A COUPLE of massive upsets in the Round of 16 blew one quarter of the Australian Open men’s draw right open following day seven’s results yesterday. Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev looked finished when he was two sets to love down against 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, only to claw his way back and win in a mammoth come-from-behind five-set win. Karatsev’s victory was not the only upset of the day, with 18th seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov destroying a tired Dominic Thiem in straight sets.

In a match that lasted three hours and 25 minutes, the 114th ranked Karatsev – who had previously never won a Grand Slam main draw match won his seventh consecutive match, and the toughest thus far, coming from being 6-3 6-1 down against the 20-year-old Canadian. Finding a way through, he bounced back to win the final three sets 6-3 6-3 6-4 in a classic contest.

“It was really tough in the beginning to play with him,” Karatsev said post-match. “He’s a really good player and he’s playing really fast. It took me two sets to find a way how to play.”

Auger-Aliassime hit 11 aces to nine, and was more efficient upon return with five of his six break point opportunities taken, but it was Karatsev’s consistency with a 77 per cent first serve winning percentage, and controlling the net (80 per cent success), as well as hitting eight more winners (37-29).

It is beyond belief that the Russian journeyman has made a Grand Slam quarter final, having a career Tour record of 3-10 and winning just over $600,000 USD in prize money. If Karatsev can topple Dimitrov in the quarter finals, he will have made more money in the Australian Open than he has in his entire career, with a $653,225 USD paycheck.

Dimitrov’s straight sets triumph over Thiem was nowhere near the same level of tightness, with the Bulgarian 18th seed winning the first two sets narrowly 6-4 6-4 after being down breaks in both, before blowing the Austrian away 6-0 in the final set. He won the last eight games of the match to book his spot in the next round.

“I think the key was that I was able to keep a consistency throughout the whole match,” Dimitrov said. “I was playing well. He was up a break in both [the first and second] sets. “It was 3-1, 40/15 in the first set. I could have easily slipped that set.”

Now the Bulgarian goes from last year’s Australian Open runner-up and ATP Finals runner-up to a little known 27-year-old Russian qualifier. Despite the consistent quality difference in his two opponents, Dimitrov is not reading anything into rankings.

“I will treat this match no differently,” he said. “I will still go through my routines. “I’m still going to do my work. “It’s just honestly another match. “I’m not going to think of what the guy has done, what he has accomplished or what is going on. “Clearly, in order for him to be here, he’s done something right, and he’s playing great tennis right now. “Of course, he’s a dangerous player.”

Returning to normal programming, top seed Novak Djokovic overcame big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the late match last night in four sets, whilst German sixth seed Alexander Zverev won in straight sets over 23rd seed Dusan Lajovic 6-4 7-6 6-3. The winners will now face off in a massive quarter final.

In today’s fourth round clashes, world number two Rafael Nadal takes on Italian firebrand Fabio Fognini for the right to face either fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or ninth seed Matteo Berrettini. While outside Rod Laver Arena, fourth seed Daniil Medvedev clashes with giant-killing Mackenzie McDonald, as seventh seed Andrey Rublev locks horns with 24th seed Casper Ruud.

ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) [14] Milos Raonic (CAN)
[18] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) defeated [3] Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-4 6-4 6-0
[6] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated [23] Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4 7-6 6-3
[Q] Aslan Karatsev (RUS) defeated [20] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-3 6-4