The sun continues to beat down on Melbourne Park and first up on the Rod Laver Arena is Chinese ninth seed Li Na who takes on Maria Sharapova's conqueror Andrea Petkovic
Petkovic, who has accounted for Britain's Anne Keothavong and former world number ones Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova in previous rounds, takes the opening two games but is eventually outgunned 6-2 6-4
Li is becoming a familiar sight to the fans in Melbourne Park after her run to the semi finals in 2010 and will face either world number one Caroline Wozniacki or French Open champion Francesca Schiavone next
Four-time champion Roger Federer takes on fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-final of the men's draw and the defending champion breezes to the opening set in 29 minutes
The two have played alongside for their country in the Davis Cup and won Olympic doubles gold together, but, when they are on opposite sides of the net, Wawrinka has won only one of their seven encounters
The 25-year-old came into the match on the back of impressive wins over Gael Monfils and Andy Roddick, but Wawrinka makes more of an impression on his racket than Federer's serve as the second set slips away 6-3
An eighth successive semi-final spot beckons for Federer while Wawrinka is left to reflect on his best showing yet at the Australian Open
Mirka Federer will be back at courtside for the next encounter of her husband's title defence where he will take on Novak Djokovic, who beats Tomas Berdych later
Elsewhere in Melbourne Park, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Andy Murray's quarter-final opponent, ignores his nutritionist's advice and indulges in a hot dog straight from the barbeque
Murray meanwhile goes through some drills on the practice courts. The Scot hopes to go one better than the runners-up spot he achieved at the event last year
Li, who won the Sydney International earlier in January, heads to China Town to toast her win over Petkovic
Women's world number one Caroline Wozniacki is still searching for her first Grand Slam and is made to stretch in the opening set of her quarter final against French Open champion Francesca Schiavone
Schiavone overcame Svetlana Kuznetsova in four hours and 44 minutes in the previous round. But she shows no ill effects from the longest women's match in Grand Slam history as she takes the first set 6-3
By contrast 20-year-old Wozniacki, ten years Schiavone's junior, requires treatment from the trainer as the match heads into the second set
Dane Wozniacki, who has not got beyond the last 16 in three previous trips to the Australian Open, rouses herself in the second set and pulls level
Wozniacki's delight is evident as she grinds down her Italian opponent to move within two matches of the title with a 3-6 6-3 6-3 win that lasted two hours and 24 minutes
Third seed and 2008 champion Novak Djokovic faces Tomas Berdych in the last game on Rod Laver Arena and he gets off to a flyer, his forehand wreaking havoc as he takes the first set 6-1
Djokovic falters slightly in the second set but regains full control in the third, gaining revenge for defeat in last year's Wimbledon semi-finals and setting up a last four encounter with defending champion Roger Federer
What are these?
E-mail this to a friend 
Bookmark with:
What are these?