Wozniacki survives the carnage as Ostapenko crashes out

Caroline Wozniacki has avoided the top-seed exodus at the Australian Open, but Jelena Ostapenko wasn't as lucky.

The World No.2 was too good for Kiki Bertens on Friday night, moving into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Wozniacki has a red-hot chance to break her grand slam drought, with all four of 2017's major winners either losing already (Ostapenko, Garbine Muguruza and Sloane Stephens) or not playing at all (Serena Williams).

French Open champion Ostapenko became latest big name to crash out of the women's field, losing to Estonian 32nd-seed Anett Kontaveit.

In an all-Baltic third-round battle on Margaret Court Arena, Kontaveit prevailed over her Latvian opponent for a 6-3 1-6 6-3 victory in an hour and 53 minutes.

Seventh seed Ostapenko's defeat continues a week of boilovers in the women's draw and leaves Maria Sharapova and Angelique Kerber as the only remaining major winners.

With Sharapova and Kerber set to meet on Saturday evening, there is guaranteed to be at least one maiden grand slam finalist in next weekend's championship decider.

Kontaveit will face Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro in the fourth round after accounting for a wounded Ostapenko, who took a medical time-out after dropping the first set.

with AAP