Australian Open: Taylor Fritz downs Stefanos Tsitsipas to set up quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic

American 12th seed Taylor Fritz dumped last year's Australian Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas out of the tournament on Sunday to set up a quarter-final with defending champion Novak Djokovic.

There was little to separate them in the opening two sets but Fritz stepped up a gear to beat the Greek seventh seed 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in a shade over three hours.

He said the key was "just trusting my shots" and that he had served well throughout.

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Fritz trailsDjokovic 8-0 in head-to-heads, but he said he had improved and was relishing another battle against the top seed.

"The times I have played him I haven't brought my best level and you need to if you are going to complete with someone like Djokovic," he said.

A tight first set, in which neither player broke serve, went to a tie-break, where Fritz quickly edged ahead and did not relinquish his lead.

The second set went with serve until the 11th game, when Tsitsipas broke, going on to take the set 7-5.

Fritz broke twice in the third set to edge ahead and repeated the feat in the fourth set, winning the last four games to claim victory.

Sabalenka in quarters

Defending women's championSabalenkahas been in imperious form and was in complete charge against unseeded Amanda Anisimova on Margaret Court Arena, sweeping past the American 6-3, 6-2.

Fourth seed Coco Gauff, attempting to become the first woman to back up a US Open title with a Grand Slam win in Australia since Naomi Osaka in 2018-19, has been almost as impressive.

She swatted aside Poland's unseeded Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2 in just 63 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, with the 85-year-tennis legend watching from the stands.

"It was an honour to play in front of you, so thank you for coming to my match," said 19-year-old Gauff, who had never progressed beyond the fourth round at Melbourne Park in four previous attempts.

"First Aussie quarter-final. Super happy to be in this position and be here.... It's cool to get over that hump."

She will next meet Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, who beat Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-1.

With seven of the women's top 10 seeds knocked out in the first week, including world number one Iga Swiatek, both Gauff andSabalenkahave a glorious chance to win their second major major title.

They are on the same side of the draw and will not meet in the final, with a potential last-four clash looming instead.

Sabalenkahas dropped just 11 games in four matches and is favoured to win another title to go with her breakthrough Grand Slam crown last year.

Should she go all the way, the 25-year-old will be the first woman to retain the title since compatriot Victoria Azarenka completed the feat in 2013.

"I'm getting stronger because I enjoy the atmosphere and I really want to stay here as long as I can till the very last day," she said.

Her next opponent will be unseeded Russian 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva or ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova.

If Andreeva keeps her dream run going, she will become the youngest woman to reach the Melbourne Park quarter-finals since Martina Hingis in 1997, a player she has often been compared to.