JUST two unseeded players remain in the quarter finals after a relatively straightforward day of results on day four of the 2020 ATP Madrid Masters fantasy tennis tournament. Chilean Cristian Garin and British qualifier Andy Murray are the sole duo remaining in the last eight after six other seeds advanced through against their respective lower ranked opponents.

Garin used all of his clay court nous to down 11th seed Belgian David Goffin in a come-from-behind three-set victory, 3-6 6-3 6-4. He joined Murray in the quarter finals after the former world number one brushed past Canadian Milos Raonic. The duo was only two of three players outside the top seven in the world, with the third being 16th seed, Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss star also had an easy day at the office, pounding Serbian Dusan Lajovic in straight sets, 6-1 6-2.

Among the top seven players in the world to advance, the top seeded star in Novak Djokovic accounted for Russian Karen Khachanov 6-1 6-3 to make his way into the final eight, joined by third seed Dominic Thiem who won an equally easy 6-2 6-2 over French qualifier Jeremy Chardy. Second seed Rafael Nadal might be tournament favourite, but he had a tougher time coming up against 14th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. The in-form Georgian recently won his second title for this year last week and showed the Spanish star just what he is capable of with a gallant second set win, before going down 6-2 1-6 6-2.

In the other two results, sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and seventh seed Alexander Zverev both advanced through to the quarter finals. Tsitsipas knocked over Argentinian wildcard Juan Martin del Potro 6-4 6-2, with Zverev also securing an impressive, but regulation win over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-4.

The quarter finals take place tomorrow with Murray and Wawrinka up first as two of the three lowest ranked players going head-to-head followed the other bottom three ranked player in Garin having the mammoth challenge against Nadal. Later in the day it will be Thiem up against Tsitsipas in possibly the match of the day, before an equally-anticipated clash between Djokovic and Zverev.

ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) defeated [15] Karen Khachanov (RUS) 6-1 6-3
[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) defeated [14] Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-2 1-6 6-2
[3] Dominic Thiem (AUT) defeated [Q] Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-2 6-2
[6] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated [WC] Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) 6-4 6-2
[7] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 6-3 6-4
Cristian Garin (CHI) defeated [11] David Goffin (BEL) 3-6 6-3 6-4
[16] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) defeated Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-1 6-2
[Q] Andy Murray (GBR) defeated Milos Raonic (CAN) 6-2 6-1