MELBOURNE, Feb 15: The No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev both cruised into the Australian Open quarter-finals here on Monday.
Nadal, the 2009 winner, gained a routine 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Italy’s 16th seed Fabio Fognini at Melbourne Park.
Nadal’s victory means he has reached a Grand Slam quarter-final for the 43rd time, going on to win 20 titles, although his only success in Melbourne was 12 years ago over Roger Federer.
He came into this tournament with a back injury, having withdrawn from the ATP Cup earlier this month, but has not dropped a set in his four matches.
Nadal has won the French Open 13 times, the US Open on four occasions, Wimbledon twice and the Australian Open once
Fognini, 33, was playing in the fourth round for the fourth time in eight years but, apart from a break of serve in the second set which Nadal immediately broke back from, was unable to put the Spaniard under pressure.
Nadal will face fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last eight on Wednesday. Tsitsipas was handed a walkover win in round four after Matteo Berrettini of Italy had to withdraw because of an abdominal injury.
Three Russians advance
Medvedev beat American world number 192 Mackenzie McDonald 6-4 6-2 6-3 to claim his 18th consecutive victory and it means there are three Russians in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in the Open era.
Medvedev will face compatriot Andrey Rublev in the last eight. Seventh seed Rublev was leading 6-2 7-6 (7-3) when Norwegian opponent Casper Ruud retired with an injury.
Aslan Karatasev, who had to win three matches in the qualifying event in Doha, won on Sunday as his dream Grand Slam debut continued. No Russian male has won a Grand Slam since Marat Safin in Melbourne in 2005. (Agencies)
