Five takeaways from Day 8 at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia – Andy Murray was the biggest name to advance on Monday at the Australian Open, the same day in which he revealed he considered pulling out of the tournament if his father-in-law’s health would have worsened.
Here’s more on that and everything else you missed on Day 8 of the Australian Open on Day 8 as you were sleeping.
Murray moves on, Wawrinka knocked out
Murray, the No. 2 seed, marched a step closer to an illusive title inside Rod Laver Arena with a convincing 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over Australian No. 1 Bernard Tomic. The win means Murray will meet David Ferrer in the quarterfinals, but there was a chance Murray wouldn’t have played Monday at all. Saturday night Nigel Sears, Murray’s father-in-law and coach to Ana Ivanovic, collapsed during Ivanovic’s match, and Murray said if Sears’ condition would have worsened, there was “no chance” he would have stayed in the tournament. “It was a rough few days,” Murray added. “I’m just glad he’s on his way home now.
No. 4 seed Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion here, is on his way home, as well, having lost in a five-set thriller to big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3. Raonic will face showman Gael Monfils of France, who beat Russian’s Andrey Kuznetsov.
Azarenka stays on track to meet Kerber
She may be seeded No. 14, but many people feel Victoria Azarenka is the favorite behind – or ahead of – Serena Williams at this tournament. Monday she was tested in the fourth round, a 6-2, 6-4 win over a tricky opponent in Barbora Strycova. The win sets up a quarterfinal rematch of a U.S. Open thriller from last summer against Angelique Kerber, though Kerber remains winless against the Belarusian in six career meetings.
Injured Keys shown the door
It was a painful end for Madison Keys, and painful to watch as the 20-year-old limped through much of her match against China’s Zhang Shuai, bowing out 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the day’s closing match. Keys tweaked an injury early in the second set, apparently in her left hip, and was hobbled for the remainder of the match, fighting back tears as the Chinese world No. 133 kept the ball in the court. Keys, a semifinalist here a year ago, has suffered from injury problems throughout her career.
Zhang, 27, will meet Britain’s Johanna Konta in the quarterfinals, the world No. 47, who upset Ekaterina Makarova 4-6, 6-4, 8-6.
John Isner out, too
It was a tough day for the USA as John Isner fell in his fourth-round encounter as well, losing against the No. 8 seed Ferrer 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 on Hisense Arena. Isner put it plainly: “I just needed to play better than I did,” he told reporters. The No. 10 seed hasn’t beaten a player ranked inside the top 10 at a major since the 2009 U.S. Open. It was his first appearance in the second week of the Australian Open since 2010.
Report: Match fixing suspected in mixed doubles
A week after a bombshell report claimed that there was match fixing in the highest ranks in tennis, the New York Times reported that a betting company stopped the betting on a mixed doubles match Sunday between Lara Arruabarrena and David Marreo against Andrea Hlavackova and Lukasz Kubot due to suspected match fixing. Hlavackova and Kubot said the Tennis Integrity Unit had been in touch with them about the match, which the Times reported as having included suspect play from Marrero.
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