Jordan Thompson and Chris O'Connell have ensured Australia can boast two quarter-finalists at the ATP's Chengdu Open as big-time men's tennis returns to China.
Thompson, backing up his excellent win over his Sydneysider pal Max Purcell the previous day, outplayed Serbia's Dusan Lajovic 6-1 7-6 (7-1) on Friday to set up a last-eight meeting with Roman Safiullin, the surprise Wimbledon quarter-finalist.
Thompson, who's made his fourth quarter of the season, was then followed by another of his Sydney buddies Chris O'Connell, who came through a titanic first set en route to beating Taro Daniel 7-6 (12-10) 6-4, eventually requiring five match points before finally subduing the Japanese No.3 after two hours 36 minutes.
O'Connell, the world No.53, and Thompson, the No.56, are both eyeing the prospect of making the top-50, joining Alex de Minaur (12), Alexei Popyrin (45) and Aleksandar Vukic (50) who are already there.
O'Connell's last-eight date will be against either the third seed Grigor Dimitrov or Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas.
The two Aussies could yet be joined by a third in the last-eight as Subiaco's surprise packet Philip Sekulic prepares for just the second tour-level match of his burgeoning career, up against Italian world No.18 Lorenzo Musetti on Saturday.
In the other men's event going on in China this week at Zhuhai, Australia qualifier Alex Bolt's good run came to an end at the hands of Russian top seed Karen Khachanov 6-4 6-4 in the round-of-16.
The last Aussie in the Zhuhai singles draw is Marc Polmans, who will have his work cut out against British No.1 Cameron Norrie in his last-16 contest.
