AUSTRIA’S Dominic Thiem hits a forehand return to Tennys Sandgren of the US during their fourth-round match.—AP
“We have had some good ones over the years going back all the way to the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004,” the 19-time Grand Slam champion said of the Czech. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to play against him. He seems in good shape.”
Berdych, who is on his way back from back problems, lost to the five-time Australian Open champion in the third round last year and the odds are heavily stacked again him.
Of the 13 quarter-finals Federer has contested in Melbourne, he has won the lot.
Women’s world number one Simona Halep eased into the last eight 6-3, 6-2 over unseeded Naomi Osaka of Japan, delighted to be off court early after an epic and gruelling three-setter in the previous round.
While the win was easy, she continues to nurse a troublesome ankle that she rolled early in the tournament.
“I feel it but I’m trying not to think about it and give it everything,” said Halep, who has never gone beyond the quarters before.
She will play sixth seed Karolina Pliskova, who beat fellow Czech Barbora Strycova in three tough sets.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber is the only Grand Slam champion left among the women, and she was given a big fright as she chases her second Melbourne Park crown after beating Serena Williams in 2016.
After crushing Maria Sharapova in the last round, she came up against gritty Taiwanese veteran Hsieh Su-Wei.
At one point Kerber was serving to stay in the match, but she bounced back to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
“Credit to her, she played unbelievable. I was running everywhere,” said Kerber, who had a poor 2017 after starting the year as world number one.
The win set Kerber up with a clash against American Madison Keys, a semi-finalist in 2015 who has found a new lease of life under the guidance of former great Lindsay Davenport.
Seeded 17, she flattened French eighth seed Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 in just 68 impressive minutes.
Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Men’s singles:
Fourth round: 19-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) bt 25-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; 2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Marton Fucsovics (Hungary) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; Tennys Sandgren (US) bt 5-Dominic Thiem (Austria) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (7-9), 6-3; Chung Hyeon (South Korea) bt 14-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
Women’s singles:
Fourth round: 17-Madison Keys (US) bt 8-Caroline Garcia (France) 6-3, 6-2; 21-Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2; 1-Simona Halep (Romania) bt Naomi Osaka (Japan) 6-3, 6-2; 6-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) bt 20-Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2.
Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2018