MELBOURNE: Defending champion Roger Federer matched a Grand Slam record which magnifies his extraordinary consistency over eight years, while Francesca Schiavone established a record for endurance in a women's singles match. Day 7 at Melbourne Park was a day of record marks for the majors. Federer equaled Jimmy Connors' mark for consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals appearances when he beat Tommy Robredo 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Sunday. The 16-time Grand Slam winner has now reached the quarterfinals at 27 majors in a row since 2004. He'll next play Stanislas Wawrinka in the first all-Swiss quarterfinal at a major in the Open era. Wawrinka had a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Andy Roddick in the last match Sunday, meaning there'll be no Americans in the men's or women's quarterfinals. Connors reached the quarterfinals in 27 consecutive majors he entered between 1973 to 1983 – although he missed 13 Grand Slam tournaments during that period of time either through injury or because he didn't travel to Australia. On the women's side, French Open champion Schiavone established a Grand Slam record, needing 4 hours, 44 minutes for her 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 fourth-round win over Svetlana Kuznetsova. Schiavone saved six match points, then converted on her third match point in the longest women's match at a major in terms of time in the Open era. The previous record was set here last year when Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova beat Regina Kulikova 7-6 (5), 6-7 (10), 6-3 in a match lasting 4:19. The 30-year-old Italian battled exhaustion but, “at the end, you have something more, always.” Schiavone will meet top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals. Shortly after, 2008 champion Maria Sharapova lost 6-2, 6-3 to Andrea Petkovic, who had a relatively easy run into the fourth round when Venus Williams – the last American in the women's draw – retired after just four minutes in their third-round match. Petkovic will now take on China's Li Na, a semifinalist here last year, in the quarterfinals. No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic is aiming for his second Australian crown. The 2008 champion advanced to the quarterfinals for the 13th time in the last 15 majors with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 win over No. 14 Nicolas Almagro and will next play last year's Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, who beat Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Wozniacki moved into the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Anastasija Sevastova and is just one victory from ensuring she'll retain the top ranking. She now has reached the quarterfinals at all four majors, and she's navigated some troublesome ground. According to the WTA, only one of the last five women to be ranked No. 1 went beyond the first round in the first major they played with the top ranking.
