Martina Hingis and Kim Clijsters set up an enticing Australian Open quarter-final against each other yesterday, but James Blake suffered the first loss of the season and tumbled out.
Maria Sharapova also made the last eight, outmuscling fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 to set up a match with another compatriot, 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze, who undid eighth seed Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-1.
Fifth seed Blake, who won in Sydney this month, crashed in straight sets to Chilean tenth seed Fernando Gonzalez, who will play world No. 2 Rafael Nadal of Spain or British 15th seed Andy Murray for a place in the semis.
Germany's 12th seed Tommy Haas tamed eighth seeded Argentine David Nalbandian in four sets and will face third-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Hingis, seeded six, needed all her big-match experience to overhaul 19th seed Li Na 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, coming back to dismantle the Chinese woman's game and book a quarter-final appearance here for a ninth time.
In an intriging match-up, she will play Clijsters, who beat her at the same stage last year, ending the Swiss star's Grand Slam comeback after a three-year injury hiatus.
"I know I have to come out one hundred percent and be ready from the beginning, otherwise I'll be run over," she said of Clijsters, the fourth seed. "That's the key. I have a day rest, and practice, sleep well, give myself the best shot."
Clijsters has been in scintillating form and was clinical against Slovak pin-up Daniela Hantuchova, powering through 6-1, 7-5, and is looking forward to pitting her wits against one of her best friends on tour.
"It always a pleasure to play against her, she's such a great champion," she said.
With defending champion Roger Federer safely into the quarter-finals, Haas, Gonzalez and Davydenko joined him yesterday.
Gonzalez upset Blake 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) while Haas wore down Nalbandian, a semi-finalist last year, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Davydenko, who has been anonymous working his way to the last eight, qualified for his third straight Australian Open quarter-final with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) win over Czech 13th seed Tomas Berdych.
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