match he answered a phone call then hung up. This happened prior to the pre-match meeting and no further action wil be taken. The incident has been closed.''
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2:40 p.m.
Six-time and defending champion Serena Williams is through to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park after a 6-2, 6-1 win over Russian Margarita Gasparyan on Rod Laver Arena in 55 minutes.
Under bright sunshine after the roof was opened following morning rain, Williams lost her service in the opening game but quickly found her groove to set up a rematch of last year's final with Maria Sharapova, who defeated Belinda Bencic in the preceding match.
Williams has beaten Sharapova in 18 of 20 matches and hasn't lost to Sharapova since 2004.
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1:30 p.m.
Kei Nishikori is the first male player through to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park, defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in front of a hugely partisan crowd filled with flag-waving Japanese fans.
The seventh-seeded Nishikori also reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open last year and in 2012.
Nishikori has had trouble with Tsonga's power game in the past, losing most recently to the Frenchman in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year.
But Tsonga lost his serve five times in the match and only managed to break Nishikori once.
After the match ended, the roof on Hisense Arena was opened after early-morning rain that delayed the start of matches on side courts cleared.
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1:20 p.m.
Maria Sharapova is through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after a 7-5, 7-5 win over Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.
The fifth-seeded Sharapova needed 2 hours, 5 minutes to beat Bencic, breaking the Swiss player's serve for the fourth time in the last game - sealing it when she successfully challenged a call on the baseline on the opposite end of the court.
Sharapova, the 2008 champion and a three-time runner-up, needed four set points to clinch the opening set, including two in the 10th game.
Bencic again found herself on the wrong end of an opponent's ace count. Sharapova had 21, including four on her second serve. Last year, Bencic was on the receiving end of a WTA-record 27 aces from Sabine Lisicki.
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11:15 a.m.
Light rain is delaying the start of play on outdoor courts at Melbourne Park on Sunday, although matches on three covered stadiums have begun as scheduled.
First up on Rod Laver Arena is Maria Sharapova's fourth-round match against Belinda Bencic. That will be followed by defending champion Serena Williams' match against Russian Margarita Gasparyan.
Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic closes the afternoon program on the main court when he plays Gilles Simon. Roger Federer plays a night match on Rod Laver against David Goffin.
