Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic from a record 10th Australian Open singles title?
Of those still playing in Melbourne, 21-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic is the only major winner.
Despite being hampered by a hamstring injury, he has lost just one set in his four matches as he looks to make up for lost time after missing last year’s tournament.
The former world number one, who was deported after his visa was revoked in 2022, has not lost a match at the Australian Open since 2018.
Can anyone stop him this year?
Andriy Rublev
Rublev will be the next to play against Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
The Russian came back from 5-0 down in the tiebreak in the final set to beat 19-year-old Dane Holger Rune in the fourth round.
Rublev, 25, is aiming to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final but has lost two of his three previous meetings with Djokovic in straight sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Greek third seed Tsitsipas is the top seed remaining in the draw and has reached the semi-finals in Melbourne in three of the last four years.
The 24-year-old 2021 French Open finalist won 11 straight sets before suffering a fourth-round loss to Yannick Sinner.
Jiri Legechka
Tsitsipas will face 21-year-old Czech Lehečka in the quarterfinals, who had not won a main draw match at a Grand Slam before this tournament.
Having been knocked out in the first round on his debut at all four Slams last year, he has already caused several upsets in Melbourne, knocking out 21st seed Borna Coric, 11th seed Cameron Norrie and sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Karen Khachanov
Russian 18th seed Khachanov, 26, made it to the last eight in Australia in style, recording a 6-0 6-0 7-6 (7-4) win over Yoshihito Nishioka.
Khachanov has never progressed beyond the third round at Melbourne Park and is aiming to reach his fourth major quarter-final after he recorded his best Slam result at last year’s US Open by reaching the final four.
Sebastian Korda
Khachanov will next face American 29th seed Korda after the 22-year-old made a fine run to the quarters.
Korda, the son of former Tour players Petr and Regina and brother of former women’s world number one Nellie, defeated 2022 finalist Daniil Medvedev in the third round before seeing off 10th seed Hubert Gurkac in the round of 16.
Ben Shelton
Shelton, a 20-year-old American, is an unknown at this year’s Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals in his first trip outside the United States.
He has already surpassed his father’s Grand Slam record since Brian Shelton reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1994, but the tour newcomer spoke of the freedom he feels having already exceeded expectations in Melbourne.
Shelton, who is ranked 89th in the world, will play Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals of the All-American tournament.
Tommy Paul
The 2023 Australian Open is already one to remember for Paul, who is enjoying his longest streak at a Grand Slam, having never gone beyond the third round before.
The 25-year-old world number 35 beat tour veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets in the fourth round – his second triumph in Melbourne, having previously beaten fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Foquin in five sets.
