The Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park by Getty Images
World No.1 Novak Djokovic has been in superb form in Australia as he seeks a third title at Melbourne Park. The 24 year-old Serb relinquished a mere 10 games to reach the fourth round where he saw off a determined Lleyton Hewitt in four sets to reach his 19th major quarter-final.
Second seed Rafael Nadal is through to a sixth straight quarter-final in Melbourne without the loss of a set. The Spaniard, champion down under in 2009, has been unthreatened in any of his first four matches as he bids to lift an 11th Grand Slam singles crown.
Four-time champion Roger Federer has been untroubled in Melbourne in reaching his 31st consecutive major quarter-final. The Swiss world No.3 has yet to drop a set so far and will play the 1000th professional match of his career when he takes on 11th seed Juan Martin Del Potro in the last eight.
World No.4 Andy Murray came through a testing first round encounter against American youngster Ryan Harrison in four sets before cruising through to his 11th Grand Slam quarter final. The British No.1 is aiming to reach the final down under for a third consecutive year.
Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and eighth seed Mardy Fish are the only top eight players not to reach their projected place in the quarter finals.
Fish was surprised in the second round by Columbian Alejandro Falla. The American No.1 failed to serve out the third set and went down 7-6(4), 6-3, 7-6(6) on show court three. Falla fell to German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the following round.
Tsonga lost an enthralling fourth round encounter to 24th seed Kei Nishikori 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 on the Hisense arena. Nishikori is the first Japanese man to reach the last eight of the Australian Open in the Open Era and will make his top 20 debut after the tournament.
Australia’s No.1 player and a former world No.1 created headlines during week one with scintillating runs through to the fourth round.
19 year-old Bernard Tomic, a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon last year, battled from two sets down to upset 22nd seed Fernando Verdasco in the opening round before seeing off former World No.17 Sam Querrey and then coming through a five set thriller versus 13th seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov. It took an in-form Roger Federer to halt Tomic’s run in the last 16.
At the other end of the experience scale 30 year-old former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt, playing as a wild card entry, rolled back the years to reach the fourth round in Melbourne for the seventh time.
Playing in his sixteenth consecutive Australian Open Hewitt was leading Andy Roddick by two sets to one in round two when the American was forced to pull out. The world No.181 battled past rising star Milos Raonic in the third round to set up a meeting with defending champion Novak Djokovic where the Aussie veteran displayed all his battling qualities before going down 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to the top seeded Serb.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki has moved through to her sixth Grand Slam quarter-final with relative ease as the Dane seeks to win her first major title in Melbourne. The world No.1 had to save a set point in 6-1, 7-6(4) in her second round win over Anna Tatishvili and fended off a comeback from former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic in their fourth round encounter having led 6-0, 4-1 before taking the second set 7-5.
Petra Kvitova survived a major scare in the second round en route to her second consecutive quarter-final appearance down under. The Wimbledon champion was put under severe pressure by Carla Suarez Navarro in round two when the Spaniard held a point to lead 3-0 in the deciding set. However, the Czech world No.2 fought back to win 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Third seed Victoria Azarenka has been on cruise control in Melbourne to reach her sixth major quarter-final for the loss of just twelve games. Having won the title in Sydney the week before the Open the Belarusian is on a nine match winning streak.
2008 Champion Maria Sharapova is through to her first quarter-final at the Australian Open since winning the title four years ago. The Russian fourth seed eased into the last 16 before hitting back from a set down to see off hard hitting German Sabine Lisicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Playing in front of the Melbourne fans for the first time as a Grand Slam Champion Sam Stosur was sent crashing out of the tournament on day one by Romania’s Sorana Cirstea. The unseeded 21 year-old stunned the Australian 7-6(2), 6-3.
Ekaterina Makarova caused a major shock on day eight by defeating five-time champion Serena Williams in the fourth round. The Russian left-hander, who had already beaten seeds Kaia Kanepi and Vera Zvonareva, was in superb form to see off the legendary American 6-2, 6-3 and reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Playing in her last Australian Open reigning Champion Kim Clijsters conjured up a stunning comeback to defeat French Open Champion Li Na in the fourth round in what was the most enthralling contest of the women’s draw so far.
The 28 year-old Belgian twisted an ankle in the opening set and showed considerable determination to carry on. Having lost the first set the 11th seed faced four match points at 2-6 in the tie-break but produced a stunning fight back to take the set and eventually complete a superb 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 victory against the Chinese fifth seed.
The world’s top four players – Wozniacki, Kvitova, Azarenka and Sharapova – are locked in a four way battle to be ranked No.1 on Monday 30th January. Wozniacki has held the top spot for 67 of the last 68 weeks.
Wozniacki and Azarenka must progress at least one round further than Kvitova to prevent the Czech becoming World No.1 for the first time. Sharapova must at least reach the final to have a chance of reclaiming the No.1 ranking she has already held for 17 weeks in her career.
Updated year-to-date statistics will return after the completion of the 2012 Australian Open
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British men's doubles duo Colin Fleming & Ross Hutchins reflect on a narrow defeat to the world No.1's at the Australian Open
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British junior Kyle Edmund speaking after winning his opening round boys' singles match in Melbourne on Sunday.