The 2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka has upset fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in a five-set battle on Rod Laver Arena.
The 34-year-old 2014 Open champion took the fourth-round match 6-2 2-6 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 on Monday.
The Swiss veteran posted his 29th career five-set victory, while Medvedev’s poor form over the full distance stretched to six without a win.
Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem also swept into the quarter-finals for the first time after a straight-sets demolition job on Frenchman Gael Monfils at Rod Laver Arena.
Tweet from @AustralianOpen
Thiem had never before passed the fourth round at Melbourne Park but rolled past world No.10 Monfils 6-2 6-4 6-4.
Thiem will play the winner of Monday night’s clash between Nick Kyrgios and world No.1 Rafael Nadal.
The victory stretched Thiem’s all-time dominance over Monfils to 6-0 but the Austrian said it was tougher than it looked.
Thiem rated it in his post-match interview as his best performance of the tournament.
“The score looks way easier than the match was,” Thiem said.
“I think I was lucky to make an early break in each set and then was managing to hold my serve well well and I’m so happy because I am for the first time in the quarter-finals here.”
Thiem’s charge comes after splitting with Austrian coach Thomas Muster after just two weeks together.
However, Thiem said there was no bad blood with the 1995 French Open champion but the relationship just didn’t work out.
“Nothing bad happened there – we already said before we started the relationship that if it doesn’t work out, we’re going stop it, and that was the case.
“I think it’s way more relaxed than everybody thinks.”
Earlier, former Australian Open finalist Simona Halep withstood a precarious fourth-round test to fight through against Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-4 6-4, booking her place in the last eight.
The world No.3 joined Australian top seed Ash Barty as the only other top-four-ranked player in the quarter-finals.
-with AAP
The post Australian Open: Stan Wawrinka on another finals charge with upset win over Daniil Medvedev appeared first on The New Daily.
**Business and Marketing support on best price; Hit the link now----> http://bit.ly/2HsQmSi