Summary

  • Rafael Nadal wins in straight sets 6-3 6-4 6-2 to reach semi-finals

  • Second seed plays Stefanos Tsitsipas next, who beat Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets

  • Petra Kvitova beat home favourite Ashleigh Barty 6-1 6-4 - plays Danielle Collins next

Live Reporting

Amy Lofthouse

  1. Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

    Barty won the first set of their Sydney final 6-1 - and lost in three.

    Kvitova wins the first set of their Australian Open quarter-final 6-1 - and... ??

  2. Game and first set - Kvitova

    Kvitova 6-1 Barty

    There's no saving the second set point though!

    Relentless hitting from Petra Kvitova. She's a set away from her first Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2014.

    KvitovaAFP

  3. *Kvitova 5-1 Barty

    Superb return from Barty to another big serve, and Kvitova's counter-punch lands long.

    40-30.

  4. *Kvitova 5-1 Barty

    Barty is trying everything now, coming up to the net and trying to hurry Kvitova, but there's no stopping a furious backhand from the Czech.

    Kvitova has two set points.

  5. Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

    Kvitova's power has shone through in the opening 24 minutes.

    She has nailed 76% of her first serves, enabling her to win 75% of these points.

    The Czech has also cracked 10 winners. And if she had kept down her tally of 11 unforced errors, she may raced to this seemingly-unassailable lead even sooner.

  6. David Law
    BBC Radio 5 live sports extra tennis commentator at Melbourne Park

    This is the Kvitova start we see quite a lot. Barty won't panic - she'll have the memory of pushing Kvitova hard in Sydney and they had a three-set match in Birmingham in 2017, too.

  7. Kvitova breaks again

    *Kvitova 5-1 Barty

    What a shot!

    Kvitova does well to return a huge Barty serve and she finds enough balance to send a drop shot floating over the net.

    After just 23 minutes, the Czech will serve for the set.

  8. Kvitova 4-1 Barty*

    Ash Barty casts an irritated look at her racquet as she hits a backhand out of bounds for 0-30.

    Now then. Barty gets pushed out wide and nets, handing Kvitova three more break points.

  9. Jill Craybas
    Former world number 39 on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    It's so hard against Kvitova in many respects - she's got long arms, which means a long wingspan and it's hard to get the ball past her when she comes up to the net.

  10. Kvitova 4-1 Barty*

    A few more errors coming from Kvitova now, a return straying over the baseline for 30-15, but she's hitting the ball so well.

    It's coming on quickly to Barty's racquet, rushing her through her shots, and there's another cry from Kvitova as she darts forward to finish off a hold.

  11. David Law
    BBC Radio 5 live sports extra tennis commentator at Melbourne Park

    I don't see how anybody could do anything against this sort of hitting from Kvitova.

    KvitovaReuters

  12. Barty holds

    *Kvitova 3-1 Barty

    A second serve from Barty gets mullered by the Kvitova backhand for yet another winner.

    Barty gets on the board as some big Kvitova blows miss their mark and she sticks in a tough rally long enough for Kvitova's backhand to falter.

    40-30 - and a huge first serve is netted by Kvitova. Barty's on the board.

  13. Gigi Salmon
    Radio 5 live sports extra tennis commentator at Melbourne Park

    Kvitova is faultless when she's playing at the top level - she can beat anyone in the world.

  14. Kvitova 3-0 Barty*

    Petra Kvitova has already hit seven winners in the opening three games.

  15. Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

    Melbourne ParkBBC Sport

    Excuse the glare of sharp Melbourne evening sun on my attempts to capture the Australian fans sat in Garden Square - which is outside Laver - and watching on the big screen.

    Or maybe it is the glare of the 10s of yellow t-shirts with ‘Aussie’ splashed across the front.

    One famous Australian supplier of yeast extract paste (OK, the...) has sensed a promotional opportunity down at Melbourne Park.

    Other fans have just settled for the more traditional Aussie Flag colours...

    Melbourne ParkBBC Sport

  16. Kvitova holds

    Kvitova 3-0 Barty*

    Shot!

    Ash Barty drops a return too short and the ball gets walloped into the corner by Kvitova.

    Clever serve from Kvitova, going out wide, and Barty's return loops over the baseline. That's a good hold for the Czech.

  17. David Law
    BBC Radio 5 live sports extra tennis commentator at Melbourne Park

    It's just irresistible tennis.

  18. *Kvitova 2-0 Barty

    "POJD!" comes the cry from Kvitova as she meets a Barty assault on her backhand, before the Australian nets.

    We're going back to deuce, though, as Kvitova flaps a backhand into the top of the net.

  19. Kvitova saves break point

    *Kvitova 2-0 Barty

    Deep hitting from both players, and it's Kvitova who comes out top with a skiddy winner!

    That rally had a bit of everything - spinny backhand meeting spinny backhand, before Kvitova ran round to deliver the final shot.

    Deuce.

  20. *Kvitova 2-0 Barty

    This is good from Petra Kvitova, drawing the errors out of Ash Barty's return game, before the Czech overworks a forehand of her own for 15-30.

    Hmm. Another whippy forehand from Kvitova goes awry and then, out of nowhere, Kvitova double faults!

    Break back point for Barty.