Alcaraz, Medvedev reach last eight; qualifier Yastremska also makes quarters
Melbourne, Australia - Qualifier Dayana Yastremska and giantkiller Linda Noskova continued fairytale runs into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday but it was all familiar faces on the men's side as Carlos Alcaraz led a trio of top seeds through.
Alcaraz charged past Miomir Kecmanovic to reach the last eight at Melbourne Park for the first time but, with two Grand Slams titles to his name, the 20year-old second seed is already well-acquainted with the business end of majors.
So too is former U.S. Open champion Medvedev, a 6-3 76(4) 5-7 6-1 winner over Nuno Borges, and sixth seed Zverev, who won his fourth round contest against Cameron Norrie 7-5 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6(3) in a supertiebreak.
Alcaraz looked in brilliant form in the 6-4 6-4 6-0 win over Kecmanovic that took him another step closer to his dream final against another Serb, 10times champion Novak Djokovic.
“I did everything almost perfectly,” Alcaraz said.
While the men's seedings have held pretty much firm at Melbourne Park over the last nine days, there has been upset after upset in the top half of the women's draw to leave a field almost entirely denuded of seeds.
Yastremska played her part by ousting Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round and added another former Grand Slam cham
pion to the list of her victims with a 7-6(6) 6-4 victory over 18th seed Victoria Azarenka.
The world number 93 had to fight for her victory over the twotimes Melbourne Park champion as she came from behind in both sets and smashed 38 winners on Rod Laver Arena.
Ukrainian hopes of a third woman in the quarter-finals to join Yastremska and Marta Kostyuk were dashed in only three games after 19th seed Elina Svitolina suffered a back spasm and was unable to continue.
Czech Noskova, who did the most damage to the top half of the draw by removing world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round, will face Yastremska in what is also her first major quarter-final.