Rafael Nadal battled through a five-set firestorm to book his ticket in the Australian Open quarterfinals yesterday as Martina Hingis and Kim Clijsters set up an enticing clash.

Top seed Maria Sharapova also marched on, outmuscling fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 to set up a match with another compatriot, 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze, who undid eighth seed Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-1.

But fifth seed James Blake, who won in Sydney this month, suffered his first loss of the season and crashed in straight sets to Chilean tenth seed Fernando Gonzalez, who now meets the second seeded Nadal for a spot in the semis.

Germany's 12th seed Tommy Haas tamed eighth seeded Argentine David Nalbandian in four sets and will face third-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the quarters.

Spain's Nadal was pushed to the limit by 15th seed Andy Murray, trading the first four engrossing sets before the Briton crumbled in the decider, going down 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in close to four hours.

"It was a very tough match. He's a great player," said Nadal.

"It was a very important match for me. I needed to win a tough match like that against a top player. I tried to fight for every point."

Hingis, seeded six, needed all her big-match experience to overhaul 19th seed Li Na 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, coming back to dismantle the Chinese woman's game and secure a quarterfinal appearance here for a ninth time.

In an intriging match-up, she will play Clijsters, who beat her at the same stage last year, ending the Swiss star's Grand Slam comeback after a three-year injury hiatus.

Intriguing clash

"I know I have to come out one hundred percent and be ready from the beginning, otherwise I'll be run over," she said of Clijsters, the fourth seed.

"That's the key. I have a day rest, and practice, sleep well, give myself the best shot."

Clijsters has been in scintillating form and was clinical against Slovak pin-up Daniela Hantuchova, powering through 6-1, 7-5, and is looking forward to pitting her wits against one of her best friends on tour.

"It always a pleasure to play against her, she's such a great champion," she said.

"We get along really well on and off the court. When we get on the court we try to play our best tennis but once we get off the court and back into the locker room we have a joke about everything and that's the way it should be.

"We're professionals and it's great to see her doing well again."

Top seed Sharapova displayed lapses of concentration against Zvonareva and acknowledged she needed to improve against Chakvetadze, who won the lead-up Hobart International tournament.

"I thought I played a lot better today than I did in my previous rounds but I'll definitely have to step it up against her," said Sharapova, whose victory handed her the number one world ranking.

She earned the right after defending champion Amelie Mauresmo tumbled out in the third round and former number one Justine Henin-Hardenne missed the tournament for personal reasons.

With defending champion Roger Federer safely into the quarterfinals, Haas, Gonzalez, Davydenko and Nadal joined him yesterday.

Gonzalez upset Blake 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) while Haas wore down Nalbandian, a semifinalist last year, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Davydenko, who has been anonymous working his way to the last eight, qualified for his third straight Australian Open quarterfinal with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) win over Czech 13th seed Tomas Berdych.

(China Daily via AFP January 23, 2007)