It seemed highly improbable coming into the match given his vast injury history, but Lleyton Hewitt took Novak Djokovic to almost three hours in a 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 defeat that had Rod Laver Arena racing until 1:04 AM. Two-time Slam champ Hewitt left to a standing ovation. If the hobbled Hewitt never plays another Australian Open, fans will fondly recall the 30-year-old’s incredible night matches vs. Cedric-Marcel Steebe, Andy Roddick, Milos Raonic and Djokovic who will face David Ferrer in the quarters.
Look out other up and comers: Kei Nishikori, just 22, became the first Japanese male to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 shocker of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Currently ranked No. 26, the 22 year old is already highest-ranked male in Japanese history and is guaranteed to crack the top 20. The quick, deceptive lefty will face Andy Murray.
*Brad Gilbert is no longer coaching Nishikori, who has retained his full-time traveling coach, Dante Bottini.
* Martina Navratilova thinks that the players do not get paid enough at the majors, but says that in comparison to the rest of society, they do just fine
* After her 6-2, 6-3 loss to Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round, Serena Williams says she would not have played the Aussie Open had it not been a Slam. Williams tore two ligaments in her ankle prior to the tournament. She’s planning on playing the United States’ Fed Cup tie against Belarus February 4-5 in Worcester, Mass. She believes that her sister Venus, who has not played since the US Open, will be able to overcome sickness and play. As an aside, the final day of the competition is Super Bowl Sunday, where the home area New England Patriots will be playing. Walk up ticket sales are sure to be a challenge.
* The Maria Sharapova camp was gripping all day after Serena’s loss, knowing draw had opened for her. Sharapova, who beat Sabine Lisicki, won’t overlook Makarova but wants a piece of Petra Kvitova, who took her out in the Wimbledon final.
* Juan Martin Del Potro hopes to rediscover his 2009 US Open-winning form against Roger Federer in Tuesday’s quarters. Tomas Berdych is hoping to do better than he did against Rafa Nadal in the 2010 Wimbledon final, too. The women’s popcorn match of the day will be between old junior foes Vika Azarenka and Aga Radwanska.
* In an upcoming documentary by ESPN Star Sports, China’s Na Li says she had promised herself after father died never to cry again in public. So when she left her press conference in tears after her choke to Kim Clijsters in the fourth round, the Chinese press were wowed.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki on facing defending champ Clijsters, whom she has never beaten: “I just need to play my game and play the same way as I did today. If I do, Kim really needs to play well to beat me.”
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