Australian Open 2018: Day 8 round-up

Second seed Roger Federer won in straight sets against World No. 80 Marton Fucsovics but had a tougher time than expected in the first two sets, before racing away in the third as the final score read 6-4 7-6(3) 6-2.

Federer did not look comfortable in the first two sets and missed many basic shots, netting backhands and making unforced errors. However, the Swiss was strong on his own service game, but inexplicably made most of his errors during Fucsovics' service.

At one point, the veteran won multiple love games and had secured 18 consecutive points on his own serve. He will now go on to play Thomas Berdych in the quarter-finals which promises to be a cracker.

Berdych defeated Fabio Fognini 6-1 6-4 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals for the seventh time in the last eight years. Fognini suffered a foot injury in the first set, as Berdych went on to hit 37 winners to win in just over two hours of play.

Huge upsets in the men's competition

Chung upset Djokovic

In the upset of the day, NextGen player Hyeon Chung beat 6-time champion Novak Djokovic in three hard-fought sets, 7-6(4) 7-5 7-6(3). Prior to this match, only Marat Safin and Roger Federer have ever beaten the Djoker in straight sets at the Australian Open.

Chung played exceptional tennis, making Djokovic run from side-to-side, forcing the Serbian to display his trademark defense and great court coverage. However, Djokovic was not his dominant self and appeared to be hampered by his recovering elbow injury.

He seemed to be in pain on some shots and required treatment on his elbow as well as his foot throughout the match. Chung, on the other hand, raced to a 4-0 lead in the first, a 4-1 lead in the second, and a 3-0 lead in the third set before Nole battled back.

Nevertheless, the Korean was dominant in the latter part of the sets, aswell as the tiebreakers. Djokovic made an uncharacteristic 57 unforced errors, while Chung was able to save 14 of 19 break points.

In another huge upset, Tennys Sandgren beat fifth seed Dominic Thiem in a marathon five-set match 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-7(7), 6-3. Sandgren had never won a grand slam match before the Australian Open and now becomes the second man after Alexandr Dolgopolov in 2011 to reach the quarter-finals on debut.

Sandgren will now take on Chung for a spot in the semi-finals, as both players are going to be competing in their maiden Grand Slam quarter-final.

Favourites advance in women's competition

Halep beat Osaka

Top seed Simona Halep comfortably defeated Naomi Osaka 6-3 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2015. She won nine of the last 11 games, while also winning five of her seven break points. Osaka, on the other hand, could only win one out of eight.

Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova rallied from a set down to beat fellow Czech Barbora Strycova 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2. After a close first set, Pliskova broke Strycova in the first game of the second set and kept the momentum going until the very end. Pliskova will take on Halep in what is going to be her second Australian Open quarter-final.

Kerber Survives

Kerber overcame Hsieh

Angelique Kerber put an end to Su-Wei Hsieh's giant killing-spree by beating her 4-6 7-5 6-2. The World No 88 had taken out Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska in the previous rounds and was looking to upset the German for a place in the quarter-finals.

The Taiwanese player was on a good way to continue that pattern, after winning the first set and taking the lead in the second. However, Kerber fought back to win the second set and then breezed through the third set as Hsieh seemed to lose intensity.

Kerber, the only remaining Grand Slam champion left in the draw, will take on Madison Keys, who comfortably defeated Caroline Garcia. The American hit 32 winners on her way to a straight-set 6-3 6-2 victory.

What's next?

Nadal has been the dominant player so far

Day 9 will see top seed Rafael Nadal take on sixth seed Marin Cilic in what should be a closely contested match. Nadal is looking to improve on last year's performance, while Cilic is looking for his second Grand Slam title.

Third seed Grigor Dimitrov will play unseeded British player, Kyle Edmund, in a battle of NextGen players. Edmund believes he can win the title but before that he will need to get past the tenacious Bulgarian who is looking to win his first Grand Slam title as well.

In the ladies' competition, second seed Caroline Wozniacki will play unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro, while fourth seed Elina Svitolina takes on unseeded Elise Martens.