Unheralded German Mischa Zverev beats world number one Andy Murray to reach Australian Open quarter-finals

German world number 50 Mischa Zverev produced the performance of his career to eliminate world number one Andy Murray at the Australian Open after prevailing 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday at Rod Laver Arena.

Murray’s defeat follows that of reigning champion Novak Djokovic, who fell to Denis Istomin in the second round on Thursday, leaving the men’s draw at the year’s first grand slam without its top two seeds at the quarter-final stage for the first time since 2002.

The top seed, who has lost five Australian Open finals, dropped his serve eight times in losing the three hour 34 minute contest.

“He deserved to win because he played great when he was down and also in the important moments,” said Murray. “[He] kept coming up with great shots, there’s not too much you can do about that. Sometimes you got to say, ‘well played’. It was obviously disappointing to lose. But he did some good stuff out there.”

Zverev, a German lefthander and the older brother of Alexander Zverev who lost to Rafael Nadal in the third round on Saturday, advances to a quarter-final and will face the winner of the later match between Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori.

“Honestly, I was in a little coma, just serve and volleying my way through,” said Zverev. “There were some points I don’t know how I won. But somehow I made it.”

Stan Wawrinka’s campaign for a second Australian Open title stepped up a gear as the hard-working Swiss fended off Italian journeyman Andreas Seppi 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) to reach his fourth quarter-final at Melbourne Park.

Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic stunned by Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin

The 2014 champion has done it tough in the opening week, but despite the tight scoreline, he was rarely threatened by 89th ranked Seppi on a sunny afternoon at Margaret Court Arena.

With Murray crashing out only minutes before the win, Wawrinka’s chances of grabbing a fourth grand slam title have been given a huge boost and he is now the highest seed in the top half of the draw.

Wawrinka next faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the semi-finals, after the Frenchman beat Britain’s Dan Evans 6-7 (7-4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.