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Kvitova, Tsonga ease through at Australian Open

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was only on court for 38 minutes in her third-round match Saturday before advancing at the Australian Open.

Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga hardly broke sweat, either, in a commanding 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Frederico Gil of Portugal on the men’s side.

Second-seeded Kvitova was leading 6-0, 1-0 on Rod Laver Arena when Maria Kirilenko retired with a left thigh injury. The Russian had treatment for the injury in the first set and, after dropping serve immediately in the second, she walked to the net and shook hands with Kvitova.

It was the fourth retirement of the women’s tournament.

Kvitova, one of four players who could claim the top ranking at the season’s first major, will face Ana Ivanovic of Serbia or unseeded American Vania King in the Round of 16.

King and Serena Williams are the only American players left in the singles draws after John Isner’s loss on Friday ended any hope of a men’s champion from the United States.

Five-time champion Williams, hoping to win her 17^th straight match at Melbourne Park, was up against Greta Arn of Hungary in a later match Saturday.

No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 4-ranked Andy Murray were both up against French opponents in Nicolas Mahut and Michael Llodra.

In all, six Frenchmen reached the third round. Tsonga wasted hardly any time becoming the first of them to move into the Round of 16.

The 2008 finalist took six of his seven breakpoint opportunities and saved all five against him.

“I had to take it seriously and this is what I did. I’m just really happy to go through,” said Tsonga, who will face fellow Frenchman Julien Benneteau or Kei Nishikori of Japan next.

There will be no U.S. player in the men’s fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time since 1973 — when no Americans traveled to the tournament.