Fired-up Nadal tames Monfils
Williams wins to face Brit Konta in quarters
MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal returned to the Grand Slam big time by fending off Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a tense clash yesterday to seal an Australian Open quarter-final spot.
Former champion Nadal had not reached the last eight in a major since the 2015 French Open, so he celebrated wildly after closing out the 2.56-hour clash at a packed Rod Laver Arena.
It was not the most convincing of wins for the 30-year-old Spaniard, who was rattled when Monfils rallied in the fourth set, but the 14-time Grand Slam champion was clinical when it counted to keep his pursuit of a 15th major title alive.
“I’m very happy being in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam after a couple of years without being there,” he said. “It’s very special for me, especially here in Australia where I feel [it’s] a little bit like home.”
Nadal will meet third seed Milos Raonic for a place in the semi-finals.
Canada’s Raonic advanced with a 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Roberto Bautista Agut and is getting more attention now that world No.1 Andy Murray and No.2 Novak Djokovic, the six-time champion, are out of the draw.
Raonic hit 33 aces and 75 winners but had nine double faults and 55 unforced errors, and seemed to get on a roll after spiking his racket into the court in frustration in the ninth game of the third set.
Raonic had complained of a fever after his third-round victory and looked flat in the opening set before coming alive to win the tie-break and taking a service break to open the second.
“I still don’t necessarily feel at full capacity,” he said. “I have energy now. I can go about my days normally. Sort of on the tail end of the recovery.”
No.15 Grigor Dimitrov closed with an ace to hold off wildcard entry Denis Istomin 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-1.
Istomin, who beat Djokovic in the second round, needed repeated treatment on his tiring legs in the third and fourth sets.
Dimitrov will next play 11th seed David Goffin, a 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-2 winner over No.8 Dominic Thiem.
Goffin becomes the first Belgian man ever to reach the men’s quarter-finals.
In the women’s singles, Serena Williams kept up her pursuit of a record 23rd Grand Slam title and a return to world No.1 as she reached the quarter-finals without dropping a set.
A day after defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber fell by the wayside, Williams overcame Barbora Strycova 7-5, 6-4 to set up a last-eight clash with Britain’s Johanna Konta.
The American great would gain much from winning in Melbourne, as she would overtake Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles and end Kerber’s short reign as world No.1
In hot conditions, she fought off the tenacious Strycova in two tight sets, following her sister Venus into the quarterfinals and staying on track for a possible all-Williams final.
“I have absolutely nothing to lose in this tournament,” said Williams, 35. “Everything here is a bonus for me. Obviously I’m here to win. Hopefully I can play better, I can only go better.”
Konta, the ninth seed, also reached the last eight with a perfect record in sets after a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova.
Despite the task facing her, Konta was delighted to be playing Williams, a childhood idol, for what would be her second straight Australian Open semi-final.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge, and I’m looking forward to being on court, out on court with her and competing against her,” Konta said.
Karolina Pliskova dashed home hopes when she thrashed Daria Gavrilova to move into a quarter-final match against Lucic-Baroni.
The fifth-seeded Czech shut out a partisan crowd on Rod Laver Arena to easily beat Australia’s Gavrilova, nicknamed ‘Dasha’, 6-3, 6-3 and reach the last eight for the first time.
“I’m so excited to be in my first quarterfinal. It’s tough to play an Aussie girl, and I’m happy to fight to the last point,” said US Open runner-up Pliskova. “I’m feeling confident, much better than I did in the Grand Slams before the US Open.”