TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS:ROGER FEDERER will play his recent nemesis Nikolay Davydenko in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in Melbourne after the Swiss brushed aside local hope Lleyton Hewitt yesterday.
The world number one produced a masterclass to stun Hewitt, and an expectant capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena, 6-2 6-3 6-4.
Earlier, Davydenko withstood a Fernando Verdasco fightback to progress 6-2 7-5 4-6 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 and set up what could be a spicy encounter with the Swiss.
The 28-year-old Russian has beaten Federer in their past two meetings and last week said the top players were “scared” of him following a recent run of form that has seen him lift the ATP World Tour final and Doha titles.
Federer has rarely been goaded in such a manner during his career but looked to respond to the comments after his victory when he said he expected to end Davydenko’s recent good form.
“I’m in for a good match for sure, but I obviously favour my chances in a best-of-five-set match,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Federer will be looking to qualify for a record 23rd consecutive grand slam semi-final and is aware of the danger Davydenko poses, saying the Russian’s improved serve had caught him out in their recent matches.
“In Doha when I played him he hit 27 out of 27 first serves into the court clocking them at around 190 (kilometres per hour). So it’s a bit a difference, you know? That makes it a bit more difficult to break,” he said.
Novak Djokovic, the 2008 winner, eased to another routine 6-1 6-2 7-5 win over the world number 86 Lukasz Kubot.
Meanwhile, the possibility of all all-Williams semi-final looms after both sisters won their fourth-round matches at the Rod Laver Arena.
Defending champion Serena Williams ended local hopeful Sam Stosur’s campaign 6-4 6-2 after sixth-seed Venus Williams recovered from a slow start to overcome Francesca Schiavone 3-6 6-2 6-1.
The American sisters are now just one win away from meeting each other in the last four and the chances of that happening were increased when fourth-seed Caroline Wozniacki was beaten by China’s Li Na 6-4 6-3 yesterday.
That left the Williams sisters as the highest seeded players left in the draw. Should they meet it would be their first clash at Melbourne Park since Serena won the 2003 final.
Serena Williams stunned the home fans with a powerful serving display to completely outgun 13th seed Stosur.
The Australian had won her previous meeting with Serena Williams at Stanford last year, but could win just two points on her rival’s serve in the first set. The American took it 6-4 and ran away with the match in the second set to win in just over an hour.
Serena Williams will meet the seventh-seeded Belorussian Victoria Azarenka after she came from behind in the late game to defeat Vera Zvonareva 4-6 6-4 6-0.
Sixth-seed Venus Williams was optimistic she could claim her first Australian Open title after her comeback win over Schiavone.
After losing the first set the 29-year-old was down a break in the second, but turned her form around emphatically to reel off 12 of the next 14 games and seal her progress.
Venus Williams faces a last-eight match with 16th-seed Li Na. The Chinese right-hander beat Venus William when they met at the Beijing Olympics,
Melbourne Park Results
MEN'S SINGLES:Fourth Round: (1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt (22) Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) 6-2 6-3 6-4, (6) Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt (9) Fernando Verdasco (Spa) 6-2 7-5 4-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-3, (3) Novak Djokovic (Ser) bt Lukasz Kubot (Pol) 6-1 6-2 7-5, (10) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt (26) Nicolas Almagro (Spa) 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-7 (6-8) 9-7.
WOMEN'S SINGLES: Fourth Round: (1) Serena Williams (USA) bt (13) Samantha Stosur (Aus) 6-4 6-2, (7) Victoria Azarenka (Blr) bt (9) Vera Zvonareva (Rus) 4-6 6-4 6-0, (16) Na Li (Chn) bt (4) Caroline Wozniacki (Den) 6-4 6-3, (6) Venus Williams (USA) bt (17) Francesca Schiavone (Ita) 3-6 6-2 6-1.
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