HIGHLIGHTS-Day eight at the Australian Open

1245 NADAL DOWNS MONFILS TO REACH LAST EIGHT

The 2009 champion Rafa Nadal beats flamboyant Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-4 to reach the last eight of a grand slam for the first time since the 2015 French Open.

Next up for the 30-year-old is third seed Milos Raonic. He has a 6-2 career record against the Canadian.

"I am very, very happy being in the quarter-finals again at a grand slam," Nadal said on Rod Laver Arena.

"It's very special for me, especially here than in Australia, where I feel a little bit like home where the crowd is always supporting me."

Nadal's win wrapped up singles play on day eight.

1140 THIRD SEED RAONIC ON MURRAY, DJOKOVIC EARLY EXITS

"It's very insignificant because there's a lot for me to even get past that point where it would have been to play potentially against those guys. I have some very difficult tasks ahead of me."

1100 DIMITROV OPENS UP ABOUT MIXING TENNIS AND LOVE

Bulgarian 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov, the former boyfriend of five-times grand slam champion Maria Sharapova, spoke of his struggles to balance tennis with his love life earlier in his career.

"There was a time, a period, that I wasn't, like, kind of sure how to deal with both things in the same time," Dimitrov, who split with Sharapova in 2015, said after reaching his second quarter-final at Melbourne Park.

"But you learn. I guess we grow. I mean, I don't want to say I've learned from my mistakes, but I've learned myself a little bit better. I think that helps me. Hopefully, it's going to help me for the future through any kind of falling-in-love stuff."

1010 RAONIC INTO QUARTERS AFTER BEATING BAUTISTA AGUT

Canada's Milos Raonic, the number three seed, beats Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4 6-1 to enter the quarter-finals, where he will play either France's Gael Monfils or ninth seed Rafael Nadal.

0925 PLISKOVA KNOCKS OUT GAVRILOVA IN STRAIGHT SETS

Fifth seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic beats Australia's Daria Gavrilova, the last local left in the singles' draw, 6-3 6-3 to set up a quarter-final clash with Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

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Australian Open order of play on Tuesday

0840 DIMITROV INTO QUARTERS AFTER BEATING ISTOMIN

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov has beaten Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 2-6 7-6(2) 6-2 6-1 in the fourth round and will face Belgian David Goffin in the quarter-finals.

0730 LUCIC-BARONI SAYS WINNING GETS BETTER WITH AGE

"So much better now... I mean, back then was kind of expected of me... it was incredible, but it was more normal. But now it's been so long, it's extra fun, it's extra special, for sure," said Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who reached her first grand slam quarter-final since the 1999 Wimbledon championships.

0515 GOFFIN SEEKS COLD COMFORT AFTER MELBOURNE PARK HEAT

"From the third set there was some cloud cover but the first two sets were really tough," said the Belgian, who reached the quarter-finals by beating Austria's Dominic Thiem. "I'll be watching (Grigor Dimitrov play Denis Istomin) from the ice bath or the jacuzzi so it's okay."

0510 GOFFIN MAKES HISTORY WITH WIN OVER THIEM

David Goffin recovered from a set down to beat eighth seed Dominic Thiem of Austria 5-7 7-6(4) 6-2 6-2 and became the first Belgian man to ever reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. The 11th seed will face either Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov or Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin next.

0500 LUCIC-BARONI STORMS PAST BRADY AND INTO QUARTERS

Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni beats American Jennifer Brady 6-4 6-2 in the fourth round and will meet either fifth seed Karolina Pliskova or Australia's Daria Gavrilova in the quarter-finals.

0335 SERENA INSPIRED ME TO TAKE UP TENNIS, SAYS KONTA

"She's one of the players still playing who I looked up to as a young girl wanting to be a tennis player. It's an incredible honour and I will cherish every moment out there," said Britain's Johanna Konta, who will face Serena Williams in the quarter-finals.

0330 SERENA OPENS UP ABOUT MEETING FIANCE OHANIAN

"I love Rome. You know I love Italy. It's my favourite place... I was sitting down, and he sat next to me. It was just... I live in a movie and in a fairytale in my mind, so I guess eventually it was bound to happen," said Serena Williams, who got engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian last month.

0325 KONTA INTO QUARTER-FINALS AFTER BEATING MAKAROVA

Ninth seed Johanna Konta of Britain beat Russia's Ekaterina Makarova 6-1 6-4 to enter the quarter-finals, where she will face Serena Williams.

0315 SERENA WAS JUST TOO GOOD, SAYS STRYCOVA

"I am frustrated, but I feel like everything depends on Serena. If she has a good day, you kind of don't have a chance, because she plays so well," said Czech Barbora Strycova after losing 7-5 6-4 to world number two Serena Williams in the fourth round.

0203 SERENA BATTLES PAST STRYCOVA INTO QUARTER-FINALS

Serena Williams overcomes Czech Barbora Strycova 7-5 6-4 in an error prone match featuring several broken serves on both sides of the net and a sluggish start by the American. Williams will meet either Johanna Konta or Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals.

0016 SERENA BEGINS FOURTH ROUND CLASH WITH STRYCOVA

World number two Serena Williams has begun her match against 16th seed Barbora Strycova well aware the draw has opened up for her to clinch a 23rd grand slam title with Angelique Kerber being knocked out on Sunday. Temperatures have already hit 32C in Melbourne, with an expected high of 35C.

ORDER OF PLAY

ROD LAVER ARENA

8-Dominic Thiem (Austria) v 11-David Goffin (Belgium)

Not before 0800:

5-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) v 22-Daria Gavrilova (Australia)

6-Gael Monfils (France) v 9-Rafael Nadal (Spain)

MARGARET COURT ARENA (Not before 0200)

30-Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) v 9-Johanna Konta (Britain)

Not before 0330

Jennifer Brady (U.S.) v Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Croatia)

Not before 0600

15-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) v Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan)

HISENSE ARENA

13-Roberto Bautista Agut (Spain) v 3-Milos Raonic (Canada) (Compiled by Greg Stutchbury and Simon Jennings; Editing by Peter Rutherford)