Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was pushed to the limit in setting up an Australian Open showdown with teenager Mirra Andreeva on Friday but Naomi Osaka's run ended with an injury retirement in round three.

Women's World No. 1 Sabalenka was made to work hard behind a faltering serve before beating Denmark's Clara Tauson in the third round on Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka was broken four straight times at the start of the match but found her groove to win 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 after more than two hours of attritional tennis.

"I'm just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win," said Sabalenka, who is chasing a rare third Melbourne title in a row.

Her win puts her into a clash against highly rated 17-year-old Andreeva, the 14th seed, who beat Poland's 23rd seed Magdalena Frech in three sets.

Russia's Andreeva announced her burgeoning talent by beating Sabalenka in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year.

Meanwhile, two-time Melbourne champion Osaka was on a collision course with American third seed Coco Gauff in the next round.

But the former world number one needed treatment on her stomach from the trainer during the first set against Belinda Bencic and called it quits after losing the opener on a tiebreak.

Osaka, who was struggling with an abdominal injury in the build-up to the tournament and retired from the final in Auckland, was in the third round of a Slam for the first time since the birth of her daughter in 2023. (AFP)