Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered surprise fourth-round exits on a day of shocks in the men's draw at the French Open.
Marin Cilic Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Croatian Marin Cilic did not put a foot wrong as he crushed Russia's world number two Medvedev 6-2 6-3 6-2 in a lopsided contest to return to the French Open quarter-finals after a gap of four years.
The 2014 U.S. Open champion, seeded 20th, dominated proceedings from the start and finished off the contest in an hour and 45 minutes to reach the last eight stage on the Parisian clay for the third time in his career.
Medvedev came into the match having won all three previous meetings against the 33-year-old Croatian but cut a sorry figure under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier in their first contest on clay.
"It was absolutely a fantastic match from the first point to the last," Cilic said in his interview on court.
"I enjoyed the atmosphere, enjoyed the night session here, played incredible tennis, one of the best matches of my career from start to finish."
Such was the Croatian's domination that he did not face a break point and will next meet another Russian in seventh seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the semi-finals.
Medvedev's form on the night was more reminiscent of his four consecutive first-round exits at Roland Garros before he made the quarter-finals last year.
Teenage sensation Holger Rune outmuscled world number four and last-year's French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals with his biggest Grand Slam win to date.
The Dane, who has improved more than 350 places in the world rankings in the past 15 months, joins fellow 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight, the first time two teenagers made that stage at a Grand Slam since 1994.
Fourth seed Tsitsipas was hunting for his first ever Grand Slam title.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Photo:
Rune will now play eighth seed Casper Ruud of Norway who reached his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final when he downed 12th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-3 3-6 6-3.
Meanwhile in the women's draw Iga Swiatek survived a big scare as she advanced to the quarter-finals by beating Chinese teenager Qinwen Zheng 6-7(5) 6-0 6-2 for her 32nd consecutive victory.
The world number one, gunning for a second title in three years at Roland Garros, showed rare signs of nerves as she let a comfortable lead slip through her hands before steamrolling her opponent after Zheng suffered a thigh problem.
Poland's Swiatek, who will next face American 11th seed Jessica Pegula, is unbeaten since last February, claiming titles on clay in Stuttgart and Rome.
The 2020 champion is bidding to become the fourth player since 2000 to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup multiple times after Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
The 20-year-old is on the longest unbeaten run in the women's tour since Serena bagged 34 victories in succession in 2013.
-Reuters