Novak Djokovic & Stanislas Wawrinka by Getty Images
Defending champion Novak Djokovic eased into the last 16 but was then pushed to the limit in a five hour thriller by 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic eventually emerged with a titanic 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(5), 12-10 victory after a magnificent contest.
The Serbian World No.1 is seeking to become the first man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles and is into his 22nd Grand Slam quarter final.
Four-time champion Roger Federer has not lost serve in moving through to the last 16. The second seed dispatched Australian No.1 Bernard Tomic 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1 in an entertaining third round encounter.
The World No.2 is seeking to become the first man in the Open Era to lift five Australian Open crowns. He currently shares the record with Andre Agassi.
British No.1 Andy Murray has moved comfortably into week two without the loss of a set. The US Open and Olympic Champion is aiming to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne for a fourth consecutive year.
The 25 year-old World No.3 would become the first man since Lew Hoad in 1956 to win his first two major titles consecutively if he can lift the title in Melbourne.
No.4 seed David Ferrer has reached his fourth quarter final in Melbourne for the loss of just one set. Ferrer will pass the absent Rafael Nadal as Spanish No.1 after the tournament.
The 30 year-old will be seeking his 500th career match win in the last eight when he takes on compatriot Nicholas Almagro. Ferrer has won all 12 previous meetings with Almagro.
Sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro fell in five sets to France's Jeremy Chardy in third round in the lone major surprise in the Men's draw. Unseeded Chardy held off a Del Potro comeback to come through 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-3 against the 2009 US Open Champion.
In five previous visits to Melbourne the Frenchman had only won one match but is now through to his first major quarter final.
Quarter final match-ups
Top seed Victoria Azarenka has moved through to the last eight in the defence of her title but had to battle her way through a third round match against American Jamie Hampton.
22 year-old Hampton put in a great performance and led by an early break in the decider but was hindered by a bank injury and Azarenka pulled through 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. The Belarusian must at least reach the final to have any chance of retaining her World No.1 ranking.
2008 Champion Maria Sharapova has been rampant in Melbourne Park dropping an Australian Open record five games to reach the quarter finals. Only Mary Pierce losing four games at the 1994 French Open has reached a major quarter final more comfortably.
All the more impressive in Sharapova’s run was that her third round opponent was former World No.1 and 2003 finalist Venus Williams who the Russian dismissed 6-1, 6-3 with some blistering tennis.
Five-time champion Serena Williams had an injury scare with an ankle injury in her opening match but has recovered to ease into the last 16 comfortably.
The third seeded American has struck her two fastest ever serves during week one. If Williams reaches the final she will return to the No.1 ranking and could even climb back to the top spot with an earlier loss depending on Azarenka and Sharapova’s results.
World No.4 Agnieszka Radwanska has eased into her fourth Australian Open quarter final without dropping a set. The Pole has won all 26 sets she has played in 2013 having won the titles in Auckland and Sydney prior to arriving in Melbourne.
Radwanska next takes on former French Open champion Li Na in the last eight. Radwanska trails in their head to head series but defeated the Chinese No.1 in the semi-finals in Sydney.
42 year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm became the oldest player ever to win a match at the Australian Open when she upset 12th seed Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-0 in the first round.
By seeing off Shahar Peer in round two; Date-Krumm, a semi-finalist in Melbourne in 1994, became the oldest player since 1979 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam. Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski ended the Japanese player’s fairytale run in the last 32.
Updated ATP/WTA Stats will be available after the completion of the 2013 Australian Open