Jan 25 (Reuters) – Highlights of the eighth day at the Australian Open on Sunday (times GMT):
0946 DE MINAUR SETS UP ALCARAZ CLASH
Australian sixth seed Alex de Minaur eased past 10th seed Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-1 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in a row. The 26-year-old faces top seed and six-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight.
0940 DJOKOVIC THROUGH TO QUARTER-FINALS AFTER MENSIK INJURY
Novak Djokovic advanced to the quarter-finals after his fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew with an abdominal injury.
0915 MEDVEDEV KNOCKED OUT
American Learner Tien eliminated 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in a fourth-round upset, winning the match 6-4 6-0 6-3.
Tien won 10 games in a row before Medvedev showed signs of a resurgence and won three games on the trot. But the Russian was unable to carry on the momentum and Tien picked a comfortable win.
0825 ZVEREV MARCHES ON
Alexander Zverev, last year’s finalist, continued his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title as he cruised past Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-2 6-4 6-4 to make his way to the quarter-finals.
0705 GAUFF WINS BATTLE AGAINST MUCHOVA
American Coco Gauff reached the quarter-finals after a battle with Czech Karolina Muchova, the third seed emerging with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory.
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0530 ALCARAZ THROUGH TO QUARTERS
World number one Carlos Alcaraz booked a spot in the quarter-finals by beating American Tommy Paul 7-6(6) 6-4 7-5.
The Spaniard reached his 14th quarter-final at a Grand Slam, the most by any player in the Open Era before turning 23, surpassing Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker (13).
0325 JOVIC CRUISES PAST PUTINTSEVA
Iva Jovic posted a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory over Kazak Yulia Putintseva to set up a quarter-final against world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
The 18-year-old American becomes the youngest player to reach the women’s quarters without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998.
0145 SABALENKA BEATS MBOKO
World number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated Victoria Mboko 6-1 7-6(1) to become the first woman into the quarter-finals. Mboko saved four match points to push the game to a tiebreak but Sabalenka held off the late charge from the 19-year-old.
It marked a 20th consecutive tiebreak win at Grand Slams for Sabalenka, moving her out of a tie with Novak Djokovic (19) for the most in the Open Era.
0130 TOP SEEDS IN ACTION ON DAY EIGHT
The top seeds are scheduled to appear back-to-back on Rod Laver Arena when Aryna Sabalenka meets Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko for the first time before Carlos Alcaraz faces American Tommy Paul in two compelling fourth-round matches.
ROD LAVER ARENA
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v 17-Victoria Mboko (Canada)
1-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) v 19-Tommy Paul (U.S.)
Night session (0800 GMT/1900 AEDT)
10-Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan) v 6-Alex de Minaur (Australia)
12-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v 8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
MARGARET COURT ARENA
Day session (0030 GMT/1130 AEDT)
Laura Siegemund (Germany) and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) v Olivia Gadecki (Australia) and John Peers (Australia)
Storm Hunter (Australia) and Maya Joint (Australia) v 7-Anna Danilina (Kazakhstan) and 7-Aleksandra Krunic (Serbia)
3-Coco Gauff (U.S.) v 19-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic)
11-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v 25-Learner Tien (U.S.)
JOHN CAIN ARENA
Day session (0000 GMT/1100 AEDT)
14-Robert Cash (U.S.) and 14-JJ Tracy (U.S.) v 3-Marcel
Granollers (Spain) and 3-Horacio Zeballos (Argentina)
Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) v 29-Iva Jovic (U.S.)
Adam Pavlasek (Czech Republic) and John-Patrick Smith (Australia) v Luke Johnson (UK) and Jan Zielinski (Poland)
3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v 18-Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina)
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles and Karan Prashant Saxena and Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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