MELBOURNE, Jan 21 - Fifth seed David Ferrer
ground down fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5 3-6 6-4 6-1
to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time
on Monday.
Ferrer proved the more consistent player in a gruelling
tussle littered with long baseline rallies and will play third
seed Novak Djokovic or Australian Lleyton Hewitt in the last
eight.
Ferrer, a semi-finalist at last year's U.S. Open, twice
needed treatment on a leg injury against former French Open
champion Ferrero but clinched victory on his first match point
to end a contest lasting just over three hours.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)