Konta calls the shots to ease into fourth round

By Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE ( Reuters) - Britain's Johanna Konta powered into the fourth round of the Australian Open for the second year in a row on Saturday, comfortably seeing off former world number one Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 6-1 on Margaret Court Arena.

Konta, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, broke the Dane midway through the first set with a smoking drop shot and never looked back, keeping the pressure up throughout the 75-minute contest.

The ninth seeded 25-year-old, the female contingent in a British charge into the second week at Melbourne Park, joined male compatriots Andy Murray and Dan Evans in the fourth round when Wozniacki put a backhand wide.

The Sydney-born Konta, a semi-finalist here last year, will next face 30th seed Ekaterina Makarova as she seeks to give Britain its first women's grand slam singles champion in four decades.

(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)