Djokovic is elbowed out by Chung
● Injury doubts come home to roost for former world No1 as he succumbs to pain in a straight-sets defeat to Korean prodigy
Roger Federer maintained his record of not having dropped a set at the Australian Open with a straightforward victory over Marton Fucsovics to reach the quarter-finals.
The 25-year-old Hungarian was a surprise face in the fourth round and acquitted himself well on Rod Laver Arena but ultimately proved no match for Federer, pictured. The defending champion won 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.
The victory sends Federer through to the last eight in Melbourne for the 14th time and 52nd overall in grand slams, where he is likely to be more severely tested by Tomas Berdych.
“I thought he played very well,” said 36-yearold Federer, the oldest man to reach the quarterfinals here since Ken Rosewall in December 1977. “I had a hard time breaking through until two sets to love and a break.
“Credit to him for playing a great tournament, that’s what I told him at the net.”
A resurgent Berdych followed up his win over Juan Martin del Potro by beating Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
American Tennys Sandgren had never won a slam match before arriving in Australia but followed up his second-round upset of Stan Wawrinka by defeating fifth seed Dominic Thiem 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (7/9), 6-3. Sandgren will play Chung Hyeon, Novak Djokovic’s conqueror, in the last eight.
In the women’s singles, 2016 winner Angelique Kerber battled her way into the quarter-finals, coming from behind to beat Hsieh Su-wei 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
In the last eight Kerber will face US Open finalist Madison Keys, who has played superbly so far this fortnight and blasted her way past eighth seed Caroline Garcia, 6-3, 6-2.
World No 1 Simona Halep eased through 6-3, 6-2 against Naomi Osaka and will next face sixth seed Karolina Pliskova, who finished off her 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow Czech Barbora Strycova at 1.34am local time.