And then there were eight.
What was a 128-player Australian Open field nine days ago has now been whittled down to the final eight, as the quarterfinals of the first Major of the year are upon us. All eight remaining players are seeded, and seven of them are part of the current Top 10 in the world. With a field this stacked, including multiple former Australian Open champions and players chasing all kinds of historical landmarks, here is a re-ranking of how each player stands entering the quarterfinals.
Australian Open Quarterfinal Re-Rank
8: Learner Tien
While the young American has done incredibly well to reach this stage after once being two sets to one down in the first round, it is quite likely that this is the end of the road for him, as he now faces Alexander Zverev–a player who is 29–1 in his last 30 matches against left-handed opponents. But regardless of what happens next, the performance Tien produced against Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round has not only announced him, it has ensured he is one of the up-and-coming players on tour to watch closely.
7: Alex de Minaur
The No.1 ranked Australian for several years now, Alex de Minaur has once again found himself in the last eight of his home Slam–something he has also achieved at other Majors. However, he is yet to take the next step, and that looks likely to remain the case here as he faces the World No.1 next. De Minaur’s floor is high enough to consistently reach the latter stages thanks to his baseline consistency, but against the very elite, his lack of power and a truly reliable serve often catch up to him — as reflected in his career record against top 10 players.
6: Lorenzo Musetti
The Italian produced a breakout performance on this surface in the fourth round, defeating fellow Top 10 player Taylor Fritz in straight sets. The truth is that Lorenzo Musetti has greatly improved his skill set, particularly his serve and forehand, becoming a more consistent and dangerous player on hard courts. That progress has helped him reach back-to-back hard-court Major quarterfinals, but a potential path of Djokovic–Sinner–Alcaraz ahead is simply too big a task for anyone.
5: Ben Shelton
You could argue that I have Ben Shelton ranked higher than he should be, but I still believe he has the highest upside on this surface, mainly due to his serve, of all the players likely to exit at the quarterfinal stage. That said, against Jannik Sinner, a player who has now beaten him eight consecutive times, the American has more than likely met his match.