The 19th seed powered through a thrilling semi-final on a final-set tiebreak against the world number two 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8) after Sabalenka had earlier swept aside Paula Badosa in straight sets.

The Italian top seed faces Ben Shelton on Friday, just two matches away from a first successful Grand Slam title defence after winning his maiden major crown in Melbourne last year.

The all-action 22-year-old told reporters after battling past Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in the quarter-finals that he felt a lot of "negativity".

The Italian world number one showed no signs of the illness that hampered him in his last match to emphatically fly past the eighth seed 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.

The Polish second seed was phenomenal on a gusty day at Rod Laver Arena, powering past the eighth seeded-American 6-1, 6-2 in 1hrs 29mins.

The irrepressible 37-year-old put to bed any doubts about his ability to add to his 24 Grand Slam titles with a scintillating four-set takedown of Carlos Alcaraz in the Melbourne last eight on Tuesday.

The 10-time Melbourne Park winner Djokovic outlasted the younger Spaniard 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to set up a semi-final with Alexander Zverev.

Aryna Sabalenka kept a historic Australian Open hat-trick on track Tuesday as she battled past Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals.

Coco Gauff said she was "disappointed but not completely crushed" after her scintillating start to the year came to an abrupt halt in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Badosa reached a Slam semi-final for the first time in her career -- the first Spanish woman to do so since Garbine Muguruza at Melbourne in 2020.

Defending champion and top seed Jannik Sinner overcame a debilitating medical episode as well as Dane Holger Rune to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the third time with a 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2 victory on Monday.

Svitolina, the 28th seed, followed up her shock win over world number four Jasmine Paolini in the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over the world number 75 on Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic, speaking at a news conference in Melbourne where he is taking part in the Australian Open, said that he cannot "pretend that nothing is happening".

"Couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster Channel Nine here in Australia made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me," he said, not naming him but appearing to reference Tony Jones.

Jaime Alcaraz Garfia won his first qualifying match at the Les Petits As on Saturday, putting him one victory away from the main draw at an event that is a premier fixture on the Junior European Tour.

The 37-year-old Serb, who is gunning for a record 25th Grand Slam title and 11th Melbourne crown, beat 24th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Rod Laver Arena.

Double-defending champion Sabalenka blew away Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a ruthless display on the hottest day of the Melbourne tournament so far.

Ukraine's Svitolina beat Jasmine Paolini 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the third round of the women's draw just hours after Frenchman Monfils stunned American Taylor Fritz on the same Margaret Court Arena in the men's singles.

Gael Monfils said he was ready to "do some damage" after stunning Taylor Fritz on Saturday at the Australian Open in his first win over a top-five seed at a Grand Slam in almost 17 years.

Collins, 31, blew kisses to the fiercely partisan crowd, cupped her ear and even pointed to her backside after a stormy 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-2 victory over Aiava, the last Australian woman in the draw.