Highlights of Sunday's seventh day of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Nadal blows away Berdych to reach quarter-finals
Rafa Nadal routed Tomas Berdych 6-0 6-1 7-6(4) in a centre court masterclass to charge into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.
The 2009 champion was relentless at Rod Laver Arena, claiming the first two sets in an astonishing 51 minutes as the former world number four Czech suffered a dreadful start.
Berdych rallied to grab a set point off Nadal in the final stanza but an untimely malfunction of the serve clock rattled him during the ensuing tiebreak and he bowed out slapping a backhand into the net.
Bidding for an 18th Grand Slam title, second seed Nadal booked his 11th quarter-final at Melbourne Park and will meet unseeded American sensation Frances Tiafoe.
Barty party continues in Melbourne with Sharapova win
Ashleigh Barty rallied from a set down to beat former world number one Maria Sharapova 4-6 6-1 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Sunday, becoming the first Australian woman in a decade to reach the quarter-finals at her home Grand Slam.
With the last of the Australian men's singles players dumped out in the early hours of Sunday morning, the nation's hopes of a home Grand Slam champion now rest firmly on the shoulders of Barty, the 15th seed at Melbourne Park.
The 22-year-old, roared on by a raucous home crowd that included Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and men's great Rod Laver, converted her fourth match point with an ace to seal the win in two hours and 22 minutes.
Kvitova back in the Grand Slam big time
After a year in the Grand Slam wilderness, twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova returned to the limelight with a 6-2 6-1 thrashing of American teenager Amanda Anisimova to storm into the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday.
Kvitova had a barren 2018 season, failing to make it beyond the third round at all four majors, but the 28-year-old Czech has started the new year with a bang and is shaping up as a genuine title threat at Melbourne Park.
The eighth seed next faces home hope and maiden Grand Slam quarter-finalist Ashleigh Barty, the woman she beat for the Sydney International title in the weekend before the tournament.
Bautista Agut upsets Cilic
Roberto Bautista Agut held firm in a tense five-set duel to knock sixth seed Marin Cilic out of the Australian Open and book his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final on Sunday.
The 22nd-seeded Spaniard captured the decisive break in the ninth game of the final set before serving out strongly to claim a 6-7(6) 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4 win at Margaret Court Arena.
Bautista Agut, who had lost the fourth-round match of a Grand Slam in each of his nine previous attempts, threw his arms up in the air and roared in triumph.
It was Bautista Agut's third five-set win this week at Melbourne Park, continuing a remarkable run that has also included victories over an injury-hobbled Andy Murray, Australian John Millman and 10th seed Karen Khachanov.
Reuters
