25 Jan 2010

Tough day for last 2 Aussies at Tennis Open

12:12 pm on 25 January 2010

It will officially be Australia against the world when the host nation's best tennis players tackle the best on the planet today at the Australian Open.

Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur meet world number ones Roger Federer and Serena Williams in fourth-round encounters.

Hewitt hasn't progressed beyond this stage of his home grand slam since his 2005 march to the final and has lost his past 14 matches against Federer.

When the pair enter Rod Laver Arena tonight, the Swiss master will take in a record of seven wins in seven grand slam encounters over his Australian rival.

Stosur's record is much better against Williams, whom she beat when they last played in the United States last July.

In other fourth round women's matches, Williams' sister Venus takes on 17th seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone and seventh seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus plays Russian ninth seed Vera Zvonareva.

China's Li Na will attempt to become the second player from her nation into the women's quarter-finals when she plays fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

In men's action, in-form Russian sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko plays last year's Open semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco of Spain and former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga plays Nicolas Almagro of Spain.

Third seed Novak Djokovic, who has been in white-hot touch at Melbourne Park, plays unseeded Pole Lukasz Kubot.