Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic cruised into the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Argentine Diego Schwartzman on Sunday.
Djokovic, who has dropped only one set in the tournament so far, took the match 6-3 6-4 6-4 and will play his 46th grand slam quarter-final against Canadian Milos Raonic.
Djokovic said in his post-match interview that he had a lot of respect for Raonic, who defeated Marin Cilic 6-4 6-3 7-5.
“Quite a different matchup than the one today,” Djokovic said.
“He has one of the biggest serves and I have to be ready for missiles coming from his side of the net.
“I have played him here five years ago in the quarter-finals and I remember it really well.
“I’m really glad to see him being healthy and playing on a really good level again.
“He is a great guy, I have known him for many years.
“He is a good friend. We speak the same language. It is nice to see him in the quarters.”
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Cilic, beaten in five sets by Roger Federer in the 2018 Australian Open final, was unable to convert any of his four break points, with Raonic slamming down 35 aces to his five.
The Canadian served himself out of trouble at a pivotal stage of the third set after Cilic had earned two set points.
Raonic boomed down three aces in succession, followed by a forehand winner, to level at 5-5, before breaking the Croatian’s serve for the third time and serving out the match.
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He has reached the quarter-final stage at the season-opening grand slam five times, with his best result a semi-final appearance in 2016 when he lost to Andy Murray in five sets.
It’s a welcome change in fortunes for Raonic, who has been been beset in recent times by injuries.
After reaching the quarter-finals last year at Melbourne Park, a knee injury forced him out of the entire claycourt season, including the French Open.
He was unable to play the US Open due to a hamstring issue and was forced out of the Davis Cup final against Spain with a back strain.
Kvitova fights back, Gauff exits
In the women’s draw, Czech champion Petra Kvitova fought back from a set down to book a possible Australian Open quarter-final date with world No.1 Ash Barty, while the run of teenage Coco Gauff has ended.
Sofia Kenin defeated American Gauff 6-7 6-3 6-0 to make her first grand slam quarter-final.
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Seventh seed Kvitova, runner-up to Naomi Osaka in last year’s final at Melbourne Park, was made to work before triumphing 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-2 over Greece’s Maria Sakkari on Rod Laver Arena.
The two-time Wimbledon champion was down a set and a break to the 22nd seed in the second set before winning 11 of the next 15 games to reach the last eight at a grand slam for a 12th time.
“To be honest, I really don’t know,” Kvitova said when asked how she managed the stunning turnaround.
“I just keep playing. I was down a break in the first. I was able to make it to a tiebreak but obviously I lost it. So I really had to fight really hard. Suddenly, I just got to stop her game a little bit.
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“I was playing more rallies. I was trying still to play my game but not as much risk and my serving really helped.”
Sakkari was riding a wave of history as the first Greek woman to make the fourth round of a major since Eleni Daniilidou at Wimbledon in 2005.
Having fallen to Sakkari in their past two meetings at Cincinnati and Rome last year, Kvitova was under no illusion that stopping the 24-year-old in her tracks would prove a hard task.
“It’s really tough to play Maria,” she said.
“Last time I lost to her, so I really knew it would be a difficult match.”
Kvitova will next play the winner of Sunday night’s match between top seed Barty and American world No.19 Alison Riske.
Getting to the bottom of Kyrgios’ injury time
Nick Kyrgios has pledged to “give everything” in his quest to bring down Rafael Nadal in their much-anticipated grudge match at the Australian Open on Monday night.
Last time the two met, Nadal prevailed in a thrilling four-setter after Kyrgios was backing up from a night out at Wimbledon Village’s Dog & Fox pub.
After his epic 6-2 7-6 (5) 6-7 (6) 6-7 (7) 7-6 (8) third-round triumph over Karen Khachanov, the Australian indicated that he would be fit and firing after a day off on Sunday.
“Physically I think I’ll be fine. A whole day off tomorrow … do all the right things,” Kyrgios said after needing a medical time-out in the first set on Saturday night.
<br /> I just served and felt my left bum cheek get sore. Feels better now, yeah.
“I’m super excited, honestly. Playing one of the greatest tennis players on centre court at your own slam, it’s pretty damn cool. I’m looking forward to it. That’s why you play.”
-with AAP
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