MELBOURNE: Barbora Krejcikova blew away former two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the last 16 Sunday of the Australian Open as giant-killer Amanda Anisimova tries to make Ashleigh Barty her latest victim at Melbourne Park.
French Open champion Krejcikova easily overcame Azarenka, who was struggling with a neck problem, 6-2, 6-2, to book a quarter-final with unseeded Madison Keys.
The Belarusian Azarenka won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013 but had no answer to the Czech world number four.
“It was really amazing today because she is a champion here and she likes this court, she’s very experienced on this court,“ said Krejcikova, who now faces big-serving Keys on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals.
The American raced past Spain's Paula Badosa, seeded eight, 6-3, 6-1.
“Absolutely amazing,“ said Keys. “I served pretty well and I think I returned pretty well.”
Later, the 20-year-old Anisimova, fresh from knocking out defending champion Naomi Osaka, has world number one Barty in her crosshairs in the night session on Rod Laver Arena.
And Rafael Nadal, who says he is having “a very special week” after coming back from an injury-ravaged 2021, is one win away from the men’s quarter-finals and a potential last-eight showdown with world number three Alexander Zverev.
But the whole of Australia will be watching Barty to see whether she can keep the Melbourne Park party going in search of a maiden home Slam triumph, to add to her Roland Garros and Wimbledon crowns.
Barty has only dropped eight games as she inches towards a first Australian Open crown.
The top seed is now 7-0 for the season after winning the Adelaide warm-up event and is in irresistible form. She has not lost her vaunted serve for 57 games over six matches.
The 60th-ranked American Anisimova also sprang an upset with a second-round victory over Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic and goes in buoyed by a famous come-from-behind win over Osaka.
“I just want to soak in this moment. I’m just extremely happy,“ said Anisimova after her stunning victory over Osaka, the 2021 and 2019 Australian Open champion.
The other women's last-16 match on Sunday sees fifth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece facing another American, Jessica Pegula.
In the men's draw, Nadal, who dropped a set for the first time in the tournament before powering past Russia's Karen Khachanov, faces unseeded Adrian Mannarino.
The Frenchman will need to recover from a 4hr 38m marathon third-round 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-4 win against Russia's Aslan Karatsev that did not finish until 2:32 am on Saturday.
The winner will face either Olympic champion Zverev, yet to drop a set, or 14th seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada in a signature quarter-final on Tuesday.
Other men in action include Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini against Spanish 19th seed Pablo Carreno Busta.
Flamboyant 17th seed Gael Monfils, unbeaten this year after winning a warm-up event in Adelaide, is yet to drop a set and comes up against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic.
The ageless 35-year-old Frenchman Monfils is targeting a second quarter-final appearance at Melbourne Park and the first for six years. - AFP
