Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during the match against Russia's Daniil Medvedev. (REUTERS/Edgar Su Photo)
DJOKOVICHALTS MEDVEDEV CHARGE TO REACH QUARTERS
Top seed Novak Djokovic wore down Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 to reach his first Australian Open quarter-final since winning the title in 2016.
The Serb converted seven of the 18 break points he carved out against the big-serving Medvedev and struck 43 winners to the Russian’s 38 as he wrapped up victory in three hours, 15 minutes in the day’s final match.
INSPIRED BY YOUNG GUNS, OSAKA MARCHES ON
Naomi Osaka dropped the opening set before coming back to defeat Latvian Anastasija Sevastova 4-6 6-3 6-4 and reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time.
After losing the first set tamely, Osaka earned a decisive break to go up 4-2 in the second set before levelling the match. The world number four endured some nervy moments in the decider before sealing the contest in one hour and 47 minutes.
Up next for Osaka is WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina. The Japanese has lost three of their five career meetings, including their most recent clash at Miami last year.
SVITOLINA MASTERS KEYS
Elina Svitolina recovered after dropping the second set to secure a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals with a 6-2 1-6 6-1 victory over American Madison Keys on Monday.
The sixth seed, who has claimed 13 tour titles including at last year's WTA Finals in Singapore, has struggled to make an impact at the Grand Slams but the Ukrainian is now hoping to progress beyond the last eight at a major for the first time.
"(Singapore) gave me a huge boost of confidence, so I don't think about the other, the past anymore," the 24-year-old Svitolina, who has reached two quarter-finals in Melbourne to go with two more at the French Open, told reporters.
"I only look forward. I look for next challenge. I try to win as many matches as I can, as many titles as I can, and this is the goal for the year."
Reaching the last four will be a tough task, however, with Svitolina next meeting U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka after the Japanese fourth seed defeated Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova 4-6 6-3 6-4 in their fourth round encounter.
ESCAPE ARTIST NISHIKORI BEATS BUSTA
An exhausted Kei Nishikori battled from two sets down to outlast Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta 6-7(8) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-4 7-6(8) in an epic encounter on Monday and book his place in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Dragged into a five-set dogfight for the third time in four rounds, Nishikori struggled to deal with the physical and mental strain early on as Carreno Busta took a two-set lead but the eighth seed clawed his way back to level the contest.
The Japanese blew an early a break in the fifth set but prevailed in the tiebreaker to seal the win in five hours and five minutes, much to the delight of his compatriots in the crowd at Margaret Court Arena.
POUILLE PASSES CORIC TEST
France's Lucas Pouille overcame a slow start to beat 11th seed Borna Coric 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 7-6(2) and reach the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time since back-to-back quarter-final appearances at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2016.
PLISKOVA TOO GOOD FOR MUGURUZA
Karolina Pliskova defeated fellow former world number one Garbine Muguruza 6-3 6-1, the Czech seventh seed prevailing in one hour.
FOURTH SEED ZVEREV FALLS TO RAONIC
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev was knocked out of the fourth round by Canadian Milos Raonic, who sealed a 6-1 6-1 7-6(5) win in just under two hours.
A frustrated Zverev smashed his racquet at one point but managed to save two match points in the third set before Raonic clinched the victory in a tiebreak.
Reuters
