Kerber and Keys set up quarter-final as Berdych fires up
Melbourne: Angelique Kerber and Madison Keys set up an enticing Australian Open quarter-final Monday, with one roaring through and the other having to dig deep to stay in the title hunt.
Dangerous Czech Tomas Berdych, a two-time Melbourne Park semi-finalist, also powered into the last eight, demolishing Italy's Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
His reward is a clash with either Swiss maestro Roger Federer or unheralded Hungarian Marton Fucsovics for a place in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Germany's Kerber is the only Grand Slam champion left on the women's side of the draw, and she was given a big fright as she chases her second Melbourne Park crown after beating Serena Williams in 2016.
After crushing Maria Sharapova in the last round, she came up against gritty Taiwanese veteran Hsieh Su-wei who stunned the 21st seed by taking the first set on Rod Laver Arena.
At one point Kerber was serving to stay in the match, but she bounced back to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
"Credit to her, she played unbelievable. I was running everywhere," said Kerber, who had a poor 2017 after starting the year as world number one.
"I was just trying to focus on every point."
Hsieh, ranked 88, was always going to be a threat after knocking out world number three Garbine Muguruza and the dangerous Agnieszka Radwanska en route to the fourth round.
The win set Kerber up with a clash against American Keys, a semi-finalist in 2015 who has found a new lease of life under the guidance of former great Lindsay Davenport.
Seeded 17, she flattened French eighth seed Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 in just 68 impressive minutes.
"I feel like I'm playing just solid, consistent tennis," said Keys, a US Open finalist last year. "I think today was a good example of that. I think I served well. I think I returned well."
