DAY 8 MEN: Alcaraz, Paul into quarters

Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course for a blockbuster Australian Open quarterfinal with Novak Djokovic when marathon man Jack Draper retired during their last-16 clash on Sunday.

The Spanish third seed was well on top when the Briton threw in the towel when down 7-5, 6-1 on a sweltering Rod Laver Arena.

The 15th-seeded Draper needed five sets to win his first three Melbourne matches, rallying from behind in all of them to stay in the tournament.

He had spent nearly 13 hours on court to Alcaraz's six and it finally caught up with him.

"It's not the way I wanted to win. But obviously I'm happy to play another quarter-final here in Australia," said Alcaraz, who is bidding to win the title for the first time.

"But a little bit sad, you know, for Jack. He's really a nice person, he doesn't deserve to get injured."

Draper pulled out of the United Cup in the lead-up to Melbourne with a hip injury.

Alcaraz is into the last eight at Melbourne Park for the second successive year.

He has never gone further – beaten in 2024 by Alexander Zverev – and will have to beat either Djokovic or Czech Jiri Lehecka, who play later, to do so.

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The Australian Open is the only major missing from four-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz's collection.

Should he go all the way, he will become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam – winning all four majors – in the Open Era and the youngest to win in Australia since Djokovic in 2008.

"I'm happy with the level I'm playing. On the court and off the court I'm feeling really comfortable here," he said.

"Physically, I'm feeling great. So coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it is important to feel well physically because right now the matches are even tougher.

"BUT I AM READY"

Alcaraz was beaten by Draper when they last met, on the grass of Queen's Club in 2024, but with the hot sun pounding down in Melbourne his booming groundstrokes caused instant problems for the Briton.

The opening set went on serve until the Spaniard seized an opportunity in the sixth game to break on the back of two net winners.

Draper kept plugging away and his persistence paid off with a break to haul back to 5-4 before Alcaraz broke once more to take control again.

The Briton slumped 3-0 behind in the second set and was clearly struggling, finally pulling the pin when he lost the set.

PAUL BLASTS INTO IN 87 MINUTES

Tommy Paul dropped just three games to surge into his third Grand Slam quarterfinal with a thumping of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

The American 12th seed was simply too good for the 66th-ranked Spaniard on a scorching hot Melbourne day, cruising home 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 on Margaret Court Arena.

The 27-year-old will meet either German second seed Alexander Zverev or French 14th seed Ugo Humbert for a place in the last four.

The opening Grand Slam of the year has been by far Paul's most successful during his career, with a 15-5 win-loss record in his six tournaments.

His best Slam result came in Melbourne when he powered to the semi-finals in 2023 – the first American man to do so since Andy Roddick in 2009.

He beat Davidovich Fokina along the way that year too before being ousted by Novak Djokovic.

"I'm always happy to be back in Australia and to be in the quarter-finals again. It's amazing," said Paul, who won three titles in 2024, at Dallas, Queen's and Stockholm.

"This court is where I came through to my first quarter-final ever, and now my second one here in Australia on this court.

"So great memories on this court."

Davidovich Fokina was coming off two gruelling five-setters, including rallying from two sets down in his third-round clash, and he was lacklustre in the opening set.

Paul broke immediately then won 87 percent on his own first serve to barely give the Spaniard a look in on his way to the first set in just 22 minutes.

Davidovich Fokina needed a medical timeout at the changeover for what appeared to be a right hip problem and never got back into the match.

Paul broke twice for 4-0 in the second set and it was a similar story in the third as he raced to the win in just 1hr 27mins.

"It's not easy to do once and to do it twice in a row," he said of the Spaniard going through two five-set matches.

"I mean, he definitely deserves a round of applause and respect from me, for sure, for staying out here today."