Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt bade an emotional farewell from tennis on Thursday after a combustible Australian Open defeat in which he was warned for swearing and slammed the umpire as an "idiot".

The intensely competitive Australian, roared on by a partisan crowd, couldn't live with Spain's David Ferrer and he went down 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to exit what was his final tournament before retiring.

Andy Murray seized on a crucial psychological edge before dismantling Sam Groth, the holder of the world's fastest serve, as he swept into the Australian Open third round on Thursday.

In the locker-room before the match, the wily Scot overheard Australia's Groth saying he was playing at Rod Laver Arena, with all the pressures of a big home crowd, for the first time.

Holders Barcelona overcame the absence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to take a huge step towards the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

Messi was absent due to a hamstring problem, whilst Suarez completed a two-game Cup ban, but the visitors still took control of the tie with two goals in six first-half minutes from Munir El Haddadi and Neymar.

Teenage qualifier Naomi Osaka gave a bow to the crowd after moving into the Australian Open third round on Thursday, in a gesture to the hordes of Japanese fans supporting her.

It was a nice touch from a player who is enjoying an amazing Grand Slam debut and who represents the Asian nation -- yet understands virtually no Japanese.

Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka Thursday said she was feeling in great shape "body-wise, spirit-wise, everything-wise" as she kept up her scintillating form to reach the Australian Open third round.

The Belarusian former world number one was again in fine touch as she hammered Montenegro's Danka Kovinic 6-1, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena to progress.

Kevin Love scored 17 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers got back to winning ways on Wednesday with a comfortable 91-78 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Still smarting from a humiliating 132-98 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, the Cavs rebounded to score an emphatic victory at the Barclays Center.

Australian tennis greats have urged the country's temperamental young stars to take a leaf out of "little guy" Lleyton Hewitt's book as the former world number one readies for retirement.

After the combustible Nick Krygios and Bernard Tomic's repeated brushes with authorities, retired Australian stars including Pat Rafter said they would do well to copy the hard-working Hewitt.

Defending champions Juventus will take on Inter Milan for a place in the Italian Cup final after edging Lazio 1-0 in the quarter-finals Wednesday with goalline technology summoned to clarify the winning goal.

On the back of 10 wins in a row in Serie A, Juventus grabbed the only goal of the night in the 66th minute at the Stadio Olimpico.

Rafael Nadal's coach and uncle Toni Nadal hasn't ruled out the possibility that the 14-time Grand Slam champion may seek a new or expanded coaching team in a bid to arrest his slide in form.

Nadal lost in the first round of a Grand Slam for just the second time in his career to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father's trial for tax fraud will begin on May 31 at a court in Barcelona, a regional superior court said Wednesday.

Messi, recently crowned Ballon d'Or winner for a record fifth time, and his father Jorge have been charged with tax fraud for allegedly failing to declare 4.16 million euros ($4.69 million) in taxes related to his image rights between 2007 and 2009.