Top seeded Briton Andy Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round on Sunday, losing 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev on Rod Laver Arena.
Murray's defeat follows that of reigning champion Novak Djokovic, who fell to Denis Istomin in the second round on Thursday, leaving the men's draw at the year's first grand slam without its top two seeds at the quarter-final stage.
German Zverev, in the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time after a career ravaged by injury, flummoxed his contemporary with his unorthodox serve-volley game and broke the Wimbledon and Olympic champion eight times over the contest.
Wawrinka completes Italian job to reach quarter-finals
Stanislas Wawrinka's campaign for a second Australian Open title stepped up a gear on Sunday as the hard-working Swiss fended off Italian journeyman Andreas Seppi 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 7-6(4) to reach his fourth quarter-final at Melbourne Park.
The 2014 champion has done it tough in the opening week, but despite the tight scoreline, he was rarely threatened by 89th-ranked Seppi on a sunny afternoon at Margaret Court Arena.
With top seed Andy Murray crashing out only minutes before the win, Wawrinka's chances of grabbing a fourth grand slam title have been given a huge boost and he is now the highest seed in the top half of the draw.
Wawrinka next faces Dan Evans or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the semi-finals.
Tsonga ends Evans' fairytale to add to British pain
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ended the fairytale run of Dan Evans to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday and deliver a second blow for British tennis after the shock elimination of Andy Murray.
The veteran Frenchman, who enjoyed his own storybook run to the final in 2008, took time to find his groove but finished full of running to down the 26-year-old Evans 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 53 minutes as twilight fell at the Hisense Arena.
Top seed Murray was earlier shocked by unseeded German Mischa Zverev and Tsonga's win tipped the last Briton out of the men's draw.
Tsonga will play fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka for a place in the semi-finals.
Venus downs Barthel
Venus Williams continued to turn back the clock with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Germany's Mona Barthel in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday and set up a quarter-final against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The 36-year-old Williams raced out to a 3-0 lead but Barthel fought back with the American having trouble with her ball toss at the northern end of the court as she looked directly into the sun.
Barthel broke twice to give her the opportunity at 4-3 to get back on serve but Williams capitalised on the German also having trouble with the sun to break back then served out from the Yarra River end to clinch the first set in 42 minutes.
The second set went on serve until the 11th game when Williams broke for the first time in the set, then, despite serving from the northern end, clinched victory in 96 minutes.
