Murray, Kerber sent packing
World No 1s Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber both crashed out of the Australian Open on a day of major upsets on Sunday.
Murray was stunned by 50th-ranked serve-and-volley specialist Mischa Zverev in four sets before Kerber, the women’s title-holder, tamely succumbed 6-2 6-3 to Coco Vandeweghe.
The unpredictable results followed six-time champion Novak Djokovic’s stunning loss in the second round.
Murray had been the hot favourite after Djokovic’s shock exit, but the Briton lost 7-5 5-7 6-2 6-4 to Germany’s Zverev to extend his wait for a first Melbourne title.
The Briton was never expected to be troubled by the 29-year-old, who has never won an ATP title, but he suffered his earliest Melbourne departure in eight years.
Not since the 2004 French Open have the top two men’s seeds gone out before the quarterfinals, and for Murray, a five-time losing finalist, it meant yet more Melbourne misery.
“I’ve had tough losses in my career in the past. I’ve come back from them. This is a tough one,” Murray said. “I’m sure I’ll come back okay from it. But right now I’m obviously very down because I wanted to go further in this event, and it wasn’t to be.”
Zverev came to the net 118 times as he reached his first Major quarterfinal.
“I was like in a little coma, just serving and volleying my way through it. There were a few points where I didn’t know how I pulled it off, but somehow I made it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka, who won the first of his three Grand Slam titles in Melbourne in 2014, came through 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (7/4) against Italy’s Andreas Seppi.
The formidable Swiss will next play France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who came from a set down to beat British surprise package Dan Evans.
Kerber’s maiden Grand Slam title defence, and first Major tournament as world No 1, ended poorly as she came off distinctly second-best to the aggressive Vandeweghe.
The unseeded American broke Kerber’s serve four times and was on top at the net and from the baseline for her first win over a world No 1.
In the quarterfinals, Vandeweghe faces French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, who swamped Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-3. /