Ashleigh Barty and Rafael Nadal make the semis – day nine at the Australian Open

Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty took contrasting paths to the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Barty needed just 63 minutes to dispatch Jessica Pegula after Nadal had battled for more than four hours in the Melbourne sun to see off Denis Shapovalov before becoming embroiled in an argument about time-wasting.

Barty will next face Madison Keys who upset Barbora Krejcikova, while Nadal takes on seventh seed Matteo Berrettini after the Italian came through his own five-setter against Gael Monfils.

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I think it’s unfair how much Rafa is getting away with.

Bowing out

Fallen seeds

Women: Barbora Krejcikova (4), Jessica Pegula (21)Men: Denis Shapovalov (14), Gael Monfils (17)

Who’s up next?

Title favourite Daniil Medvedev faces his biggest test so far against in-form ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

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Having survived a five-setter against Taylor Fritz on Sunday, Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on 11th seed Jannik Sinner, while, in the women’s last eight, seventh seed Iga Swiatek takes on Kaia Kanepi and first-time quarter-finalist Alize Cornet meets Danielle Collins.

British hopes are high in doubles, where Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram and Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof play their respective quarter-finals. The winners will meet in the semi-finals.

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