Young Chung dumps Djokovic
INJURY PROBLEMS TAKE THEIR TOLL ON SERB Federer marches into 14th quarterfinal at Melbourne Park.
Wounded 12-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic was sent tumbling out of the Australian Open by Korean giant-killer Chung Hyeon yesterday, but ice-cool Roger Federer roared into the quarterfinals.
The Serb, who was returning from six months out with a right elbow injury, was clearly in pain as his hopes of a seventh Melbourne Park title were extinguished on Rod Laver Arena 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).
He was keen not to take away from the glasses-wearing Chung’s huge achievement after the 21-year-old followed up his win over fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the last round.
“Congratulations. Amazing,” said Djokovic, who also had an apparent hip or groin problem, screeching at times when stretching for the ball.
Chung’s reward is a last-eight clash with unheralded American Tennys Sandgren, who upset Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (7/9).
The Korean, ranked 58, described Djokovic as “my idol”.
“I can’t believe this, my dream’s come true tonight.”
Sandgren became just the second man in the last 20 years since Frenchman Nicolas Escude to make the quarterfinals on his Australian Open debut.
For a composed Federer, it was business as normal.
The Swiss defending champion swatted aside Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 to make the last eight for an incredible 14th time.
He will now play Tomas Berdych, who demolished Italy’s Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
World No 1 Simona Halep eased into the last eight 6-3, 6-2 over unseeded Naomi Osaka of Japan.
Halep has never gone beyond the quarters before.
She will play sixth seed Karolina Pliskova, who beat fellow Czech Barbora Strycova.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber is the only Grand Slam champion left among the women, and she was given a big fright as she chases her second crown after beating Serena Williams in 2016.
After crushing Maria Sharapova in the last round, she came up against gritty Taiwanese veteran Hsieh Su-wei.
At one point Kerber was serving to stay in the match, but she bounced back to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
The win set Kerber up with a clash against American Madison Keys, a semifinalist in 2015.
Seeded 17, she flattened French eighth seed Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 in just 68 impressive minutes. – AFP