Dimitrov survives another big scare to advance

Bulgaria's world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov struggled past young Russian Andrey Rublev into the round of 16 at the Australian Open on Friday.

Dimitrov, who needed five sets to get past an American qualifier in the second round, held on for a gutsy 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.

He will next face either Australia's Nick Kyrgios or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France for a place in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, last Brit standing Kyle Edmund continues to fly the Union Jack, advancing to the round of 16 after surviving a torrid five-set battle with Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Playing on shadeless show court 2 in temperatures nudging 40 degrees, Edmund prevailed 7-6 (7-0) 3-6 4-6 6-0 7-5 after three hours and 34 minutes of toil on Friday.

While otherwise keeping long rallies to a minimum, Edmund won an epic 20-minute, 36-point game early in the fourth set which seemed likely to break the Georgian's spirit.

After falling behind 2-0, Basilashvili lost the next four games in quick fashion to allow Edmund to tie up the match at two sets apiece.

But Basilashvili came back to life in a tight decider as both combatants cooled themselves with ice towels at every changeover.

With Andy Murray absent as he recovers from hip surgery and women's No.9 seed Johanna Konta eliminated in the second round, Edmund is the last remaining British interest in the singles competitions at Melbourne Park.

Edmund's reward is a fourth-round clash on Sunday with Italian Andreas Seppi, who came through a battling five-set win of his own, conquering big-serving Ivo Karlovic after three hours and 51 minutes.

Seppi won 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (3-7) 6-7 (5-7) 9-7 on Hisense Arena, the same venue where he knocked out Nick Kyrgios last year.

No.10 seed Pablo Carreno Busta from Spain outlasted veteran Gilles Muller from Luxembourg 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-5 7-5 in another gruelling encounter lasting three hours and 18 minutes.

Having not progressed beyond the third round in any of his first 14 major campaigns, the much-improved Spaniard has now reached the quarter-finals at last year's French Open, the semis at the US Open and the last 16 at Melbourne Park in his past three slams.

with agencies