Wawrinka keeps title defence on song

Novak Djokovic powered into his eighth consecutive quarter-final at the Australian Open as Stan Wawrinka kept his title defence on track Monday.

The Serb world number one was too strong for unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, winning 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.

The four-time champion did not have his service broken as he powered through to play Canada’s Milos Raonic for a place in the semi-finals.

Djokovic was outstanding on service, winning a high 82 percent of first serves and fighting off four break points.

The Serb top seed hit 47 winners and only 16 unforced errors in a masterly performance against the left-handed Muller.

Raonic became the first Canadian man to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals in 47 years in a five-set battle with Feliciano Lopez.

The eighth seed thundered down 30 aces as he made the last eight with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (7/9) 6-3 win over the 12th-seed in 3hr5min on Hisense Arena.

Wawrinka clinched a thrilling fourth set tiebreaker to down Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

The fourth seed prevailed 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10/8) in just over three hours and will play Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the last eight.

Wawrinka had match point at 7-6 before the Spaniard got a fifth set point only to again be denied. He then clinched it on his second match point.

Nishikori swept into the last eight with a relatively comfortable 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over Spanish terrier David Ferrer to advance to his third Grand Slam quarter-final.