MELBOURNE, Australia — In this unpredictable moment in women’s tennis, the shortlist of contenders at the Australian Open has never been longer. But even with many prominent names eliminated in early rounds, the four players who emerged from the top half of the draw could have been expected.
The two highest seeds from the top quarter, top-seeded Simona Halep and sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova, advanced to the quarterfinals on Monday, setting up a quarterfinal showdown on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s other quarterfinal will feature Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champion here, against Madison Keys, last year’s United States Open runner-up.
Halep defeated Naomi Osaka, 6-3, 6-2, showing few ill effects from her marathon 4-6, 6-4, 15-13 win over Lauren Davis two days earlier, a match that lasted close to four hours.