RAFA IN OZ OPEN QUARTERFINALS
LOCAL FAVOURITE KYRGIOS OUSTED BY DIMITROV
MELBOURNE: Top seed Rafael Nadal was rattled by a feisty challenge from Diego Schwartzman but held firm to fend off the diminutive Argentine 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 and reach his 10th Australian Open quarter-final.
In an often breathtaking clash laden with sumptuous shot-making, the Spaniard was rocked by the hard-hitting Schwartzman who broke him three times to claim the second set at Rod Laver Arena.
But the 16-times grand slam champion responded with typical grit, bolstering his defence to blanket the 24th seed’s firepower and counter-punching brilliantly to book a match with Croatia’s Marin Cilic.
After three cakewalks in the previous rounds, the three-hour 51-minute work-out was timely, said Nadal, who came into the tournament with some queries over a knee injury.
“You can’t expect easy matches when you’re playing in big tournaments,” the world number one told reporters after saving all his seven break points in the final set. “It’s always better winning in two hours than in four. But that’s it. It was a good test for me. It was a lot of hours on court. Moments under pressure.
“A lot of positive things that I managed well. But being honest, too, moments like this helps to be more confident in yourself, in your body.”
The victory ensured Nadal, who lost a five-set classic to longtime rival Roger Federer in the final last year, will retain his world number one ranking.
RUTHLESS WOZNIACKI, CILIC ENTER QUARTERS
MELBOURNE: Ruthless Caroline Wozniacki kicked into full gear Sunday to storm into the Australian Open quarter-finals with workmanlike Marin Cilic joining her after winning his 100th Grand Slam match. On an overcast and muggy day at Melbourne Park, the world number two Dane turned on the style to take another step towards a maiden Grand Slam title.
The assured Wozniacki, a
semi-finalist in 2011 who has never quite lived up to the hype in the majors, annihilated 19thseeded Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-0 on Rod Laver Arena in her most impressive performance to date. “She really mixes up the pace, I just tried to calm down, get my returns in and wait for the opportunities to attack,” she said after crushing the Slovak, who made the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.
“I think you can tell my confidence is pretty good at the moment.”
Her easy passage sets up a last-eight clash with gritty Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.