MELBOURNE, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Highlights of day eight of the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park on Monday. Times local (GMT +11):
2027 TOP SEED BARTY EASES PAST ROGERS
World number one Ash Barty sealed a comfortable 6-3 6-4 win over American Shelby Rogers to set up a quarter-final meeting with Czech Karolina Muchova.
2014 MUCHOVA BEATS MERTENS IN STRAIGHT SETS
Czech 25th seed Karolina Muchova recovered from a slow start to beat Belgian 18th seed Elise Mertens 7-6(5) 7-5.
1854 TSITSIPAS ADVANCES AFTER BERRETTINI WITHDRAWS
Italian ninth seed Matteo Berrettini withdrew from his fourth-round match against Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas due to an abdominal strain.
Tsitsipas will face Spanish second seed Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals.
1742 NADAL DOWNS FOGNINI IN STRAIGHT SETS
Spanish second seed Rafa Nadal sealed a dominant 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Italian 16th seed Fabio Fognini to reach the quarter-finals for the 13th time.
Nadal, who is chasing a record 21st Grand Slam title, will face Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last eight.
1615 RUBLEV THROUGH AFTER RUUD RETIREMENT
Seventh seed Andrey Rublev advanced after his opponent Casper Ruud retired while trailing 6-2 7-6(3). The Norwegian received treatment for an abdominal injury early in the second set.
Rublev joins Russian world number four Daniil Medvedev and qualifier Aslan Karatsev in the last-eight, making it the first time in the Open era that three Russian men have reached the quarter-finals in the same Grand Slam.
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Injured Berrettini withdraws to send Tsitsipas into last eight sets up all-Russian Rublev clash in Melbourne sets up all-American quarter-final at Australian Open does not need Grand Slam record for validation Nadal leads second week charge in Melbourne Open order of play on Monday from day eight of the Australian Open answers fitness doubts with victory over Raonic reaches last eight with easy win over Lajovic battles past Swiatek to set up Serena showdown into quarters after surviving Sabalenka test seed Thiem slumps out of Australian Open back from the brink to reach quarter-finals spirit' Hsieh rolls into maiden Grand Slam quarter-final eases past Norrie into last 16 bounces into fourth round on empty court wins five-setter to join Russian charge switch back to COVID-mode as fans exit Australian Open BRADY BOOKS QUARTER-FINAL BERTH
American Jennifer Brady eased into the quarter-finals with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Croatia's Donna Vekic.
Brady sent down nine aces and won 85% of her first-serve points in a dominant performance against Vekic, who had heavy strapping on her right leg.
Brady faces compatriot Jessica Pegula next.
1435 MEDVEDEV MARCHES ON
Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev raced into the quarter-finals with a clinical 6-4 6-2 6-3 victory over American Mackenzie McDonald.
Medvedev sent down seven aces, 29 winners and made just 15 unforced errors as he wrapped up the one-sided contest in 90 minutes.
1310 PEGULA UPSETS SVITOLINA
American Jessica Pegula continued her dream run with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina to reach the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam for the first time.
Pegula was far more effective at the net than her opponent, and also struck 31 winners compared to 19 from Svitolina.
1112 PLAY UNDERWAY ON DAY EIGHT
Play got underway as scheduled on the third day of Victoria's snap five-day coronavirus lockdown, which has resulted in fans being shut out of Melbourne Park.
One new locally acquired case of COVID-19 was reported in the state in the 24 hours to Monday morning.
The temperature was a cool 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) with a maximum of 27C forecast.