Rafael Nadal set up a blockbuster Australian Open quarter-final with Andy Murray yesterday and Justine Henin’s comeback stayed on track, but there was misery for Dinara Safina, who pulled out injured.
On a day of upsets, the tournament ended for US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Second seed Safina limped out with a back problem during her fourth-round clash with unseeded countrywoman Maria Kirilenko.
PHOTO: AFP
The 23-year-old Russian, the runner-up last year, battled the injury late last year and withdrew from the Brisbane International this month. She was trailing 4-5 and 30-40 when she walked toward the umpire and indicated her night was over.
Zheng Jie, meanwhile, rewrote the history books by becoming the first Chinese player to reach the last eight in Melbourne and will now play Kirilenko.
Spain’s second seeded Nadal was put to the test by big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic, who slammed down 28 aces, before he muted the challenge 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
It ensured an enticing last eight showdown with in-form fifth seed Murray after the Scot tamed another big-server, John Isner of the US, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2.
“Murray is one of the more dangerous players on the tour, he can play aggressively and defensively,” Nadal said.
Murray will be competing in his first Australian quarter-final and is the first Briton since John Lloyd in 1985 to get this far.
He showcased his exciting stroke-play against Isner and has yet to drop a set.
“I’m playing well. No question about that,” said Murray, who lost to Nadal in five sets in the fourth round of the 2007 Australian Open.
The pair have played each other nine times, with Nadal winning seven.
Henin’s successful return to tennis after an 18-month retirement continued full steam when the seven-time Grand Slam champion beat fellow Belgian and world No. 16 Yanina Wickmayer 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 6-3.
“It’s a great feeling to be back, everything is going so well,” said Henin, who is at her first Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2008 after being handed a wildcard by organizers.
Her victory matched the best performance by a wildcard in Melbourne in the Open era — Martina Hingis in 2006 and Jelena Dokic last year also made the quarters — and earned her a crack at Russian Nadia Petrova for a place in the semi-finals.
Petrova, the 19th seed, made the last eight by beating third seed Kuznetsova, continuing her giant-killing ways, having already ousted Kim Clijsters.
She won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 and Kuznetsova admitted she deserved to lose.
“I was struggling a little bit, I was not good today. I think I deserved to lose,” she said.
Zheng’s achievement was impressive, with the unseeded 26-year-old upsetting Ukrainian 31st seed Alona Bondarenko 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 as she and Li Na, who plays her fourth round match today, continue to fly the flag for China.
Zheng proved to be marginally steadier than the Ukrainian in a match where both women struggled to hold their serves.
Argentina’s del Potro crashed out of contention in a five-set epic with 14th seed Marin Cilic.
Cilic outlasted an exhausted del Potro 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 to earn himself a quarter-final against seventh seed Andy Roddick, who defeated former finalist Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the late match last night.
In the women’s doubles competition there was good news and bad news for Taiwan.
Chan Yung-jan provided the good when she and partner Monica Niculescu of Romania defeated Alla Kudryavtseva and Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-4.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Shuai Peng of China crashed out, however, when they were beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Argentina’s Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta of Italy.
In the girls’ singles, Taiwan’s Juan Ting-fei beat Chantal Skamlova of Slovakia 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, while in the boys’ competition, Taiwanese No. 5 seed Huang Liang-chi rallied from a set down to knock out Francis Alcantara of the Philippines 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
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