A day after former world number one Novak Djokovic was shown the door by a bespectacled South Korean, current number 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain had to retire hurt from the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Marin Cilic of Croatia was leading 2-0 in the fifth set when Nadal decided to quit. The match was evenly poised at 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), (2-6), with Nadal having won the first and third set. He had taken a medical time-out in the fourth set to treat the hip injury.
The Spaniard was hobbling by the time he decided to call off the match.
After the match, Cilic said: “It was an unbelievable performance from both of us. It’s really unfortunate for Rafa. He’s an unbelievable competitor, always gives his best.”
Sixth seed Cilic will meet Briton Kyle Edmund in the semifinal. Edmund, 23, stormed into the last four with an incredible four-set win over world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov.
The world No. 49 won 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4, to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal.
Djokovic bowed out of the Australian Open in the fourth round after South Korea's 21-year-old Hyeon Chung stunned him 7-6(7-4), 7-5, 7-6(7-3) victory. Djokovic took a medical timeout in the first set to get some treatment for his right elbow.
