Ominous Radwanska makes it 12 out of 12

Agnieszka Radwanska won her 12th match in a row Friday to power into the Australian Open fourth round in her best ever start to a season, something she put down to a new-found confidence. The world number four proved too strong for Britain's Heather Watson in a 6-3, 6-1 thumping and is yet to drop a set in 2013 as she searches for her first Grand Slam title. "I think I've never won 12 matches in a row," the Pole said. "I never played two tournaments before the Australian Open. It was my first time I played Auckland and Sydney and it was a good start. I can't complain." Radwanska is the form women's player after winning in Auckland and Sydney and next faces one of two former world number ones, Ana Ivanovic or Jelena Jankovic. She said she changed nothing in her game during the off-season, but is feeling more confident about herself. "Of course, I was practicing hard in the off-season, a lot of fitness," she said. "But I'm just feeling good on court. I'm very confident from the beginning and just happy that I can play really my best tennis from the beginning of the year." As well as her off-season training regime, Radwanska managed to fit in some study with the 23-year-old already thinking about life after tennis, studying tourism back home at a university in Krakow. "I did my third semester in university, so I was studying for one month, it's like very, very hard to finish that," she said. "It's good to know something more than just play forehand, backhand. Of course it was really tough studying and being a professional tennis player. "I must say they really help me out and I can do my exam whenever I'm ready. So when I'm ready, I'm just calling them and I'm going to university and having exams." On court, she started steadily against Watson, who was looking to mirror fellow Brit Laura Robson, who upset eighth seed Petra Kvitova on Rod Laver Arena in the early hours of Friday morning. They both held serve until Radwanska got the break in the fifth game with a powerful forehand down the line and Watson was unable to fight back, handing the fourth seed the set. Radwanska needed treatment on the little finger of her right hand early in the second set but it didn't hinder her and she got the break she needed on Watson's opening service game. After a day of searing heat on Thursday, the weather changed and the players were forced to endure a short stoppage at 3-0 while the mechanical roof was closed when it started raining. But it was plain sailing afterwards for the Pole, whose best Grand Slam was Wimbledon last year when she made the final and was beaten by Serena Williams. "I really had a lot of good matches against top players this year, and I must say I'm really playing good and everything is working," she said. "I just hope I keep going. Of course now it's going to be harder and harder, playing against seeded players." From AFP